Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Identifying Environmental Health and Safety Problems in Elementary Schools from the Perspective of School Health Experts

Authors
Zahra Maarefvand 1
Masomeh NazerAli 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences. Faculty of Literature and Humanities. University of Qom. Qom. Iran.
2 M.A. Department of Educational Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch. Qom. Iran
10.22038/jreh.2025.90892.1728
Abstract
Background and Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the main issues related to Environmental health and safety in elementary schools, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy educational environment for the physical and mental well-being of students. Recognizing these problems is essential for developing effective strategies to improve school health conditions and enhance the overall health of students.

Materials and Methods: The study was applied in terms of purpose and was conducted with a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. The statistical population of the study included school health experts (including university professors, managers and experts from the health and wellness offices of education regions, caregivers and experienced school principals) who were selected as samples using non-random, criterion-based purposive sampling. The research tool was a semi-structured interview. The validity of the findings from the interviews was confirmed based on the Kappa index (0.72). Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the findings. 

Results: In order to determine the Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools, 1 overarching theme (Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools), 4 organizing themes (poor personal hygiene; poor environmental hygiene in schools; poor school health facilities; and poor school safety status), 8 basic themes, and 18 subcategories were extracted and identified from the analysis of the interviews. To identify solutions, 1 overarching theme (solutions to solve Environmental health and safety problems in elementary schools), 3 organizing themes (health education; improving school health facilities; and improving school safety), 8 basic themes, and 22 subcategories were obtained. 

Conclusion: The primary requirement for developing the safety, health, and well-being of elementary school students for the optimal efficiency of teachers' and educators' educational and training efforts relates to issues such as personal hygiene; environmental hygiene; and the safety status of schools, which always require serious monitoring and care.
 
Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords
Safety
Environmental Health
Elementary School
Schools
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