Health concepts among socially disadvantaged children in France, Germany and Switzerland

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Grimminger-Seidensticker ◽  
Monica Aceti ◽  
Sandrine Knobé ◽  
Gilles Vieille Marchiset
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Education ◽  
National Health ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Health Concepts

Summary As health concepts develop through exposure to, and experience with particular contexts, and as health concepts influence health behaviour, it is important for actors in health promotion programmes to understand an individual’s health concepts. This study focussed on health concepts among socially disadvantaged children in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland—a hitherto less researched population group. We conducted focus groups with a total of 167 children aged 7–11 years (mean=8.76 years, SD=0.68). The aim of this study was to explore if the life situation across four different countries leads to similar health concepts, and how the particular, national health discourses are reflected in the children’s health concepts. The data were analysed through a structured qualitative content analysis and revealed four categories: ‘Symbols/symptoms of health/illness’, ‘Emotionality’, ‘Healthy/unhealthy practices’, and ‘Consequences of health problems’. The children’s health concepts are linked to concrete events and objects, and they are able to think in logical sequences. However, the children’s causal argumentation is uni-dimensional; they do not cover the complexity of the development of health problems. In particular, overweight stands for illness and is exclusively the result of unhealthy practices. In their concepts, the children reflect the national health promotion programme discourses about overweight. They seem to understand the messages of health education as ‘behaving well means being healthy’; however, such a health education message initiates accusations of ‘unhealthy persons’. In consequence, challenges for sensitive health education programmes (at school) are discussed.

Defining Taiwanese children’s health literacy abilities from a health promotion perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Ling Liao ◽  
Chieh-Hsing Liu ◽  
Chi-Chia Cheng ◽  
Tzu-Chau Chang
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Measurement Tool

Background: Health literacy is related to health inequality, health behaviors, and health status. Globally, health literacy has primarily focused on adults and has been based on the medical model. It is necessary to understand children’s life experiences as they relate to health; thus, this study attempted to evaluate and describe the health literacy abilities of sixth-graders in Taiwan. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 10 teachers and 11 caregivers, and focus groups were conducted with 32 children. Health literacy abilities corresponding to real-life situations were identified from life skills and the Taiwanese Curriculum Guidelines for health education. Three expert meetings were held to redefine children’s health literacy using a health promotion perspective and confirmed indicators. Results: An operational definition of three aspects of children’s health literacy and 25 abilities was proposed: 11 functional health literacy abilities (e.g. understands the connection between personal health care behaviors and health); seven interactive health literacy abilities (e.g. obtains and understands information from various channels); and seven critical health literacy abilities (e.g. analyzes the relationship between personal needs and diet choices for a balanced diet). These indicators cover 10 health education categories. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of understanding Taiwanese children’s health literacy, and the urgency of developing an appropriate measurement tool. The definition and indicators in this study were identified using a child-centered approach focusing on children’s real-life experiences. The result serves as a solid basis for the development of the Taiwan Children’s Health Literacy Scale, and provides information for the decision-making sector on health education.

scholarly journals Comparative Study Of Preschool Children’s Current Health Issues And Health Education In New Zealand And Japan

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanae Watanabe ◽  
Annette Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Preschool Teachers ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews

In New Zealand and Japan, despite health education on food, exercise, and hygiene, children’s health is an important concern in preschools. This study investigated the relationship between children’s health and health education in New Zealand and Japan using a qualitative interpretative descriptive design method and semi-structured interviews with preschool teachers. Major children’s health issues identified by preschool teachers in New Zealand were asthma, allergies, and dental hygiene. Although few preschool children are overweight in New Zealand, it becomes a serious concern in primary school. Identified as a suspected cause of children’s health problems was parents providing their children with sweet and/or unhealthy foods. Preschool teachers want parents to understand and implement health education, and they stated that parents’ education was necessary. In Japan, children’s health problems identified by teachers were allergies, food preferences, and sleep deprivation. The suspected causes included too much convenience, parents’ irregular lifestyles because they were busy, and parents’ depending on preschools to discipline children in ways that should be done at home. The goals for preschool health education were similar in New Zealand and Japan. The goals should be to obtain lifelong health knowledge, an ability to make wise health-related decisions in adulthood, and healthy lifestyle choices for themselves and their families. Some children’s health issues were beyond the scope of the abilities of individual preschools. Therefore, the entire nation and government should work together to cope with children’s health issues and health education.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of interventions to improve lifestyle behaviors among socially disadvantaged children in Europe

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne I. Wijtzes ◽  
Vivian M. van de Gaar ◽  
Amy van Grieken ◽  
Marlou L.A. de Kroon ◽  
Johan P. Mackenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged Children

The Needs and Problems of Socially Disadvantaged Children as Perceived by Students and Teachers

1968 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas P. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Disadvantaged Youth ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Teacher Groups

It was hypothesized in this study that there would be significant differences between perceptions of socially disadvantaged and other student and teacher groups on each subtest of the SRA Junior Inventory. Although the hypothesis was rejected, it was found that teachers have a better understanding of the needs and problems of disadvantaged youth than might be expected. Teachers, however, differed markedly with students by suggesting that the home rather than the school was the source of student frustration. Other discrepancies are noted, and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Barriers in Education of Children from Socially Disadvantaged Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-73
Author(s):  
D. Bachyncova Giertliova
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Families With Children

The paper discusses and summarizes the knowledge in the field of education of socially disadvantaged children with an em- phasis on the Roma ethnic group in Slovakia. It focuses on the issue of pre-primary education of these children and points to the specifics that have a negative impact on the adaptation to the school educational process. The paper addresses the risk aspects of poverty, social exclusion, child development and the need for early intervention for families with children. Further- more, in the article we focus on the support of children at the community level and on possible forms of aid that can help to achieve a more favorable development of the overall Roma family within specific projects. We also deal with early care, which is very important for the bio-psycho-social development of children and youth.

The Health of Children, A Crisis of Ethics

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-558
Author(s):  
C. Arden Miller
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Out Of Pocket Payments ◽  
The World

A number of reviews emphasize the considerable extent to which infants and children of this country continue to be burdened with afflictions and risks of poor health.1-4 Persistent problems invite speculation that either the nation's wisdom or its resources are insufficient to serve fully the health needs of children. Neither of these explanations is well supported. A thoughtful policy paper5 published by the World Bank, dealing with the health of all children in the world, marshalls evidence that the most pressing health problems of children can be controlled or treated with presently known technologies. For this country, the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health found that the most pressing children's health problems were related to deficiencies of access to essential basic health services, and that the cost of providing those services as a public expense would be both small and cost effective.6 Services for children account for an exceedingly small portion of the federal health expenditures; out-of-pocket payments for children's health services are proportionally higher than for any other age group, even though a higher propontion of children than any other age group live in poverty-level households.7,8 Explanations other than lack of information or lack of national resources must be sought for the failure of this nation to address adequately the health needs of children. This paper attempts to serve two purposes. It first marshalls new testimony on the health status of children and then attempts to analyze barriers that thwart effort to address unmet needs. In the first instance, the circumstances quoted are intended to confirm that in spite of substantial progress over the past decade there are some persistent problems and some new warning signals about children's health.

scholarly journals Parent involvement with children's health promotion: the Minnesota Home Team.

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 1156-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
C L Perry ◽  
R V Luepker ◽  
D M Murray ◽  
C Kurth ◽  
R Mullis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Parent Involvement ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Home Team
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