Health outcomes of elementary school students in New Brunswick - The education perspective

Based on current mortality trends, Taubert, Moller, and Washington (1996) predicted that almost half of the children currently living in the United, Stales will die from stroke and heart disease in their adult life. Health outcomes are in large part the product of lifestyle choices, and these choices begin to be made in childhood (Lammers 1996). Therefore, educators and schools play an important role in children's health outcomes. As stated in Healthy Schools, Healthy Children, Healthy Futures: The Role of the Federal Government in Promoting Health Through the Schools (Cohen et ai. 1992), representatives from several federal agencies and a national organization testified about the importance of schools in promoting health outcomes of children before the Committee on Government Affairs, United States Senate. The critical role of educators and schools is also emphasized in Schools and Health: Our Nation's Investment.