Self-esteem and health instruction: challenges for curriculum development.

Abstract

A review of literature on self-esteem and its role in health education raises questions about the extent to which health education can influence student self-esteem through direct and indirect instruction. This article operationally defines self-esteem, discusses the role of health education in developing self-esteem through direct and indirect instruction, interprets evidence that self-esteem is affected by health education curricula, and discusses challenges facing health educators in curriculum development, instruction, and evaluation of self-esteem as a realistic component of health education curricula.