40,439 young people, between the ages of 10 and 15, tell us about what they do at home, at school, and with their friends. These data have been collected from 452 primary and secondary schools across the United Kingdom. Annually since 1986, the Schools Health Education Unit has published the collected Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) results. Data from more than 685,000 pupils between the ages of 8 and 18, have now been recorded since the questionnaire's launch in 1977. More than 5,500 separate school surveys have been carried out, some schools repeating surveys of their pupils on five occasions. The data banks at SHEU are a unique resource that are consulted by a wide range of groups and individuals including Local Education Authorities, Public Health Authorities, Government Offices, University departments, schools, teachers and other interested individuals.
We would like to draw your attention to some of the items contained in the new 2004 report:
- (SECTION 1) 20% of all males and 16% of all females were 'overweight'. 59% of 14–15 year old females and 53% of 12–13 year old females ‘would like to lose weight’ and just 15% of 14-15 year old females were 'overweight' using height/weight data . Less fresh fruit but more vegetables are eaten as pupils get older.
- (SECTION 2) Up to 30% of the 12-15 year old females, reported feeling 'quite uneasy' or 'very uneasy' on their last visit to the doctor.
- (SECTION 3) 29% of males report taking painkillers on at least one day during the previous week. 37% of 10-11 year old females feel afraid (at least 'sometimes') of going to school because of bullying. 25% of the 14-15 year old males were 'fairly sure' or 'certain' that their friends carried weapons for protection when going out. (view pdf)
- (SECTION 4) 40% of 10-11 year old females 'read a book for enjoyment' as an after-school activity compared with 20% of 14-15 year old females. More females than males did homework on the evening before the survey, and they tended to spend longer at it. 42% of the 12-15 year old males did no homework.
- (SECTION 5) Up to 65% will have smoked by the time they are 14 years old. Young people's own smoking habits are strongly correlated with the number of other people smoking at home. This report shows that around 52% of 12-15 year olds live in a 'smoky' home and 56% of 14-15 year old females have a close friend who smokes. Up to 61% of the 14-15 year olds are ‘fairly sure' or ’certain' that they know a drug user. Up to 20% of 14-15 year olds have mixed drugs and alcohol 'on the same occasion'.
- (SECTION 6) The percentage of young people with a regular job rises from around 28% (12-13 years) to up to 39% (14-15 years). 16% of 14-15 year olds earned more than £30 'last week'. More males than females save money. (view pdf)
- (SECTION 7) Over 85% of the sample report exercising at least once 'last week'. At least 59% of 10-11 year olds think they are ‘fit’ or ‘very fit’. This falls to 29% by the time they reach 14-15 years of age. From 1991-2004 there is an upward trend (10%-21%) of 14-15 year old females that report being unfit.
- (SECTION 8) As pupils get older many school lessons in health education are reported to be 'less useful'. ‘The way you look’ remains the principal worry for females aged 14-15 years. Up to 31% of 10-11 year olds worry about 'family problems'. The greatest concern for 14-15 year old males is ‘school-work’ problems.
- (SECTION 9) Up to 29% of 10-11 year olds (which has been consistent for a number of years) report that they have been scared or upset by an adult stranger. Up to 44% of 10-11 year olds do not know of an illness called AIDS (or HIV). 23% of 10-11 yr old males drank alcohol 'last week'.
‘Young People in 2004’ is divided into nine sections :
SECTION 1 - Food choices & weight control
SECTION 2 - Doctor & Dentist
SECTION 3 - Health & Safety
SECTION 4 - Family & Home
SECTION 5 - Legal & Illegal Drugs
SECTION 6 - Money
SECTION 7 - Exercise & Sport
SECTION 8 - Social & Personal
SECTION 9 - Responses from primary children that are not contained in sections 1-8.
Notes for Editors
- SHEU is an independent research, survey and publishing company and the 'Young People in 2004' report is the 19th in the series and based on the work of one of its divisions - The Schools Health Education Unit. The Unit provides reliable baseline data for local needs assessment to inform health improvement plans.
- The accumulated data from the hundreds of school surveys we support each year, involving tens of thousands of young people, is a valuable resource of information and provides many opportunities for research. However, each annual sample of survey schools represents a different combination of regions within the UK. The annual sample is not a random sample selected for the purposes of providing a nationally representative picture. Our confidence in the representative nature of the data is based on:
- its year on-year consistency and
- comparison, where possible, with data derived from surveys using carefully selected national samples.
Nevertheless, we caution against simple reporting and interpretation of our databanks as being from ‘a national survey'.
Section 1: Food choices & weight control
[ Top ]
Breakfast
17% of the 14-15 year old females and 11% of the 14-15 year old males had nothing at all for breakfast ‘this' morning. (p.2)
Lunch
20% of the 14-15 year old females ate no lunch on their previous day at school. (p.3)
Breakfast & Lunch
29% of the 14-15 year old females who had nothing to eat at breakfast ‘this' morning (on the morning of the survey) had nothing to eat at lunch the previous day at school. (p.2)
Healthy eating
Females are more likely than males to take health into account when choosing what to eat. 25% of the 14-15 year old males say they 'never' consider their health when choosing what to eat. (p.12)
Weight
59% of 14-15 year old females and 53% of the 12-13 year old females ‘would like to lose weight’. The proportion of the 14-15 year old females who missed breakfast and lunch and ‘would like to lose weight’ is 23%. 20% of all males and 16% of all females were 'overweight'. However, just 15% of 14-15 year old females were shown to be overweight using Height/Weight data. (p.4 & 7).
Food choices
(The following comments apply to dietary items consumed 'on most days'.) Over 57% of older pupils have dairy products. Females, from 10-15 years, show a greater preference for fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Data since 1987 reveal a slight downward trend in those choosing crisps although in 2004 up to 41% of 14-15 year old males eat crisps 'on most days'. (p. 8-11)
Section 2: Doctor & Dentist [ Top ]
Going to the doctor
Up to 30% of the males and females reported visiting their GP within the previous month, and about 50% of all the young people had done so within the previous three months. (p.14)
Confidence with the doctor
Up to 30% of the 12-15 year old females, reported feeling 'quite uneasy' or 'very uneasy' on their last visit to the doctor. In previous years we have reported that those young people who say they were at ease with their GP on their last visit were also likely to have visited the GP more recently. (p.15)
Toothbrushing
More than 74% of the males and at least 87% of the females brushed their teeth at least twice a day. 25% of 14-15 year-old males brushed only once. (p.16)
Going to the dentist
Over 80% reported visiting the dentist in the previous six months. (p.17)
Section 3: Health & Safety [ Top ]
Baths & showers
Slightly more older females (22%) than males (20%) report having eight or more baths or showers 'in the past week'. (p.22)
Asthma
Up to 18% of the 10 - 15 year olds report having asthma. A connection is shown between general levels of worry and asthma and its symptoms. (p.23)
Medication
52% of the 14-15 year old females report taking painkillers on at least one day during the previous week. Assuming they all cannot be suffering from period pains during the week before the survey it is worth noting that 29% of the 14 -15 year old males also report taking painkillers. 38% of 12-13 year old females and 24% of 12-13 year old males said they took painkillers 'at least one day in the last week'. (p.24)
‘Wheezers’
Around 60% of females report ‘wheezing' and have trouble breathing (not just out of breath) when they run. (p.25)
Safety outside after dark and during the day
Up to 23% of the sample felt that safety after dark was ’poor' or ’very poor' in their neighbourhood, with females feeling more apprehensive after dark. (p.26)
Carrying weapons
25% of 14-15 year old males (view pdf) are 'fairly sure' or 'certain' that friends carry weapons for protection when going out. (p.27)
Being bullied
37% of the 10-11 year old females have a fear of bullying. Since 1999 up to 44% of 10-11 year old females have reported a fear of going to school, at least sometimes, because of bullying. (p.28)
Accidents
During the previous year, around 42% of the males had an accident that needed treatment from a doctor or at a hospital. Most accidents for males occur while playing sport. Females are more likely to report accidents that occur at home. 12% of older males needed GP or hospital treatment for accidents at work. (p.30-33)
Sunburn
As they get older fewer pupils try to avoid sunburn. (p.34)
Section 4: Family & Home [ Top ]
Family structure
In this sample up to 65% of the young people live with both parents, and up to 17% live in single-parent families. Around 40% live in a household with five or more people, and the majority live in a home with two children. About 60% have at least one younger sibling and up to 11% live in a family with 5 or more children at home. (p.36-39)
School journey
Up to 50% of 12-15 year olds report walking, at least some of the way, to school. Around 27% go by car and about 17% go by school bus. Over 54% of the sample have two or more cars in their family. (p.42-43)
Television
At least 88% watched some TV during the evening prior to the survey. At least 16% watched TV for more than 3 hours and 14% or fewer did not watch at all. (p.44)
Homework
More females than males did homework on the evening before the survey, and they tended to spend longer at it. 42% of the 12-15 year old males did no homework. (p.45)
Computer games
Up to 75% of the males, compared with up to at least 35% of the females, spent some time playing computer games on the previous evening. (p.46)
Internet
Up to 91% of this sample access the Internet. Up to 71% access it home and up to 79% access it at school. Internet access has increased from more than 56% (2000) to more than 79% (2004). 77% of 14 - 15 year old males browse without adult supervision. Since 2000 we continue to see a sharp rise in the percentages of young people that report browsing the Internet without adult supervision. (p.47-48)
Evening activities
The most common of all is television watching (between 73-83%). Other popular activities: (for 10-15 year old males) playing computer games and playing sport. Other popular activities: (for 10-15 year old females) reading a book and caring for pets (for 12-13 year old females). The fall in percentage of 'readers' between 10-15 years of age implies a decline in the importance of books in the lives of children as they grow older e.g. 40% of 10-11 year old females 'read for enjoyment' compared with 20% of 14-15 year old females. (p.49)
Section 5: Legal & Illegal Drugs [ Top ]
Experience of alcohol
Between 10%-16% of 10-11 year olds, 25% of the 12 -13 year olds, and 43% of the 14–15 year olds had consumed at least one of the listed alcoholic drinks during the previous week. (p.53)
Beer or lager
28% of the males and 11% of the females, aged 14-15, drank at least one pint of beer or lager during the previous week. Figures suggest that fewer are drinking but 'drinkers' are drinking more. (p.56)
Wines and Spirits
31% of the 14-15 year old females drank at least 1 small bottle of pre-mixed drinks during the previous week. 19% of the 14-15 year old females had drunk at least one glass of wine during the previous week. Since 1996, the data shows that older females ‘overtook' the males as spirit-drinkers and in 2004, 22% of 14-15 year old females, reported drinking one or more spirit measures in the past week. (p.58, 59 & 61)
Alcohol units
16% of 14-15 year olds males drank more than 10 units of alcohol 'in the previous week' and 11% of 14-15 year old males drank on 3 days or more 'last week'. (p. 62-63)
Obtaining alcohol
The off-licence is the most important source of purchased alcohol, especially for the 14-15 year olds, followed by the pub or bar. (p.64)
Drinking at home
Most ‘drinkers' drank at home and substantial numbers of 14 -15 year olds used other venues including friends, disco, club, party, pubs and outside in a public place. Of those who do drink at home, up to 51% do so with their parents always knowing about it. (p.65-66)
Smoking levels
26% of the 14-15 year old females and 17% of the 14-15 year old males smoked at least one cigarette during the previous week. 16% of the older female smokers report smoking up to 25 cigarettes a week. (p.67).
Sources of cigarettes
16% of the 14-15 year old females were able to buy cigarettes from a shop and 8% of the same group were supplied by friends. (p.68)
Attitude to smoking
Between 12-13 years and 14-15 years the number of regular smokers more than triples. Up to 65% will have smoked by Year 10. The majority of current smokers say they would like to stop. 56% of the Year 10 females have a close friend who smokes. The contrast in smoking between females with or without friends who smoke is dramatic, but the highest proportion of all is among females with a ‘smoking sister’. Around 52% of all pupils live in a 'smoky' home. (p.69-71)
Drug safety
The older they get pupils think that drugs are ‘always unsafe', except cannabis, which is considered to be ‘always unsafe' by a smaller percentage of the older groups. (p.72)
Drug users
Up to 61% of the 14-15 year olds are ‘fairly sure' or ‘certain' that they know a drug user. (p.73)
Drug experience
About 1 in 5 pupils in Year 10 - four times as many as in Year 8 - have tried at least one drug. Cannabis is by far the most likely drug to have been tried, with up to 27% of 14-15 year old olds, and up to 7% of 12–13 year olds reporting having taken it. Up to 20% of 14-15 year olds have mixed drugs and alcohol 'on the same occasion'. (p.74-76)
Section 6: Money [ Top ]
Paid work during term time
The percentage of young people with a regular job rises from up to 28% (12-13 years) to up to 39% (14-15 years). (p.78)
Type of work
Paper and milk rounds are prime jobs for the males, with babysitting common for the females. Paid housework is also an important source of income for the younger respondents. (p.79)
Hours worked
Up to 10% of the 14-15 year old workers worked for more than 10 hours during the week before the survey. The average hours worked per week was 3.8 (12-13 year olds) and up to 5.5 (14-15 year olds). (p.80)
Money earned
16% of 14-15 year olds earned more than £30 'last week'. The average earnings for the same age group was over £21 for males and over Π19 for females. (p.81)
Pocket money
Up to 61% of 10-11 year olds receive weekly pocket money and around 68% get up to £5, while up to 26% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £10 per week. (p.82-83)
Total income
Up to 14% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £30 per week from pocket money and jobs. (p.84)
Saving money
More older males (37%) than females (32%) are savers and up to 42% of all pupils saved something. Figures from 1993 show that males have always saved more than females (view pdf) although in recent years females may be catching up. (p.85)
Spending money
21% of older males spent more than £20 during the week before the survey. (p.86)
Items bought last week
For all groups:
sweets (up to 46%) and soft drinks (up to 33%).
For individual age/gender - top 4 choices:
(10-11 yr males): sweets (45%) computer games (36%), soft drinks (32%) crisps (32%) CDs/tapes (32%).
(10-11 yr females): sweets (46%) comics/magazines (35%), CDs/tapes (35%), school equipment (30%) crisps (30%).
(12-13 yr males): sweets (30%) soft drinks (24%) fast food (17%) CDs/tapes (17%).
(12-13 yr females): sweets (33%) clothes/footwear (28%), soft drinks (24%), comics/magazines (24%).
(14-15 yr males): sweets (37%) soft drinks (33%) fast food (27%), CDs/tapes (22%).
(14-15 yr females): sweets (39%), clothes/footwear (33%), soft drinks (30%) cosmetics/toiletries (26%). (p.87-88)
Section 7: Exercise and Sport [ Top ]
Enjoyment of sport
48% of the 10-11 year old females enjoy physical activity ‘a lot’. However, far fewer females than males in each year group report liking sport ‘a lot'. Nearly half as many 14-15 year old females as males say they enjoy physical activity ‘a lot'. Nevertheless, nearly 81% of 10-11 year olds and over 65% of the secondary pupils enjoy physical activity ‘quite a lot' or ‘a lot'. (p.90)
For trends in data see Trends :Young People and Physical Activities
Active sports
Nearly all of the 36 activities listed show a decline in involvement with increasing age except for 5-a-side football, basketball, soccer, weight training and 'going for walks'. 'Going for walks' is a popular activity for females more than males and up to 39% of females. Comparing the 14-15 year old 'no active sport' data since 1992 shows a range of 13%-23%. (p.91-94)
Fitness
Up to 69% of 10-11 year old pupils think they are ‘fit’ or ‘very fit’. 25% of the 14-15 year old females describe themselves as ‘unfit' or ‘very unfit'. Perceived fitness declines with age in males and females. From 1991-2004 there is an upward trend (from 10%-21%) of 14-15 year old females that report being unfit. (p.95)
Aerobic exercise
Over 85% of all groups (10-15 year olds) had exercised to the level of ‘breathing hard' at least once in the previous week. The gap is seen to widen between males and females among the frequent exercisers as they get older. Up to 15% report never taking exercise in the past week that caused them to breathe harder and faster. (p.96)
Section 8: Social & Personal [ Top ]
Meeting people of their own age for the first time
Around 24% are ‘quite' or ‘very uneasy'. (p.99)
Information about sex
Between 12-15 years of age there is a trend away from parents and school lessons and a trend towards friends. Parents and/or school lessons should be the main source of information about sex according to these young people. (p.100-101)
Useful school lessons in health education
Most lessons on the list are reported to be less 'useful' as pupils get older. (p.102)
Enjoyable school lessons
Up to 35% report enjoying 'all' or 'most' school lessons. (p.103)
GCSEs
52% of 14-15 year olds expect good grades at GCSEs (in England in recent years between 53-57% of pupils achieved grades A-C). (p.104)
After Year 11
61% of 14-15 year old females and 49% of 14-15 year old males want to continue with full-time education. (p.105).
Worries
Around 29% of 10-11 year olds worry about 'family problems'. 14-15 year old females top the list of most problem areas. ‘The way you look' remains the principal worry for this group, but school worries are also high on the list of the older teenagers. 51% of 14-15 yr females are worried about the way they look. (p.106)
Data from 'Trends-Young People and Emotional Health and Well-Being 1983-2001' show that since the early 1990s fewer young people report worrying about 'the way you look'.
School-work problems
36% of 14-15 year old females report worrying about school-work problems. Up to 19% of pupils look to the teacher for support. (p.107)
Money problems
Up to 48% would talk to their mother and father. (p.108)
Health problems
24% of 14-15 year old females report worrying about health problems and 38% would turn to their mother for support. 71% of 10 -11 year old males would turn to mother and father which declines to 46% by the time they are 14 years of age. (p.109)
Career problems
Mother and father are the most likely source of support and the school teacher plays a stronger part for older pupils. 11% of older females would turn to their teacher. (p.110)
Friend problems
Gender differences are pronounced. More males say mother and father, or ‘would keep it to myself' . More females say mother. Up to 34% would share the problem with another friend. (p.111)
Family problems
Up to 31% of 10-11 year olds and 26% of 14-15 year old females worry about 'family problems'. Females are twice as likely than males to turn to a friend to share the problem. Males are more likely to go to mother and father and up to 24% would ‘keep it to myself’. (p.112)
Bullying problems
14% of 12-13 year old females report worrying about this problem. 27% of 14-15 year old males would keep, to themselves, any problems they experienced with bullying. (p.113)
Self-esteem
The level of self-esteem tends to increase with age. The ‘high' group included more males than females. (p.114)
Control over health
The majority feel they are in control of their health. At least a quarter do not think they can influence their health by their own efforts and there is a link between smoking, older females and being unable to influence control over their health. (p.115-117)
Getting on with adults
Up to 61% ‘get on best' with both parents. Older pupils show a move away from parents towards other individual family members and friend. More than 76% trust at least two adults. Around 5% of pupils trust no one. (p.118-119)
Life satisfaction
Males are more satisfied than females. This difference is in line with evidence (p.106) that females worry about more things than males. (p.120)
Sexually transmitted diseases
Last year we have reported on the apparent decline in 12-15 year olds' anxiety about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. In 2004 6-12% think that HIV/AIDS can be treated and cured. (p.121)
Methods of contraception
Up to 81% selected 'condoms' and up to 77% chose 'The Pill' as the most reliable contraceptive method to stop pregnancy. (p.122)
Methods of contraception reliable to stop infections like HIV/AIDS
Up to 72% chose 'condoms' although there were differences between age and gender e.g. 49% (males) and 50% (females) in the 12-13 year old group compared with 64% (males) and 72% (females) in the 14-15 year old group. (p.123)
Birth control services
46% of the 14-15 year old females knew about a local service for young people, and knowledge grew with age. 38% of the older males did not know of a source of free condoms compared with 28% of the older females. (p.124-125)
Section 9: The Primary Questionnaire Responses (10-11 year olds) [ Top ]
This section contains responses from primary children in Year 6 that are not contained in the previous eight sections.
Schoolday breakfast
Cereal is a firm favourite. 10-11 year old primary pupils generally appear to be more careful than secondary pupils to have a substantial breakfast. 6% had nothing to eat or drink before 'coming to school today'. (p.128)
Being bullied
Around 25% experience some form of bullying. Playtime and lunchtime can cause anxiety for up to 15% of 10-11 year olds and, 26% of females felt picked on for 'the way they looked'. (p.129-131)
‘Stranger danger'
Up to 29% (which has been consistent for a number of years) report that they have been scared or upset by an adult stranger. About 21% ran away when approached by a stranger. (p.132-133)
Alcoholic drinks
64% of 10-11 year old females have tasted wine. Males top the list in all categories of alcoholic drink except wine although both favoured 'alcopops' (30%). 23% of the 10-11 yr old males drank alcohol in the previous week. (p.135-136)
Smoking
At least 17% said ‘maybe' or ‘yes' to smoking when they are older. (p.137)
AIDS & talking about AIDS
Up to 44% of 10-11 yr old males do not know of an illness called AIDS (or HIV). Since 1999 we have reported a declining trend in knowledge from around 67% to 57% (2004). Pupils report that only about 14% of Year 6 teachers have talked to their pupils about AIDS (or HIV), at least according to the recollection of the pupils. (p.138-139)
Talking about drugs
Up to 68% said their parents had spoken to them about drugs. (p.140)
Playtime and dinner time
20% of females compared with 14% of males report 'reading quietly' during playtimes. Reading at playtime/dinner time has decreased by around 5% for both groups since 1999. (p.141)