Dr. Murnaghan began her career as a nurse. She describes her astonishment at meeting high numbers of patients with poorly managed chronic conditions that are preventable. Believing that many chronic conditions can be eliminated through prevention strategies for youth, Dr. Murnaghan used the SHAPES research framework (School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System) to gather baseline data and develop strategies to improve youth’s physical, mental and sexual health. She and her team concluded that PEI youth were being underserved by their schools’ health initiatives, and created partnerships with the community to address how this could be changed. She highlights the importance of gathering local data to support the argument for new approaches that address students who are least healthy and improve the health conditions for all students.
Use this resource to
- learn about a research framework for collecting and using data to address student health issues in schools; and
- learn how this model can be used to facilitate partnerships between school teachers and administrators, youth and community organizations.