Improving children and adolescents’ quality of life, personal growth, well-being, and safety through health-behavioral education: a pre-post intervention study

Abstract

Introduction: Hong Kong children and adolescents are living with alarming deterioration of mental health and escalating risks of violence and self-harm. Self-value, Empower, Educate, and Protect from Dangers (SEED) health-behavioral education provided to children, caregivers, and care service providers by Be Priceless is the only Hong Kong program that integrates safety with mental, physical, and social well-being. Methods: 526 children aged 6 to 17 years were recruited into a pre-post intervention study from May 2021 to September 2024. The impact of our SEED health education intervention was evaluated on four outcome measures: health-related quality of life, emotional regulation, well-being/resilience, and safety. Results: Relative to pre-course baseline, all four measures showed significant improvements after intervention which persisted for 6 months, with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.66–0.92, all p < 0.001), and especially for those who were ethnic minorities or with special education needs. Discussion: These results provide evidence that the SEED health education of Be Priceless is an efficacious intervention that improves children’s well-being and safety, while promoting health equity and inclusivity in Hong Kong.