Abstract
ABSTRACTWe analyzed data from the National School-based Health Survey (PeNSE) carried out in Brazil in 2015 (n = 102,072 adolescents) to estimate how much of the individual variance in the prevalence of health behaviors is attributable to the school level. Multilevel logistic regression models were calculated to estimate the variance partitional coefficient (VPC) of the use of drugs, intake of unhealthy food, leisure physical activity and weight-related behaviors. The between-schools variance was significant in all tested models. The highest VPCs were observed when the use of drugs was analyzed (15%-20% of the total variance of smoking and use of illegal drugs). Lower, but still significant, values were observed in the other outcomes. The school context plays an important role in the adolescents’ health and should be considered in the design of public policies and actions in public health.
Highlights
Adolescence is a critical period of life in which schools and peers come to play a central role in decision making
Researches have shown that the school environment may have profound impact on adolescents’ health behaviors[1]
This is important because many health behaviors adopted at this point in life impact the whole life of the individual having devastating effects on health
Summary
Adolescence is a critical period of life in which schools and peers come to play a central role in decision making. Researches have shown that the school environment may have profound impact on adolescents’ health behaviors[1]. This is important because many health behaviors adopted at this point in life impact the whole life of the individual having devastating effects on health. When analyzing health behaviors among adolescents, few studies have explored and reported how much of the individual variance is attributable to the school level. When analyzing adolescent health, the evidence from studies carried out in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are limited[2].
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