HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Issues and Recommendation
The students from ASCC are from low-income families and according to Huston (2011), children from low-income families experience social exclusion more frequently than others. Which could lead to low self-esteem issues (Stewart, Levin, Sass & Miller, 2008). To help students respond to these issues, I recommend a physical activity intervention programme which focuses on using various physical activities to improve a child’s self-esteem while concurrently educate them about the importance of physical and mental health.
Multiple studies have shown that one of the most effective ways to improve children’s self-esteem is through physical activity in a group setting (Waade, 2004). This is because physical activity does not require a high skill level to carry out or comprehend unlike a workshop or self-esteem improvement programme and is more engaging and interactive to young children (Liu, Wu & Ming, 2015).
Multiple studies have shown that one of the most effective ways to improve children’s self-esteem is through physical activity in a group setting (Waade, 2004). This is because physical activity does not require a high skill level to carry out or comprehend unlike a workshop or self-esteem improvement programme and is more engaging and interactive to young children (Liu, Wu & Ming, 2015).
I recommend conducting the programme in a school as it can be easily integrated into Physical Education, is able to reach a larger population of children and cultivate good health habits early (Corcoran, 2007). Lars et al. (2018) also stated that Physical activity programmes carried out in schools are more effective compared to those that aren't, especially for children aged 10-13 years old.
REFERENCES
Corcoran, N. (2007). Communicating Health: Strategies for Health Promotion. London, LDN: SAGE Publications.
Huston, A. C. (2011). Children in poverty Can public policy alleviate the consequences? Fam Matters, 1(87), 13-26. doi:10.1037/e519732012-002
Liu, M. L., Wu, L., & Ming, Q. (2015). How does physical activity intervention improve self-esteem and self-concept in children and adolescents? Evidence from a meta-analysis. Public Library of Science, 10(8), e0134804. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134804
Sanjiv, K., & Preetha, G. S. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 37(1), 5-12. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.94009
Stewart, J. L., Levin-Silton, R., Sass, S. M., Heller, W., & Miller, G. A. (2008). Anger style, psychopathology, and regional brain activity. Emotion, 8(5), 701. doi: 10.1037/aa0013447
Waade, N. R. (2004). Exercise improves self-esteem in children and young people. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 50(1), 117.