Healthy relationships key to child well-being: UBC study

Children’s relationships with peers and adults have a greater impact on their well-being than socio-economic status, according to new UBC research. The study, which appears in the Journal of Happiness Studies, investigated the relationship between socio-economic, demographic and social factors, as well as health-related habits and activities.

“Our findings underline the essential importance of positive social relationships with adults and peers for children’s health and subjective well-being,” said Anne Gadermann, lead author of the study and assistant professor with the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, and researcher at the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) in the Providence Health Care Research Institute. “Making homes, schools and community settings places of belonging and caring is important for children’s thriving.”

The researchers surveyed 5,026 Grade 4 students from 121 elementary schools in three public school districts in B.C. Students were asked to rate themselves in a range of areas related to their life satisfaction, health, social relationships, and health-related habits and activities. Socio-economic status was determined using census data on income.

The most significant predictors of life satisfaction were a sense of connectedness with adults at home and at school, as well as peer belonging. The most significant predictors of overall health were peer belonging, connectedness with adults at home, school and neighbourhood; frequency of having breakfast; and participating in after-school team sports. The frequency of eating junk food was negatively associated with self-rated health.

“Understanding factors associated with children’s health and sense of well-being is important so that, as a society, we are better able to support them in their development,” said Gadermann. “Health and subjective well-being of children are important in their own right, and they are also associated with positive outcomes during adolescence and adulthood.”

BACKGROUND

The study was conceived and designed by a team including the late Clyde Hertzman, a child advocate and former director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC, who passed away suddenly in February 2013.

Percentage of children who had breakfast:

Every day: 80 per cent

5 or 6 times a week: 9 per cent

3 or 4 times a week: 4 per cent

1 or 2 times a week: 5 per cent

Never: 2 per cent

Percentage of children who ate junk food:

Every day: 8 per cent

5 or 6 times a week: 10 per cent

3 or 4 times a week: 26 per cent

1 or 2 times a week: 49 per cent

Never: 7 per cent

Percentage of children who went to bed:

Before 9 p.m.: 26 per cent

Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.: 46 per cent

Between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.: 17 per cent

Between 11 p.m. and midnight: 6 per cent

After midnight: 5 per cent

Percentage of children who participated in individual sports after school:

Never: 58 per cent

1 to 2 times a week: 30 per cent

3 to 4 times a week: 9 per cent

5 times a week: 3 per cent

Percentage of students who participated in team sports after school:

Never: 61 per cent

1 to 2 times a week: 25 per cent

3 to 4 times a week: 10 per cent

5 times a week: 4 per cent