Trends in health attitudes and self‐perceptions among school‐age South Australians between 1985 and 2004

Abstract

To describe trends in health attitudes and self-perceptions among school-age South Australians between 1985 and 2004. The questionnaire from the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey was administered during 2004 in those South Australian schools that participated in the 1985 survey. Using chi square, responses were compared for 10-15 year-olds (1985, n=398; 2004, n=467) on attitudes to: visiting the doctor and dentist, smoking, sleep, diet, exercise, stress, having friends, and knowledge about fitness and health. Additionally, self-perceptions of health and fitness were compared. Among boys and girls between 1985 and 2004, there were significant declines in the perceived importance of regularly visiting the dentist and doctor, but improved attitudes to being a non-smoker. Among boys, the perceived importance of sleep and diet declined between surveys. A smaller percentage of boys and girls in the latter survey perceived their current health status as 'good'. In the lower SES sample, the percentage of girls rating healthy diet as 'very important' was lower in 2004. There have been general declines in perceived importance of many health-related behaviours among South Australian youth between 1985-2004. In contrast, the perceived importance of not smoking was higher in 2004 than 1985. The relative success of anti-smoking campaigns targeting youth suggests that health education must be accompanied by broader environmental support in order to effect positive behavioural change.