Health-related behaviours and wellbeing in children aged 10–13 years

Abstract

Children's diets, lifestyle and health-related behaviours have changed in recent years. For example, physical activity now has to compete with the internet and social media, mobile phones and 24-hour television. Fruit and healthy snacks have to compete with a vast variety of sweets, chocolates, cakes, biscuits and crisps. In order to improve children's health and wellbeing it is important to have a firm understanding of children's health-related behaviours. School nurses have unique access to school children and have the ability to positively influence children, their parents and the education system to empower them to make healthy choices and improve their lifestyle. This study critically examines health-related behaviours in children aged 10–13 years in a rural area in Scotland. It aims to establish how often the children participate in physical exercise and how much time they spend on sedentary behaviour, their diet and their perception of their own health.