Abstract:
Developing health education standards and discourse systems with Chinese characteristics demands attention to beneficial international experiences. The National Health Education Standards (3rd Edition) issued by the United States in 2024 has garnered significant attention in the field of health education. The revision to the American health education standards is primarily based on national health policy guidance, the influence of students’ health needs, and the requirements of orderly social development. Under the clear goal orientation, a total of 8 primary indicators and 172 secondary indicators have been formed, presenting the orderliness of vertical integration and horizontal connection, the synergy of multi-dimensional linkage among “home, school, and community”, the application of operational skills, and the evidence-based nature of standard formulation. Constrained by issues such as the U.S. economic recession, the loose education system, low government efficiency, and intensified social conflicts, the American health education standards may encounter difficulties in facets such as teaching faculty, financial investment, and regulatory capacity. Benefiting from the advantages of the national system and the latecomer advantage in education in China, by reasonably drawing on the beneficial experiences of the American health education standards, breakthroughs can be made in the following facets: 1) Based on the integrated thinking of “preschool, primary, secondary, and higher education”, develop health education curriculum standards with local characteristics; 2) By enriching health education resources in urban and rural schools, construct a “home-school-community” collaborative education mechanism; 3) Continuously improve the requirements of the teacher certification curriculum system to enhance the health education expertise of physical education teachers; 4) Actively practice the evidence-based concept to align with health needs and enhance the applicability and operability of the standards; 5) Further increase investment in “human, financial, and material” resources to form a governance pattern with government leadership and school responsibility.