Whole Child Collaborative
Health Topics
Collectively, studies suggest that well-designed, well-delivered school-based health interventions and programs can enable students to prevent disease and injury by providing young people with the knowledge and skills they need to become successful learners and healthy adults.
CDC has identified the following health-related topics for child and adolescent health. Each Health topic has identified Healthy Behavior Outcomes (HBO) developed through a rigorous process guided by research evidence and expert opinion on the types of knowledge, skills, and learning experiences that help students in grades pre-K–12 adopt and maintain health-enhancing behaviors.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Prevention
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Use prescription and over-the-counter medications correctly.
- Avoid misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
- Avoid the use of alcohol.
- Avoid the use of illegal drugs.
- Avoid using (or experimenting with) any form of tobacco.
- Avoid driving while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
- Avoid riding in a motor vehicle with a driver who is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
- Avoid exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosol.
- Support a tobacco-free environment.
- Quit using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, if already using.
- Support others to be alcohol, tobacco, and other drug-free.
Our Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Prevention Programs and Practices
Personal Health and Wellness
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Practice appropriate hygiene habits.
- Get an appropriate amount of sleep and rest.
- Prevent vision and hearing loss.
- Prevent damage from the sun.
- Practice behaviors that prevent infectious diseases.
- Practice behaviors that prevent chronic diseases.
- Practice behaviors that promote mental and emotional wellbeing.
- Practice behaviors that prevent foodborne and waterborne illnesses.
- Prevent serious health problems that result from common chronic diseases and conditions among youth, such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy.
- Use healthcare services to address common infectious diseases and manage chronic diseases and conditions.
- Seek out healthcare professionals for appropriate screenings and examinations.
- Prevent health problems that result from fads or trends.
Safety
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Follow appropriate safety rules when riding in or on a motor vehicle.
- Avoid driving a motor vehicle—or riding in a motor vehicle driven by someone—while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
- Use safety equipment appropriately and correctly.
- Apply safety rules and procedures to avoid risky behaviors and injury.
- Avoid safety hazards in the home and community.
- Recognize and avoid dangerous surroundings.
- Get help for oneself or others when injured or
suddenly ill. - Support others to avoid risky behaviors and be safe.
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Express feelings in a healthy way.
- Engage in activities that are mentally and emotionally healthy.
- Manage interpersonal conflict in healthy ways.
- Prevent and manage emotional stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
- Use self-control and impulse-control strategies to promote health.
- Get help for troublesome thoughts, feelings, or actions for oneself and others.
- Show acceptance of difference in others.
- Establish and maintain healthy relationships.
- Practice habits that promote mental and emotional wellbeing.
Our Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Programs and Practices
Food and Nutrition
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Follow a healthy eating pattern that meets individual preferences and needs for growth and development.
- Choose a variety of options within each food group.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Choose to eat whole grain products.
- Choose to drink or eat fat-free or low-fat dairy or fortified dairy alternatives.
- Drink lots of water.
- Avoid sugary drinks.
- Limit foods high in added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium.
- Choose to eat or drink nutrient-dense foods and beverages when dining.
- Prepare good-tasting, nutrient-dense foods for yourself and others.
- Choose and enjoy nutrient-dense foods and beverages that reflect personal preferences, culture, and budget.
- Support healthy eating patterns for others
Physical Activity
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day.
- Regularly engage in physical activities that enhance cardio-respiratory endurance, flexibility, muscle endurance, and muscle strength.
- Engage in warm-up and cool-down activities before and after structured exercise.
- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after physical activity.
- Follow a physical activity plan for healthy growth and development.
- Avoid injury during physical activity.
- Support others to be physically active.
Sexual Health
A PK- 12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Recognize developmental changes experienced by self and others during childhood and adolescence.
- Establish and maintain healthy relationships.
- Treat all people with dignity and respect with regard to their gender identity and sexual orientation.
- Give and receive consent in all situations.
- Be sexually abstinent.
- Engage in behaviors that prevent or reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
- Engage in behaviors that prevent or reduce unintended pregnancy.
- Support others to avoid or reduce sexual risk behaviors.
- Avoid pressuring others to engage in sexual behaviors.
- Use appropriate health services to promote sexual and reproductive health.
Please note: In Michigan, LEAs are required to teach about HIV (MCL 380.1169) and can elect to teach about sex education. If LEAs choose to teach about sex education, they must follow the law pertaining to sex education (MCL 380.1507, MCL 380.1507b) in terms of both content and process. More details can be found under the law and policy section of the MDE HIV/STD & Sexuality Education webpage.
Violence Prevention
A PK-12 district system should be able to enable students to:
- Manage interpersonal conflict in nonviolent ways.
- Manage emotional distress in nonviolent ways.
- Avoid bullying or being a bystander to bullying.
- Avoid engaging in violence, including sexual harassment, coercion, exploitation, physical fighting, and rape.
- Avoid situations where violence is likely to occur.
- Avoid associating with others who are involved in or who encourage violence or criminal activity.
- Get help to prevent or stop violence including harassment, abuse, bullying, hazing, fighting, and hate crimes.
- Get help to prevent or stop unwanted or inappropriate touching.
- Get help to stop being subjected to violence or physical abuse.
- Get help for oneself or others who are in danger of hurting themselves.
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