A description about health described in Spanish elementary and junior high school textbooks, 25% without scientific argument

Spain·GranadaAccording to a survey conducted in February 2005, it was revealed that 25% of the health statements described in textbooks used in elementary and junior high schools in Spain are content like "superstition" with no scientific rationale It was.

In Spanish elementary and junior high school textbooks, in various subjects such as science, society, home economics and health care, "After a meal, you should brush your teeth" "Fluoride toothpaste is effective for prevention of dental caries" Although it seems that the above message is included, there are also messages that recommend completely opposite things such as countermeasures against injuries based on scientific facts, and more carefully verify the facts The problem of making textbooks to make "do not write lies" emerging.

Details are as below.Around 25 percent of health messages in Spanish text books are not based on scientific evidence

According to a survey conducted by the knowledge management department of the Baza hospital in southern Spain · Granada, 24.6% of the health information described in the textbooks used in Spanish elementary and junior high school found to be scientific argument Did. Thesis isBMC Public HealthIt is published in the magazine.

The survey was conducted from March 1, 2006 to June 1, 2007, during which textbooks used in elementary and junior high schools in Granada were targeted, and teacher's guidance guides and languages ​​other than Spanish The textbook written in. Was excluded from the study subject. Of the total 237 textbooks, 129 volumes included descriptions of health, among which 80 samples were used as samples to analyze a total of 844 health statements.

59 out of 80 samples (73.7%) were for elementary school students and included 548 health messages. The average number of messages per book was 10.6, the part where the message was found was the most (37%) of the textbooks for junior high school third graders, the most in textbooks of biology and geography in the subject (32.5%) .

As a result, 61% of the description of 844 was classified as "level of scientific evidence unknown". For example, it is information such as "Do not cook alone with children to prevent accidents in the home, let 's make sure that adults always help them."

In addition, 24.6% is classified as "there is no scientific basis", and as an example, "You can prevent colds by breathing nose without mouth breathing" "It becomes indigestion and faints in the water Because there is a possibility of it, let's not swim after eating ".

Of the 15% classified as "know the level of scientific evidence" 6%, including "to use fluoride-containing toothpaste to prevent tooth decay" etc. "There is a high scientific basis "7.7%, including" including drinking affected malnutrition and affect digestive organs ", was judged as" scientific evidence is low ".

Also, when classified according to the content of the message, 70% of the description on "dietary balance and malnutrition", "food hygiene", "smoking", "sexual behavior and AIDS", "rest and ergonomics" Unknown ", whereas areas with many descriptions based on high level scientific evidence were" dental health "(37.5%" high level ") and" pregnancy and newborn "(35%" high It is said that it was.

In addition, two of the 844 descriptions ("Wound ishydrogen peroxide"It should always be sterilized after muscle injury." He advised that it was contrary to scientific facts, one of the researchers at Baza Hospital Inés María Barrio Cantalejo said " The results of this survey suggests the necessity of establishing new standards for teachers and textbook editors to select information on health, so that children can gain knowledge based on facts I guess. "

Not only content on health but also information that was thought to be correct at the time the textbook was written may be found to be different from facts in decades, but I have a master's degree or doctor's degree Even people like this are unexpectedly surprised that they continue to believe that what they learned in textbooks as elementary and junior high school students did not notice what was corrected later. If scenes that actually utilize the knowledge learned at school such as emergency measures and health laws come long ago, it might be better to first check whether their knowledge is wrong.