PHYSICAL HEALTH

Physical Health

Students Physical Health Impact on Students' Academic Well-being

Introduction

The concept of health literacy initially emerged and continues to gain strength as an approach to improving health status and health systems because numerous research studies clearly link low levels of education and literacy with poor health and early death around the world. Health literacy defines significant relationship between attitudes, knowledge, behavior, and health prospects of an individual. Health literacy enables a person to advance his decision-making related to health and obtain valuable benefits from better lifestyle. In addition, a health literate individual is more aware of the economic, environmental, and social prospect elements of health. Physically fit people (whether children or adults) are more likely to involve in sole and combined actions that can enhance the position of above stated elements (Johnson, 2010).

The proliferation of personal technology at the turn of the 20th century contributed significantly to increases in sedentary lifestyles and resulted in the decline of the collective health of our nation's youth. Deficiencies in physical fitness, childhood obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and mental and psychological disorders are increasing significantly in children. Health and medical professionals are placing emphasis on the level of physical fitness and its associated impact on one's mental development and performance in daily life. In response, key initiatives generated by the federal government, state and local agencies, and educational policymakers at all levels have sprung forth with energy, momentum, and focus not seen since the Kennedy administration's 1961 commitment to “make a substantial contribution to the health and vigor of our citizens.” Standards Based Health Education placed maximum concern as highly significant for focusing on student wellness from a holistic perspective(Janz, 2010).

Joint Committee for National School Health Education Standards established Standards Based Health Education system in 1995. This joint committee had representation from associations and committees that include Association for Health Education (AAHE), American School Health Association, Society of State Directors of Health, and American Public Health Association. The standards addressed the major areas of concern regarding the students' health as identified by the Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health, and Human Service. Multiple factors were elaborated in the standard related to physical health and cognitive abilities development of students. Main characteristic points of the standard revolve around factors that include physical fitness, nutrition, overweight and obesity, mental health, substance abuse, tobacco/drugs or alcohol use, responsible sexual behavior, injury and violence, immunization, environmental quality, and access to health care(Janicke, 2010).

For over a decade, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) has led a comprehensive effort to infuse the teaching of physical fitness content in schools' core academic curriculum of nationwide. This new curriculum is designed to maximize the impact on development of a student, and improving his health. Therefore, this curriculum has been regarded as 'Learning to give'. Health literacy is increasingly applicable and relevant to practice within health care and health research systems across the world. Most of the major advances in health since the beginning of the 20th century are due to the application of new knowledge and technologies such as knowledge improvement about physical fitness, nutrition, health related diseases, immunizations and preventive medicine. Health literacy is the fundamental skills and abilities that allow health systems and health care professionals to promote those new advances and allow individuals to receive, understand, and use that information ...