Page 142 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 142
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 142 first be given relevant information in a way that they can understand.
Unfortunately, many children are not introduced to health information
until they are in kindergarten or school because parents do not have the
relevant knowledge at home or do not consider such topics important.
Interviewees agree that the content of health education is important,
but it depends on each institution how much emphasis they place on it.
There would be a need for a unified curriculum that includes health and
education content in kindergartens and includes content for children,
educators and also parents since parents are first and foremost role
models for their children.
Keywords: health education, education, work in kindergartens, health
content and kindergarten
Introduction
Health education is part of general education and reflects the culture of indi-
viduals and society. In the past, health education was not taken care of, but to-
day it is extremely important in a developed society. We are aware that with an
appropriate educational approach and lifestyle, we can at least partially influ-
ence our health. Health education is the responsibility of medical personnel,
and in the case of children, it also involves educators and parents who need to
be educated about certain health issues. If we want a person to have healthy
habits, it is necessary to educate him/her in this direction already as a child,
and for this purpose, it is also necessary to educate parents, because, after all,
children are often a reflection of their parents, because they observe and im-
itate them. Kindergarten does not only mean an institution where the child
is protected, but it also means that the upbringing and education of the child
are taken care of in kindergartens. Therefore, it is extremely important to start
health education at a young age, because in this way we inculcate healthy hab-
its in the child, which he will maintain in adulthood. Slovenian kindergartens
are involved in various healthy kindergarten projects, there are visits by medi-
cal personnel who work with children in various health education workshops,
and children learn healthy habits through play.
In the past, kindergartens were primarily for child care, not education
(Krek and Metljak, 2011; Devjak and Berčnik, 2018), but today Slovenian kin-
dergartens are uniformly organized for care and education in the education-
al system (Rutar, 2022). The National Institute of Public Health manages and
implements the Health in Kindergarten program, which aims to create oppor-
tunities to strengthen kindergartens to create environments where well-being
and health are an important priority and to strengthen individuals‘ ability to
maintain and improve their health throughout life (Health in Kindergarten,
2021). In Slovenian kindergartens, children learn about various health topics,
such as proper oral hygiene, healthy eating, physical activity, body hygiene,
healthy sleeping habits, traffic safety... However, it would be useful to introduce
Unfortunately, many children are not introduced to health information
until they are in kindergarten or school because parents do not have the
relevant knowledge at home or do not consider such topics important.
Interviewees agree that the content of health education is important,
but it depends on each institution how much emphasis they place on it.
There would be a need for a unified curriculum that includes health and
education content in kindergartens and includes content for children,
educators and also parents since parents are first and foremost role
models for their children.
Keywords: health education, education, work in kindergartens, health
content and kindergarten
Introduction
Health education is part of general education and reflects the culture of indi-
viduals and society. In the past, health education was not taken care of, but to-
day it is extremely important in a developed society. We are aware that with an
appropriate educational approach and lifestyle, we can at least partially influ-
ence our health. Health education is the responsibility of medical personnel,
and in the case of children, it also involves educators and parents who need to
be educated about certain health issues. If we want a person to have healthy
habits, it is necessary to educate him/her in this direction already as a child,
and for this purpose, it is also necessary to educate parents, because, after all,
children are often a reflection of their parents, because they observe and im-
itate them. Kindergarten does not only mean an institution where the child
is protected, but it also means that the upbringing and education of the child
are taken care of in kindergartens. Therefore, it is extremely important to start
health education at a young age, because in this way we inculcate healthy hab-
its in the child, which he will maintain in adulthood. Slovenian kindergartens
are involved in various healthy kindergarten projects, there are visits by medi-
cal personnel who work with children in various health education workshops,
and children learn healthy habits through play.
In the past, kindergartens were primarily for child care, not education
(Krek and Metljak, 2011; Devjak and Berčnik, 2018), but today Slovenian kin-
dergartens are uniformly organized for care and education in the education-
al system (Rutar, 2022). The National Institute of Public Health manages and
implements the Health in Kindergarten program, which aims to create oppor-
tunities to strengthen kindergartens to create environments where well-being
and health are an important priority and to strengthen individuals‘ ability to
maintain and improve their health throughout life (Health in Kindergarten,
2021). In Slovenian kindergartens, children learn about various health topics,
such as proper oral hygiene, healthy eating, physical activity, body hygiene,
healthy sleeping habits, traffic safety... However, it would be useful to introduce
