Elena Bermejo, researcher of the School of Nursing of the University of Navarra, defended her thesis Promotion of healthy lifestyles in childhood: its approach from the skill partner -emotional, a research that analyzes the development of an adequate skill partner -emotional as a fundamental vehicle in the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyles in childhood.  

To this end, a program Education for health was developed based on the development of the skill social and emotional in children aged 5 and 6 years: CRECES Program. A total of 37 children in the 3rd year of kindergarten and 1st year of primary school from a public high school in Pamplona participated in the program. The results regarding the preliminary efficacy of the program showed in the assessment post-test, a significant improvement in the level of emotional perception in favor of the group intervention, whose effect increased after 7 months of follow-up. In addition, a benefit of the intervention on the dimension of resilience was observed in favor of the group intervention and at 7 months follow-up.

On the other hand, families observed a significant impact on the level of social and emotional skills of their children, as well as an improvement in healthy behaviors related to food, hygiene and sleep-rest. Both the children and their families expressed high satisfaction with the intervention and described their participation as a very positive experience.

CRECES Program

The CRECES program offers an innovative and promising strategy for the promotion of healthy lifestyles in the child population. Once its application has been optimized and its potential maximized through the development of the rest of the units, this program is postulated as a good resource or tool for health professionals and the Education. Its use would make it possible to address healthy lifestyles from a holistic perspective, with a special role for the child and involving the most influential contexts in their development; high school and family.