A description of 5- to 12-year old children's conception of health within the context of their daily life |
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| Authors: | Sylvie Normandeau Ilze Wins Sylvie Jutras Doris Hanigan |
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| Affiliation: | 1. école de psychoéducation, Université de Montréal , Case Postale 6128 – Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal (Québec), Canada , H3C 3J7;2. Department of Behavioral Science , University of Toronto , 12 Queen's Park Circle, Mc Murrich Building, Toronto (Ontario), Canada , M5S 1A8;3. Laboratoire de recherche en écologie humaine et sociale , Université du Québec à Montréal , Case Postale 8888 - Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal (Québec), Canada , H3C 3P8 |
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| Abstract: | Abstract This study describes children's conception of health within the context of their daily life. Participants were boys and girls (n = 1,674) from three age groups (5–6, 8–9, and 11–12 years old) from different socio-economic living environments in urban and rural areas. In general, the results indicate that children's conception of health is multidimensional and is rooted in their daily-life experiences. Essentially, it is organized around three main dimensions, functionality, adherence to good lifestyle health habits, and mental health. Variations by age and living environment differences suggest that children's conception of health may reflect differences in their organization of information into schemata on the basis of their experience as well as structural changes in cognitive development. |
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| Keywords: | Concept of health children development. |
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