Body Image and Self-Esteem
A Proactive Approach to Enhance Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Social Environments in our Schools and Communities
The need to enhance our children’s self esteem is clear. Nearly one half of 1st through 3rd grade girls want to be thinner. Similarly, 49% of girls ages 8-10 and 59% of girls ages 11-12 are concerned about being fat or overweight. Boys with low self-esteem are more likely to be bullied, be bullies, and be dependent on drugs later in life. Approximately 15-30% of Canadian youth (females and males) engage in disordered eating behaviors.
Red Deer Public and Catholic School Boards, Alberta Health Services, and the Red Deer College are collaborating with a goal to address this important health and wellness issue in our schools and community. Effective programs give youth the tools and skills to enhance self-esteem, body image, and peer relations. This collaboration assembled a team of experts who have recommended a curriculum approved program to achieve this goal in grade 4 students.
The program provides six interactive learning sessions delivered between November 2010 and March 2011. This program will be provided at no cost to schools and is delivered by teams of trained RDC students (available to 2014). The sessions address concepts such as nutrition, effective coping, bullying, media influence, and body image and their relationship to self-esteem. A common language will be established for students and teachers to discuss these concepts.
The program is flexible and can be tailored to teachers’ needs. It also includes activities that students take home to engage parents and create awareness of the issues outside of the classroom. The first 8 schools to express interest will receive access to the program. Participating teachers are provided a resource package that outlines an array of other resources and supports available to them.
A collaborative research team will evaluate the program and provide teachers, schools and community members with evidence of its effectiveness. This program aims to be part of a more comprehensive strategy to enhance body image and self-esteem in grades 4 through 7. This collaborative strategy’s hope is to establish sustainable programs in the future that will enhance the health and wellness of our school communities for years to come.
Advisory Team:
- Dr. Anomi Bearden - Principal Investigator, RDC Psychology Instructor
- Bruce Buruma - Director of Community Relations, Red Deer Public Schools
- Valdene Callin - Chair, The Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools
- Catherine White - Community School Health, Alberta Health Services (AHS)
- Colleen Wood - Mental Health, AHS Jennifer Sundberg - Nutrition Services, AHS
- Scott Oddie - RDC Rural Health Research Chair
- Kari Nish - RDC Nursing Instructor
- Tanya Ryga - Social Action Theatre/RDC Arts Instructor
- Kate Adams - Inside Out: Body Image Theatre Education
- Charlene Andrews - Red Deer Catholic Schools Wellness Coordinator
- Denise Fredeen - AHS Mental Health
- Shelley Nelson - RDC Psychology Research Student
Current Status:
A grant application to the Healthy Schools Initiative was not successful. However, the project received $5765 of RDC Special Project Funding and matching funds of $5000 from the Red Deer Public School District and $5000 of HRC funding. 10 schools (20 classes) were proposed to participate. We currently have 28 rural grade 4 classes with over 600 students engaged in program activity and evaluation. No project learning and/or impact to report at this time.
For more information contact: Dr. Scott Oddie or phone 403-342-3310.