Lifestyle Of Young People Research Articles

The role and influence of advertising and public authorities on the health-related behaviours development among lower secondary

Introduction. Adolescence is the period during which a man shapes his habits, attitudes and health behaviours. This is the time when man searches authorities who can be the role models for young people. According to the definition, authority is a social recognition, prestige of individuals, groups and social institutions based on the reputable values of a given society Aim. The aim of the study was to determine what elements of advertising affect the health behaviours of young people and to what degree. Matherial and methods. The study was conducted among 187 students of lower secondary school, inhabitants of the city of Kielce. The surveyed group consisted of 45 students aged 14, 78 at the age of 15, and 57 at the age of 16. Among lower secondary school students, 48% were girls, while 52% were boys. An anonymous questionnaire was used to achieve the aim of this study. The questionnaire consisted of 19 closed questions. Results. Fifty-six percent of girls and 45% of boys believe that advertising has an impact on people. For the large part of girls (33%) the most important was the musical setting and for 31% of boys, concrete facts and information about the product were essential. What is more, 72% of girls and 50% boys pay attention to the information about famous people presented in the mass media. Disscusion. Sixty percent of respondents believe that stimulants are attractive. Similarly, the research conducted by Borzucka-Sitkiewicz shows that the influence of peers and fashion are the most important factors influencing the decisions to reaching for cigarettes. According to own research, 72% of respondents aged 14-16, draw attention to the information about well-known people placed in the mass media. Similar results are indicated in the study “Stars and rumours”, according to which 86% of respondents confirmed they were interested in this subject. Conclusions. Smoking cigarettes and consumption of alcohol by young people are the components of family, peers and the media influence. In addition, public awareness-raising campaigns related to health topics can have the impact on the lifestyle of young people.

Why have alternative sports grown in popularity in the UK?

In the United Kingdom, alternative sports have experienced unprecedented growth in participation and visibility. Alternative sports have become so central to the physical activity and cultural lifestyles of young people that for many they have challenged and replaced traditional team sports. However, despite the amount of interest that alternative sports have generated in the UK in recent years, insights have yet to be offered as to why this shift has occurred. This paper seeks to offer new and critical perspectives in the search for an explanation.

Change of values in the consumer society

A common feature of our age is orientation of young people towards transitional values. Economic partnership of consumer society has a direct impact on values of society and even if the process of change of values can be affected by formers of education politics, economists and politicians, young people still choose values, which conform with their own lifestyle. Content of educational subjects is connected with study, succession of cultural values, study of classified knowledge and skills, which is also a prerequisite of formation of personality. Societies of all ages has formed according to the specific mechanism, accumulating and integrating general, notable at that time ideas, preserving and transforming their own social experience to the next generations. Each culture declares itself from its scale of values and norms. Priority of change of post material and material values changes together with conditions of cultural, historical and social-political life. Change of paradigms is change of viewpoint of the world, therefore conditions of value choice relate not only to separate groups, but to whole cultures. Young people, similar to other members of society, are forced to construct their own identity and to form their own life insurance strategies offered by the consumer society. Consumer society forms its values and it is creator of its own significance, but young people as social agents are reproducers of values of consumer society. Research results of World Value Surveys (WVS) from six continents discovered big differences in value priorities between younger and older generations, which indicates not only inter-generation value change, but also changes in the whole society. The research “Value choice of young people in consumer society” in our country shows, that although the lifestyle of young people is pragmatic, traditional value – family is also one of the most often mentioned and important values in consumer society. But education is the one, which gives them moral and attested material support in the future. The education must not only educate the society, but also has to carry a comprehensive content that would hold culture memories and the transfer of it. In the research family as the main value in choice of values of young people stands side by side with such values as health and love, which in case of paradigm of consumer society would not be clearly definable as material or post material values.

AS24-02 - Prevalence of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles in european adolescents

Suicide is an important public health issue, and there are substantial indications showing that suicidal behavior coincides with many underlying social, psychological and psychiatric conditions in addition to other risk behaviors. Risk behaviors and suicidality are significant predictors of subsequent mental health problems, thus, there is a paramount need to promote the adoption of healthy and positive lifestyles, especially during the early years of life. In order to achieve these tasks, the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) project has been developed to prevent risk behaviors, mental ill-health and suicidal behaviors by examining specific mental health promoting and suicide preventing intervention strategies. The main objectives of the project are to lead adolescents to better mental health through decreased risk-taking and suicidal behaviours, to evaluate outcomes of different preventive programmes and to recommend effective culturally-adjusted models for promoting adolescent mental health in different European countries. Although it has been reported that suicide-preventive interventions can be effective in decreasing suicidal behavior, well-documented and randomized studies are lacking. The effects of such interventions in terms of combating unhealthy lifestyles in young people, which often characterize suicidal individuals, have never been reported. We know that unhealthy and risk-taking behaviors are detrimental to individuals’ current and future health. Preliminary data analyses illustrate that risk behaviors among European adolescents are much higher than originally expected, and the prevalence of high-risk cases displaying signs of mental illness is also higher than estimated.

Effects of light smoking on extra-high-frequency auditory thresholds in young adults

There have been few reports showing a correlation between hearing levels and life style in young people. In this study, we succeeded in sensitively evaluating hearing levels in 51 young male adults of 21-23 years in age by 12 k Hz extra-high-frequency auditory thresholds, which cannot be measured by usual audiometry devices for clinical use. Noise exposure, alcohol consumption and sleeping time did not affect hearing levels in young adults. Auditory thresholds of 12 kHz frequency in smokers were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in non-smokers, while there were no differences in 1 kHz, 4 kHz and 8 kHz frequencies of hearing levels between smokers and non-smokers. Since the Brinkman Index (BI; cigarettes/day multiplied by number of years) of smokers in this study was from 12 to 60, our results suggest that even light smoking of less than 20 cigarettes/day for 3 years can result in the development of hearing loss of 12 kHz frequency in young adults. Binary logistic regression analysis again showed a correlation between hearing loss (≥ 40 dB of auditory thresholds in 12 kHz frequency) and light smoking (12 ≤ BI ≤ 60). Thus, this study showed that auditory threshold at 12 kHz frequency could be a sensitive marker for hearing in young adults. More importantly, we for the first time provided epidemiological evidence that light smoking might affect hearing level at 12 kHz frequency and revealed a new risk of light smoking.

Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE): a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThere have been only a few reports illustrating the moderate effectiveness of suicide-preventive interventions in reducing suicidal behavior, and, in most of those studies, the target populations were primarily adults, whereas few focused on adolescents. Essentially, there have been no randomized controlled studies comparing the efficacy, cost-effectiveness and cultural adaptability of suicide-prevention strategies in schools. There is also a lack of information on whether suicide-preventive interventions can, in addition to preventing suicide, reduce risk behaviors and promote healthier ones as well as improve young people's mental health.The aim of the SEYLE project, which is funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Health Program, is to address these issues by collecting baseline and follow-up data on health and well-being among European adolescents and compiling an epidemiological database; testing, in a randomized controlled trial, three different suicide-preventive interventions; evaluating the outcome of each intervention in comparison with a control group from a multidisciplinary perspective; as well as recommending culturally adjusted models for promoting mental health and preventing suicidal behaviors.Methods and designThe study comprises 11,000 adolescents emitted from randomized schools in 11 European countries: Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, with Sweden serving as the scientific coordinating center. Each country performs three active interventions and one minimal intervention as a control group. The active interventions include gatekeeper training (QPR), awareness training on mental health promotion for adolescents, and screening for at-risk adolescents by health professionals. Structured questionnaires are utilized at baseline, 3- and 12-month follow-ups in order to assess changes.DiscussionAlthough it has been reported that suicide-preventive interventions can be effective in decreasing suicidal behavior, well-documented and randomized studies are lacking. The effects of such interventions in terms of combating unhealthy lifestyles in young people, which often characterize suicidal individuals, have never been reported. We know that unhealthy and risk-taking behaviors are detrimental to individuals' current and future health. It is, therefore, crucial to test well-designed, longitudinal mental health-promoting and suicide-preventive interventions by evaluating the implications of such activities for reducing unhealthy and risk behaviors while concurrently promoting healthy ones.Trial registrationThe German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00000214.

The Effects of Selection Attributes on Customers' Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention for Hotel Weddings - Focusing on Young People's Life Style -

The Effects of Selection Attributes on Customers' Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention for Hotel Weddings - Focusing on Young People's Life Style -

The Effects of Selection Attributes on Customers' Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention for Hotel Weddings - Focusing on Young People's Life Style -

The Effects of Selection Attributes on Customers' Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention for Hotel Weddings - Focusing on Young People's Life Style -

Correlates of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time in children: a cross-sectional study (The European Youth Heart Study)

BackgroundIdentifying leisure time activities performed before and after school that influence time in physical activity (PA) and/or time spent sedentary can provide useful information when designing interventions aimed to promote an active lifestyle in young people. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between mode of transportation to school, outdoor play after school, participation in exercise in clubs, and TV viewing with objectively assessed PA and sedentary behaviour in children.MethodsA total of 1327 nine- and 15-year-old children from three European countries (Norway, Estonia, Portugal) participated as part of the European Youth Heart Study. PA was measured during two weekdays and two weekend days using the MTI accelerometer, and average percent of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and time spent sedentary were derived. Potential correlates were assessed by self-report. Independent associations between self-reported correlates with percent time in MVPA and percent time sedentary were analysed by general linear models, adjusted by age, gender, country, measurement period, monitored days and parental socio-economic status.ResultsIn 9-year-olds, playing outdoors after school was associated with higher percent time in MVPA (P < 0.01), while participation in sport clubs was associated with higher percent time in MVPA (P < 0.01) in 15-year-olds. No associations with percent time sedentary were observed in either age group.ConclusionFrequency of outdoor play after school is a significant correlate for daily time in MVPA in 9-year-olds, while this correlate is attenuated in favour of participation in sport and exercise in clubs in 15-year-olds. Targeting walking to school or reduced TV viewing time in order to increase time in daily MVPA in children is unlikely to be sufficient. Correlates related to time spent sedentary need further examination.

Can Exergaming Contribute to Improving Physical Activity Levels and Health Outcomes in Children?

Physical inactivity among children is a serious public health problem. It has been suggested that high levels of screen time are contributory factors that encourage sedentary lifestyles in young people. As physical inactivity and obesity levels continue to rise in young people, it has been proposed that new-generation active computer- and video-console games (otherwise known as "exergaming") may offer the opportunity to contribute to young people's energy expenditure during their free time. Although studies have produced some encouraging results regarding the energy costs involved in playing active video-console games, the energy costs of playing the authentic versions of activity-based video games are substantially larger, highlighting that active gaming is no substitute for real sports and activities. A small number of exergaming activities engage children in moderate-intensity activity, but most do not. Only 3 very small trials have considered the effects of exergaming on physical activity levels and/or other health outcomes in children. Evidence from these trials has been mixed; positive trends for improvements in some health outcomes in the intervention groups were noted in 2 trials. No adequately powered randomized, controlled trial has been published to date, and no trial has assessed the long-term impact of exergaming on children's health. We now need high-quality randomized, controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of exergaming, as well as its clinical relevance; until such studies take place, we should remain cautious about its ability to positively affect children's health.

Relación entre el consumo de tabaco y alcohol y el ejercicio físico con el paso por la universidad

Objective To find out the influence that going to University has on changing smoking and alcohol habits, and on physical exercise in students in the EU. Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting University of Murcia. Participants A sample of 1179 students was selected. Interventions A self-filled and anonymous questionnaire was used. It consisted of 36 questions using 4 measurement scales: level of health information on cardiovascular risks (CVR), smoking, alcohol consumption and doing physical exercise. Results A total of 39.2% of university students in their last academic year said they were smokers, compared to 36.4% in the first year (NS). A total of 81.6% of first year students had consumed alcohol at weekends, compared to 81.1% of those in their last year (NS). In the overall assessment of alcohol consumption, 13% «stopped drinking or drank less» and 10% «drank more», although the majority (55%), did not change their drinking habits. As regards physical exercise, the number of students who did more physical exercise was 21.2% in the first academic year, compared to 20% of students in their last year (NS). Conclusions Going to University does not seem to exercise a positive influence on the habits and lifestyles of young people. Measures should be taken to encourage healthy lifestyles in Universities.

Association between active commuting to school, weight and physical activity status in ethnically diverse adolescents predominately living in deprived communities

Increasing attention is being given to the role of active commuting to school as a means of promoting active lifestyles in young people. A recent study highlighted that school children who actively commute to school may be at lower risk of being overweight than their inactive counterparts.1 Whilst programmes/ interventions that promote active commuting to school have been implemented,2,3 a paucity of research has related this to objectively determined health outcomes. Most previous studies have focused on primary school children who are potentially less involved in the decision-making process about the mode of transport taken to school compared with adolescents. In addition, children from ethnic minority groups and those living in deprived communities have been under-represented in previous research of this type. This is important as ethnic minority children have been found to be less active and more likely to be overweight/obese than White children.4 This study aimed to document the prevalence of active commuting to/from school in children of different ethnicities living in deprived communities, and to investigate the association between ethnicity, physical activity during the school day, weight status and mode of transportation to school. Two single sex (one boy and one girls) and one mixed sex urban state schools in Birmingham that comprised a high proportion of children from ethnic minority groups without walk-to-school schemes were purposefully recruited. All children aged 11–14 years in each school were invited to participate. Participants were asked to indicate their age and postcode. Ethnicity was determined using questions from the England and Wales 2001 Census. Participants

Elevated Fasting Insulin And Crp Levels Are Linked With Obesity And Low Aerobic Fitness In Young Qatari Boys.

There is a concern around the world, including the Arabic countries, of young people's lifestyle and its effect on health later in life. Early markers for a possible elevated risk to develop metabolically related chronic diseases are sought for but it is still unknown which of them is the most sensitive. Moreover, the primary life style factor focused on, has been nutrition and overweight with only little attention being paid to physical inactivity and low maximal oxygen uptake. PURPOSE: To screen for a large number of "metabolic" markers in the blood in young Qatari boys with concomitant measures of body composition and maximal oxygen uptake. METHODS: Forty, 10-13 years old boys were studied. A fasting blood sample was taken and in addition to their height and weight a DEXA scan was used to assess body composition. A step test was performed to exhaustion to measure aerobic fitness. RESULTS: The BMI ranged from 14 to 36 kg/m2 with a mean of 22 kg/m2 (median 20) and the aerobic fitness ranged from 14 to 36ml/kg/min with mean value of 30 ml/kg/min (median 32). Equally strong and significant correlations were found for both BMI and aerobic fitness and fasting insulin level with a four fold difference comparing the 20% "worst" and the 20% "best" (4 vs16 microU/ml. The 20% in the middle were in between (8 microU/ml). Also the CRP levels were significantly correlated with BMI and aerobic fitness, with a slightly stronger link to BMI. However the difference in absolute values between those with the highest and lowest BMI and aerobic fitness was 4 fold (2 vs 8 mg/l) and with the middle group being similar to the fit and non-obese boys. The pattern and strength for the correlations were the same for fat % and BMI. No relationships were found for measures of body composition and aerobic fitness to any of the other markers studied (chol, LDL- and HDL-chol, TG, glucose, HbA1c, homocysteine). CONCLUSIONS: Fasting insulin and to some extent CRP may be sensitive early markers of an emerging metabolic deterioration but in this group of boys it is impossible to dissociate between overweight and a low aerobic fitness playing the largest role. Longitudinal studies are needed to track the long term effect of these factors upon metabolic deterioration.

Compliance to treatment of adolescents with cancer

Compliance is a very important issue in medicine for three major reasons. Non-compliance has a considerable financial cost for health care systems. Adherence to treatment is the main link between intention to treat and the desired health outcome. Finally, the influence of non-compliance on the conclusions of clinical research trials can have severe consequences. Despite the importance of these issues, our literature review found very few recent studies concerning the compliance of adolescents with cancer. Non-compliance has many causes. The relationship between patient and health care team, the organisational aspects of care and the youth's perception of his/her illness and its treatment all significantly affect adolescents'compliance. The influence of the treatment on young people's lifestyles as well as the physical transformations induced by the treatment are also important factors, due to adolescents desire to conform to their peer group. Family relationships also play a significant part in adolescents'therapeutic adherence. Since the end of the 1990s, research on adherence has focused more on the importance of the doctor-teenager relationship and the strong influence of the patients'perception concerning health in general and his/her illness in particular. Negotiation is an essential component of a successful treatment in teenagers due to their increasing desire for autonomy. Despite numerous recommendations international research has not succeeded in using standardised terms concerning compliance to treatment regimens or come to an agreement on valid assessment methods. Longitudinal studies should be carried out in order to determine causal links between factors and compliance in a methodologically correct manner. Research should be quantitative but must also include the conceptual elements which have been put forward by qualitative research, namely the importance of teenagers'point of view concerning their treatment.

Accessibility of condoms to young people in Manchester, UK

Background and methodologyIssues relevant to the accessibility of male condoms for young people in the Greater Manchester area (UK) were investigated, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey.ResultsFamily planning...

Ethics of justice and ethics of care: Values and attitudes among midwifery students on adolescent sexuality and abortion in Vietnam and their implications for midwifery education: A survey by questionnaire and interview

Adolescent's sexuality and related reproductive health and rights problems are sensitive issues in Vietnam. Globalisation has had an impact on the lifestyles of young people, and rising numbers of abortion and STI/HIV risks among youth are posing major health concerns in the country. These problems need to be addressed. Midwives belong to a key category of health personnel in Vietnam, whose task it is to promote adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and prevent reproductive ill health. It is important to understand future midwives’ perceptions and attitudes in order to improve their education and training programmes. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate Vietnamese midwifery students’ values and attitudes towards adolescent sexuality, abortion and contraception and their views on professional preparation. Methods A quantitative survey including 235 midwifery students from four different secondary medical colleges in northern Vietnam was carried out in 2003. A qualitative study addressing similar questions was performed and 18 midwifery students were individually interviewed. Findings Findings revealed a general disapproval of adolescent pre-marital sexual relations and abortion—‘an ethics of justice’—but also an empathic attitude and willingness to support young women, who bear the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and social condemnation—‘an ethics of care’. Gender-based imbalance in sexual relationships, limited knowledge about reproductive health issues among youth, and negative societal attitudes were concerns expressed by the students. The students saw their future tasks mainly related to childbearing and less to other reproductive health issues, such as abortion and prevention of STI/HIV. Conclusion Midwifery education in Vietnam should encourage value-reflective thinking around gender inequality and ethical dilemmas, in order to prepare midwives to address adolescents’ reproductive health needs.

Social changes in youth sports participation styles 1969–1999: the case of Flanders (Belgium)

Three issues are put forward with respect to the active participation of young people in leisure-time sports styles. It is considered (a) whether sports participation styles can be detected over the last three decades, (b) whether they have changed in this period of time, and (c) whether traditional parameters understood as structuring and positioning young people's lifestyles are still relevant with respect to their sports participation preferences. Youth sports participation data were retrieved from four large-scale surveys in 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999 (Ntotal=22,424 high school boys and girls). These data allow for a time trend analysis of youth sports participation styles. Results from component and regression analyses indicate that different participation styles can be distinguished for each period of time and that these styles have been developing and differentiating through a growing responsiveness to wider social trends. Structural and positioning variables such as age, sex and education remain significant determinants for young people's active participation in leisure-time sports styles over the observed period of time. Although these social structures continue to shape youth sports participation styles, it is suggested that there is more variety within social groups than among social groups partially due to processes of individualisation and homogenisation.

Employment Seeking Behavior of Young People in Metropolitan Suburbs and Recruiting Activities among Employers

This paper examines the recruiting methods for young non-regular workers by stores in the suburbs of metropolitan areas, and the interrelationship between recruiting strategy and employment seeking behavior. The study area is the Nagoya metropolitan area.Paid employment information media such as employment magazines, classified advertisement sites on the Internet and recruiting leaflets in newspapers tend to be used in downtown areas. On the other hand, the media mostly used in suburban stores are store window recruiting advertisements. These stores actively use this method to save the cost and bother of recruiting young non-regular workers.One of the reasons for the popularity of store window recruiting advertisements in suburban stores in general relates to the growth and development of roadside stores. Roadside stores have grown with low cost management and systematization, and provide essential goods and services for suburban residents at reasonable prices, which is the reason that the stores need cheap unskilled labor. Therefore, the best method for recruiting cheap labor is store window recruiting advertisements.The stores systematized as chain stores after 1980 accumulated on suburban roadsides and each introduced a standardized style of building along with their corporate identity. The movement towards standardization was extended to the recruiting methods for part-time labor. Furthermore, standardized labor recruiting using store window advertisements in suburban roadside stores became more popular because of the need for cheap labor. Thus, standardized labor recruiting using store window advertisements became widespread as the number of suburban chain roadside stores increased.Store window recruiting advertisements are now the most important factor and information source for young people to obtain non-regular work. Young people living in suburban areas apply for part-time positions by seeing the store window recruiting advertisements as they use the neighboring store on a daily basis. Employment in the neighboring stores for young people results from the interaction between employers who need to save the cost and bother of recruiting and young people's life styles. The interaction consequently involves attracting young applicants who live in those neighborhoods.In this process, employers benefit from the fact that they are able to save the cost and bother of recruiting since young people are fitted into the employers' strategy through their daily consumption behavior.Little speculation has taken place concerning interrelationships between work activity and consumption behavior in studies about metropolitan areas. However, there are close interrelationships between the work activity and the consumption behavior of young people who reside in the suburbs. It is assumed that the interrelationship is becoming more significant amid ongoing denormalization of labor.

Sexual behaviour of young people in Northern Ireland: first sexual experience

Two National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in Britain (Natsal) were conducted, one in 1990 and one in 2000. Northern Ireland was excluded from both studies. Now, for the first time, comparable data about sexual attitudes and lifestyles of young people (14- to 25-year-olds) in Northern Ireland are available. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, one-to-one interviews and focus-group discussions. As in Natsal 1990 and 2000, young people were asked about their sexual attitudes towards sex, experiences of sex education, knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and, if sexually active, about the circumstances in which sexual intercourse occurred. A total of 1013 young people in the target age group completed the self-administered questionnaire. Young people in Northern Ireland do not differ significantly from their counterparts in Britain in terms of sexual lifestyles and attitudes. Some 53.3% of all respondents reported that they had had sexual intercourse. Condom use at first sex was reported by 64% of sexually active respondents; 27.4% said they used no contraception; 26.7% of all respondents said they had sex before age 16. Respondents who first had sex when they were 15 or 16 years were more likely than other respondents to say that ‘being drunk’ was the main reason why intercourse occurred. Peer pressure to engage in sex was more prevalent among males than females. Young people in Northern Ireland regard friends as their most important source of sex education. School is the second most important source but most respondents wanted more sex education in school. It is important that it is needs focused and includes potentially sensitive and contentious information.

Uses and Attitudes of Young People Toward Technology and Mobile Telephony

This paper aims to show how young people are developing new and innovative ways of interacting using technology. Previous literature shows that technology adoption depends not only on the technology per se, but also on situational and contextual issues. Mobile telephony has been claimed to change young people's lifestyles, although only scarce empirical evidence exists. We conducted an empirical study in which we first analyzed the existence of differences in technology adoption, knowledge acquisition, and usage of technology and mobile telephony between, on the one hand, young people in general and, on the other, those of them who are regular Internet users. We found that there were significant differences in certain dimensions. Next, we carried out the same analysis differentiating between young people who consider themselves technology-savvy and those who consider themselves inexpert in matters of technology. We found that patterns of mobile phone usage in these two groups vary significantly along all analyzed dimensions.