Magnitude of the Problem - Ky CHFS
Self Esteem in Youth
Self-esteem is defined as how one feels about oneself.1 It may be either high or low depending upon a personal assessment of self. Healthy self-esteem is essential for success in every area of life. It is one of the most dynamic variables in youth development.
Size of the Problem:
It has been observed that children experience a decline in self esteem during adolescence years which is a critical transition period for them. Girls experience this decline at age 12 whereas in boys the decline generally begins at age 14.2 Youth with high self-esteem consider themselves worthy, and view themselves as equal to others. Those low in self-esteem generally experience self-rejection, self-dissatisfaction, self-contempt, and self-disparagement. Direct estimates of the level of self-esteem in Kentucky youth are not available but there are some indirect indicators that can help us understand this problem in our young population.
Seriousness/Impact:
Low self-esteem can be a major risk-factor in mental and emotional health problems such as suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and violence.3 Figure 1 shows frequency of some risk behaviors in Kentucky youth which are significantly greater than youth nationwide. Research shows that body weight affects children's self esteem.4 In addition, it was found that self esteem was an early indicator of mental health.
Data obtained from the National Survey of Children’s Health5 (2007) shows that 10.4% of 6-17 year old children in Kentucky consistently exhibited problematic social behaviors as compared to 8.8% nationwide. The problematic social behaviors include arguing too much, being disobedient, bullying or being cruel to others and being stubborn or irritable. Table 1 shows the prevalence of these behaviors in Kentucky youth in comparison to youth in the United States. These behaviors may be used as proxy indicators of negative self-esteem since they portray disturbed emotional and mental health. It was also found from the NSCH survey that 16.1% children 6-17 years of age repeated one or more grades in Kentucky as compared to only 10.6% throughout the nation.
The maternal and child health stakeholders in Kentucky commented in the community forums that teen pregnancy is an issue due to lack of self esteem in girls.6 Research shows that adolescents who have lower self-esteem report initiating sex earlier and having had risky partners.7
Clinical Impact: A negative self-esteem in adolescence has been associated with depression in both boys and girls and eating disorders in girls.3 It is seen that female adolescents tend to worry more about physical appearance than do males.8 Boys versus girls are more likely to report high self-esteem.9
Disparities: African American adolescents tend to have more positive self-concepts than do their white counterparts.3
Capacity/Resources:
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and the Kentucky Department of Education have programs that support for positive youth development. In addition, several programs offer support and education for parents that assist them in understanding and communicating with youth. Kentucky schools use research based curricula such as Know Your Body that helps in building self-esteem. This curriculum is used primarily for inculcating drug prevention behavior in youth.
Interventions:
Interventions that promote connections between adolescents and their teachers and peers during the transition years from junior to senior high school have been found to be effective, for example the School Transition Environment Project.11 Zaff et.al.12(2002) have described some promising findings from research studies that take into account factors related to mental and emotional health but these have not been tested with experimental designs. They include:
- Promote positive self-esteem by promoting positive self-concepts in academic and social realms.
- Promote achievement in specific areas of youth’s life (e.g., academic, athletics).
- Promote parenting strategies that involve supporting youth’s autonomy.
- Promote parenting strategies that include being supportive and having open communication with youth.
- Promote teaching practices that include support for youth autonomy.
- Implement school policies that promote autonomy.
Recommendations:
The Search Institute14 has provided some recommendations for improving positive identity and those include:1) integrate community service, leadership and engagement into all types of programs and settings, 2) adopt best practices in engaging youth which means involving them in all phases of program planning and implementation and 3) make youth engagement and leadership a routine process not a sporadic effort.
Adults may foster self-esteem in adolescents by providing positive communication through supportive and caring relationships.8
Tables and Figures
[pic]
Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007
Table 1. Comparison of the Prevalence of Specific Problematic Behaviors in Children Ages 6-17 years between Kentucky and the United States
| | | |
| |Kentucky |United States |
|Behavior | | |
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Usually/
Always
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Usually/
AlwaysArgues too much13.821.242.122.915.922.340.621.3Disobedient34.932.328.64.130.632.931.74.8Bullies others69.018.29.63.164.520.212.92.3Stubborn13.025.850.410.818.526.045.79.8Source: Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health website. Retrieved [08/27/09] from
References
Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. Building Self-Esteem with Youth. Retrieved on August 24, 2009 from
Baldwin, SA, & Hoffmann, JP. The dynamics of self-esteem: A growth-curve analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2002.31: 101-113.
Facts for Families (8/98) developed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved August 24, 2009, from
University Of Florida (2007, May 22). Positive Self-esteem In Youth Can Pay Big Salary Dividends Later In Life. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 26, 2009, from
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health website. Retrieved [08/27/09] from
Results from Title V Needs Assessment-Maternal and Child Health Community Forums done by Division of Maternal and Child Health, Department for Public Health. 2009.
Eithier KA, Kershaw TS,Lewis, JB, Milan S, Niccolai LM and Ickovics, JR. Self-esteem, emotional distress and sexual behavior among adolescent females: inter-relationships and temporal effects. J Adolesc Health. 2006. 38(3):268-74
Hadley, MA, Elizabeth, MS, and Moore, KA. Assessing What Kids Think About Themselves: A Guide To Adolescent Self-Concept For Out-Of-School Time Program Practitioners. Research-to Results Brief. 2008. Retrieved on August 24, 2009 from
Birndorf, S, Ryan, S Auinger, P and Aten, M. High self-esteem among adolescents: longitudinal trends, sex differences, and protective factors. J Adolesc Health. 2005. 37(3):194-201.
Felner, R. D., & Adan, A. M. (1988). The school transition environment project: An ecological intervention and evaluation. In R. H. Price, E. L. Cowen, R. P. Lorion, J. Ramos-McKay, & B. Hitchins (Eds.), Fourteen ounces of prevention: A casebook of exemplary primary prevention programs. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Zaff, JF, Calkins, J, Bridges, LJ, and Margie, NG. Promoting Positive Mental and Emotional Health in Teens: Some Lessons from Research. Research Brief. 2002. Retrieved on August 25 2009 from
Piers, EVand Herzberg, DS. Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, Second Edition. 2002. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Benson, PL, Scales, PC, Hamilton, SF, & Sesma, A, Jr. (with Hong, KL, & Roehlkepartain, EC). Positive youth development so far: Core hypotheses and their implications for policy and practice. Search Institute Insights & Evidence. 2006. 3(1):1–13.
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