Public response to the proposed 'Health Education' subject in schools in Poland - attitudes, curriculum familiarity, and information sources.

INTRODUCTION AND

OBJECTIVE

Public attitudes may affect implementation of school-based health promotion. In Poland, the proposed new subject 'Health Education' has been widely debated. The aim of the study is to assesses public response to this reform, including perceived health-related knowledge, curriculum evaluation and familiarity, reported information sources, and implementation preferences.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2025 among 1,094 adults from three Polish regions. A 32-item questionnaire assessed self-reported health-related knowledge, attitudes toward the reform, curriculum evaluation and familiarity, information sources, and implementation preferences. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and Cramér's V were used.

RESULTS

Most respondents assessed their health-related knowledge positively, whereas evaluations concerning children and adolescents were less favourable. Overall, 51.9% supported changes in health education. Familiarity with the proposed curriculum was limited, with 57.3% reporting no or only superficial familiarity. Despite this, attitudes toward the proposed curriculum remained clearly divided, while 33.7% expressed no opinion. The most frequently preferred option was introducing the subject as optional.

CONCLUSIONS

Although respondents generally recognized the need for changes in health education, attitudes toward the proposed curriculum remained divided despite limited familiarity with its content. Since most respondents indicated indirect or non-official information sources, declared opinions should be interpreted with caution, as the credibility, completeness, and fidelity of these sources to the official curriculum could not be verified.