Predictors of health ‐promoting behaviors in children from low‐income families: An ecological approach

In this study, we investigated the ecological factors that influence health‐promoting behaviors in children from low‐income families in South Korea using a descriptive correlational design. The participants included 297 elementary school students who used community childcare centers, 297 caregivers, and 68 teachers at the centers. Data were collected using a structured self‐report survey, and were subjected to a multi‐level regression analysis. The factors influencing the health‐promoting behaviors of children were as follows: self‐efficacy and self‐regulation as intrapersonal factors; caregivers’ parenting behavior and peer relationships as interpersonal factors; and the number of months since the centers’ establishment, teachers workloads, and centers’ perceived environments as institutional factors. The findings emphasize the need to create a healthy environment to promote the health of children from vulnerable groups, and that community‐based participatory research might be an effective strategy to address these environmental problems, and ultimately help reduce health disparities between children.

Source: Nursing and Health Sciences - February 5, 2018 Category: Nursing Authors: Jiyoung Park Tags: Research Article Source Type: research