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A NSW Government Article about the SALSA Program: “An online peer-led leadership program is helping students build healthier school communities while learning some valuable skills for life.”

Background: Childhood obesity is increasing in prevalence. Effective interventions are needed, including those promoting healthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents.

Objective: This article describes the development and feasibility of a peer led health promotion program in a New South Wales high school and the role GPs can play in community based health promotion activities.

Discussion: The Students As Lifestyle Activists (SALSA) program was developed by general practitioners, a local community health organisation and a local high school. Preliminary evaluation suggests that a peer led approach is feasible, acceptable and valued by both students and staff.

Background: Adolescence is a critical time for developing healthy lifestyle behaviours. It is a period where young people assume a greater responsibility for their physical activity and eating habits, which often persist into adulthood.1 Schools are an ideal setting for promoting health, as most adolescents attend school and can be easily reached. There is also strong evidence demonstrating that school-based programmes can increase physical activity and improve dietary habits of students.2 3

The Students As LifeStyle Activists (SALSA) programme uses a peer educational model, driven by students, to promote physical activity and healthy eating in a supportive school environment.4 Our premise is that students not only learn through teaching their peers, but they also serve as powerful motivators and role models for others.5 Adolescents can also be effective ‘change agents’ within their family and the wider school community.

Background: Few studies have reported energy balance-related behavior (EBRB) change for peer leaders delivering health promotion programs to younger students in secondary schools. Our study assessed the impact of the Students As LifeStyle Activists (SALSA) program on SALSA peer leaders’ EBRBs, and their intentions regarding these behaviors.

Background: School-level socioeconomic status (SES) influences on adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors is understudied. We examined how school-level SES and sex influence adolescents’ health-related lifestyle behaviors and intentions.

Conclusions: Students from low ICSEA schools would benefit from additional support to improve dietary-related behaviors and intentions. More research is required to identify what targeted approaches will address sex differences in adolescents’ lifestyle behaviors.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify barriers, facilitators and potential intervention strategies for adolescents to use within the home to promote healthy eating and active living.

Conclusion: The strategies suggested by peer leaders in this study add to the limited literature of potential low-intensity interventions which young people can use to enable healthy lifestyle change in their home environment.