Abstract

Objectives: This literature review was conducted to understand overall research trend and change in school health education during the past 20 years and to identify major outcomes and future directions of research. Methods: Descriptive literature review was conducted for school health education in Korea. A total of 117 peer-reviewed journal articles and thesis published between 1900 and 2008 (for 19 years) conducted in school were finally included in this review process. The research setting should be elementary, middle, or high schools and the major topic of the research should health education for students. Results: Research in elementary school was 38.0% which was greater than research in middle or high school setting. Surveyor intervention research was slightly increased in 2000s. General health and other review were the most frequently employed topics in 1990s' research and general health, smoking, and safety were in 2000's research, which implied that recently research specified its topics more than 1990s' research. Recently research was developed in intervention model comparing with 1990s' research. Research using experimental or quasi -experimental design seems having less intervention effects than the research using nonexperimental design. Conclusions: It is necessary that health education research in school focuses more in students' interest, participation, and factors related to intervention effects from now on.

Keywords

• School health;
• Health education;
• Student;
• Literature review