Health Behaviour Of Young People Research Articles

Comparative Health Behaviour of Young People with Disabilities in Hungary: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The health status of Hungary's population is unfavorable, with significant differences in health indicators not only compared to the EU15 but also to the Visegrad countries. Unfavorable health indicators can be disproportionate and particularly affect vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities. In this study, we set out to compare the health behavior of disabled youth and youth with typical development in Hungary. We also aimed to compare the health behavior of adolescents in the Visegrad countries. The eating habits of both groups of young people we examined are unfavorable. Adolescents with disabilities experience a significantly higher rate of school stress than children with typical development in Hungary. The prevalence of somatic complaints and parameters of poor mental well-being are significantly higher in Hungary than in the other Visegrad countries. The results indicate that additional interventions are needed in Hungary and that differentiated, professional health promotion is needed for young people with disabilities. The researchers recommend extending the study to disabled adolescents living in Visegrad countries, on the basis of which an injury-specific health promotion methodology could be developed with international interprofessional cooperation.

Nutrition habits and physical activity of disabled adolescents in Hungary.

The overall aim of the research is to gain insight into the lifestyle and health behaviour of young people with disabilities aged 12-18 years, and to learn about the factors shaping their health. In this study, our aim was to investigate the eating habits and physical activity of adolescents with disabilities and the influencing factors. The study's source population was young people aged 12-18 with disabilities in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. A total of 239 completed questionnaires were processed and analysed. Boys were overrepresented in the study. The results show that inadequate eating habits also exist in the population we studied, the consumption of certain foods correlates with the education level of parents. A more secure social background is a protective factor in terms of physical activity. The survey was made with the aim of intervention much needed. With precise knowledge of the health behaviour of the target group, our goal is to develop a complex intervention programme adapted to the needs of children with disabilities. The eating habits of adolescents with disabilities in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County are unsatisfactory. Experience and results show that differentiated health promotion of young people with disabilities is necessary.

Two generations later: New evidence on health equalisation in youth

In the 1990s, Patrick West argued that, in contrast to childhood and adulthood, youth was characterised by relative social equality in health. This equalisation hypothesis has since been empirically tested several times, but with inconclusive results. The objective of the present study was to provide an up-to-date contribution to the question of health equalisation in youth by drawing on data from the German longitudinal study Health Behaviour and Injuries at School Age (GUS). The target population of GUS comprised students who were in 5th grade at German public secondary schools in the school year 2014/15. Over 10,000 students from randomly selected schools participated in the initial survey wave and were followed up in annual surveys until 10th grade. As GUS included a variety of health-related variables as well as indicators for family affluence, we could examine how social inequalities affected the health and health behaviour of young people with increasing age. Our study goes beyond previous research in two ways. First, from a youth and health sociology perspective, we present reasons why we expect an increase in socially determined health inequalities in the present youth generation. Second, we fully exploit the potential of our panel data, and thus arrive at very reliable results. For self-rated general health, as well as for numerous mental health and health behaviour items, our data show that health inequalities emerged or increased during the observation period (ages 10–16 years). Despite some indications of equalisation, especially for the consumption of unhealthy food and beverages, most of our results contradict West's equalisation hypothesis and suggest that social inequalities play an increasing role in health disparities among youth in the process of growing up.

EPH79 Examining the Health Behaviour of Young People

EPH79 Examining the Health Behaviour of Young People

Sexual health promotion messages for young people in Netflix most-watched series content (2015–2020): mixed-methods analysis study

IntroductionSexual health is a major issue for young people, and there is a need to promote it. Sexual health promotion messages may be included in Netflix series that are widely...

STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH RISKS REGARDING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PEER PRESSURE

Given that adolescents and young people spend most of their time in the educational system, advancements in neurodevelopmental research emphasize the important and complex role of peers’ influence on adolescents’ behaviour, suggesting that supportive programmes led by peers have a strong potential benefit (King, & Fazel, 2019). In many cases peers are the most important source of social support, and are therefore an important target group to investigate the factors of risk, signs of poor mental health and ways to assess their health behaviour and awareness of the care which should be taken regarding their mental health, as well as the resources and prevention models. The wish is to study whether there are differences regarding the mental behaviour in certain characteristics of susceptibility to peer pressure as a risk for the mental health of students of the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and students of the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Zagreb, Division of Petrinja (N=440). The set hypothesis states that there is a statistically significant difference among students of the faculty in Pula and those in Petrinja in their assessment of certain features of peer pressure susceptibility as a possible risk for mental health. The results obtained at the x2-test showed a statistically significant difference between certain peer pressure features among students regarding their study environment linked to hanging out with peers who consume drugs and being tempted to try them, getting involved in risky behaviours if their peers ask them to, and betting or gambling because their friends also do that. The results indicate that in smaller communities social control and conformity in the students’ behaviour is more present due to their wish to fit in a peer group as well as possible, suggesting the need for strengthening the positive health behaviour of young people during their whole education in order to secure a healthy and productive adult population.

Do Aftercare Services Take Young People's Health Behaviour into Consideration? A Retrospective Document Analysis from Finland

BackgroundHealth disparities among children and young people predict health disparities in adulthood and cause a long-term detrimental impact on a person's quality of life as well as increased costs to society. PurposeThe purpose of the study was to describe the health behaviour of Finnish young people (n = 600) who had left aftercare services by the end of April 2015 based on their electronic patient records. Design and methodsA retrospective document analysis. Data were collected from the register by a structured worksheet designed for this study and analysed using descriptive statistical methods. ResultsThe entries made in the aftercare participants' records concerning their weight, sleep and rest, smoking and sexual health were insufficient. The documents contained clearly more detailed reports of their substance use. Women were affected more than men by lifestyles other than substance abuse endangering their health. An increase in the number of out-of-home care placements produces a spike in risky behaviour. ConclusionsThe young people in aftercare are in an unequal position compared to the mainstream population in the area of health promotion. Their risky behaviour is not identified or taken into consideration. Practice implicationsAftercare and the related multiprofessional collaboration must be developed to prevent risks related to the young persons` health and to take these comprehensively into account.

“LIKE, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE”. EXPLORING THE ROLE PROFESSIONAL YOUTUBERS PLAY IN YOUNG PEOPLE’S HEALTH BEHAVIOURS AND IDENTITES IN THE UK

In the United Kingdom, there are over 150 individual YouTubers with >1 million subscribers. A significant proportion of their audience are aged between 13-18 years. The content they produce is often: commercially sponsored, unregulated and both purposefully and accidentally touches on a whole range of health topics including: mental health, alcohol, sexual health, body image, healthy eating and physical activity. YouTubers could represent a particularly relatable source of health information for young people as a magnified version of young people’s own searchable and replicable online socially networked lives. The aim of the research is to explore the role that professional YouTubers play in young people health behaviours and identities in the UK. The study was a four stage, sequential mixed methods design. The first stage, a school based questionnaire (n=931, 13-18 years) quantified young people’s YouTuber engagement and provided a sampling frame for the later qualitative stages. An online analysis of 7 UK YouTubers examined the health content they produced. Focus groups (n=7, 85 participants) with 13-18 year olds explored the impact this content had on young people’s health behaviours and interviews with professional YouTubers ( <1 million subscribers, ongoing) explored their perceived role in health promotion. YouTuber produced health content appeared to be a recognized source of health information for young people in this study. Young people appeared able to critique the accuracy and commercial influences on YouTuber content. However, this content still appears to be a relatable way of sharing health experiences, giving advice and communicating social norms.

Cancer-related health behaviours of young people not in education, employment or training (\u2018NEET\u2019): a cross-sectional study

BackgroundLinks between participating in unhealthy behaviours, e.g. smoking, and an increased risk of developing some cancers are well established. Unemployed adults are more likely to participate in cancer-related health behaviours than their employed counterparts. However, evidence of whether this is true in young adults not in education, employment or training (NEET) compared to their ‘non-NEET’ peers is either limited or inconclusive. Using cross-sectional health data from across the UK, this study aims to investigate whether participation in cancer-related health behaviours varies by NEET status.MethodsData for 16–24 year olds were extracted from the 2010–12 Health Surveys for England (HSE) and Scottish Health Surveys (SHeS). Information on economic activity in the last week was used to determine NEET status. Data on whether respondents had been seeking employment within the last four weeks and availability to start within the next two weeks allowed NEETs to be further identified as unemployed (UE) or economically inactive (EI). Logistic regression modelled the effect of being NEET on odds of being a current smoker; heavy drinker; not participating in sport; having eaten less than five portions of fruit or vegetables the day before survey interview and having an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). Analyses were performed before and after exclusion of EI NEETs.ResultsData were extracted for 4272 individuals, of which 715 (17%) were defined as NEET with 371 (52%) and 342 (48%) further classified as UE and EI respectively. Two NEETs could not be further defined as UE or EI due to missing information. Relative to non-NEETs, NEETs were significantly more likely to be current smokers, not participate in sport and have an ‘unhealthy’ BMI. These results held after adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics both before and after exclusion of EI NEETs. Before exclusion of EI NEETs, NEETs were significantly less likely to be heavy drinkers than non-NEETs. There was no significant difference in likelihood of heavy drinking between NEETs and non-NEETs when excluding EI NEETs.ConclusionsNEETs were generally at an increased risk of participating in cancer-related health behaviours than non-NEETs. As the likelihood of becoming NEET is greater in socioeconomically-disadvantaged groups, interventions to discourage unhealthy behaviours in NEETs may contribute to a reduction in health inequalities.

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.

Kinder- und Jugendgesundheit in Deutschland: Erkenntnisse aus der Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC)-WHO-Jugendgesundheitsstudie 2002-2010

For many years, the HBSC-Study has provided important insight and information on the health situation and health behaviours of young people 11- through 15 years of age living in Germany. The papers in this supplement take a first look at the trends in selected indicators of health and health behaviour of this group and draw important conclusions about the association between prevention and health promotion measures and individual health across time. This short report gives an overview on the key results and findings of the 10 papers in the supplement.

Gesundheit der Kinder in Einelternfamilien

This paper aims to investigate the effects of sin-gle-parent families on the health of young peo-ple. Database is the 2010 HBSC survey as well as the 2002 and 2006 data for trend analysis. Findings show that there is a weak but significant effect of single-parent families on the health and health-behaviour of young people. There has been little change in the findings between 2002 and 2010.

Prevalence and socio-demographic distribution of eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours among Australian adolescents

To examine the prevalence and socio-demographic distribution of adherence to national dietary and physical activity recommendations among Australian secondary school students. Cross-sectional survey of 12,188 students in Years 8 to 11 (aged 12-17 years). Students' self-reported eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours were assessed using validated instruments administered via an online questionnaire. Less than one-quarter of students (24%) reported meeting the daily requirement of at least four serves of vegetables, while 41% reported consuming the recommended three or more daily serves of fruit. Just 15% of students reported engaging in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity every day, and only one in five students met the recommendation of spending no more than two hours per day in small screen recreation. Males were performing better than females in terms of fruit intake and physical activity, but worse in relation to frequency of consumption of sugary drinks and fast food, and time spent using electronic media. The proportion of students meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations declined with advancing year level, while lower socio-economic position (SEP) students were faring less well than those from high SEP neighbourhoods, particularly with regards to healthy eating. There is considerable scope for improving young people's health behaviours in line with national dietary and physical activity recommendations.

Mispredicting Happiness Across the Adult Lifespan: Implications for the Risky Health Behaviour of Young People

Using data from a 2007 survey in Northern Ireland (representative sample, N = 1036), we replicate and extend the US-based findings of Lacey et al. (Journal of Happiness Studies 7:167–182, 2006). Consistent with Lacey et al., we find that young people mispredict happiness levels in old age, believing—wrongly—that happiness declines with age. We explore the possible implications of this under-estimation of happiness in old age for the risky health behaviours of young people. We find that young male binge drinkers are particularly prone to thinking that happiness declines with age.

Health behaviours of young, rural residents: A case study

To analyse self-reported health behaviours of young people from a rural community and the factors influencing their behaviours. Interviews were conducted with 19 young people, 11 parents and 10 key informants from a small rural Victorian community, asking about teenage health behaviours and the factors influencing these behaviours. Young people ate both healthy and unhealthy foods, most participated in physical activity, few smoked and most drank alcohol. The study found that community level factors, including community norms, peers, access issues and geographic isolation, were particularly powerful in shaping health behaviours, especially alcohol consumption. Smoking was influenced by social participation in the community and national media health campaigns. Diet and exercise behaviour were influenced by access and availability, convenience, family, peers and local and non-local cultural influences. The rural context, including less access to and choice of facilities and services, lower incomes, lack of transport and local social patterns (including community norms and acceptance), impact significantly on young people's health behaviours. Although national health promotion campaigns are useful aspects of behaviour modification, much greater focus on the role and importance of the local contexts in shaping health decisions of young rural people is required.

Exploring the limitations of an adult-led agenda for understanding the health behaviours of young people

Public health and health promotion agendas are usually determined by adults, even when the 'target' population is children and young people. Adult-centred frameworks for health maintenance and the promotion of well-being risk ignoring young people's conceptualizations and experiences of health and health-relevant behaviours. However, the current policy emphasis in the UK and elsewhere apparently seeks to position young people at the centre of their own health-related decisions. Building on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this paper examines and critiques policies relating to young people in UK, European and worldwide contexts. This paper then introduces data from two qualitative studies conducted in the UK. These studies illustrate that young people's definitions of health often run counter to prevailing public health and health promotion discourses. Young people do, however, often exhibit strategies for managing their health, even though they are frequently restricted by the perceptions that adults have about their lives and behaviour. This paper argues that the new policy discourse is not yet being systematically turned into action to give all young people a voice. This is important to begin to understand young people's perspectives about what matters to them and what really influences their health behaviours.

Perception of peers' behaviour regarding sexual health decision making among female undergraduates in Anambra State, Nigeria.

High-risk sexual behaviours are prevalent in tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria, but little is known about the social influences that bear on the reproductive health decision-making and behaviour of the undergraduates. On the other hand, perceptions regarding the behaviour and influence of peers have been documented to be key social factors associated with reproductive health behaviour of young people. This study aimed to assess the perception of Nigerian female undergraduate about sexual behaviours of their peers and the type of influence their peers tend to exert on them. The study was cross-sectional in nature and involved 588 randomly selected unmarried female undergraduates in two tertiary institutions in Anambra state, Nigeria. The study instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using Epi-Info statistical package. Three-quarters of respondents were between 15 and 24 years and the majority were from homes with formally educated parents (91.2 % of mothers and 93.9 % of fathers). Regarding sexual behaviour, 80.1% of respondents indicated that their age mates were already sexually active, and 92 % indicated that most of their friends had regular sexual partners. The use of condoms by sexually active friends was reported by 58.5 % of respondents. Almost half (47.1 %) of respondents indicated that they were under pressure by friends to engage in pre-marital sex, and 22.1 % indicated that the pressure was moderate or severe in degree. However, 64.6 % of respondents indicated that they would receive moderate or lots of support for their friends if they made the decision to abstain from sex. Perception of sexual behaviour of peers and the nature of the pressure that peers exert support pre-marital sex. It appears peers would also respect and support the decision of those that choose to practice sexual abstinence.

The dietary and health behaviour of young people aged 18–25 years living independently or in the family home in Liverpool, UK

AbstractAn individual's dietary habits are largely developed during childhood and adolescence, and are likely to be determined by both nature (the development of sensory perceptions) and nurture (parental influence, and later on the influence of peers). However, diet is likely to evolve throughout the life cycle as circumstances change and new influences are introduced to an individual's lifestyle. An example of this is the changes in diet that occur as a result of the transition young people make away from the family home into independent living. Leaving behind the meals provided and cooked by parents/guardians and learning how to shop on a budget and prepare and cook for themselves may result in the adoption of poor eating habits, which is likely to have a detrimental effect on health. Leaving behind the restrictions of parental control may also result in the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle practices such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. This study therefore seeks to investigate the effect of leaving home on a young person's diet and lifestyle. Health behaviour and food intake was assessed by questionnaire. Findings suggest that a young person's diet may change after leaving home, but these changes are not necessarily negative. More negative health behaviour was observed in young people living independently.

Can the school make a difference? A multilevel analysis of adolescent risk and health behaviour

The main aim of this article is to assess the relationship between the structural and (health) policy variables of the school and characteristics of the individual on the risk and health behaviour of adolescents. Individual and school level effects on seven health-related behaviours are simultaneously estimated, using multilevel modelling. The data are from the Flemish health behaviour in school-aged children study in Belgium. Data are used from 29 Flemish schools in which students ( N=3225), school administrators ( N=29) and teachers ( N=1132) were surveyed with anonymous written questions. The analysis confirms previous findings concerning individual level effects. Although differences between schools in risk and health behaviour were found to originate mainly from differences in pupil characteristics, substantial variation between schools remained with regard to regular smoking, drinking habits and tooth brushing after controlling for individual effects. A wide range of school structure and policy variables were taken into account, but only few of them were found to influence the health and risk behaviour of young people. Moreover, the study could not detect an effect of health promotion policy at school. The analysis therefore only partially confirms the hypothesis that the school has an impact on the health behaviour of young people. The findings demonstrate the need for a more thorough examination of the paths by which schools can influence the health behaviour of their pupils.

Understanding childrens' health behaviour: The implications for health promotion for young people

Understanding the causes and determinants of young people's health behaviour is central to the development of relevant and effective health promotion programmes. This paper traces the development of health education programmes in the past two decades, identifying the influence of a range of concepts and theories which emerged during that period. Drawing on results from a WHO Cross-National Study of children's health behaviour, the relationships between individual behaviours and a range of social and environmental influences are illustrated, together with the inter-relationship between individual behaviours as ‘lifestyles’. The implications for health education programmes from the results are identified and special emphasis is given to the need to communicate effectively with young people through a range of networks and through the media, as well as through traditional school health education. The need to continue research into ‘lifestyles’ is also stressed.