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Our study focused on two topics, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and their control using condoms. For this, we analysed and compared 42 school textbooks from 16 countries on the general topic "Human Reproduction and Sex Education" using a specific grid designed by the BIOHEAD-Citizen project. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was a common topic in all the textbooks that were analyzed, although it appeared in quite different chapters, such as, Human Procreation (the control of reproduction, the hygiene of reproduction, or in chapters devoted to STIs and AIDS), Immunology (with AIDS as an example of immune deficiency), and Personal Protection. Some textbooks provided information about other STIs in addition to AIDS. There appeared important differences among countries concerning both the number of images in the textbooks and the number of STIs that were discussed in the textbooks. There were also differences among various textbooks addressing the same educational level that came from different publishers in terms of the way that STIs were presented. More than half of the analyzed textbooks did not link the presentation of STIs with their prevention via the use of condoms, and only a few textbooks illustrated an unrolled male condom on the penis. Our results also indicated that (i) for most of the analyzed biology textbooks there was a preference for the biomedical model of health education that provided sufficient scientific knowledge, (ii) only in Finland, there was an attempt for promoting competencies relating to a healthy sexual behaviour, and (iii) the textbooks from Morocco and Tunisia illustrated how traditional values could be promoted in parallel with biomedical knowledge by using injunctive moral content. Interactions between scientific knowledge (K), values (V), and social practices (P) had been found and seemed to determine what was present (and how)in school textbooks. (Contains 6 tables and 13 figures.)

Classically, health education has provided mainly factual knowledge about diseases and their prevention. This educational approach is within the so called Biomedical Model (BM). It is based on pathologic (Pa), curative (Cu) and preventive (Pr) conceptions of health. In contrast, the Health Promotion (HP) approach of health education intends to improve health by promoting healthy habits (He) and by developing empowerment (Ep) for a healthy decision-making with regard to environmental (Ev) challenges. The aim of the present study focused on a comparison of the emphasis on either model (BM or HP) as it is presented by textbooks from 16 countries. Each country team analysed the textbooks that are more frequently used at each educational level. Text and image analysis identified that some countries, such as France and Italy, as more associated with the Biomedical Model, whereas Germany, Mozambique and Finland were more linked to the Health Promotion approach. Data organised for four pupils' age groups (6-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18 years old) showed that text and images of the same textbooks gave similar results in terms of following either the BM or HP model, and showed different indicators of consistency (Pa, Cu, Pr for BM; and He, Ep, Ev for HP). Furthermore, although the analyses might be, to a certain extent, subjective (depending on the researcher), it was shown to be very reliable, since all countries, whose textbooks were analysed for the 4 age groups or only the 3 age groups, showed a similar tendency of evolving from a HP (early ages) to a BM approach (elder ages). The interesting finding that the younger pupils' textbooks were more associated with the Health Promotion pole, whereas the older pupils' textbooks were consistent with the Biomedical Model pole seems to be a matter of further and deep investigation. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)

Health education is a part of the primary school science curriculum in France. Teachers often consider sexuality education and sexually transmitted diseases prevention as a topic they cannot teach without the help of partners. This paper is an account of a research carried out to study the representations of primary school pupils (Key Stage 2, French children, from 9-11) about HIV/AIDS and to analyse the impact of an educational programme on these representations. The Programme was based on a socio-constructivist approach to learning. It aimed to modify pupils' representations through regular teacher's activities and interventions of health educators. The results indicate that after the intervention, pupils' scientific knowledge was more precise, and communication about HIV/AIDS between members of the family improved. The representations shifted from a sense of powerlessness and fatality towards a sense of the possibility of acting to forestall infection. Nevertheless, the impact of the intervention was weaker on under-privileged pupils.

Background: Employment conditions are associated with health inequities. In 2013, French young people had the highest unemployment rate and among those who worked as salaried workers most of them had temporary job. The purpose of the study was to assess mental health state of French young people through the prism of their occupational status and to measure whether occupational status is a determinant of health inequities. Methods: A cross-sectional multicentre observational survey was performed in June and July 2010 in 115 French Local Social Centres and 74 Health Examination Centres, who were available to participate. The survey was based on an anonymous self-administrated questionnaire delivered by social workers or healthcare professionals to young people age from 16 to 25 years old. The questionnaire was composed of 54 items. Several health outcomes were measured: self-perceived health, mental health, addictions and to be victim of violence. The association of occupational status and mental health was assessed by adjusting results on age and gender and by introducing other explanatory variables such as social deprivation. Results: A total of 4282 young people completed the questionnaire, a response rate of 83%, 1866 men and 2378 women, sex-ratio 0.79. French young people having a non-working occupational status or a non-permanent working status were more exposed to poor self-perceived health, poor mental health, addictions and violence. To be at school particularly secondary school was a protective factor for addiction. Conclusions: Occupational status of French young people was a determinant of mental health inequities. Young people not at work and not studying reported greater vulnerability and should be targeted therefore by appropriate and specific social and medical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School programs are defined to promote the health of the pupils and to develop their competencies so that they can adopt behaviors favorable to their health. With the European project FP6 Biohead-Citizen (2004–2007), we analyzed the conceptions of teachers as regards health education, in France, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, in reference to the biomedical model and the social health model. These four countries were selected because their school curricula represented different models of health education. Lebanon and Tunisia addressed health education with the biomedical model. In Morocco, the curriculum was also primarily based on the biomedical model and enclosed a few instructions issued from the social health model. In France, the health education curriculum declared an approach based on the health promotion model. Our study was based on multivariate statistical analyses of questionnaires filled out by 2537 in-service and pre-service teachers. Our analysis showed that the conceptions of the teachers concerning health education were not structured and related to a specific model. We also found that the dominating factors of influence on the choices expressed with regards to health education were, among different sociocultural variables, the religion, the home country, and, to a lesser extent, the level of training. Thus, the conceptions of the teachers were not integrated into comprehensive approaches but related to individual characteristics. Consequently health education implementation would require thorough training for pre-service and in-service teachers and should also explicitly take into account their conceptions and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Schools have been identified as one of the appropriate settings for addiction prevention since this is the place where pupils may come into contact with drugs for the first time and experiment with them, with the possibility of becoming addicted. To be effective, school-based drug education must be firmly based on knowledge of oneself and knowledge of the effects of various addictive substances. Biology education is then an essential part of school-based drug education. The aim of this work was to compare the approach taken towards addictive substances in textbooks within 16 countries involved in the European project BIOHEAD-CITIZEN. We used a specific part of the project grid for substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) and focussed on three major indicators: physical effects, psychological effects and social effects. Generally, in all 16 countries, the educative approaches taken in their textbooks include the three dimensions. Textbooks mainly employ text rather than visual images, and some countries' textbooks have only text. Moroccan and Mozambican textbooks do not mention tobacco and other drugs, respectively. The comparative analyses highlighted that the Finnish textbook is the most comprehensive; the only one, in the study, to have a specific Health Education teaching module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]