Development of a Scale of Elementary School Children’s Attitudes Toward Growth

Abstract

Background: Children’s attitudes toward growth are likely to be negative during puberty. Education on growth is necessary to promote more positive attitudes, as shown in the government guidelines for education.

Objectives:The purpose of this study is to develop an evaluation scale measuring attitudes toward growth among elementary school upper grade children and to examine the scale’s reliability and validity. A secondary purpose is to determine the situation of the attitudes by grade or sex, and to obtain information on teaching content.

Methods:We conducted a questionnaire survey in January 2017 with 492 children(250 males, 241 females, 1 unidentified gender)from the 4th to 6th grades of two public elementary schools in Kyoto Prefecture. The contents of the survey were questions regarding growth, general self-esteem, and body image, to examine criterion-related validity. Factor analysis was conducted to extract factors of attitudes toward growth.

Results:
(1) Four factors of attitudes toward growth were extracted, namely, “negative feelings about body type"; “positive feelings about body type"; “comparison of physique with others"; and“acceptance of changes in growth".
(2) Attitudes toward growth and their factors showed a significantly positive relationship with self-esteem and good body image; therefore, criterion-related validity and reliability were confirmed.
(3) Attitudes towards growth were more positive in boys than in girls and more negative in females in higher grades.

Conclusion:Validity and reliability of a scale of attitudes toward growth were confirmed. The attitudes toward growth were more positive in boys than in girls, and more negative in females in higher grades. It is suggested that enhancing self-esteem may be effective in improving attitudes toward growth, which were related to self-esteem.