[Student health representatives at university: Objectives, modalities, and evaluation]

Sante Publique. 2021 Mar 2;Vol. 32(5):451-460. doi: 10.3917/spub.205.0451.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Objectives: The development of "Student Health Representatives" (ERS), based on the efficiency of prevention strategies among peers, is encouraged by University Health Services (SSU). And yet, the heterogeneity of the local contexts, as well as the lack of a national referential incites reflections as to the stakes, the key factors, and limits of these schemes. In this way, a national training day was organized to respond to the following objectives: What objective and what framework for student health representatives? Which student health representatives and what actions? What type of evaluation for student health representatives?

Method: 61 university health service professionals (SSU) (32 nurses, 22 doctors, and 7 prevention specialists), representing 29 university health services met and worked on the question of student health representatives.This work on the ERS followed a process of formalized consensus, based on the Glaser technique (Fink 1984). Two workshops with 30 and 31 people were organized, each divided into three groups (six in total). The distribution of each group was decided beforehand, so that there were no more than two members of the same university health service. Each group worked on the following three points: the role of the ERS, student eligibility and definition of their role, and the evaluation of the ERS.A synthesis was drafted after this work of reflection.

Results: An analysis with proposed actions was produced for each of the themes.

Conclusion: Even though the ERS must be reassessed and harmonized at the national level, the objectives, the framework, the themes, and the preventive action must respond to local health prerogatives, adapted to each university health policy.

MeSH terms

  • Health Policy
  • Humans
  • Students*
  • Universities*