William H. Farquhar Middle School, Olney, MD. Photo credit: Patrick Ross
School Health Research Library
We have curated a library of peer-reviewed scientific studies from around the world published since 2016, focusing on the school built environment and occupant health and performance. This research builds on the 2017 Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success report released by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that synthesizes foundational research about school indoor environmental quality impacts on students and staff.
To help translate this research into action in schools, we have compiled School Health Research Highlights to help school staff and leaders access key findings and actionable strategies on priority topics.
Displaying 341 - 350 of 585 | Export entire research library
Profiling Indian classroom listening conditions in schools for children with hearing impairment
Saravanan, Gomathi
The mean noise level and reverberation time in all classrooms exceeded recommended maximum levels. The measured SNRs were not optimal for children with hearing impairment. Observations of the classrooms revealed that acoustical treatments were…
Keywords: Acoustics, Classroom noise, Hearing loss, India, Reverberation, Schools for the deaf, Teacher voice
The effects of classroom noise on the reading comprehension of adolescents
Connolly, Daniel
The
results showed that the performance of all pupils was significantly negatively affected in the 70 dB condition, for the number of questions attempted and the accuracy of answers to factual and word learning questions. It was harder to…
Keywords:
Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa
Reenen, Coralie
Noise is disadvantageous for learners, particularly those with sensory, language or
learning impairments. Research and international guidelines show that the ideal ambient level
is 30 dBA – 35 dBA, allowing the achievement of an ideal…
Keywords:
Determining public perceptions of a proposed national heat protection policy for Australian schools
Hyndman, Brendon
Themes that emerged to support a national heat protection policy for schools included: protection from the consequences of extreme heat, reliance of children on adult/school decisions and utilising modern knowledge/technology advancements. In…
Keywords: Education, Heat policy, Protection, School, Wellbeing
Ocular symptoms and tear film break up time (BUT) among junior high school students in Penang, Malaysia – Associations with fungal DNA in school dust
Norbäck, Dan
A total of 368 students (58%) participated and 17.4% reported weekly eye symptoms the last 3 months. The median SBUT and TBUT were 15 and 12 s, respectively. Students wearing glasses (OR 2.41, p = 0.01) and with a history of atopy (OR = 2.67; p = 0.…
Keywords: Tear film break up time, Eye symptoms, Mold, School environment, Fungal dna
Students’ Perceived Heat-Health Symptoms Increased with Warmer Classroom Temperatures
Bidassey-Manilal, Shalin
A high proportion of students felt tired (97.2%), had low concentration (96.8%) and felt sleepy (94.1%) during at least one hour on any day. There were statistically significant correlations, when controlling for school cluster effect and time of…
Keywords: Temperature, Health, School, South Africa, Climate change
Short-term effect of air pollution on attention function in adolescents (ATENC!Ó): A randomized controlled trial in high schools in Barcelona, Spain
Gignac, Florence
Average levels of PM2.5 and black carbon throughout the 1.5 h of experiment were 89% and 87%, respectively, lower in the classrooms with air cleaner than in the control classrooms. No differences were found in the median of HRT-SE between classrooms…
Keywords: Air pollution, Adolescents, Attention, Randomised control trial, High school
Health Risks and Potential Sources of Contamination of Groundwater Used by Public Schools in Vhuronga 1, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Odito, John Ogony
All physical and most chemical water quality parameters were within guidelines for domestic water use. A high proportion of schools had high levels of microbial organisms. Risks of infection per day were relatively low for all schools. The annual…
Keywords: Agricultural activities, Contamination, Groundwater quality, Health risks, Pit latrines, School children
Pilot study of a novel classroom designed to prevent myopia by increasing children's exposure to outdoor light
Zhou, Zhongqiang
The median (Inter Quartile Range) light intensity in the BC (2,540 [1,330–4,060] lux) was greater than the TC (477 [245–738] lux, P < 0.001), though less than outdoors (19,500 [8,960–36,000] lux, P < 0.001). A prominent spectral peak at 490–…
Keywords:
Evaluation of drinking water quality in schools in a District Area in Hanoi, Vietnam
Hung, Dang The
All of the schools employed community water system as a main source for drinking water. The results showed that all tested samples were found to be within the standards for some physicochemical properties, including Color, Taste and Odor, Hardness…
Keywords: Drinking water, Tap water, Water quality, Chemicals, Microbes, Hanoi, Vietnam