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SHEUNews - October 2004
SHEU provides research, publications and survey services for those concerned with the healthy development of young people including: LEAs, DHAs, PCTs, DATs, NHSS schemes, Children’s Fund projects, Community groups, Teachers, Health Professionals, Govt. and Univ. depts., and the media.
The most fruitful of pupil databases
NHSS evaluation
The recently released report, ‘Evaluation of the impact of the National Healthy School Standard’, described the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) as "the most fruitful of databases derived from pupil surveys". The HRBQ is a survey instrument developed by the Schools Health Education Unit since 1977. Responses to health related questions from over 650,000 school children in over 5000 schools across the UK have been collected in a unique database. This database is regularly consulted to support baseline data reports and enable authorities to develop their health promotion and education programmes. The authors of the NHSS evaluation report consulted over ten key data sources in order to determine whether the NHSS is achieving its strategic aims and to develop a set of national outcome indicators to analyse the future progress of the NHSS. They concluded that the HRBQ was "the most fruitful."
They also stated that the HRBQ, "is the only pupil-level survey covering the primary age range for which data was available to (the) evaluation. The survey covers almost all of the long-list indicators related to health inequalities, and one relating to social inclusion, and was therefore considered extremely useful."
To view other extracts and the full report visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/gdprac.htm
HRBQ is adapted for use with a wide age range from primary school children aged 6 years to students that are 16 years and older studying at Further Education college, and each of the surveys can be completed on paper or online via our website.
To see which schools have been involved so far please visit the school list www.sheu.org.uk/schools/schoolist.htm
Surveys large and small
To discover how the HRBQ can help you in your work please consider that the local nature of our lifestyle survey services can often mean that we work with small numbers of schools involving 1,500 young people or larger surveys involving 10,000 young people. Here is a selection of surveys across the country
Online Activity Survey update
The Schools Health Education Unit has five partnerships across England currently using an adapted version of the Fit to Succeed online activity survey. The survey is to monitor the Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) projects funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
This is a good test for the online system as potentially a large number of pupils could be trying to access the site at the same time. Will the technology cope with the capacity issues, we wondered? The only problems we have encountered so far are schools ringing up because they have forgotten their passwords.
Guernsey schools
The Unit has also worked with Guernsey schools over a number of years on a variety of projects, most notably an anti-smoking campaign. The Guernsey Sports Commission have been working with us this summer on an online activity project which has produced some interesting correlations between some of the behaviours reported.
Concentration & sleeping Graph 1
Those pupils who said that they 'never' have trouble concentrating in afternoon lessons because of tiredness are much more likely to have slept for 8 hours the previous night than those who say they are 'always' tired.
Graph 1. Are you tired in afternoon lessons?
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
Mum & Physical Activity Graph 2
We have seen the next correlation before in the Fit to Succeed data but the link between how much ‘your mum’ enjoys physical activity and how fit you think you are is clearly demonstrated here. Of all those girls who said that their mum enjoyed physical activity 'a lot', 74% said that they themselves were 'fit' or 'very fit'. Role modelling is evidently very important.
Graph 2. Mum's enjoyment of physical activity and their child feeling 'fit' or 'very fit
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
Important role for schools Graph 3
There is also a clear message that schools have an important part to play in the activity levels of pupils. Again we have seen this correlation in the Devon Huff and Puff project but it is evident in these data as well. Schools which teach pupils 'a lot' about the importance of physical activity have pupils that are more likely to have been active at least 3 times in the previous week.
Graph 3 How much does your school teach you that physical activities are good for you?
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
We look forward to searching for new correlation between the behaviours of youngsters on the OSHL programme and if the activity programmes have an impact on their health & well-being. The Exeter Fit to Succeed project has responded to teachers pleas for ideas about what they can do to build in short bursts of activity throughout the school day.
A pack entitled 'Take 10' is currently at the printers and is packed full of age-related KS1 and KS2 ideas for teachers.
Please email Angela Balding or (Tel. 01392 667272) for more information.
The most fruitful of pupil databases
NHSS evaluation
The recently released report, ‘Evaluation of the impact of the National Healthy School Standard’, described the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) as "the most fruitful of databases derived from pupil surveys". The HRBQ is a survey instrument developed by the Schools Health Education Unit since 1977. Responses to health related questions from over 650,000 school children in over 5000 schools across the UK have been collected in a unique database. This database is regularly consulted to support baseline data reports and enable authorities to develop their health promotion and education programmes. The authors of the NHSS evaluation report consulted over ten key data sources in order to determine whether the NHSS is achieving its strategic aims and to develop a set of national outcome indicators to analyse the future progress of the NHSS. They concluded that the HRBQ was "the most fruitful."
They also stated that the HRBQ, "is the only pupil-level survey covering the primary age range for which data was available to (the) evaluation. The survey covers almost all of the long-list indicators related to health inequalities, and one relating to social inclusion, and was therefore considered extremely useful."
To view other extracts and the full report visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/gdprac.htm
HRBQ is adapted for use with a wide age range from primary school children aged 6 years to students that are 16 years and older studying at Further Education college, and each of the surveys can be completed on paper or online via our website.
To see which schools have been involved so far please visit the school list www.sheu.org.uk/schools/schoolist.htm
Surveys large and small
To discover how the HRBQ can help you in your work please consider that the local nature of our lifestyle survey services can often mean that we work with small numbers of schools involving 1,500 young people or larger surveys involving 10,000 young people. Here is a selection of surveys across the country
- Leicester City survey involved 1,609 young people from 12 primary and 3 secondary schools
- Highland survey involved 3,082 young people from 100 primary and 21secondary schools
- Dudley survey involved 11,606 young people from 78 primary and 26 secondary schools
- Ealing survey involved 3,844 young people from 35 primary and 8 secondary schools
Online Activity Survey update
The Schools Health Education Unit has five partnerships across England currently using an adapted version of the Fit to Succeed online activity survey. The survey is to monitor the Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) projects funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
This is a good test for the online system as potentially a large number of pupils could be trying to access the site at the same time. Will the technology cope with the capacity issues, we wondered? The only problems we have encountered so far are schools ringing up because they have forgotten their passwords.
Guernsey schools
The Unit has also worked with Guernsey schools over a number of years on a variety of projects, most notably an anti-smoking campaign. The Guernsey Sports Commission have been working with us this summer on an online activity project which has produced some interesting correlations between some of the behaviours reported.
Concentration & sleeping Graph 1
Those pupils who said that they 'never' have trouble concentrating in afternoon lessons because of tiredness are much more likely to have slept for 8 hours the previous night than those who say they are 'always' tired.
Graph 1. Are you tired in afternoon lessons?
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
Mum & Physical Activity Graph 2
We have seen the next correlation before in the Fit to Succeed data but the link between how much ‘your mum’ enjoys physical activity and how fit you think you are is clearly demonstrated here. Of all those girls who said that their mum enjoyed physical activity 'a lot', 74% said that they themselves were 'fit' or 'very fit'. Role modelling is evidently very important.
Graph 2. Mum's enjoyment of physical activity and their child feeling 'fit' or 'very fit
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
Important role for schools Graph 3
There is also a clear message that schools have an important part to play in the activity levels of pupils. Again we have seen this correlation in the Devon Huff and Puff project but it is evident in these data as well. Schools which teach pupils 'a lot' about the importance of physical activity have pupils that are more likely to have been active at least 3 times in the previous week.
Graph 3 How much does your school teach you that physical activities are good for you?
[ ] Boys [III] Girls
We look forward to searching for new correlation between the behaviours of youngsters on the OSHL programme and if the activity programmes have an impact on their health & well-being. The Exeter Fit to Succeed project has responded to teachers pleas for ideas about what they can do to build in short bursts of activity throughout the school day.
A pack entitled 'Take 10' is currently at the printers and is packed full of age-related KS1 and KS2 ideas for teachers.
Please email Angela Balding or (Tel. 01392 667272) for more information.
Schools Health Education Unit
The Unit has always been keen to develop the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ). Those of you, who have surveyed with us over the years, will know that the HRBQ has a new version every year or so. This is in response to feedback from education and health professionals and to reflect the developments in young people's behaviour. Local versions are also prepared for clients in response to their particular needs and to reflect local and regional issues.
Although the basic HRBQ topic areas are adhered to additional or slightly different questions are developed to ensure the survey instrument is responsive to local needs.In preparing a report about the main findings from the survey, the opportunities remain to make comparisons with historical and/or regional data as well as utilising our annual compilation of data from across the country.
This website provides over 260 pages of information with many free downloads including examples of the type of reports you can expect following a survey.
Further examples of the Unit’s work, to provide local communities with valuable baseline data, can also be seen on the ‘Good Practice’ page on our website.
Healthy Colleges
We have successfully piloted survey questionnaires suitable for use in the Further and Higher Education sectors. After seeing the benefits of the Healthy Schools initiative, it's natural to want to explore what can be done in institutions with post-16 provision.
The FE questionnaire has a similar range of content to the school questionnaires, but looks a little more frankly at issues around sexuality and around mental health, and includes topics that are relevant to post-16 year olds, like housing and debt. It is of particular interest to colleges involved in the Healthy Colleges Network where we are trialling an online version.
We are working on the fifth report in the ’Trends’ series. The latest title, ‘Young People and Physical Activity Attitudes to Exercise’, will be looking at data from the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire, 1987-2003. Following a similar format to the previous reports it is anticipated that there will be around 30 charts showing the responses from over 340,000 young people aged between 10-15 years of age. An early press release reported on the rise of those reporting playing computer games after school and an apparent decline in those playing more sociable games like pool and snooker. It perhaps comes as no surprise to find that participation in pool and snooker is associated with a higher prevalence of smoking and drinking. It is not possible to show that computer games have to any extent displaced pool and snooker in the lives of young people, but it is at least plausible.
Computer games, like pool and snooker, usually require a degree of hand-eye co-ordination and strategic thinking - in fact, computer games can be very challenging in both respects, as well as demanding a speed of response that the cue games do not require. If young people are exposed less to environments that promote health-risky behaviours like smoking and drinking, we might regard it as a positive move, although the thought that young people may be now more solitary and home-bound is not so welcome.
The ‘Trends’ reports cost from £10. Visit the Trends page for up-to-date information.
Education and Health
Contributors to ‘Education and Health’ come from a broad cross section of people concerned with the healthy development of young people. So far in 2004 we have received contributions from many members of the academic community including Dr Daniel Wight at the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow (Sexual Health and Relationships) and Dr Nyanda McBride, a Senior Research Fellow at the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth (School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction). School Nurses have also contributed articles including Yvonne Maunder (A day in the life…) and Betsy Allen (Drop-in clinics in secondary school). Gillian Feest, the former Devon County Adviser for PSHE and Citizenship wrote about her reflections on 10 years in post and Márianna Csóti, an author, has written about youngsters with school phobia.
Some articles that have appeared in previous editions are now available as free downloads on our website. This has resulted in more people from across the world accessing ‘Education and Health’.
As little as 40p
The individual annual subscription for 2004 remains at £18 for four issues (£4.50 per issue including p&p). Those wishing to purchase more for bulk distribution will find that the cost of each issue could be as little as 40p (incl. p&p), details from 01392 667272
Please email the editor (david.mcgeorge@sheu.org.uk) if you are interested in publishing in the journal.
Questions & Answers
"My day as a…" PSHE Coordinator, School Nurse, or, Director of Public Health? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/ehlatest.htm and find out.
Which ‘Young People in…’ report is available free on our website? Young People in 1987 - Young People in 1997 - or, Young People in 2000?
Have SHEU surveyed in Durham at Bishop Barrington School? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/schools/schoolist.htm and find out.
At www.sheu.org.uk there is a link to a website where you can design and run internet surveys. What is its name?
Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/citz.htm to discover who said, "Citizenship leaves pupils cold."
Did the Sunday Times report that, "Teenage schoolgirls are drinking and smoking more than boys"? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/latest.htm and find out.
When looking over the figures from twenty years, we find that young people in recent years are more or less likely to keep problems to themselves? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/trends/emot.htm and find out.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A HARDCOPY OF SHEUNews PLEASE email DAVID MCGEORGE with YOUR NAME & POSTAL ADDRESS...Thank you.
The Unit has always been keen to develop the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ). Those of you, who have surveyed with us over the years, will know that the HRBQ has a new version every year or so. This is in response to feedback from education and health professionals and to reflect the developments in young people's behaviour. Local versions are also prepared for clients in response to their particular needs and to reflect local and regional issues.
Although the basic HRBQ topic areas are adhered to additional or slightly different questions are developed to ensure the survey instrument is responsive to local needs.In preparing a report about the main findings from the survey, the opportunities remain to make comparisons with historical and/or regional data as well as utilising our annual compilation of data from across the country.
This website provides over 260 pages of information with many free downloads including examples of the type of reports you can expect following a survey.
Further examples of the Unit’s work, to provide local communities with valuable baseline data, can also be seen on the ‘Good Practice’ page on our website.
Healthy Colleges
We have successfully piloted survey questionnaires suitable for use in the Further and Higher Education sectors. After seeing the benefits of the Healthy Schools initiative, it's natural to want to explore what can be done in institutions with post-16 provision.
The FE questionnaire has a similar range of content to the school questionnaires, but looks a little more frankly at issues around sexuality and around mental health, and includes topics that are relevant to post-16 year olds, like housing and debt. It is of particular interest to colleges involved in the Healthy Colleges Network where we are trialling an online version.
We are working on the fifth report in the ’Trends’ series. The latest title, ‘Young People and Physical Activity Attitudes to Exercise’, will be looking at data from the Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire, 1987-2003. Following a similar format to the previous reports it is anticipated that there will be around 30 charts showing the responses from over 340,000 young people aged between 10-15 years of age. An early press release reported on the rise of those reporting playing computer games after school and an apparent decline in those playing more sociable games like pool and snooker. It perhaps comes as no surprise to find that participation in pool and snooker is associated with a higher prevalence of smoking and drinking. It is not possible to show that computer games have to any extent displaced pool and snooker in the lives of young people, but it is at least plausible.Computer games, like pool and snooker, usually require a degree of hand-eye co-ordination and strategic thinking - in fact, computer games can be very challenging in both respects, as well as demanding a speed of response that the cue games do not require. If young people are exposed less to environments that promote health-risky behaviours like smoking and drinking, we might regard it as a positive move, although the thought that young people may be now more solitary and home-bound is not so welcome.
The ‘Trends’ reports cost from £10. Visit the Trends page for up-to-date information.
Education and Health
Contributors to ‘Education and Health’ come from a broad cross section of people concerned with the healthy development of young people. So far in 2004 we have received contributions from many members of the academic community including Dr Daniel Wight at the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow (Sexual Health and Relationships) and Dr Nyanda McBride, a Senior Research Fellow at the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth (School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction). School Nurses have also contributed articles including Yvonne Maunder (A day in the life…) and Betsy Allen (Drop-in clinics in secondary school). Gillian Feest, the former Devon County Adviser for PSHE and Citizenship wrote about her reflections on 10 years in post and Márianna Csóti, an author, has written about youngsters with school phobia.
Some articles that have appeared in previous editions are now available as free downloads on our website. This has resulted in more people from across the world accessing ‘Education and Health’.
As little as 40p
The individual annual subscription for 2004 remains at £18 for four issues (£4.50 per issue including p&p). Those wishing to purchase more for bulk distribution will find that the cost of each issue could be as little as 40p (incl. p&p), details from 01392 667272
Please email the editor (david.mcgeorge@sheu.org.uk) if you are interested in publishing in the journal.
Questions & Answers
"My day as a…" PSHE Coordinator, School Nurse, or, Director of Public Health? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/ehlatest.htm and find out.
Which ‘Young People in…’ report is available free on our website? Young People in 1987 - Young People in 1997 - or, Young People in 2000?
Have SHEU surveyed in Durham at Bishop Barrington School? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/schools/schoolist.htm and find out.
At www.sheu.org.uk there is a link to a website where you can design and run internet surveys. What is its name?
Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/citz.htm to discover who said, "Citizenship leaves pupils cold."
Did the Sunday Times report that, "Teenage schoolgirls are drinking and smoking more than boys"? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/latest.htm and find out.
When looking over the figures from twenty years, we find that young people in recent years are more or less likely to keep problems to themselves? Visit www.sheu.org.uk/pubs/trends/emot.htm and find out.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A HARDCOPY OF SHEUNews PLEASE email DAVID MCGEORGE with YOUR NAME & POSTAL ADDRESS...Thank you.