NEDIC Conference Journal 2018

own skins. The girls were also very concerned with
mental health, and saw that being supportive, active
and feeling good in general was important. Food was
not discussed.
Within the context of this program, when the
girls talked about health they said it was different
from the way that health is typically taught in
schools. Based on observations, the combination of
health and media literacy teaching provided positive
outcomes. Their enjoyment of the physical activity
and the possible benefits that can be derived from it
during these sessions invites the continuation of
research that combines, rather than separates
physical education, media and health (as is the case
presently in many Ontario schools).
The girls discussed freely and worked on building
community, which may be challenging to do in a
typical school setting, because the girls had much to
say but indicated that they needed safe spaces to do
this. Significantly, the participants indicated that
they sense what is happening in the media but they
needed support with the words and concepts to help
them explain what they were experiencing. They also
relied on strong role models from media to voice
their messages.
6. Conclusions
These findings add to the existing literature in
that the study showed that critical media literacy
combined with critical health literacy can lead to
indications of empowerment and resilience in
adolescent girls. The participants expressed
themselves in a way that showed understanding of
the social construction of beauty and its consumer
links. They felt compelled to share their message
with other girls. This has implication for education
policies to consider adding critical health literacy to
the curriculum as well as more holistic approaches to
health that include social and mental health.
One limitation of this study is that many of the
girls who participated in this program had attended
other aspects of Girls Inc. programs. This is an
organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart,
and bold. They may have had more experience with
positive messaging, thus they may have been more
open to creating strong messaging to share with
other girls. Also, follow up sessions with the girls
would have helped to measure the program benefits
more clearly over time.
7. References
[1] Hobin, E. P., Leatherdale, S. T., Manske, S. R.,
Burkhalter, R., & Woodruff, S. J. (2010). A multilevel
examination of school and student characteristics
associated with physical education class enrollment among
high school students. Journal of School Health, 80(9), 445-
452. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00526
[2] Janssen, I. (2007). Physical activity guidelines for
children and youth. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 98
(Suppl. 2). Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and
Metabolism, 32(S2E), S109-121. doi:S109-121,
10.1139/H07-109
[3] Ntoumanis, N., Pensgaard, A. M., Martin, C., & Pipe, K.
(2004). An idiographic analysis of amotivation in
compulsory school physical education. Journal of Sport and
Exercise Psychology, 26(2), 197-214.
doi:10.1348/135910708X349352
[4] Rawana, J. S., & Morgan, A. S. (2014). Trajectories of
depressive symptoms from adolescence to young
adulthood: the role of self-esteem and body-related
predictors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(4), 597-
611. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9995-4
[5] Hausenblas, H. A., & Fallon, E. A. (2006). Exercise and
body image: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Health,
21(1), 33-47. doi:10.1177/1359105309338977
[6] Slater, A., & Tiggemann, M. (2010). “Uncool to do
sport”: A focus group study of adolescent girls’ reasons for
withdrawing from physical activity. Psychology of Sport
and Exercise, 11(6), 619-626.
doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2010.07.006
[7] House of Commons. (2014). Eating disorders among
girls and women in Canada: Report of the standing
committee on the status of women. Canada: Canadian
Government
Publications.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/412/FEW
O/Report s/RP6772133/feworp04/feworp04-e.pdf
[8] Robertson, L. & Thomson, D. (2012). “Be”ing a certain
way: Seeking Body Image in Canadian health and physical
education curriculum policies. Canadian Journal of
Education, 35 (2), 334-354. Canadian Society for the Study
of Education.
[9] Lindelof, A., Nielsen, C. V., & Pedersen, B. (2010).
Obesity treatment—more than food and exercise: a
qualitative study exploring obese adolescents’ and their
parents’ views on the former's obesity. International
journal of qualitative studies on health and wellbeing,
5(2), 5073.
[10] Raphael, D. (2009). Social determinants of health:
Canadian perspectives. Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars’
Press.
36