Chapter 9: Experiential Learning Project: Approval
Important Course Information
This chapter will cover:
- Healthy People 2030 Goals for Preschool, School-Age, and Adolescent Health
- Health People 2030
- Children
- Adolescents
- Health People 2030
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Activities to Improve the health of Preschool, School-Age, and Adolescent Populations
- Primary Prevention
- Secondary Prevention
- Tertiary Prevention
9.1 Healthy People 2030 Goals for Preschool, School-Age, and Adolescent Health
Healthy People 2030
Children
Preschoolers and school-age children fall into the Healthy People 2030 overarching goal to “focuses on ways to directly and indirectly improve children’s health, safety, and well-being” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], n.d.-b, para. 1), as described in the section on toddlers. There are some additional Healthy People Objectives for preschoolers and even more for the school age and adolescent ranges.
Healthy People 2030 children objectives address outcomes for those aged 1 through 19. There are specific objectives geared toward the population in the preschool and school-age years. Some of these are related to vision and developmental screenings; trauma, literacy, early childhood education, nutrition, and other school programs; decreasing obesity; increasing physical activity and promotion of sports; mental health treatment; preventive dental care; and violence prevention.
Adolescents
The overarching goal of Healthy People 2030 related to adolescents is to “focuses on promoting healthy physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral development in children and adolescents” (ODPHP, n.d.-a, para. 1). Improving adolescent health can prevent some behaviors that can affect health later in life. Adolescents have many risk factors, many of which are preventable, including substance use disorders, STIs, and injuries from motor vehicle accidents. The physical and mental changes occurring during adolescence can also impact their safety and health. Encouragement of positive health behaviors is essential in this population. Therefore, there are many Healthy People 2030 objectives geared toward adolescents.
Healthy People 2030 addresses outcomes specifically for adolescents. Some are related to school achievement, adult support, family planning, oral care, transition to adult health care, LGBTQIA+ health issues, mental health disease issues, sleep, and the prevention of chronic kidney disease, chronic school absence, infectious diseases, obesity, skin cancer, STIs, tobacco and other substance use, and violence.
9. 2 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Activities to Improve the health of Pre-School, School-Age, and Adolescent Populations
Improving the health of this population is an important public health goal. Health promotion activities, such as the education previously described, can play a crucial role in achieving this goal. Nurses can promote positive health outcomes by enabling this population to increase control over their health and its determinants as they age. Activities can include various interventions to promote healthy behaviors, prevent diseases and injuries, and improve health care access and may occur in various settings, including schools, health care facilities, community centers, and homes. Examples include education and awareness campaigns, nutrition and physical activity interventions, mental health interventions, and health care access initiatives. By implementing these interventions, nurses can help promote healthy behaviors and improve children’s and adolescents’ overall health and well-being.
The CDC (2024a, 2024b, 2024c) website provides information on children ages 0 to 3, children ages 4 to 11, and for teens.
Disease prevention promotes healthy growth and development by supporting children’s and adolescents’ physical and cognitive growth and development. By protecting this population from illnesses, the nurse can help them reach their full potential (ODPHP, n.d.-a). Preventing diseases also helps reduce health care costs through a lesser need for medical treatment or hospitalizations. Healthy children and adolescents are more likely to have good academic performance with less absenteeism, positively influencing their academic lives and contributing to their future professional lives. By preventing certain diseases, nurses help to protect this population’s long-term health and the wider community by reducing the spread of infectious diseases (ODPHP, n.d.-a).
Because some of the most common preventable diseases affecting this population include COVID-19, influenza, and obesity, health promotion and applicable prevention efforts should target them. Preventing accidents, homicides, and suicides is also imperative for this population.
Primary Prevention
Prevention of disease onset occurs through primary prevention. It is an essential way to promote the health and well-being of the preschool, school-age, and adolescent population. Some examples of primary prevention include:
- Immunizations per the recommended schedule (CDC, 2024d). Additional information can be seen at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Childhood and Adolescent Vaccine Education Series playlist on YouTube.
- Hand hygiene, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water to prevent the spread of germs.
- Healthy eating habits, such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables to support their immune system and promote growth and development.
- Sun protection to prevent skin damage and cancer from sun exposure.
- Regular physical activity to promote overall health and well-being and prevent the development of obesity.
- Injury prevention, including providing safe play environments for preschoolers, bike safety for school-age children, and driving safety for adolescents.
- Sexual health education to prevent STDs and unintended pregnancies.
- Mental health promotion, including stress management and coping skills to prevent anxiety, depression, and suicide.
- Substance misuse prevention, including the risks and consequences.
- Violence prevention, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, firearm violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and youth violence prevention to prevent violence before it actually occurs or buffer people from violence.
Secondary Prevention
Secondary prevention measures identify problems as early as possible, usually before symptoms arise. Some examples of these for the preschool, school-age, and adolescent population include:
- Regular health checkups, including dental, vision and hearing as applicable, to help identify any health issues early and ensure appropriate medical care is received
- Recommended screenings for the age group as per the American Academy of Pediatrics or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines
- Immediately after a violent event, addressing any short-term consequences and focusing on the immediate needs such as emergency services or medical care
Tertiary Prevention
Tertiary prevention involves managing and treating health issues that have already developed to minimize their impact and prevent further complications. Here are some examples of tertiary prevention activities for preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents:
- Provide early intervention services such as speech therapy or occupational therapy for preschoolers with developmental delays or disabilities
- Manage asthma symptoms and provide treatment to prevent attacks and minimize the impact of the disease
- Provide appropriate mental health treatment to help children or adolescents manage symptoms and improve their quality of life
- Provide emotional support or mental health services long-term following a violent event to decrease trauma to the victim
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024a). Information about infants and toddlers (Ages 0-3). https://www.cdc.gov/parents/infants/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024b). Information about young children (Ages 4-11). https://www.cdc.gov/parents/children/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025c). Information about teens (Ages 12-19). https://www.cdc.gov/parents/teens/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024d). Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/child-adolescent-age.html
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.-a). Child and adolescent development. Healthy People 2030. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/child-and-adolescent-development
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.-b). Children. Healthy People 2030. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/children
Content in this chapter is an adaptation of chapter section 26.3, Population Health Nursing by Jessica Ochs, Sherry L. Roper, and Susan M. Schwartz in OpenStax, licensed CC BY.
