Dr. Melinda Csima - MATE Research
Overview
Dr. habil. Melinda Csima has become a leading professional figure in the interdisciplinary fields of childhood health education, health promotion, and educational sciences over more than two decades of teaching and research.
Her professional excellence is underpinned by her diverse academic background and sustained scholarly advancement: she holds an initial qualification as a healthcare vocational instructor and is additionally qualified as a teacher of pedagogy and as a sociologist. She earned her PhD in Educational Sciences and completed her habilitation in the field of Health Sciences.
Her research focuses on childhood health promotion, the development of health literacy, and relevant interdisciplinary issues within educational sciences. She regularly participates in national and international research and development projects (TÁMOP, EFOP, Interreg). Of particular note is her role in research leadership and organisation: she leads the Early Childhood working group within the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Public Education Development Research Programme, through which she makes a substantial contribution at national level to the advancement of educational sciences and health promotion.
Research keywords:
Publications
Health Literacy
Csima M, Fináncz J, Nyitrai Á, Podráczky J. Research on the health literacy of professionals working in early childhood education. Kontakt. 2018;20(4):e356-362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.10.002
Bánfai-Csonka, H., Betlehem, J., Deutsch, K., Derzsi-Horváth, M., Bánfai, B., Fináncz, J., Podráczky, J., & Csima, M. (2022). Health Literacy in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies. Children, 9(8), 1131. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9081131
Csima, M., Podráczky, J., Keresztes, V., Soós, E., & Fináncz, J. (2024). The Role of Parental Health Literacy in Establishing Health-Promoting Habits in Early Childhood. Children, 11(5), 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050576
Early childhood
Fináncz, J., Podráczky, J., Deutsch, K., Soós, E., Bánfai-Csonka, H., & Csima, M. (2023). Health Education Intervention Programs in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review. Education Sciences, 13(10), 988. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13100988
Deutsch K, Betlehem J, Bánfai B, Jeges S, Lampek K, Domina Tancsics D, Csima M. Parental and health visitor assessment of children development and factors affecting children development assessment in Hungary. Kontakt. 2019;21(4):360-366. http://doi.org/10.32725/kont.2019.052
Mental health
Fináncz, J., Nyitrai, Á., Podráczky, J., & Csima, M. (2020). Connections between Professional Well-Being and Mental Health of Early Childhood Educators. International Journal of Instruction, 13(4), 731-746. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13445a
Cseh S, Zorga B, Sipos D, Fináncz J, Csima M. Professional well-being of nurses in Southwest Hungarian hospitals. Kontakt. 2021;23(2):76-82. http://doi.org/10.32725/kont.2021.016
Sipos D, Freihat O, Pandur AA, Tollár J, Kedves A, Repa I, et al.. Possible predictors of burnout among radiographers in Hungary: demographic and work related characteristics. Kontakt. 2020;22(4):228-234. http://doi.org/10.32725/kont.2020.038
Projects
Research programme for public education development of the Hungarian academy of sciences: MTA-MATE Early childhood research group: Supporting a smooth transition to school through comprehensive preschool programs grounded in health and environmental education
Supporting a successful transition to school relies heavily on comprehensive preschool programs grounded in health and environmental education. Preschool programs play a pivotal role in fostering a smooth transition to formal education by providing children with a broad range of knowledge and skills essential for academic success and healthy lifestyle habits.
https://nevelestudomany.uni-mate.hu/mta-mate-kora-gyermekkor-kutatocsoport-fontosabb-linkek
Research programme for public education development of the Hungarian academy of sciences: MTA-MATE Early childhood research group: Kindergarten-school transition support programs
The research group set as its goal the development and effectiveness evaluation of programs that support the transition from kindergarten to school. The transition from kindergarten to school is a decisive event in young children’s lives, which has a long-term influence on their success at school. Although the topic has been present in Hungarian academic literature for decades and several developmental programs have been launched, only rarely have these been accompanied by impact assessments. As a result, sufficiently well-founded answers to the problems of transition have not yet been developed.
Many children experience the start of school with anxiety, which is related to the fundamental changes that occur simultaneously in their lives. In the research program, support for the transition is implemented through strengthening socio-emotional development, thereby facilitating the formation of a personality that is ready for learning. The developed and tested program, along with the related empirical findings and methodological publications, is expected to contribute to making the start of school more successful, especially for children who show delays in the socio-emotional domain and/or require additional support.
https://nevelestudomany.uni-mate.hu/ovoda-iskola-atmenetet-tamogato-programok
