ABSTRACT

Purpose. Students’ health has been an essential element, especially in the education sector, to produce better results in education and gain the attention of policymakers and recent studies. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the healthy life story cards and health awareness programs to improve the healthy living culture of elementary school students in Jakarta, Indonesia. The study also examined the mediating role of health awareness among the nexus of healthy life story cards, health awareness programs and healthy living culture of elementary school students. Methods. The study used quantitative research method, with a sample size of 760 elementary school students in the Jakarta area who were selected by purposive sampling technique. Smart-PLS was used to test the linkage among the variables.

Findings. The results of this study proved that the healthy life story card product and health awareness programs were feasible and effective to be used as a health promotion media to improve the healthy living culture of elementary school students. The results also exposed that health awareness significantly mediated among the linkage of healthy life story cards, health awareness programs and healthy living culture of elementary school students. Implications for Research and Practice. Through story cards, students can easily remember the messages conveyed so that they can apply the culture of healthy living in their lives. The results of this study would contribute and provide solutions for education practitioners to instill a culture of healthy living since elementary school age so as to create a healthy generation of youth physically, socially, and mentally holistically.