Wellbeing of Children in the Six Dimensions of Health - Literature review Example

How the XYZ service is Catering for the Wellness and Wellbeing of Children in the Six Dimensions of Health Student’s name Course Tutor’s name Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Background 3 Discussion 6 Conclusion 8 Recommendations 9 Introduction According to Donatelle (2006), optimal health and wellness is only possible if all dimensions of a person’s physical, emotional and psychological being are catered for. Donatelle identifies the six dimensions as: the physical health; the social health; the emotional health; the mental health; the spiritual health; and the environmental health. According to Donatelle, these six dimensions also serve as indicators to one’s health in that the better a person is performing in all dimensions, the healthier he/she is likely to be. On the other hand, it would be expected that poor performance in any or all of the dimensions would compromise one’s overall health and wellbeing. This report will investigate how the six dimensions of health as identified by Donatelle affect the wellbeing and overall wellness of children. The report is addressed to parents and caregivers who handle children’s needs in different environments be it at home, in school, or in healthcare facilities. Specifically, this report seeks to foster understanding among the adult population that the health and well-being of children is multifaceted; as such, all dimensions that contribute to health and well-being need to be nurtured if children will have a future that is not only free from sicknesses and disease, but also one that is stable and better. Background The World Health Organisation (WHO, 1984, cited by Hayden & Macdonald, 2000) states that, “health means not only the absence of disease, but the total physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing of the individuals and communities” (p. 33). In other words, while the absence of disease among children is desirable, their total wellbeing cannot be considered as being optimal if their emotions, mental, and physical aspects are not well catered for. Kearns and Austin (2010) have argued that the “whole child” concept is important for caregivers, since through it, they understand that in order for a child to make optimal use of their potential, be happy and become productive members of the society, they will need help in their formative years in order to gain the “knowledge, skills and attitudes” that will help them later in life (p. 5). Additionally, caregivers should know that despite the blanket classification of all children as “children”, each one of them is a unique individual whose health and wellbeing aspects may be quite different from another child’s (Kearns & Austin, 2010). Despite their unique traits however, Brofenbrenner (1998, cited by Kearns & Austin, 2010) believes that the ecological system that children are exposed to determines how well (or bad) a child’s emotional and social wellbeing will be. Brofenbrenner specifically states that the micro-system, which is the immediate environment that a child is exposed to (e.g. the family or school setting), serves a crucial role in determining the emotional and social wellbeing of the child. The role of caregivers is highlighted by Donatelle (2006), where she argues that the motivation that each child has “to improve their quality of life within the framework of one’s own unique capabilities is crucial to achieving health and wellness” (p. 10). As children service providers, care givers have a role to ensure that each child is exposed to a micro-system that motivates them to attain optimal wellness in all dimensions. In essence, caregivers must evaluate each child physical, mental and psychological capacity before determining the types of exposures that are important for their overall wellbeing and development. After all, the foundation that is laid for children during their early years in life determines how they perceive themselves, others, and the environment in future, and Donatelle’s (2006) dimensions are pointers in the right direction for caregivers as explained below. i. Physical health: This refers to the way one’s body functions, their sensory acuity, physical fitness, proneness to disease, the body’s ability to heal, physical disorders, and body functions. Donatelle (2006) further observes that physical health is recently being defined according to how well a person is able to perform “normal activities of daily living (ADLs)” (p. 10). ii. Social health: This refers to how well a person (in this case a child) is able to relate with others in the society. The social health is signified by the interpersonal relationships that a child has; the interactions with children and adults in their immediate environment; and the child’s ability to adapt to different situations outside their normal environments. iii. Emotional health: This refers to the stableness (or lack thereof) in feelings and expression. Emotional health is observable through how children express their feelings and emotions, the appropriateness of emotional expressions, self-esteem, love, trust, self-efficacy and self-confidence as seen in a child’s behaviour towards others. iv. Mental health: This refers to one’s ability to use “brainpower” in handling different situations (p. 10). Clear thinking, objective reasoning, and responsible decisions are all part of mental health. Understandably, a child’s brain power is less compared to an adult’s; however, the mental health of a child is evident in how they engage the people who are in their immediate environment (Australian Bureau of Statistics – ABS, 2007). In a study, Sawyer et al. (2000) found that mental health (or lack of it) in Australia is indicated by such factors such as observed thought problems, anxiety/depression, withdrawal, social problems, aggressive behaviour, attention problems, delinquent behaviour, and somatic complaints. The latter two were most prevalent among children aged between four and twelve years. Somatic complaints are defined as the “chronic physical complaints without a known cause” (ABS, 2007, no.pag.). v. Spiritual health: Fisher (2012) has defined spiritual health as a “dynamic state of being reflected in the quality of relationships that people have in up to four domains of spiritual well-being” (p. 17). The first domain of spiritual health is evident in how a person relates with the self, while the second domain is evident on how the person relates with other people. The third and fourth domains are evident in how a person connects with the environment or nature, and how they relate to “some-thing or someone beyond the human level” (Fisher, 2012, p. 12). According to Donatelle (2012), one’s spiritual health may involve (or determine) their feelings of contentment, peace, sorrow, pain, joy and love among other things. vi. Environmental health: This is defined as one’s ability to appreciate the world around them and recognise their respective effects on the environment. The theme of wellness and wellbeing are important for early childhood educators and caregivers because it recognises the role that adults play as advocates of health and wellbeing, or in the provision or necessitation of the right environment for the attainment of health and wellbeing. It is also worth noting that adult perspectives regarding the subject also affect how relevant they perceive the wellness and wellbeing topic to be in relation to children. Discussion To address wellness and wellbeing, XYZ recognises that all the six dimensions despite being important individually, impact on each other. For example, the lack of physical health impacts one’s emotional, spiritual, social and mental heath. Similarly, sub-optimal spiritual health exposes one to emotional, social and/or mental distress especially because the lack of spiritual health makes it hard for one to find peace within self. XYZ further recognises that facts such as availability of healthcare, the influence of one’s immediate environment, family history or gene heritage, and one’s individual attitude affect their wellness and wellbeing. As such, the services offered in the centre are geared towards ensuring that the right environment is created for purposes of ensuring that each child attains the best possible wellness and wellbeing. In relation to physical health, XYZ recognises that the presence or absence of disease is the best indicator of whether the same (i.e. physical health) has been attained. However, and as indicated by Kearns (2010), factors such as proper nutrition, exercise, and rest are appropriate in order to foster physical health. As such, XYZ encourages children and their parents to maintain healthy lifestyles by eating well, exercising frequently, seeking medical attention for ailments, and visiting the dentist regularly. XYZ hopes that by encouraging such habits, children will be exposed to activities that will foster motor skills during exercise, encourage healthy eating habits among them, and hearten them towards adopting balanced lifestyles where learning activities are well balanced with exercise and rest. In regard to social health, XYZ fosters healthy social engagement among children by encouraging children to interact and communicate with others. Specifically, the centre stresses the importance of being kind, mindful, and considerate towards others despite their perceived shortcomings. Parents are encouraged to help the children develop a sense of independence by allowing them to visit with friends or peers. Notably, such independence aids the child in developing emotional and social skills. In regard to spiritual health, XYZ children are encouraged to adopt virtues such as joy, patience, humility, and integrity among others. Additionally, they are encouraged to have a sense of self-worth. Moreover, XYZ encourages children to be loving, forgiving, and trustful towards others. As Fisher (2011) notes, spiritual health evident in the relationships that people have. If a “spiritual disease” grips one’s heart, they cannot relate well with others and can thus be said to be lacking wholeness and/or health. Because of the sensitive nature of spiritual health, parents or guardians attending to children are encouraged to teach the children about the important role of believing in “some-thing or someone” that has some higher power than the human being. However, and as noted in this report, spiritual health is dynamic, and not even XYZ can impose its spiritual beliefs on children; rather, XYZ does its bit by helping children nurture good relationships with oneself and others. In relation to emotional health, XYZ has recognised that internalising or externalising how well a child feels emotionally can lead to different outcomes ranging from depression to aggressive behaviours among others. As such, the centre is focused on teaching children about dealing with emotions such as frustration, anger and sadness, and how to express the same appropriately in order to avoid hurting oneself or others. For example, children are encouraged to speak to parents, relatives or friends about their feelings. This is in line with the recommendations made by Sorin (2004) in relation to enhancing the emotional wellbeing in children. However, XYZ is yet to fully address the diverse ways through which children can handle their emotions and feelings in order to attain optimal emotional health. To address mental/intellectual health, XYZ has adopted practices that are meant to enhance the children’s ability to understand and process information passed to them accurately. Additionally, the centre engages the children in creative exercises meant to foster their problem-solving capabilities, their creativity and their ability to interact with others and the environment around them. For example, the drawing lesson acts as a platform where children express their different perceptions of others and nature. Still, the centre does not use technology to enhance children’s understanding of what is happening for example in regard to things such as climate change. Notably, the use of technology is an area that needs improvement. In matters of environmental health, XYZ is doing considerably well in informing the children about their responsibility towards the environment. In the centre, children’s learning experiences are used as a platform to underscore the importance of such things like energy saving, recycling, recycling, water conservation, and responsible use of other environmental resources. Conclusion This report reiterates the importance of caregivers in providing the micro-system environment that is needed to foster the overall wellbeing and wellness in children. As adults, caregivers and educators have a key role in ensuring that all six dimensions of health and wellness as identified by Donatelle (2006) are met adequately. In other words, the caregivers and/or educators have the responsibility of ensuring that the children are physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually/mentally, spiritually, and environmentally healthy. As explained in the discussion section, XYZ has put considerable efforts into ensuring that all six aspects are met; however, there are some dimensions that could be better handled if the recommendations below are followed. Recommendations Overall, XYZ should uphold its approach to ensuring that all dimensions as identified by Donatelle (2006) are met. However, much as the physical, social, spiritual, and environmental dimensions are well addressed, some improvement in the manner that the centre handles the emotional, and the mental/intellectual dimensions are needed. Specifically, the role of parents and guardians in fostering health in the two identified dimensions (i.e. emotional and mental) needs to be emphasised. Specifically, much as children empowerment in the two dimensions is vital, their parents or guardians need to be empowered. This is especially important because Stanley et al (2005, cited by McMurray, 2007) observed that parents need to know how to protect their children from environments that can jeopardise their overall health and wellbeing. The importance of involving parents is also emphasised by a report published by Goddard and Tucci (2008) where it was indicated that a significant number of children in Australia are still suffering neglect and abuse in the hands of the same people who are supposed to be their protectors – the parents. Stressing the importance of hygiene in relation to physical health could also do with some improvement since currently, not much emphasis has been put in the same. References Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2007). 4829.0.55.001-Health of children in Australia: A snapshot, 2004-05. Retrieved August 12, 2012, from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4829.0.55.001/ Donatelle, R. (2006). Promoting healthy behaviour change. In Access to health (9th ed.) (pp. 3-37).San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. Fisher, J. (2011). The four domains model: connecting spirituality, health and well-being. Religions, 2: 17-28. Goddard, C., & Tucci, J. (2008). Responding to child abuse and neglect in Australia. Australia Childhood Education, 1-22. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from http://www.childhood.org.au/Assets/Files/22a0db48-b59a-41e3-8d08-cbeb9b14cb5d.pdf. Hayden, J., & Macdonald, J.J. (2000). Health promotion: a new leadership role for early childhood professionals. Australian Journal of Early Childhood Education, 25 (1):32-39. Kearns, K. & Austin, B. (2010). Introduction to child development. In Birth to big school (2nd ed.) (pp. 5-8, 51). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Kearns, K. (2010). Children’s health, safety and wellbeing. In K Kearns & B Austin (Eds.), The big picture (2nd ed.) (pp.143-149). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson. McMurray, A. (2007). Healthy children. In Community health and wellness: a socio-ecological approach (3rd Ed.) (pp. 143-181). Marrickville, N.S.W.: Elsevier Australia. Sawyer, M.G., et al. (2000). Mental health of young people in Australia. National, Mental Health and Special Programs Branch. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 1-63. Sorin, R. (2004). Responding to and teaching children about their feelings. In Understanding children’s feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood (pp. 6, 7, 10, 11 & 13). Watson, ACT: Australian Early Childhood Association. Read More