SCIENTIFIC
Empowering Rural High School Students in West Virginia Through Interactive Preventive Health Modules
AUTHORS: William Snider, BS 1 Benjamin Clark, BS 1 Clay Willis, BS 1 Anderson White, BS 1 Payton Fitchpatrick, BS 1 Hillary Porter, DO 2
AFFILIATIONS:
1
Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University
2
Department of Pediatrics, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Hillary Porter, DO Hillary. Porter @ mhnetwork. org
DISCLOSURES: None
ETHICS STATEMENT:
This study was approved by the Marshall University Institutional Review Board( Protocol # 2132594).
FUNDING:
This study was sponsored by the Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health fall grant, which provided funding for the materials used in each session during data collection. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of the study; collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or preparation, editing, or censorship of this manuscript.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Jennifer Plymale and Amber Vance at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health
Deborah Preston at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Brandon J. Henderson and Nathan Olszewski at the Marshall University Department of Biomedical Sciences
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
The Empowering Rural High School Students in West Virginia Through Interactive Preventive Health Modules study aimed to improve preventive healthcare literacy and student comfort discussing health topics with healthcare providers among high school students in a medically underserved area.
METHODS
Students were recruited from required health and physical education classes at Spring Valley High School in Wayne County, West Virginia. The intervention consisted of four interactive 45-minute modules: substance misuse, physical activity and obesity, adult education, and mental health services, delivered by the same medical students during four individual sessions over one month. Pre- and post-module surveys using a five-point Likert scale were administered anonymously to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and comfort discussing health topics. A two-tailed paired t-test was used for statistical analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Preventative healthcare can be defined as a set of practices that reduces disease incidence and diminishes complications once a disease has developed. 1 This practice encompasses efforts by primary care physicians, governmental health agencies, and individuals such as students. 2 Historically, preventative healthcare emphasized individual actions to avoid disease; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of collective health measures and the necessity of creating a public health mindset among individuals. 1 One example of preventative healthcare and a public health initiative is a school-based intervention program.
School-based intervention programs have been proven effective in promoting health prevention and encouraging healthier living by shifting students’ knowledge and attitudes toward health-related topics, ultimately promoting healthier students. 3
RESULTS
Analysis of 112, 111, 101, and 113 responses from modules 1 through 4, respectively, revealed a significant improvement in post-module surveys’ composite scores compared to pre-module survey scores( e. g., module 1: 3.19 vs. 4.22, p < 0.0001). This trend was consistent across all modules. The greatest improvement was observed in the mental health module.
DISCUSSION
Results support the effectiveness of interactive health modules in increasing comfort and knowledge among students in rural, underserved settings, especially for mental health.
CONCLUSION
Despite limitations such as small sample size and single-site design, this study indicates that the modules intervention may be a scalable and cost-effective approach to improving health literacy and communication with healthcare providers in rural communities.
Research consistently shows that healthier students perform better academically, with improved school engagement, lower stress levels, stronger connections with teachers, and overall higher academic achievement. 4, 5 These findings highlight the crucial role health-focused education plays in supporting both the well-being and academic success of students.
A successful model for community outreach in rural healthcare can be drawn from the Healthier Nevada Project( HNVP), where medical students developed a health education program addressing key adolescent health issues in multiple rural high schools. 6 The program focused on four critical public health concerns, including substance use and addiction, physical activity, personal relationships, and mental health. The study not only assessed students’ knowledge on these topics but also evaluated their comfort levels in discussing them with healthcare providers. The
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