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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Social Determinants of Health: School-Based Health Centers

About this resource:

Systematic review

Source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services

Last Reviewed: March 2015

Workgroups: Access to Health Services Workgroup, Adolescent Health Workgroup, Social Determinants of Health Workgroup

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends starting and maintaining school-based health centers (SBHCs) in low-income communities. SBHCs, either on site or off site, provide health services to students in pre-K through grade 12. CPSTF found that starting and maintaining SBHCs in low-income communities leads to better educational outcomes — like grade promotion and high school completion — and better health outcomes — like decreased hospital admissions and increased contraceptive use. 

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Objectives related to this resource (21)

Increase the proportion of adolescents who had a preventive health care visit in the past year — AH‑01
Getting worse
Increase the proportion of adolescents who speak privately with a provider at a preventive medical visit — AH‑02
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of 4th-graders with reading skills at or above the proficient level — AH‑05
LHI label
Getting worse
Increase the proportion of 4th-graders with math skills at or above the proficient level — AH‑06
Little or no detectable change
Reduce chronic school absence among early adolescents — AH‑07
Getting worse
Increase the proportion of high school students who graduate in 4 years — AH‑08
Improving
Increase the proportion of 8th-graders with reading skills at or above the proficient level — AH‑R04
Research
Increase the proportion of 8th-graders with math skills at or above the proficient level — AH‑R05
Research
Increase the proportion of secondary schools with a full-time registered nurse — AH‑R08
Research
Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who get preventive mental health care in school — EMC‑D06
Developmental
Increase the proportion of middle and high schools that provide case management for chronic conditions — ECBP‑D01
Developmental
Increase the proportion of schools with policies and practices that promote health and safety — EH‑D01
Developmental
Reduce pregnancies in adolescents — FP‑03
Target met or exceeded
Increase the proportion of adolescent females who used effective birth control the last time they had sex — FP‑05
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of adolescent males who used a condom the last time they had sex — FP‑06
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of adolescent females at risk for unintended pregnancy who use effective birth control — FP‑11
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of adolescents who get recommended doses of the HPV vaccine — IID‑08
Improving
Increase the proportion of people who get the flu vaccine every year — IID‑09
LHI label
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of children and adolescents with special health care needs who have a system of care — MICH‑20
Getting worse
Reduce emergency department visits for people aged 5 years and over with asthma — RD‑03
Little or no detectable change
Reduce hospitalizations for asthma in people aged 5 to 64 years — RD‑D02
Developmental

Suggested Citation

1.

Guide to Community Preventive Services. (2013). Social Determinants of Health: School-Based Health Centers. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/social-determinants-health-school-based-health-centers.html