Resiliency of the Comprehensive School Health Approach in Canadian Schools Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Comprehensive School Health (CSH) is a whole school approach to promote healthy school communities. The objective of this study was to understand if and how schools that take a CSH approach (i.e., APPLE Schools) sustained and adapted their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contributions to Practice: This qualitative study highlighted teaching staff and principals' perspectives to showcase the ways that health and wellbeing supports through the CSH approach helped to mitigate the COVID-19 impacts on schools. This article describes three themes that exemplified how healthy school communities were promoted and maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic: wellness was already a priority, purposeful efforts to continue health promotion, and recognition that (a culture of) wellness extends beyond the school. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: CSH approaches with supportive environments, healthy living practices, partnerships, and overarching district policies offer a structure and pathway to guide efforts in schools during times of adversity and support whole school communities. The CSH approach had a beneficial impact in urban, rural, and remote school contexts. Conclusions: Schools with well-established priorities of wellness carried CSH practices throughout the pandemic. This ensured student and staff wellness was at the forefront of health promoting efforts.