HPIO fact sheet outlines link between K-12 student wellness, health equity

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio released a new fact sheet titled “K-12 Student Wellness and Health Equity,” which explores the connection between student wellness and health.

According to the fact sheet, “Research has shown that schools can positively impact academic success and educational attainment through student wellness and health improvement efforts, such as school-based health care, drug and violence prevention and social-emotional learning programs.”

The fact sheet notes:

• Nearly one quarter of Black children in Ohio (22%) were chronically absent during the 2019-2020 school year, compared to 8% of white children in Ohio.
• The percent of high school students in Ohio who did not graduate in four years was 3.2 times higher for students with low incomes compared to peers with higher incomes.
• Among children in Ohio with special healthcare needs who needed care coordination, 41% did not receive needed care coordination in 2018-2019.
• The suicide rate for youth, ages 8-17, in Appalachian counties in Ohio was 1.5 times higher than the overall youth suicide rate in 2018.

The fact sheet also includes links to existing state plans and resources that include strategies policymakers can focus on to improve K-12 student wellness.