scientific evidence
One in four health posts in the textbooks is not scientifically
Most textbooks contain health-related messages. However, one of four messages is not based on scientific evidence as "breathing through the nose instead of your mouth prevents colds, according to research from Hospital de Baza (Granada), which publishes the journal BMC Public Health. "We analyzed a total of 844 health posts in textbooks of primary and secondary schools to identify the level of scientific evidence that underlies these texts and classified into three categories: messages with high, medium or low evidence; messages with an unknown level of evidence or messages with no known evidence, "said Maria Ines Barrio Cantalejo, lead author of the study.
Of the 80 books used in the sample, 73.7% (59 books) were primary and contained 548 posts. The average number of messages per book amounted to 10.6 and the highest concentrations of health content were found in the junior year (37%) and art, on the subject of Biology and Geology (32.5% .)
Total of 844 messages examined, 61% were classified with an unknown level of evidence and 15% fell into the category in which we know the level of scientific certainty. However, 24.6% did not show any known evidence (statements like "breathe through your nose instead of your mouth prevents colds" or "do not swim after eating, the digestive process can be altered and can suffer a cut of digestion "
. In addition, two messages went against scientific reality "with a hamstring injury should always stay in bed" and "you have to disinfect the wounds with hydrogen peroxide". " For items more than 70% of the messages related to "balanced diets and malnutrition", "Food Hygiene", "snuff", "sexual behavior and AIDS" and "rest and ergonomics" is based on an unknown level of evidence. The "oral health", has the highest percentage of messages based on a high level of certainty (37.5%), followed by "pregnancy and newborn infants" (35%).
http://www.muyinteresante.es/uno-de-cada-cuatro-mensajes-de-salud-en-los-libros-de-texto-no-tiene-fundamento-cientifico
