PARENTS’ ATTITUDES ON THE INTRODUCTION OF HEALTH EDUCATION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION: We explored parents’ views on the introduction of HE into the educational system, as well as differences in the degree of agreement, depending on the gender of the respondents, the school which the children attend and children’s age. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Examinees in this study were parents (N = 531) of children attending primary and secondary schools in the area of Municipality Livno. The study was conducted by using cross-sectional study and a special questionnaire was created assessing attitudes on the introduction of HE in the education system which contains 26 items. RESULTS: Parents have positively disposed towards the introduction of HE in schools (M = 2.85) if it would be carried out according to previously anticipated and clearly defined literature (M = 3.89), which they should be pre-acquainted with (M = 3.78). They also consider that the lecturers should be exclusively health workers (M = 3.50) and certainly should cover the topics of the quality of human life (M = 4.07), the prevention of addiction (M = 4.03), prevention of bullying (M = 4.14) and the culture of social communication (M = 4.15). Surely the content of the lectures should be adapted to the age of the child and should be adjusted with the principles and values imposed by the religion (M = 3.61). Parents most varied in their views when it comes to the introduction of sex education in schools (M = 2.9, SD = 1.53), however, if the contents would correspond with the age of the child (M = 3.7). There are no gender differences on the issue of the introduction of HE in schools (t = 0.018, DF = 499, p> 0.05), as well as differences between the schools (F = 1.937, DF = 5,520, p> 0.05), nor between children of various age groups (F = 1.667, DF = 2,523, p> 0.05).