Promoting health and wellbeing in children: improvement of social relationships and reduction of stress.

NATALIA CARRO; PAOLA D´ADAMO; LOZADA, MARIANA

Montreal

Congreso; Fifth World Congress on Positive Psychology; 2017

Background Increasing evidence highlights the intimate relationship between health and education and the crucial role played by school contexts in children?s wellbeing. Social problems related to violence, aggression and exclusion are frequently observed nowadays in the school environment, as are high levels of chronic stress in children. Given that pro-socialness and social support favor healthy psycho-physical development, the implementation of programs promoting these attributes in school settings are of great value as potential buffers against stress. Methods In the present study we explored how cooperative play, mind-body integration practices and reflective instances can encourage positive social networking and altruism while decreasing chronic stress levels in 6-7 year olds. We performed a three-month intervention which included practices favoring self-awareness and awareness of others in an experimental group (N=24), whereas a control group continued with regular classes (N=20). By means of individual interviews carried out in both groups before and after the intervention, we analyzed whether enaction of the proposed activities improved social relationships, altruism, and health, assessed through perceived stress self-reports (Children?s Daily Stress Inventory) and salivary alpha-amylase chronic stress biomarker (sAA). Changes in social relationships within the group were evaluated using a sociogram, i.e. a sociometric questionnaire in which children were asked to say which classmates they would choose as playmates and which they would not. Changes in altruistic behavior were analyzed by means of the universal altruism test (adaptation from the dictator game). Results . In the experimental group, the intervention improved pro-sociality while decreasing chronic stress, whereas no changes were observed in the control group. The four analyzed indicators, i.e. the sociogram, the altruism test, the perceived chronic stress and the physiological biomarker showed significant changes after participation in the intervention. Pro-sociality: Sociogram: When comparing the children?s social relationships before and after the intervention, a significant increase (20.90%) in each child?s number of positive choices was found in the experimental group. Thus, children increased their social network, choosing more peers to play with after the intervention than before (t = -4.55, df = 25, p < .0001). However, in the control group no significant changes were observed (t = -0.79, df = 21, p > .437). When analyzing each child?s number of negative choices, a significant post intervention decrease (43.66%) was found in the experimental group (t = 3.53, df = 25, p < .002) but not in the control group (t = -1.70, df = 21, p > .103). Altruistic behavior: The universal altruism test showed a significant increase in the children participating in the intervention. That is, children shared a higher proportion of sweets after the intervention in the experimental group (60%, X2 = 18.8, p < .00), but no changes in contribution levels were observed in the control group (-10%, X2 = 0.07, p > .79). Chronic stress: Perceived stress indicator. This self-report indicator significantly diminished after the intervention in the experimental group (t = 2.37, df = 22, p < .027). In contrast, no significant changes were found in the control group (t = 0.95, df = 17, p > .354). Stress biomarker: When comparing sAA levels before and after the intervention, a significant decrease (32.57%) was found in the experimental group (t = 2.66, df = 16, p < .017), whereas no changes were observed in the control group (t = 0.25, df = 9, p >. 809), Conclusions The current work reveals that this kind of school-based intervention can confer beneficial effects on children?s pro-socialness and health. Our findings illustrate how these practices performed in educational settings can provide concrete ways of attenuating children?s suffering brought about social conflict and chronic stress, major problems nowadays.