20 Years of

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SA

Celebrating 20 years of the SALSA program, a collaborative approach dedicated to promoting physical activity and healthy eating for a healthier school community.

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It all started in 2004

The program was developed with local general practices and health and education professionals. A need to address growing rates of obesity within western Sydney was identified by general practitioner associations. These GP associations understood that greater gains will be made if a program targeted adolescent populations. There was also a realisation that effective health promotion programs use a holistic approach, based on past findings and sound theories.

Hence, a partnership was formed between general practitioners who were members of the Mt Druitt Medical Practitioners Association (MDMPA), Western Sydney Local Health District and Rooty Hill High School to consider the feasibility and development of an intervention that could be conducted in the high school with the aim of promoting a healthier lifestyle in students.

The GPs at MDMPA recognised that to ensure positive and equitable health outcomes of adolescents, they need to connect with local schools. Adolescents were not going to see their GP and there was a consensus between the health and education personnel involved that a peer education model would be the most acceptable and effective for students.

It was first introduced into the PDHPE curriculum at Rooty Hill High School in 2o04, and is now an integral part of the school experience at a range of high schools, mostly in Western Sydney.

It was inspired by two programs

When developing the program, two established peer-education models were drawn upon:

Triple A (Adolescent Asthma Action) program, an evidence based and effective peer-led model in influencing health behaviour change in adolescents as well as being acceptable to schools (Shah et al., 2001; Shah et al., 2008).

TEENS (Teens Eating for Energy at School) program, a school-based nutrition education program conducted in the USA from which evaluation questionnaires were adapted (Story et al. 2002).

How did it work?

To ensure the objectives and planned activities of the program would be relevant to students, a meeting was conducted with members of the school community to elicit feedback about the draft program. The participants consisted of:

    • 5 high school students
    • 2 parents
    • 1 teacher
    • 5 university students who were studying physical development, health and physical eduction (PDHPE)

 

Appropriate content and strategies were based on the program objectives, a literature review, teaching experience and the feedback. Students suggested the name of the program, Students As LifeStyle Activists (SALSA). The program was designed to fit into the school’s PDHPE curriculum and demonstrates the useful role of GPs and health professionals in health promotion activities in schools.

Where is the program now?

Since its inception, the program has grown and has reached over 40 NSW High Schools, mostly in Sydney’s west and more recently in the Northwest of NSW. The SALSA program has been adapted to suit students in Vietnam, Jordan and China.

We look forward to expanding and reaching more schools and students in the coming years.

ARTICLE

Western Sydney student lifestyle activist program celebrates 20-year anniversary 

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SALSA Photo Gallery

Principals, teachers and participants have a lot to say about SALSA

“The partnership and the relationship between SALSA and the Giants is very important. Students have that frame of mind where it’s not just about me, it’s about how can I benefit the community and work with everyone around me.”
GWS Giants
GWS Giants
“SALSA gives students the opportunity to voice their opinion to actually take on what they are learning and be confident enough to express their views and the knowledge gained through the program, to other students.”
Samir Abdelkrimi
Samir AbdelkrimiSALSA Co-ordinator, Colyton High School
“After so many years, we see the need and inherent value of the SALSA program throughout the school. In a school where 25% of the students live in homes of considerable poverty and 200 of the 1125 students have health plans for chronic poor health, a health strategy of this kind is a powerful opportunity to change health and life outcomes for those students, for all students”
Christine Cawsey AM
Christine Cawsey AMPrincipal Rooty Hill High School
"SALSA has given peer leaders interpersonal skills to work in different groups, and strengthened the value to live healthy lifestyles. The program is a positive avenue for students to learn through creativity and practice."
Bernadette Corpuz
Bernadette CorpuzTeacher, Rooty Hill High School
"The SALSA program has helped open channels of communication between younger and older students, as well as between students and teachers on not only health topics covered in this course, but also a much broader range of areas across all dimensions of health."
Head PDHPE Teacher
Head PDHPE TeacherNepean High School
"I think it’s a very neat model where you’re not just saying to students sit back and listen, and I’ll tell you all about it. We’re saying this is for you to be active - active in your learning, active in managing your lifestyle … but also active in giving the message more broadly to family and friends."
Emeritus Professor, Stephen Leeder
Emeritus Professor, Stephen LeederDirector Research Education Network, WSLHD
"Seeing disadvantaged areas of Sydney that I wouldn’t be exposed to during my studies has been really beneficial for my career, and it’s been a real privilege to be involved in the SALSA Program.“
Christina Roger
Christina RogerUni Student, University Of Sydney
“At a time when western Sydney is experiencing a diabetes epidemic, the SALSA program‘s ability to contact so many young lives and reach into families couldn’t be more significant. Simply telling someone to do something rarely leads to sustained change”.
Dr Kean-Seng Lim
Dr Kean-Seng LimGP Mt Druitt and Past-President NSW AMA
"I’m 13 years old. I’ve done the SALSA Program at school. I really enjoyed playing soccer and basketball with the Year 10 mentors, and it made me want to be active.“
Joeline
JoelineYear 8 Student, Chifley College Mt Druitt
“The SALSA Program is important because it teaches students leadership skills as it allows them to learn how to teach and allows them to experience and learn more about health through actually teaching, which is a good way to learn.”
Matthew
MatthewYear 10 Student, Model Farms High School
"I’ve found being involved in the SALSA Program this year has increased my self confidence and motivated me to act as a role model and lead by example in attempting to influence younger students’ lifestyle habits."
Christina Roger
Christina RogerUni Student, University Of Sydney
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