“We are all absolutely delighted with this subsidy,” says Patricia van Assema. She is an associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion at Maastricht University and one of the lead researchers in the evaluation. “It is not a simple assignment, but it is highly relevant. We are not only going to investigate whether the Healthy School approach is effective, but also what is needed to make the approach effective. We want to know exactly what happens, so that we can also provide advice on how the approach could potentially be improved.”
Over the next four years, the research team will further investigate the effect of the Healthy School approach on pupils’ health, lifestyle, well-being and academic performance. Patricia van Assema: “We will also look at how schools implement the Healthy School approach. Some schools are very enthusiastic, while others are much more hesitant. We will also examine how support from the municipal health services is provided. The great thing about this study is that we can all contribute our own expertise and networks. Both practical experience and scientific research are represented in it.”