Alexandropoulou Marianthi
Aim: To increase understanding on health promotion concept and to identify its implications for research and practice. Background: Although health promotion is a core concept in school nursing there is no study referring to its content from the school nurses’ point of view. Method: A cross sectional questionnaire survey was used to collect data through a qualitative question on the meaning of health promotion. It was carried out in March 2005 by mailed questionnaires to all forty five school nurses of special education in Greece. Thirty four (75.55%) answers were content analysed. Findings: The most significant finding was the interchangeable use of the terms “health promotion” and “health education”. The concepts of “lifestyle advice”, “health education” and “disease prevention” were predominant. Conclusion: Findings suggest that school nurses have incorporated health promotion in their practice according to their personal understanding of the concept. Further education could enhance their knowledge on the subject.
