"The School Health Profiles (Profiles) assists state and local education and health agencies in monitoring and assessing characteristics of school health education; physical education; school health policies related to HIV infection/AIDS, tobacco-use prevention, and nutrition, asthma management activities; and family and community involvement in school health programs. Data from the Profiles can be used to improve school health programs" (page 2).
"The School Health Profiles (Profiles) assist states and local education and health agencies monitor and assess characteristics of and trends in school health education; physical education; asthma management activities; school health policies related to HIV/AIDS prevention, tobacco-use prevention, violence prevention, physical activity, and nutrition; food service; and family and community involvement in school health programs. Data from Profiles can be used to improve school health programs" (page 2).
In the United States, more than 55 million young people are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools.1 Because young people attend school about six hours a day approximately 180 days per year, schools are in a unique position to help improve the health status of children and adolescents throughout the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state and local education and health agencies, developed the School Health Profiles (Profiles) to measure school health policies and practices. Profiles has been conducted biennially since 1996 and includes state, local, territorial, and tribal surveys of principals and lead health education teachers in middle and high schools. Profiles helps state, local, territorial, and tribal education and health agencies monitor and assess characteristics of and trends in school health education; physical education; school health policies related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention, tobacco-use prevention, and competitive foods (i.e., foods and beverages sold outside of the United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] school meal programs); asthma management activities; and family and community involvement in school health programs.
The broad focus of Profiles is designed to provide information on 5 of the 8 components of coordinated school health: health education, physical education, health services, healthy and safe school environment, and family and community involvement.
