Decoding the Necessity of a Preventive Healthcare Ecosystem in Schools

“Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account.”-Anne Wilson Schaef

Good health is one of the important precursors of success, no matter what field you are seeking to succeed in. It is one of the many oars that guide us through life's journey, propelling us forward and empowering us to tackle the challenges that the adventurous journey throws us. Without good health, life’s more or less without a foundation. After all, what does a person or his deeds account for if he is not in a good health to enjoy all that he has done or achieved?

“Health is wealth!”

“Prevention is better than cure!”

These are all popular dictums that we have all heard while growing up. However, do you think children today are aware enough of the meaning behind these once-so-popular dictums? Well, it’s time we question the role of educational institutions in making young learners aware of topics such as preventive healthcare. After all, what better than the school to propagate one of the most important lessons of human life? That’s what we will be exploring through this blog today.

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What is Preventive Healthcare?

As the term suggests, preventive healthcare refers to the adoption of measures that helps in the prevention of diseases. Often referred to as prophylaxis, preventive healthcare is of utmost importance, especially in the wake of several chronic diseases that kill lakhs of people every year. As per studies, almost 80% of heart diseases, strokes, type 2 diabetes and one-third of cancers can be tackled with the adaption of preventive healthcare measures. 

In the past few years, we have seen how fast a disease can spread, and how many lives it can take away in a flash. We live in times when, despite tremendous scientific advancement, we never know what disease might pose a threat to our lives and at what moment. Thus, it becomes crucial that we always stay ready to tackle whatever comes our way, to prevent our health from decaying into a zone from which there’s no coming back.

The Need for Preventive Healthcare in Schools

School plays a vital role in our lives. Schools form a large part of the life of children specifically, helping them grow into successful individuals as they navigate through the journey called life. The role that the school plays is indispensable when it comes to acquainting people with important lessons concerning life. It is the same with preventive healthcare. 

Several pieces of research have confirmed that students that are acquainted with health education in schools that promote good health have proved to be more successful in life. The school, too, has a lot to gain from promoting good health and adopting preventive healthcare for its students. 

Listed below are some of the benefits of adopting preventive healthcare ecosystems in schools:

• Improved mental, physical and social health of the entire school community
• Fosters a positive and healthier attitude
• Increase in student engagement
• Spike in the attendance of students
• Enhanced academic growth in students
• Less display of behavioural issues by students
• Better involvement of parents in school-conducted activities
• Enriches the morale of the staff
• Increase in productivity among all members of the school community 
• Improved school, home and community relationships

Important Components of Preventive Healthcare Ecosystem in Schools

“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” – Winston Churchill

Good health is an indispensable component of all of our lives. The promotion of the well-being of students and society at large can play a huge role in reducing the prevalence of several deadly and incurable diseases. Added to that, the benefits listed above, a preventive healthcare ecosystem can surely transform the community into a healthier one.

For a school to successfully implement a preventive healthcare ecosystem for their students, here are the important components that they need to be mindful of.

• Attention to Nutrition: Nutrition is vital to all of us. Children, especially, are at a crucial stage of life that cannot be hampered by the lack of nutrition. Schools must propagate the importance of adequate nutrition for children and adults alike. They should be made aware of the nutritional composition of the food that they consume and should be encouraged to shift to healthier diet options as that alone has a lot of power in enhancing our health.
• Encourage Physical Activity: Needless to say, lack of physical activity is among the top precursors of deteriorating health in the world today. Studies indicate that as many as 35 chronic diseases can easily be prevented through an active physical lifestyle. However, research by CDC has revealed that almost 61.5% of children aged 9 to 15 do not engage in physical activity outside of school. Children thus should be made aware of the cons of a sedentary lifestyle and should be encouraged to shift to a more active lifestyle, taking every chance at any physical activity they get.
• Focus on Oral Health: Oral health care is one of the most neglected aspects of healthcare. Sure, it requires expert guidance on matters of oral health but there are some basic measures that schools can make sure the children are imparted with. For example, brushing twice a day is one basic oral hygiene that can make a huge difference, especially with all the sweets and junk that the kids indulge in. Schools can also arrange for dental visits to make students know better about oral health.
• Emphasis on Mental Well-being: With all the rising concerns surrounding mental health, mental well-being has emerged as one of the most crucial aspects of healthcare. However, a recent study by the National Alliance of Mental Illness ((NAMI) revealed that 1 in 4 students suffer from a diagnosable mental health issue. Students should be encouraged to speak about what impacts their mental health and should be guided through these issues by a certified mental health expert.
• Growth/ Developmental Surveillance: Once you are done setting up a preventive healthcare ecosystem, it is essential to conduct growth and developmental surveillance from time to time. Such surveillance help one to determine whether the introduction of the ecosystem has helped the school community and if so, in what way. Further, such surveillances are also an excellent way to further upgrade the preventive healthcare ecosystem in the school.

When it comes to adopting a preventive healthcare ecosystem in school, we seek the best. However, this best can sometimes be a little difficult to find! After all, it is often difficult to capture the attention of students. But with us by your side, you need not worry any longer!

Presenting to you Walnut, India’s first social health platform for health and wellbeing. Walnut is a perfect blend of healthy and fun. With Walnut, children have access to a host of habit-building activities and can have a lot of fun while doing so. It presents kids with an interesting mix of a verified community of doctors, organic users, an enchanting social media feed, posts, health communities, and health content. Walnut’s tagline, rightfully, highlights this perfect blend- Building Habits, Socialising Responsibly!

Explore Walnut

Here’s a look into what makes Walnut a must-have when it comes to adopting a preventive healthcare ecosystem.

• Habit Forming Health Streaks
• A Safe Online Space
• Authentic Information and Healthy Tips
• A Plethora of Engaging Activities and Events

With Walnut, you get access to a live feed wherein you can share your daily thoughts and activities while also successfully connecting with like-minded people. The Walnut team is always on their toes, ready to answer all your queries, with experts looking into all your concerns. Further, Walnut also enables you to engage in several offline activities, events, marathons and seminars to keep the serotonin high and running. Check out our latest panel session with Walnut to learn more:

So, what are you waiting for? Go visit Walnut and sign your child up for a healthy lifestyle!

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