Context: Although there is strong evidence in the literature on the interest of the implementation of health policy and programs in schools, data on the determinants of the active participation of education professionals in health promotion programs remain scare.
Objective: Our study was conducted in 2018-2019 in New Caledonia, a South Pacific archipelago rich in cultural diversity but marked by major inequalities in health and education. It aimed to identify the factors that explain the involvement of teachers in an intersectoral health promotion program (development of a health education pathway led by an intersectoral team). It involved 40 schools, which corresponds to 20% of primary schools of the archipelago.
Results: Data show that of the 139 education professionals who were enrolled in the program by the education administration, 77 actively contributed. The work of these 60 teachers, 12 school principals and 5 district managers were studied in detail and categorized on the basis of the nature of their contribution.
Conclusion: Analysis of the factors impacting active participation showed that two main parameters play a key role in teacher engagement: support and leadership at the school level. This work confirms, on the one hand, the stakes for primary schools to have local support in health promotion and, on the other hand, the need to strengthen the role of school principals in the field of health.