Dr Gauden Galea, Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-course, WHO Regional Office for Europe - Dr Jo Inchley, HBSC International Coordinator, University of St Andrews

1. GROWING
UP UNEQUAL
DR GAUDEN GALEA | DIRECTOR, NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND PROMOTING
HEALTH THROUGH THE LIFE-COURSE WHO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE
LAUNCH OF THE 6TH INTERNATIONAL REPORT
FROM THE HBSC STUDY | MARCH 15TH 2016

2. GROWING
UP UNEQUAL
DR JO INCHLEY| HBSC INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR
UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL
REPORT OF THE HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN
SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

3. § Over 80% of young people report high life satisfaction.
§ Most find it easy or very easy to talk to their mother.
§ The majority of girls and boys report high levels of support
from family, friends and classmates.
§ The majority perceive their school performance as
good or very good relative to their peers.
§ Positive trends in eating behaviours, tooth
brushing and risk behaviours e.g. weekly
smoking and drinking have halved since
2001/02.
HOW ARE YOUNG PEOPLE DOING?
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL REPORT OF THE
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

4. peer support
academic performance
overweight & obesity
injuries
tooth brushing
weekly drinking
fighting and bullying
GENDER DIFFERENCES
WHERE DO BOYS AND GIRLS DO BETTER?
talk to father
school pressure
self-rated health
body image
dieting
life satisfaction
health complaints
eating breakfast
physical activity
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL REPORT OF THE
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

5. HIGH LEVELS OF
MULTIPLE HEALTH
COMPLAINTS AMONG
GIRLS
15 year olds reporting 2 or more
health complaints more than once
a week
GIRLS: 50%
36% in Austria to 68% in Italy
BOYS: 27%
16% in Portugal to 44% in Malta

6. BOYS ARE MORE ACTIVE
THAN GIRLS
15 year olds who meet the current
recommendations for 60 minutes
daily
GIRLS: 11%
5% in Austria, Israel, Italy and
Portugal to 22% in Republic of
Moldova
BOYS: 21%
10% in Israel to 29% in Albania and
Canada

7. BOYS REPORT BETTER
COMMUNICATION WITH
THEIR FATHER
15 year olds who report easy or
very easy communication with
their father
GIRLS: 54%
33% in France to 71% in Iceland
BOYS: 73%
56% in France to 84% in
Macedonia

8. 22%
43%
MISMATCH BETWEEN
ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED
OVERWEIGHT
Comparing overweight and obesity
(based on BMI) with perceptions of
being too fat, at age 15
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE
THINK TOO FAT
22%
13%

9. Decreases with age: liking school, academic performance, classmate
support, family support, parental communication, family meals, life
satisfaction, self-rated health, eating breakfast, fruit consumption and
physical activity.
Increases with age: school pressure, health complaints, feeling too fat,
dieting, TV viewing, smoking and drunkenness.
Decreases with age: liking school, academic performance, family
support, parental communication, family meals, eating breakfast and fruit
consumption.
Increases with age: school pressure, TV viewing, smoking, drinking and
drunkenness.
MARKED DECLINES IN HEALTH BETWEEN AGES 11 AND 15
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL REPORT OF THE
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

10. § Low levels of physical activity and mental wellbeing and high
school-related stress, especially among girls
§ Many aspects of health worsen during the adolescence
years, including social assets
§ High levels of gender inequality point to the need to address
cultural expectations and gender norms
KEY CHALLENGES
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL REPORT OF THE
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

11. “The future is unknown and we all care about what is going to
happen to us. The academic future is the worst and give us the
larger worries, we have doubts such as What can I study?
Will I like it? Can I get a job in the end?”
“I think it is very important that you can talk to your
friends about your problems because that is what
they are there for and once you tell them your
problem, they can help you to deal with it.
Sometimes, also, you don't think your parents
really understand you with some of your
problems, so it's great to have someone there
who knows and understands you.”
YOUTH QUOTES
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
FINDINGS FROM THE 2013/14 INTERNATIONAL REPORT OF THE
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (HBSC) SURVEY

12. GROWING
UP UNEQUAL
DR MARTIN WEBER | PROGRAMME MANAGER CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH
WHO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE
DATA FOR ACTION | COUNTRY EXAMPLES:
FINDINGS AND POLICY CHANGES

13. WHO EUROPEAN
HEALTH STATISTICS APP
Available to download now for
iOS and Android devices.
www.euro.who.int/en/data-
and-evidence/the-european-
health-statistics-app

14. WHO EUROPEAN
HEALTH STATISTICS APP

15. WHO EUROPEAN
HEALTH STATISTICS APP

16. WHO EUROPEAN
HEALTH STATISTICS APP

17. WHO EUROPEAN
HEALTH INFORMATION GATEWAY
HBSC data is live on the
European Health Information
Gateway
http://portal.euro.who.int/en/
data-sources/hbsc/

18. HBSC FINDINGS AND POLICY CHANGES -
GERMANY
• 2003 HBSC study showed increase in alcohol consumption
among 15-year-olds, mirroring the growing popularity of
alcopops.
• Strong media pressure led to Alcopops Tax Act 2004,
increasing price and banning sales to young people.
• 2006 HBSC showed dramatic decrease in alcohol consumption
among young people, a trend that was sustained.

19. HBSC FINDINGS AND POLICY CHANGES -
LATVIA
• HBSC found high soft drink consumption among young
people.
• Parliament introduced
excise tax on soft drinks
2004 and banned sales
in schools 2006
(also sweets and salty
snacks).
• Decreasing soft drink
consumption 2002-14.
18.3
13.5
9.7
7.8
13
12
7
5
0
5
10
15
20
2002 2006 2010 2014

20. GROWING
UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO
12 FROM SMI SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

21. “Ik zit 2 uur per dag op sociale media omdat dat leuk is”
“I use social media 2 hours a day because it’s fun”
“Ik zit 3 à 4 uur per dag op mijn tablet”
“I spend 3 to 4 hours a day on my tablet”
SOCIALE MEDIA | SOCIAL MEDIA
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

22. “We hebben soms stress voor toetsen en spreekbeurten”
“Sometimes we have stress for tests and oral presentations”
SCHOOLDRUK | SCHOOL PRESSURE
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

23. “Ik ben wel tevreden want ik krijg veel steun van thuis”
“I’m happy because I get a lot of support at home”
TEVREDENHEID | LIFE SATISFACTION
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

24. “Als je gezond eet en sport, dan voel je je gezond”
“If you eat healthy and do sports, you feel healthy”
GEZOND VOELEN | FEELING HEALTHY
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

25. “Als je zin hebt in chips kan je fruit eten in de plaats”
“If you fancy chips you can eat fruit instead”
VOEDING: FRUIT | NUTRITION: FRUIT CONSUMPTION
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

26. “Sommige kinderen worden gepest op school”
“Some children are bullied at school”
PESTGEDRAG | BULLYING BEHAVIOUR
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)

27. “Bewegen is leuk en je hebt het nodig anders heb je geen
conditie”
“Working out is fun, otherwise you are out of shape”
BEWEGING | PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
GROWING UP UNEQUAL
REACTIONS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 11 TO 12 FROM SMI
SCHOOL AALST (BELGIUM)