Abstract

India is currently facing an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases. This epidemic can possibly be halted by creating awareness about these diseases and inculcating a healthy lifestyle among adolescent children. Keeping this in mind, National Heart Institute has started a ‘Novel School Health Initiative’ in which senior faculty gives illustrative lectures on a healthy lifestyle like ‘you and your heart’, ‘menstrual hygiene’ (exclusively for girls) and ‘personal hygiene’ giving power point presentations to class VIII/IX students. There were no financial implications for the schools. Twenty Delhi schools including public, private and central schools were included in this program to make it more objective. Lectures were preceded and followed by an objective questionnaire. Though a large number of students knew about healthy lifestyle and heart disease in general, the awareness level increased considerably following the lecture. The fact that the students received these lectures with enthusiasm and their level of awareness increased in the post-test evaluation, indicates that these students will be an awakened lot and will try to follow a healthy lifestyle. The long-term effect of such lectures needs periodical evaluation. This model can be replicated in other schools by neighborhood medical college/ hospitals in the entire country.

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