Adolescents' preferences for high school-based health services

This study investigated high school students’ preferences for school-based health services. This non-experimental, quantitative design used a researcher-modified questionnaire. The survey addressed accessibility of services, availability of comprehensive medical services and health education/counseling at school, and identified students’ preferences in those services offered at school. The survey was completed by 117 students at a high school in northwestern, Pennsylvania. Thirty-eight percent stated they should have received health care and did not. Reasons included inconvenient office hours, lack of resources to pay fees, not wanting to see the family doctor, or miss school. These agreed with what is reported in the literature. Students were most interested (60% to 88%) in treatment for minor injuries, illnesses, and having routine physical examinations for sports and working papers. Interest was also high in education on health and nutrition, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, and weight reduction. Overall, the results of this study agreed with findings in the literature. With the information generated from this study, an initial proposal for a school-based clinic was developed. It included a brief statement of the problem, the results of the needs assessment, statistics showing an increased pattern of usage of health room services, program plan and goals, expected costs, and possible funding sources.