Health survey of children and young people

Citation

(1999), "Health survey of children and young people", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 99 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.1999.01799caf.003

Health survey of children and young people

Health survey of children and young people

The most extensive survey of young people's health ever commissioned by the Department of Health was published at the end of 1998. The report combines information from the 1995, 1996 and 1997 surveys and includes information about 14,582 children aged two to 15 years and 5,126 young adults aged 16 to 24 years. These subjects were asked details about their health and lifestyle. Respondents were also weighed and measured, blood pressure was assessed and blood samples taken to bring together comprehensive information in a single survey. In a telephone follow-up of a sub-set of the 1997 survey, respondents were asked questions about their use of and attitudes towards sun protection.

The Health of Young People '95-97 provides comprehensive information on the prevalence of specific health conditions and lifestyle patterns including eating habits, blood pressure, asthma, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, psychological wellbeing, self-reported health, height, weight and accidents. Analysis by household income, social class and area characteristics is also included. This information allows the Department of Health to track the health of the population and examine important differences in health status between different social classes and in different parts of the country.

For children between two and 15 years, their psychological wellbeing was measured using a questionnaire designed to detect behavioural, emotional and relationship difficulties. A significant relationship was discovered between low income and poor scores for both boys and girls. Good eating habits, such as eating fruit and vegetables more than once a day, were more likely among children in social classes I and II and high income families. Children in social classes IV and V and low income families were found to have poorer dietary habits.

Smoking among children aged 13 to 15 years was higher in households where at least one parent smoked (24 per cent) than in households where no adult smoked (7 per cent). Excluding activities at school 29 per cent of girls and 44 per cent of boys did not participate in physical activities lasting 30 minutes. Children of parents who experienced wheezing and asthma also had a higher prevalence of wheezing in both sexes and most age groups. Around nine in every ten children rated their health as "good" or "very good". For young adults the proportions were slightly lower (87 per cent for young men and 84 per cent for young women). Poor self-reported health was associated with low household income, low social class and longstanding illness of parents.

Among young adults 16 to 24 years, 23 per cent of young men and 19 per cent of young women were overweight and 6 per cent and 8 per cent respectively were obese. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index greater than 30kg/m². Young women tended to perceive themselves as overweight when they were not. Among those with a desirable weight 20 per cent said they were too heavy and 45 per cent were trying to lose weight. Even among underweight women, 10 per cent were trying to lose weight.

The proportion of young men who smoke increased from 20 per cent at age 16 to 40 per cent at age 18. For young women the proportion was higher than men at age 16 (25 per cent) but lower at age 18 (30 per cent). For both young men and young women aged 20 to 24 years the proportion who smoked was over 40 per cent. The prevalence of cigarette smoking was much higher in social class IV (44 per cent of young men and 45 per cent of young women) and social class V (41 per cent and 46 per cent) than in social class I (18 and 21 per cent).

The proportion of young men who reported drinking on at least three days a week increased from 10 per cent at age 16 to 53 per cent at age 21 and then declined to 42 per cent at age 24. The corresponding figures for young women were 6 per cent at age 16, 32 per cent at age 21 and 18 per cent at age 24. Over half (53 per cent) of young men aged 18 to 24 said they exceeded four units on at least one day a week and one-third exceeded eight units at least once a week. Among young women, 28 per cent exceeded three units and 13 per cent exceeded six units at least once a week.

The use of sun cream was widely perceived as very important as sun protection. Staying in the shade and avoiding the midday sun were thought to be more important means of protection than wearing cover-up clothing or a wide brimmed hat.

For all young people aged two to 24 major and minor accidents were found to be higher for males than females. For males the major accident rate fell slightly from pre-school into early school years, then rose rapidly to a plateau lasting from early 'teens into the 20s. The variation in accident rates by age was much smaller for females with the major accident rate peaking in the early teens and falling thereafter. A major accident was defined as one which involved subsequent contact with the medical profession. A minor accident was one which had not involved contact with the medical profession but which caused pain or discomfort over a period of at least 24 hours.

Wheezing and asthma were associated with exposure to other people's tobacco smoke. Children of parents with high blood pressure had higher mean blood pressure than those with parents having normal blood pressure.

Copies of the full report Health Survey for England: The Health of Young People are available from HMSO, ISBN 0 11 322266 1, price £70. The report and summary booklet will be available on the Internet on http://www.open.gov.uk/doh/dhhome.htm.