Creating a Sex Education Package and Determining Its Effectiveness on Self-Esteem in Primary School Children

Abstract

Objective: Development of a healthy identity can significantly affect the formation of other traits, including self-esteem and body image, in individuals. The aim of the study was to develop a sexual education program and evaluate its impact on the self-esteem of elementary school children. Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design, which included a control group. The statistical population consisted of all elementary school girls in Shiraz (Iran) in 2021, and the sampling method was random from the girls' elementary schools in Shiraz. The participants were 30 female students who were randomly assigned to two groups, experimental and control, each with 15 individuals. The Cooper Smith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) was used to measure self-esteem. Results: The multivariate covariance analysis indicated that the F-statistic for personal and social self-esteem variables was significant (p < 0.001), but not for the family self-esteem variable. Conclusions: Therefore, implementing the sexual education program for elementary school children has a positive and significant effect on personal and social self-esteem.

Keywords

• sexual education
• personal self-esteem
• social self-esteem
• family self-esteem
• elementary school students