Purpose Gloabally, young people are experiencing increasing ill health. Since school health promotion often lacks an interprofessional language, this study strives to open up a global conversation by introducing Pedagogical Health in School (PHIS). This serves as a novel pedagogical lens to bridge individual-level well-being with school-level structures, providing a shared conceptual base for interprofessional collaboration.Method Drawing on qualitative data from preschool through upper secondary school, the study explores the umbrella concept of pedagogical health, encompassing four health foundations: mental, physical, social, and existential health, and offering a holistic perspective on children's and students' well-being in school settings.Results The primary contribution is the identification of 52 candidate indicators manifesting across the four foundations in practice. These candidate indicators translate broad health concepts into observable phenomena, offering school staff a concrete, shared basis for interprofessional dialogue and action.Conclusions The article proposes pedagogically grounded definitions for each foundation to support coordinated health-promoting work. PHIS represents a significant advancement in the field of school health promotion by providing a holistic, pedagogically grounded perspective that aligns practice with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3 and 4). By integrating well-being into pedagogical settings, PHIS strengthens schools' capacity for proactive and sustainable health promotion.
Introduction Lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) is a common surgical treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP), yet evidence of its effectiveness compared with conservative care remains inconclusive. While pain is the primary clinical indication, psychosocial factors, including hopes and expectations, may influence outcomes. However, little is known about how individuals experience life with CLBP before surgery or what they hope to regain after LSF.Objective To explore patients' experiences with CLBP prior to LSF and their hopes and expectations for life after surgery.Methods A qualitative, exploratory study using semi-structured preoperative interviews and analysed using Clarke and Braun's thematic analysis.Results Fourteen patients (11 women, 3 men) scheduled for LSF participated. Three themes captured how participants experience pain as overwhelming, impacting cognition, emotion, and daily functioning, alongside loss of identity and autonomy, leading to social withdrawal and reduced belonging. Despite these challenges, participants expressed strong hopes, often more prominent than concrete expectations, to regain agency, connection, and meaning in work and family life.Conclusion Living with CLBP prior to LSF involves major negative disruptions to identity, agency, and social relationships. Patients' hopes extend beyond pain relief toward reclaiming life, highlighting the need for holistic, patient-centred rehabilitation.
