Background: Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases and has become a major public health concern worldwide. More than one-third of the global population fails to meet the World Health Organization’s recommendations for physical activity. In response to this challenge, there is a growing need to introduce innovative, evidence-based approaches to promote physical activity within public health services, one of which is the physical activity prescription. Aim: This review aims to summarize international experiences and evidence-based studies on school-based physical activity prescription led by public health nurses and to assess the feasibility of implementing this approach within school health services in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: A content analysis was conducted using primary and secondary sources related to physical activity prescription, the role of public health nurses, and school health services. Relevant international and national literature was reviewed and thematically synthesized for this study. Result: Evidence indicates that public health nurses play a crucial role in reducing physical inactivity and limiting the spread of noncommunicable diseases among adolescents. In Mongolia, public health nurses eligible to work in school settings have begun training through a tiered bachelor’s degree program. Promoting health through physical activity prescription for students is a key responsibility of public health nurses. Furthermore, there is a strong opportunity to expand school-based physical activity prescriptions in Mongolia by integrating them with the Olympic Values Education Programme, which is currently being implemented nationwide. Conclusion Expanding school-based physical activity prescription within the scope of public health nursing, in alignment with the formal education system and the Olympic Values Education Programme, provides an important opportunity to integrate and align health promotion objectives across the health, education, and sports sectors.

Background: Respiratory and gastrointestinal infectious diseases are the leading causes of morbidity in children. Numerous international studies have demonstrated that handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and cost-efficient methods for preventing these diseases in children. A previous study conducted in Ulaanbaatar found that only 50.1% of general education school students practiced proper handwashing, which is considered insufficient even in areas with relatively adequate facilities. In Mongolia, 56.1% of the 865 schools lack handwashing facilities and soap, and 25% do not meet the WASH standards. Although knowledge about handwashing increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, sustained behavioral change remained limited, highlighting a gap between knowledge and practice and indicating the need for targeted educational interventions. Furthermore, there is limited research comparing the effectiveness of such interventions across different school environments and urban–rural settings, which provides the rationale for this study. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a handwashing educational intervention among primary school students and determine differences in knowledge change across four schools in urban and rural areas. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was used from December 2024 to June 2025. A total of 1,353 students from grades 3–5 in four general education schools (two in Ulaanbaatar and two in rural areas) were included in the study. Preand post-intervention handwashing knowledge scores were analyzed using paired t-tests and one-way ANOVA (α=0.05) with STATA 14.0. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. Result: The mean handwashing knowledge score increased significantly from 9.68 (±2.64) before the intervention to 10.30 (±2.74) after the intervention, with a mean difference of +0.63 (p<0.001). The differences in improvement between schools were also statistically significant (ANOVA: F(3,1335)=5.90, p=0.0005). The highest improvement was observed in urban School A (+1.49), while the lowest was observed in School B (+0.16). Rural schools C and D showed moderate and relatively consistent improvements (+0.51 and +0.70, respectively). Conclusion School-based handwashing educational interventions effectively improve knowledge among primary school students. However, environmental factors, such as infrastructure and geographic location, significantly influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore, educational interventions should be implemented alongside infrastructure improvements.