Abstract
Background: School children in Hong Kong experience great stress and their well-being is neglected. An international survey reported that Hong Kong children aged 12 and 10 ranked respectively the lowest and second lowest when compared with the 35 participating countries/regions. Objectives: This study examined the relationships of children’s well-being and their perception of school life. Method: School life was assessed by the Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ) which included three subscales, viz., school well-being, peer relationship, and academic self-concept. The 5-item World health organization Well-being Index (WHO-5), which was applicable to children aged 9 or above was adopted to assess psychological well-being. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit school children of Grade 4 to Grade 6 to participate in this study. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. A total of 2597 students from 17 primary schools completed the questionnaire after informed consent was solicited from students and their parents. Results: School well-being, peer relationship, academic self-concept as well as PIQ total were positively associated with psychological well-being (r = .46, .43, 46, and .56 respectively, p < .001), with odd ratio of 4.18, 4.08, 3.93, and 5.44 respectively. Conclusion: Positive school life experience was a protective factor of psychological well-being. Educators should provide a conducive learning environment for school children to experience positive school life and psychological well-being.
Author Information
Hoi Nga Ng, Saint Francis University, Hong Kong
Kam Weng Boey, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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