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Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research pp 746–749Cite as

Child Well-Being

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Synonyms

Child happiness; Child quality of life

Definition

Child well-being is defined in many different ways, and this term is used by a wide range of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. The UNICEF definition of child well-being is often used as a reference and takes a broad view of well-being: “The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children – their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies in which they are born” (UNICEF, 2007). The UNICEF definition takes an ecological approach to child well-being, encompassing a child’s life as a whole and recognizing that all childhood experiences will contribute to their overall well-being. In a broad sense, well-being describes the determinants of a good life for children, the promoters of growth and development, and factors that enhance a child’s feelings of happiness and satisfaction...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Sølvi Helseth

  2. Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Kristin Haraldstad

Authors
  1. Sølvi Helseth
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  2. Kristin Haraldstad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sølvi Helseth .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada

    Alex C. Michalos

  2. (residence), Brandon, MB, Canada

    Alex C. Michalos

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Helseth, S., Haraldstad, K. (2014). Child Well-Being. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_339

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