What is Positive Health?
Positive Health is a concept developed by general practitioner and researcher Machteld Huber. It is based on 6 dimensions: Bodily Functions, Mental Wellbeing, Meaningfulness, Quality of Life, Participation and Daily Functioning. The six dimensions provide a broader view of health and focus not only on health problems. This broad perspective contributes to the ability to cope with physical, emotional and social challenges in life. By completing a questionnaire, you map out how you experience your health. Your answers become visible in the Positive Health spider web. You then decide for yourself what is important to you and what you want to work on.
The Child Tool
There is also a version of the questionnaire for children between 8 and 12 years old, created based on 118 interviews with children (with and without chronic illness) and their parents. When a child completes the digital questionnaire at http://kind.mijnpositievegezondheid.nl/ they will then see the Positive Health spider web appear, showing their score for each dimension. The spider web is a conversation tool. It places the child's health in a broader perspective, also allowing room for aspects such as wellbeing and social participation. The questionnaire can be completed digitally or on paper, but you can also roll the Positive Health dice (which children can assemble themselves) to zoom in on one dimension. Also watch the animation about the Positive Health Child Tool.
Positive Health at school
Having a different kind of conversation about health, both as a class and one-to-one, helps open up topics that might otherwise remain unspoken. These can include anything: food, sleep, exercise, the living environment, friends, the future, a safe home or support from others. It is good for children to realise that health is more than the absence of physical or mental complaints. The Positive Health spider web also helps teachers and internal support coordinators have an in-depth conversation with children who do not seem to be feeling well. After completing the questionnaire or rolling the dice, you look together with the child at what is important to them and what they would like to work on. That is also the direct strength of Positive Health: it appeals to the intrinsic motivation to work on one's own health.
Action perspectives
You have completed the Positive Health spider web together with a child, and the child has indicated what they would like to work on. The children then get to work on their health themselves (with guidance if necessary). What can they do themselves to feel better? Action perspectives and tips can help with that! In cooperation with Leiden University, tips and action perspectives are being developed with children from years six, seven and eight. Advice from, for and by children!
Want to know more about Positive Health and the Child Tool? Visit the website of the Institute for Positive Health: www.iph.nl