Access health information for school children on topics such as dental health, physical activity, injury prevention and vision.
We want to help create healthy schools. After all, a healthy school contributes to the safety and health of our children, our youth…our future! By working together, we can create the healthiest schools possible. Parents of school-aged children can contact their local health unit for information about their child's health.
On this page, you will find information to protect and promote the health and safety of school-aged children.
Healthy habits lead to good dental health. Find a Dental Health service near you.
Surveys are provided to all kindergarten children every three years for surveillance purposes.
A student may experience a dental emergency, such as an accident or a severe toothache, while at school that requires immediate intervention. If the student does not have a dentist, Interior Health Dental Program staff can be contacted for assistance.
Videos and other teaching resources are available online to teachers, counselors and public health nurses to assist in teaching about good dental and oral health practices. Dental staff are available to provide dental advice to families.
Head lice can affect anyone. Head lice are annoying and may cause itching, but they do not transmit or cause disease. Children and adults’ reactions to head lice can subject children to teasing, bullying and isolation. Reactions to head lice can significantly interfere with a child’s emotional well-being, social status in the classroom and ability to learn. For these reasons, head lice infestations should be treated.
The primary responsibility for control of head lice rests with the family and community.
Public health nurses can answer questions about the management of head lice.
If a child has head lice they can continue to have contact with others for the remainder of the day. The parents need to be told so that they can begin treatment as soon as possible.
If there are problems with the treatment, parents are encouraged to consult a public health nurse for information and resources.
Recommended Head Lice Management Presentation PPT Presentation(30 pages)
Recommended Head Lice Management Reference Document(16 pages)
If these are not effective or if you need more information, contact your local health unit.
Health promotion is the process of helping people to make healthy lifestyle choices and motivating them to become better managers of their own health. School-based or school-linked health promotion, called Comprehensive School Health, is increasingly recognized as an effective way to coordinate efforts that promote health and prevent disease or other problems.
A Comprehensive School Health approach encourages people to think broadly across all sectors that make up their school or school district, and to develop a coordinated, whole school approach to planning, decision-making and program delivery.
In some cases a school setting helps to establish healthier outcomes for its attending students. This includes elements such as the social and physical environments, school policies, support services, and the education/curriculum.
Promoting healthy lifestyle choices
Other Resources
Over half of Canadian children and youth are not active enough for optimal growth and development. The rapid increase in overweight and obesity, combined with low levels of physical activity are seriously threatening the physical and psychological development of children and youth. The medical profession is now seeing an increase in high blood pressure and the onset of adult diabetes in severely overweight children (Health Canada).
The solution: get active.
For more information, contact your local health unit.
Childhood obesity may result in severe medical problems such as:
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol
Liver disease
Bone and joint problems
Asthma
Sleep disorders (sleep apnea)
Earlier than normal puberty or menstruation
Metabolic syndrome: a number of conditions associated with high blood insulin levels
Overweight/obese children are more likely to be:
Teased and bullied
More likely to bully others
Have poor self-esteem
May feel socially isolated
Increased risk for depression
May have poorer social skills
Children who are overweight/obese in early childhood are more likely to be overweight/obese in adulthood and have an increased risk of chronic health conditions: high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, heart disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
Although not eating well and not being active enough are two causes of obesity, there are other factors that contribute to the rising rates of overweight and obesity.
It is important for children aged 5 -11 years to be active for at least 60 minutes per day with moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Moderate intensity are activities such as bike riding or playground activities. Examples of vigorous intensity activities include running and swimming. Changing behaviours includes creating an environment where children can live, learn and play that are more supportive of physical activity and healthy eating. Creating supportive environments aligns with the Healthy Families BC Schools provincial initiative which supports the Comprehensive School Health model – an internationally recognized approach for supporting improvements in student’s educational outcomes while addressing school health in a planned, integrated and holistic way. Comprehensive School Health is an evidence-based, ‘whole school’ approach that addresses school health via four distinct but inter-related pillars: teaching and learning, relationships and environments, healthy school policy, and community partnerships.
Examples of supportive school environments are:
Supporting more physically active modes of transportation and better access to recreational opportunities such as:
School travel plans that allow children to walk/bike safely to and from school by identification of safe routes.
Easy access to parks and green spaces.
Support for increasing the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods.
Support for decreasing the availability and accessibility of food and drink that are high in in fat, sugar and sodium.
These are just a few examples of strategies and policies that can be implemented.
Public Health Agency of Canada: Overview of the Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy
ParticipACTION: (best viewed in Google Chrome)
Health Canada: Canada's Food Guide: Maintaining Healthy Habits
Public Health Agency of Canada: Physical Activity Guidelines
Early detection of hearing loss, followed by early and comprehensive intervention, makes a significant difference to the quality of life for the individual, their family and the community. Visit the Hearing Health section of our Children & Youth page to learn more.
As children get older, the protection from childhood vaccines can wear off. Children are also at risk of new disease as they enter their pre-teen years. That’s why they need vaccinations too.
Students spend more time in school than in almost any other environment. Having access to nutritious food at school and the opportunity to engage in positive food experiences helps students develop positive eating attitudes, behaviours, and skills that support lifelong well-being.
Visit our Nutrition & Food Security page for more information.
Schools can work with students, parents, and other community partners to develop and implement written policies regarding unintentional injury, violence and suicide prevention.
The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit suggests learning to take safe risks by:
Using proper safety equipment, such as helmets, seat belts and mouthguards for sport activities
Educating ourselves and children about safety aspects of activities, such as poison prevention and water safety for swimmers.
Connecting with injury prevention groups in our communities.
Reducing the opportunity for injuries to occur through safe playgrounds, education about safe behaviors, supervised physical education and sports activities, young driver education, use of bike paths, training for teens as new employees at work sites.
Minimizing harm in injury situations by proper use of helmets, seat belts, airbags, sunscreen, community first aid training, accessible and available emergency response, MedicAlert bracelets (open in Chrome), and knowledge of universal (standard) precautions.
Injuries can also be intentional, as a result of violence and suicide.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and illness, and 85% of smokers today started before they were age 18. All other recreational addictive drugs are banned for use during school hours. Vaping has also become a significant concern for schools. Visit our Tobacco & Vaping page, or YourDentalHealth.ca.
All public and private kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in B.C. are tobacco and vape-free under the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act and Regulation. This ban extends to all school property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether or not school is in session. The ban also includes vehicles, parking lots, sports fields, driveways, courtyards and private vehicles parked on school property.
Our Toolkit – Vaping School Properties provides resources to school district staff and others who are working to address the use of vapour products among youth.
School compliance information is available to advise both public and private schools of their responsibilities for showing reasonable care and diligence with the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act.
The following resources are also available:
Since a child’s eyes are constantly in use in the classroom and at play, undiagnosed vision concerns can seriously affect a child’s abilities, success, and confidence at school.
Because vision changes can occur quickly during childhood and may not have any signs, children should be examined regularly throughout the school years. The earlier vision problems are identified the more successfully they can be treated.
Children in Kindergarten will be screened at their school by Interior Health vision screeners. It is expected that this will lead to better vision and related health, social, academic, and athletic benefits during the school years.
All children can receive free eye care examinations (optometrist and ophthalmologist) under the B.C. Medical Services Plan. However, some eye care doctors may charge a small user fee. Please call ahead to inquire.
Some families are eligible for financial assistance with prescription glasses:
The Healthy Kids Program
Information Line: 1-866-866-0800
Parents of school-aged children can contact their local health unit for information about their child's health including:
Free immunizations for school-aged children who:
Missed any preschool vaccines
Have a chronic medical condition
Are aged 4-6, and grade 6 and 9
Health information on:
Growth and development
Talking to children about bullying/cyberbullying
Talking to children about puberty and sexuality, mental health, substance use
For more information, view our list of community resources or contact HealthLink BC, 24-hours a day, by dialing 8-1-1.
The BC Community Health Profiles provide local data for use by health authorities and local governments to support collaborative community health planning. They offer an introduction to community health data and present this data at the lowest geographic level available (census sub-division or local health area level, whenever possible), but are not meant to replace the comprehensive local health area profiles that are developed by Interior Health.
