Attitude of school principals towards school public health specialist work

Aim of the study. To analyze demand for public health care specialists in schools and procedures implemented in schools in school principal viewpoint. Objectives. 1) To analyze current situation of heath care planning in Lithuania secondary schools. 2) To asses secondary school principals’ attitude towards public health care specialist at school. 3) To analyze school principals’ opinion of school public health care specialists functions at school. 4) To compare public health care specialist work implementation in rural and urban schools Material and methods. The survey was hold on World Health Organization International survey “Health Behavior in School-aged Children” conducted in 2006. The data of school principals’ opinion about health care planning in schools, public health care specialist work at school and its necessity was assessed. For principal survey anonymous questionnaire was used, which was prepared for international usage. 107 school principals filled the questionnaire (response rate – 100 %). Results. Only half (48.6 %) of school public health care specialists worked in school every day. All urban schools had medical rooms and only half of rural schools had one. In school principal opinion, schools need medical rooms (76.4 %) and public health care specialists (97.2 %). Unfortunately, public health care specialists, working at schools, do not satisfy principals’ expectations. Opinion of rural and urban school principals’ was the same. School public health care specialists didn’t satisfy rural schools principals’ expectations. Urban schools principals’ were satisfied by monitoring that hygiene norms are met, by collecting data about school children preventative medicine, and by providing first aid. Conclusions. In half of secondary schools public health care specialists worked daily. In all urban schools were medical rooms, in rural only half of them had one. Most of specialists had education of nurse. In opinion of school principals’, schools’ health care system needs to have medical rooms as well as public health care specialists. Unfortunately, work of public health care specialists didn’t satisfy principals’ expectations