A Study on Health Literacy and Resilience of Elementary School Students

Abstract

Objectives: The health literacy and mental health of students are an important part of promoting health, and resilience is an indispensable ability for students to adjust themselves. The purpose of this study was to explore the current status of health literacy and resilience among senior elementary school student in Taiwan, and to analyze the relationship between students' health literacy and resilience.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design targeting senior elementary school students in Taiwan. The participants were selected from fifth- and sixth-grade students in the northern, central, and southern regions of Taiwan through convenience sampling, resulting in a total of 198 students. Data were collected using a self-designed structured questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS software package. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, item mean, and standard deviation, were used for analysis and presentation. Inferential statistics were performed using one-way ANOVA, independent sample t-test, Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis.

Results: The results show that health literacy (Mean=96.42) and resilience (Mean=87.57) of students are above average. Health literacy and resilience of student will not be significantly different due to background variables, but the "positive interpersonal interaction" (p<.05)of the health literacy scale and the " Emotional Regulation " (p<.05)of the resilience scale of 10-year-old students performed better; male students performed better in the "Hope and Optimism" of the resilience scale (p<.05). There is a significant positive correlation between student's health literacy and resilience (r=.786, p<.01). Student's background variables and health literacy can effectively predict their resilience (F=78.092, p<.001).

Conclusions: Based on the research findings, it is recommended that future educational practices include the development of curricula aimed at enhancing positive interpersonal interactions and emotional regulation. This will help mitigate the decline in students' performance in these areas as they age. Additionally, it is suggested to provide necessary assistance and support to students in need. These efforts aim to improve students' health literacy and resilience.