Over the past four years, Maastricht University (UM), in cooperation with, among others, eight municipal public health services (GGDs), has further investigated the relationship between the effects on behaviour and health among pupils and students and practices in schools. This year, all findings will be brought together in order to answer the main question in the summer of 2023.

Research objective

The aim of the study is to gain a well-substantiated understanding of the effectiveness of the Healthy Schools approach. In short: when does the Healthy Schools approach work and when does it not? To answer this question, the following will be examined:

  • The results regarding the lifestyle, health and academic performance of pupils and students
  • Schools’ approach to the health and well-being of pupils and students
  • The support provided to schools by regional and national organisations

Close collaboration with schools, pupils/students and parents

The research team is making use of both existing data and data to be collected. Gerjanne Vennegoor, one of the UM researchers together with Lisanne Vonk, explains: “We are linking existing health and lifestyle data from the municipal public health services and the NCO, the National Cohort Study on Education, to school characteristics such as whether or not a school has a Healthy School quality mark. We are collecting new data in close cooperation with practitioners. For example, we submitted questionnaires to school staff, conducted observations of the school environment and held interviews with school leaders, teachers and municipal public health service staff, as well as with a number of parents and pupils. The insights into the experiences and opinions of all these groups are very important. What do they notice, and what do they take away from it? What would work and what would not? After all, we do not only want to examine what is being done to promote health and what results are achieved, but especially under what circumstances the programme works.”

Next steps

The coming months will focus on processing and analysing all the data. Gerjanne: “All the findings will be brought together and, as it were, we will put together a puzzle to answer the main question. The main report should be ready in the summer of 2023. The results can then contribute to further strengthening the Healthy Schools programme.”