OAE Health (023) key terms

The degree to which a person can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions and follow treatment instructions.

Eight standards describing what students should know and be able to do in health education, covering concepts, analyzing influences, accessing information, communication, decision making, goal setting, health-enhancing behaviors, and advocacy.

A framework linking health education with services such as school nursing, counseling, nutrition, physical education, and family involvement so that student health messages reinforce one another across settings.

A CDC and ASCD model organizing school health around ten components, including health education, physical education, nutrition, counseling, and family engagement, centered on the whole child.

A group of parents, students, staff, and community members that advises a school district on health education curriculum, wellness policy, and related programming decisions.

Actions taken to influence decisions, policies, or resources on behalf of individuals or communities, such as speaking at a school board meeting or organizing a campaign for healthier cafeteria options.

The principle that everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain their highest level of health, which requires removing barriers such as cost, transportation, discrimination, and unsafe environments.

Conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect health outcomes, including income, housing, education, food access, and social support.

The ability to understand and respond respectfully to people of different cultures, values, languages, and health beliefs, adapting instruction and communication so all students feel included.

The ethical and legal duty to protect private student health information, sharing it only with those who need it and only as permitted by law or with appropriate consent.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law governing access to and disclosure of student education records, including many health records kept by schools.

The legal requirement that teachers and other professionals report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities, typically within a specified time frame.

A theory explaining health behavior through perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers, plus cues to action and self-efficacy; useful for designing prevention messages.

A model describing behavior change as movement through precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and sometimes termination, with interventions matched to the current stage.

A person's confidence in their ability to perform a specific behavior successfully, which predicts whether they will attempt and persist at a health behavior.

A prevention approach that alters rules, organizational practices, or physical surroundings, such as healthier vending standards or safer walking routes, rather than relying only on individual behavior.

Action taken before a health problem develops to prevent it entirely, such as immunizations, handwashing instruction, or teaching refusal skills.

Early detection and prompt treatment of a health problem that already exists but has not yet caused serious harm, such as screening or early intervention referral.

Efforts to reduce complications and restore function after a health condition has occurred, such as rehabilitation or ongoing management of a chronic disease.

A visual nutrition guide dividing a plate into fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy, used to teach balanced meals and appropriate portion proportions.

The amount of beneficial nutrients a food provides relative to its calories, so foods high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber with few calories are considered nutrient dense.

Calories from added sugars and solid fats that supply energy with few or no beneficial nutrients, common in sugary drinks, candy, and many desserts.

Recommendations for how much and what type of activity people need, such as at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily for children and adolescents.

A way to plan exercise by adjusting frequency, intensity, time, and type, allowing teachers to help students design progressive and balanced activity plans.

A screening ratio of weight to height used to classify underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obesity in populations; it is not a diagnostic measure of body fat.

A serious mental health condition involving persistent disturbed eating behaviors, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder, requiring professional treatment.

Negative beliefs and social disapproval attached to a condition or group, which can discourage people from seeking help for mental health or substance use concerns.

The capacity to adapt and recover from adversity, stress, or trauma, supported by coping skills, supportive relationships, and a sense of purpose.

Specific thoughts and behaviors used to manage stress, ranging from adaptive approaches such as exercise, planning, and seeking support to maladaptive ones such as avoidance or substance use.

Conditions or resources that reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes, such as strong family bonds, school connectedness, adult mentors, and clear expectations.

Characteristics, experiences, or conditions that increase the probability of a negative health outcome, such as early substance use, peer pressure, or lack of supervision.

Potentially traumatic events during childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, that are associated with later health and behavioral problems.

A structured approach for recognizing signs of a mental health or substance crisis and connecting the person to appropriate help, without attempting to diagnose or treat.

A public health approach that reduces negative consequences of risky behavior without requiring abstinence, such as naloxone distribution or designated driver programs.

A substance, often alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis, whose use is statistically associated with later use of other drugs; the causal interpretation remains debated.

Learned communication and behavioral strategies, such as saying no clearly, suggesting alternatives, and leaving a situation, used to resist pressure to use substances.

A person's perceptions of what peers typically do and approve of; adolescents often overestimate peer substance use, and correcting that misperception is a prevention strategy.

A prevention strategy that publicizes accurate data about how many peers actually engage in a behavior, correcting exaggerated beliefs that risky behavior is common.

The developmental period of physical maturation involving hormonal changes, growth spurts, and reproductive development, typically beginning between ages 8 and 14.

Expected skills and behaviors that most children achieve within a certain age range in areas such as physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Instruction that addresses human development, relationships, decision making, communication, and risk reduction, typically including abstinence content along with medically accurate information.

Harm to a child through physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment or failure to provide basic needs, which educators are legally required to report when suspected.

A written, practiced protocol specifying roles, communication, and steps for responding to injuries, natural disasters, or medical emergencies at a school site.

The sequence of actions that improves outcomes in cardiac arrest, including early recognition, calling emergency services, CPR, defibrillation, and advanced care.

Chest compressions with or without rescue breaths used to circulate blood when a person's heart has stopped, ideally combined with an automated external defibrillator.

A mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head, producing symptoms such as headache, confusion, or dizziness and requiring removal from play and medical evaluation.

Strategies that reduce the likelihood or severity of injuries, such as helmet use, safety equipment, supervision, and environmental modifications.

Planning lessons with varied content, process, and products so students with different readiness levels, interests, and learning needs can all access the same objectives.

Ongoing checks for understanding during instruction, such as exit tickets, observations, or quizzes, used to adjust teaching before a final evaluation.

An evaluation of learning at the end of a unit or course, such as a project, performance task, or exam, used to judge achievement against standards.

A scoring guide listing criteria and levels of performance, used to evaluate student work consistently and to communicate expectations before an assignment begins.

An evaluation in which students demonstrate skills through a realistic task, such as creating a fitness plan or role-playing a refusal scenario, rather than answering recall questions.

The set of routines, expectations, and responses a teacher uses to maintain a safe, orderly, and engaging learning environment.

Teaching that recognizes the prevalence and effects of trauma and responds with safety, predictability, choice, and supportive relationships rather than punishment or blame.