Young People in 1999
A unique contemporary archive of young people, 'Young People in 1999' provides the answers to health-related behaviour questions.
36,856 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 primary and secondary schools across the United Kingdom.
Annually since 1986, the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) have published the collected Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) results. Data from more than 500,000 pupils between the ages of 8 and 18, have now been recorded since the questionnaire's genesis in 1977.
More than 3,500 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, Health Authorities, Government Offices, University departments, schools, teachers and other interested individuals.
John Balding, Director, says,
"Many surveys have involved individual secondary schools at the same time as their feeder primary schools. These results inform action in communities. The tables in 'Young People in 1999' show clearly the changes of behaviour as children move to secondary school and begin to mature".
'Young People in 1999' reports on the HRBQ results. The surveys that give rise to the data come from schools across the United Kingdom but they do not form a deliberately-selected sample. The results typically match survey outcomes from other data-collection agencies. The resulting baseline data identify and confirm priorities for health needs assessment, intervention programmes, and health education planning.
Dr David Regis, Research Manager at the Schools Health Education Unit, says,
"In our 1998 report, we saw some striking changes looking back over the last 17 years of data. We didn't see a lot of change between this year and the last, but some important findings have been repeated - like the changes in worrying about school, and the reports of illegal drug use."
"The important dimension of this report is to be able to see at the same time the behaviours from both primary and secondary school. These charts should dispel the illusion that all is innocence in the primary school, but also give some heart to those that work with older children - there is a lot of good news here."
'Young People in 1999' is divided into nine sections:
1 - Food choices & weight control
2 - Doctor & Dentist
3 - Health & Safety
4 - Family & Home
5 - Legal & Illegal Drugs
6 - Money
7 - Exercise & Sport
8 - Social & Personal
The ninth section contains responses from primary children that are not contained in sections 1-8. This unique data collection, from young people between the ages of 10 and 15, provides the opportunity to explore the changing attitudes and beliefs as pupils move from primary to secondary school.
Angela Balding, Project Coordinator, says,
"We know that the transition between primary and secondary school is a big jump for young people to make. There are some huge differences between the two age groups that appear in a very few years - like in the proportion of females who skip breakfast and who miss out physical activities. We also suspect those young people who do make a poor start at secondary school will be among those that show an increase in health-risky behaviours. We hope that showing figures from primary and secondary school pupils on the same charts will give a new perspective to some old health issues."
'Young People in 1999' produces many interesting facts, some of which are presented on the following pages. Sections begin with a quote from a member of the Schools Health Education Unit.
[TOP]
Section 1: Food choices & weight control
"The figures that have always attracted most attention here have been those related to the very high proportion of young women who want to lose weight - over 60% this year. We have been able to relate this desire to low self-esteem and general anxiety about their appearance. In their behaviour, we find these female pupils who want to lose weight more likely to skip breakfast or lunch, and to eat a calorie-conscious diet - but it's certain that most of these young women do not need to lose weight. We would like to add our voice to those who wish to see a much greater variety of body shapes presented positively in print and other media." Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Breakfast
18% of the 14-15 year old females had nothing at all for breakfast 'this' morning. (p.2)
Lunch
15% of the 14-15 year old females ate no lunch on their previous day at school. (p.3)
Breakfast & Lunch
23% of the 14-15 year old females who had nothing to eat at breakfast 'this' morning 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. A quarter of the 14-15 year old males say they never do. (p.12)
Weight
60% of the 14-15 year old females and 28% of the 14-15 year old males would like to lose weight, but only 13% of males and females are 'clinically' overweight. (p.5 & 7).
Food choices
(The following comments apply to dietary items consumed on most days.) Over 60% of older pupils have dairy products. Wholemeal bread is as popular as chips. Females, from 10 - 15 years, show a greater preference for fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Crisps remain popular but, for older pupils, around 20% lower than previous years. (p. 8-11)
[TOP]
Section 2: Doctor & Dentist
"We know amongst adults that there are wide variations in how much we get out of the health service - and some of that has do do with our own attitudes. We can see differences emerging in young people in how confident they are with a doctor".
"Some of our earlier work showed that females are more confident if they see a female GP, while boys are more confident if their GP is. female (sic). Is this still true?" -- John Balding, Director.
Going to the doctor
About 25% of the males and 30% of the 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
About 55% of the males, compared with about 40% of the females, reported being 'at ease' on their last visit. (p.15)
Toothbrushing
About 70% of the older males and 80% of the older females brush their teeth at least twice a day. 25% of older males brush only once. (p.16)
Going to the dentist
At least 85% reported visiting the dentist in the previous six months, and 70% reported having a checkup. (p.17-18)
[TOP]
Section 3: Health & Safety
"We continue to see high attention to personal hygiene among most young people. The willingness of some of them to self-medicate must be a reassurance to the pharmaceutical industry."
"A third of the 12-13 year old girls have had fears about going to school because of bullying. Any fear must have a disabling effect and undermine performance." -- John Balding, Director.
Cycling
The percentage of young people that 'always' or 'whenever possible' wear a safety helmet when cycling, falls from 24% (10-11 years) to 5% (14-15 years). (p.20)
Toilet hygiene
Few pupils 'never' or 'almost never' wash their hands after using the lavatory. (p.21)
Baths & showers
About half the young people had at least six baths or showers during the week before the survey. (p.22)
Asthma
Up to 19% of the 10 - 15 year olds report having asthma. Fewer of the primary children do, but more of them are uncertain if they have asthma or not. Over 50% of the females report asthma in the family. (p.23-24)
'Wheezers'
Over 50% report 'wheezing' and have trouble breathing (not just out of breath) when they run. (p.30)
Eczema
Almost twice as many females as males report having eczema. Over 30% of females say that eczema is suffered by close family members. (p.25-26)
Disturbed nights
About a third of the males and almost half the females experience disturbed sleep though coughing. (p.28)
Medication
Half the 14 - 15 year old females had taken painkillers on at least one day during the previous week, and two-thirds of the older females and half the older males had taken a remedy for something. During the same period nearly a quarter of the males and a third of the females had taken medication for colds, throat infections, or flu. (p.27 & 29)
Safety outside after dark and during the day
Between 15% and 20% of the sample felt that safety after dark was 'poor' or 'very poor' in their neighbourhood, with females and the younger age group feeling more apprehensive. (p.31)
Being bullied
Nearly half of the 10 - 11 year old females have a fear of bullying. Females are more fearful than males. Many items in the survey can be linked with fear of bullying, most notably low self-esteem and poor perceived control. (p.32)
Accidents
During the previous year, 40% of the males in Year 6 (10 -11 years) and Year 10 (14-15 years) needed treatment from a doctor or at a hospital. Nearly 30% of the older males broke a bone. Most accidents occur while playing sport. Older females are more likely to report accidents that occur at home (p.33-35)
[TOP]
Section 4: Family & Home
"The home is such an important feature of young people's health careers. We have seen this year some interesting if not surprising differences between the health behaviours of young people from different ethnic groups. TV and computers are no less popular in this year's compilation. TV tends to get a bad press when compared with reading, but there's no doubt that the best TV is better than the worst books." -- Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Family structure
Up to 70% of the young people live with both parents, and up to 15% live in single-parent families. Around 60% live in a household with four people, and the majority live in a home with two children. At least 60% have at least one younger sibling and almost 8% are the only child at home . (p.38-41)
School journey
At least 50% walk to school, around 20% go by school bus, and about a quarter (the majority female) go at least part of the way to school by car. Almost 50% of the sample have two or more cars in their family. (p.45-46)
Television
More females watched up to one hour and more males watched up to 3 hours of television on the previous weekday evening. 10% or fewer did not watch at all. (p.47)
Homework
More females than males did homework on the evening before the survey, and they tended to spend longer at it. 34% of the 14-15 year old males did no homework. (p.48)
Computer games
Up to 68% of the males, compared with up to 31% of the females, spent some time playing computer games on the previous evening. (p.49)
Internet
Up to 77% of 14 - 15 year olds access the Internet and up to 58% of the same group have access at school. At least one quarter of pupils have access to the Internet at home. 35% of 14 - 15 year old males browse without adult supervision. (p.50-51)
Evening activities
The most common of all is television watching (about 80%). More popular: (with males) playing computer games, meeting with friends and playing sport; (with females) caring for pets, doing homework, reading books or magazines. (p.52)
[TOP]
36,856 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 primary and secondary schools across the United Kingdom.
Annually since 1986, the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) have published the collected Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire (HRBQ) results. Data from more than 500,000 pupils between the ages of 8 and 18, have now been recorded since the questionnaire's genesis in 1977.
More than 3,500 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, Health Authorities, Government Offices, University departments, schools, teachers and other interested individuals.
John Balding, Director, says,
"Many surveys have involved individual secondary schools at the same time as their feeder primary schools. These results inform action in communities. The tables in 'Young People in 1999' show clearly the changes of behaviour as children move to secondary school and begin to mature".
'Young People in 1999' reports on the HRBQ results. The surveys that give rise to the data come from schools across the United Kingdom but they do not form a deliberately-selected sample. The results typically match survey outcomes from other data-collection agencies. The resulting baseline data identify and confirm priorities for health needs assessment, intervention programmes, and health education planning.
Dr David Regis, Research Manager at the Schools Health Education Unit, says,
"In our 1998 report, we saw some striking changes looking back over the last 17 years of data. We didn't see a lot of change between this year and the last, but some important findings have been repeated - like the changes in worrying about school, and the reports of illegal drug use."
"The important dimension of this report is to be able to see at the same time the behaviours from both primary and secondary school. These charts should dispel the illusion that all is innocence in the primary school, but also give some heart to those that work with older children - there is a lot of good news here."
'Young People in 1999' is divided into nine sections:
1 - Food choices & weight control
2 - Doctor & Dentist
3 - Health & Safety
4 - Family & Home
5 - Legal & Illegal Drugs
6 - Money
7 - Exercise & Sport
8 - Social & Personal
The ninth section contains responses from primary children that are not contained in sections 1-8. This unique data collection, from young people between the ages of 10 and 15, provides the opportunity to explore the changing attitudes and beliefs as pupils move from primary to secondary school.
Angela Balding, Project Coordinator, says,
"We know that the transition between primary and secondary school is a big jump for young people to make. There are some huge differences between the two age groups that appear in a very few years - like in the proportion of females who skip breakfast and who miss out physical activities. We also suspect those young people who do make a poor start at secondary school will be among those that show an increase in health-risky behaviours. We hope that showing figures from primary and secondary school pupils on the same charts will give a new perspective to some old health issues."
'Young People in 1999' produces many interesting facts, some of which are presented on the following pages. Sections begin with a quote from a member of the Schools Health Education Unit.
[TOP]
Section 1: Food choices & weight control
"The figures that have always attracted most attention here have been those related to the very high proportion of young women who want to lose weight - over 60% this year. We have been able to relate this desire to low self-esteem and general anxiety about their appearance. In their behaviour, we find these female pupils who want to lose weight more likely to skip breakfast or lunch, and to eat a calorie-conscious diet - but it's certain that most of these young women do not need to lose weight. We would like to add our voice to those who wish to see a much greater variety of body shapes presented positively in print and other media." Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Breakfast
18% of the 14-15 year old females had nothing at all for breakfast 'this' morning. (p.2)
Lunch
15% of the 14-15 year old females ate no lunch on their previous day at school. (p.3)
Breakfast & Lunch
23% of the 14-15 year old females who had nothing to eat at breakfast 'this' morning 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. A quarter of the 14-15 year old males say they never do. (p.12)
Weight
60% of the 14-15 year old females and 28% of the 14-15 year old males would like to lose weight, but only 13% of males and females are 'clinically' overweight. (p.5 & 7).
Food choices
(The following comments apply to dietary items consumed on most days.) Over 60% of older pupils have dairy products. Wholemeal bread is as popular as chips. Females, from 10 - 15 years, show a greater preference for fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Crisps remain popular but, for older pupils, around 20% lower than previous years. (p. 8-11)
[TOP]
Section 2: Doctor & Dentist
"We know amongst adults that there are wide variations in how much we get out of the health service - and some of that has do do with our own attitudes. We can see differences emerging in young people in how confident they are with a doctor".
"Some of our earlier work showed that females are more confident if they see a female GP, while boys are more confident if their GP is. female (sic). Is this still true?" -- John Balding, Director.
Going to the doctor
About 25% of the males and 30% of the 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
About 55% of the males, compared with about 40% of the females, reported being 'at ease' on their last visit. (p.15)
Toothbrushing
About 70% of the older males and 80% of the older females brush their teeth at least twice a day. 25% of older males brush only once. (p.16)
Going to the dentist
At least 85% reported visiting the dentist in the previous six months, and 70% reported having a checkup. (p.17-18)
[TOP]
Section 3: Health & Safety
"We continue to see high attention to personal hygiene among most young people. The willingness of some of them to self-medicate must be a reassurance to the pharmaceutical industry."
"A third of the 12-13 year old girls have had fears about going to school because of bullying. Any fear must have a disabling effect and undermine performance." -- John Balding, Director.
Cycling
The percentage of young people that 'always' or 'whenever possible' wear a safety helmet when cycling, falls from 24% (10-11 years) to 5% (14-15 years). (p.20)
Toilet hygiene
Few pupils 'never' or 'almost never' wash their hands after using the lavatory. (p.21)
Baths & showers
About half the young people had at least six baths or showers during the week before the survey. (p.22)
Asthma
Up to 19% of the 10 - 15 year olds report having asthma. Fewer of the primary children do, but more of them are uncertain if they have asthma or not. Over 50% of the females report asthma in the family. (p.23-24)
'Wheezers'
Over 50% report 'wheezing' and have trouble breathing (not just out of breath) when they run. (p.30)
Eczema
Almost twice as many females as males report having eczema. Over 30% of females say that eczema is suffered by close family members. (p.25-26)
Disturbed nights
About a third of the males and almost half the females experience disturbed sleep though coughing. (p.28)
Medication
Half the 14 - 15 year old females had taken painkillers on at least one day during the previous week, and two-thirds of the older females and half the older males had taken a remedy for something. During the same period nearly a quarter of the males and a third of the females had taken medication for colds, throat infections, or flu. (p.27 & 29)
Safety outside after dark and during the day
Between 15% and 20% of the sample felt that safety after dark was 'poor' or 'very poor' in their neighbourhood, with females and the younger age group feeling more apprehensive. (p.31)
Being bullied
Nearly half of the 10 - 11 year old females have a fear of bullying. Females are more fearful than males. Many items in the survey can be linked with fear of bullying, most notably low self-esteem and poor perceived control. (p.32)
Accidents
During the previous year, 40% of the males in Year 6 (10 -11 years) and Year 10 (14-15 years) needed treatment from a doctor or at a hospital. Nearly 30% of the older males broke a bone. Most accidents occur while playing sport. Older females are more likely to report accidents that occur at home (p.33-35)
[TOP]
Section 4: Family & Home
"The home is such an important feature of young people's health careers. We have seen this year some interesting if not surprising differences between the health behaviours of young people from different ethnic groups. TV and computers are no less popular in this year's compilation. TV tends to get a bad press when compared with reading, but there's no doubt that the best TV is better than the worst books." -- Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Family structure
Up to 70% of the young people live with both parents, and up to 15% live in single-parent families. Around 60% live in a household with four people, and the majority live in a home with two children. At least 60% have at least one younger sibling and almost 8% are the only child at home . (p.38-41)
School journey
At least 50% walk to school, around 20% go by school bus, and about a quarter (the majority female) go at least part of the way to school by car. Almost 50% of the sample have two or more cars in their family. (p.45-46)
Television
More females watched up to one hour and more males watched up to 3 hours of television on the previous weekday evening. 10% or fewer did not watch at all. (p.47)
Homework
More females than males did homework on the evening before the survey, and they tended to spend longer at it. 34% of the 14-15 year old males did no homework. (p.48)
Computer games
Up to 68% of the males, compared with up to 31% of the females, spent some time playing computer games on the previous evening. (p.49)
Internet
Up to 77% of 14 - 15 year olds access the Internet and up to 58% of the same group have access at school. At least one quarter of pupils have access to the Internet at home. 35% of 14 - 15 year old males browse without adult supervision. (p.50-51)
Evening activities
The most common of all is television watching (about 80%). More popular: (with males) playing computer games, meeting with friends and playing sport; (with females) caring for pets, doing homework, reading books or magazines. (p.52)
[TOP]
Section 5: Legal & Illegal Drugs
"Most young people don't smoke, or use drugs, and those that drink usually do so in moderation. It's very easy to focus only on the behaviour of those few young people who use illegal drugs or who drink to excess."
"As reported in the spring, this is the third year that we have seen a new lower level of reporting illegal drug use among young people in our data, which peaked between 1995 and 1996. When we first saw a drop we were hesitant about its interpretation, but some other surveys seem to be telling the same story now."
"We see no signs of a suspected increase in the use of body-building steroids among the young males in our surveys. This is not to say that an increase has not taken place among young men in an older age bracket than the ones we survey in schools." -- John Balding, Director.
Smoking levels
28% of the 14-15 year old females and 19% of the 14-15 year old males smoked at least one cigarette during the previous week. (p.58)
Sources of cigarettes
18% of the 14-15 year old females were able to buy cigarettes from a shop and 9% of the same group were supplied by friends. (p.59)
Attitude to smoking
Between Year 8 (12-13 years) and Year 10 (14-15 years) the number of regular smokers more than triples. About 65% will have smoked by Year 10. The majority of current smokers say they would like to stop. 54% 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. (p.60-62)
Experience of alcohol
Over 14% of the 10-11 year olds, more than 30% of the 12 -1 3 year olds, and at least 50% of the 14 -15 year olds had consumed at least one of the listed alcoholic drinks during the previous week. (p.63)
Beer or lager
38% of the males and 18% of the females, aged 14-15, drank at least one pint of beer or lager during the previous week. (p.66)
Wines and Spirits
23% 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 with at least 18%, 14-15 year old females, drinking one or more spirit measures in the past week. (p.70 & 73)
Alcohol units
Almost twice as many males than females in Year 10 (14-15 year olds) drank 15 or more units of alcohol in the previous week. (p.74)
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.76)
Drinking at home
65% of '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, about half do so with their parents always knowing about it. (p.77-78)
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.79)
Drug users
Around 60% of the 14-15 year olds are 'fairly sure' or 'certain' that they know a drug user. (p.80)
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 almost 20% of 14-15 year olds reporting having taken it. (p.81)
Section 6: Money
"Work and money open up all sorts of opportunities, including the opportunity to explore health-risky behaviours. " -- Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Paid work during term time
The percentage of young people with a regular job rises from about 23% (12-13 years) to 42% (14-15 years). (p.84)
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.85)
Hours worked
More than 12% 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 between 4.4 and 6.2. (p.86)
Money earned
Over 23% of 14 - 15 year olds earned more than "20 a week. The average earnings for the same age group was nearly £18 for males and nearly £16 for females. (p.87)
Pocket money
About 78% of 10 - 11 year olds receive up to "5, while 12% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £10 per week. (p.88)
Total income
Almost 20% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £20 per week from pocket money and job. (p.89)
Saving money
More males than females are savers and about one third saved something. (p.90)
Spending money
Over 30% of older pupils spent more than £10 during the week before the survey. (p.91)
Items bought last week
Sweets, crisps, and fast food were bought by more than 20% of pupils aged between 10 - 15 years. In Year 10, spending on alcohol, cigarettes and fares becomes important. (p.92-93)
Purchase of Lottery products
10% of the 14 -15 year old males owned a National Lottery draw ticket which was purchased in the previous week before the survey. (p.94)
[TOP]
Section 7: Exercise and Sport
"The poor levels of physical activity among many young people is of concern - particularly the older girls. We must put more effort into making sport and other physical activities attractive and accessible to them." -- Anne Wise, Survey Manager.
Enjoyment of sport
44% 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'. Half as many 14-15 year old females as males say they enjoy physical activity 'a lot'. Nevertheless, 80% of primary school pupils and over 60% of the secondary pupils enjoy physical activity 'quite a lot' or 'a lot'. (p.96)
Active sports
Nearly all of the 36 activities listed show a decline in involvement with increasing age except for 5-a-side football, soccer, badminton and weight training for males. Volleyball, badminton and basketball remain generally constant across the age groups and between genders. (p.97-99)
Fitness
44% of pupils in Year 6 think they are fit. Over 20% of the Year 10 females describe themselves as 'unfit' or 'very unfit'. Perceived fitness declines with age in males and females. (p.101)
Aerobic exercise
Over 80% 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. (p.102)
[TOP]
Section 8: Social & Personal
"Since 1996 we have noticed a marked increase in the proportion of young people who worry about school, and, as previously reported, the 1999 figures continue at the new higher level. Schools still remain an important source of information about sex and infections like HIV, but there is always room for improvement" -- Anne Wise, Survey Manager.
Boyfriends and girlfriends
About 25% of all the young people had a 'steady' friend. (p.104)
Meeting the opposite sex
Almost half of the young people feel at ease. 12-17% are 'quite' or 'very uneasy'. (p.105)
Information about sex
Between Years 8 and 10 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 according to these young people. (p.106-107)
Worries
14-15 year old females top the list of most problem areas. 'The way you look' is the principal worry for these young people, but school, money and career worries are also high on the list of the older teenagers. (p.108)
School problems
There has been a marked rise in worry about school work since 1996. Mother and father are the most common source of support. (p.109)
Money problems
Around 50% would talk to their mother and father. (p.110)
Health problems
Almost half the males would turn to mother and father, but mother is the most frequent choice of the females. (p.111)
Career problems
Mother and father are the most likely source of support and the school teacher plays a stronger part for older pupils. 20% of females would turn to their mother. (p.112)
Friend problems
Gender differences are pronounced. More males say mother and father, or 'would keep it to myself' . More females say mother. A similar proportion, however, would share the problem with another friend. (p.113)
Family problems
Females are twice as likely than males to turn to a friend. Males are more likely to go to mother and father or to' keep it to myself'. (p.114)
Gambling problems
Around 25% would keep it to themselves.(p.115)
Self-esteem
The level of self-esteem tends to increase with age. The 'high' group included more males than females. (p.116)
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. (p.117-119)
Getting on with adults
Up to 53% 'get on best' with both parents. Older pupils show a move away from parents towards other individual family members and friend. More than 85% trust at least two adults. 5% of older pupils trust no one. (p.120-121)
Life satisfaction
Males are more satisfied than females. This difference is in line with evidence that females worry about more things than males. (p.122)
Transmitting HIV
Sharing needles and unsafe sex are correctly seen as the top risks. Within each year group, the females' knowledge is more accurate than the males'. (p.123)
Information about HIV
TV programmes and school lessons are the most widely-mentioned useful sources. (p.124)
Precautions against HIV
More males than females say they will not take care of getting infected with the HIV virus. Nearly 20% of the 12-13 year old males say 'no' or 'not sure'. (p.125)
Birth control services
43% of the 14 -15 year old females knew about the service for young people, and knowledge grew with age. 58% of the older males did not know of a source of free condoms whereas two-thirds of the females said they did know. (p.126-127)
[TOP]
Section 9: The Primary Questionnaire Responses (10-11 year olds)
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 (p.130)
Vegetarian diet
5% are vegetarian. (p.131)
Being bullied
Around 30% experience some form of bullying. Playtime and lunchtime can cause anxiety for up to 20% of 10 - 11 year olds. (p.132-133)
'Stranger danger'
Over 30% report that they have been scared or upset by an adult stranger which is an increase on previous years (1997 = 26% reporting they had been frightened). (p.134-135)
Bicycle ownership
Over 90% of 10 - 11 year olds have a bike but other data suggest that they don't necessarily cycle, particularly females, and few cycle to school. (p.136)
Alcoholic drinks
Over 67% have tasted wine. Males top the list in all categories of alcoholic drink except wine. Over 21% have tasted at least one alcoholic drink. 25% of the males drank alcohol in the previous week. (p.137-138)
Smoking
At least 21% said they 'maybe' or 'yes' to smoking when they are older. Over 75% said that they didn't think they will smoke. (p.139)
AIDS
About one-third do not know of an illness called AIDS (or HIV). Only about 10% of Year 6 teachers have talked to their pupils about AIDS (or HIV). Parents are the most likely source of information. (p.140-141)
Illegal drugs
70% of 10-11 year olds said they would like their parents to talk to them about drugs. (p.142)
Puberty and growing up
Parents are the most likely group to talk with Year 6 pupils about puberty and growing up. Over 20 % of the 10-11 year old males do not have discussions with any of the listed groups. Schools may leave teaching about menstruation to the end of Year 6, which in our view is too late. (p.143)
Pocket money
More than half receive regular weekly pocket money. (p.144)
Playtime and dinner time
25% of females compared with 19% of males report reading. Females' 'playing ball games' has increased and males' reading has decreased since 1997. (p.145)
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"Most young people don't smoke, or use drugs, and those that drink usually do so in moderation. It's very easy to focus only on the behaviour of those few young people who use illegal drugs or who drink to excess."
"As reported in the spring, this is the third year that we have seen a new lower level of reporting illegal drug use among young people in our data, which peaked between 1995 and 1996. When we first saw a drop we were hesitant about its interpretation, but some other surveys seem to be telling the same story now."
"We see no signs of a suspected increase in the use of body-building steroids among the young males in our surveys. This is not to say that an increase has not taken place among young men in an older age bracket than the ones we survey in schools." -- John Balding, Director.
Smoking levels
28% of the 14-15 year old females and 19% of the 14-15 year old males smoked at least one cigarette during the previous week. (p.58)
Sources of cigarettes
18% of the 14-15 year old females were able to buy cigarettes from a shop and 9% of the same group were supplied by friends. (p.59)
Attitude to smoking
Between Year 8 (12-13 years) and Year 10 (14-15 years) the number of regular smokers more than triples. About 65% will have smoked by Year 10. The majority of current smokers say they would like to stop. 54% 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. (p.60-62)
Experience of alcohol
Over 14% of the 10-11 year olds, more than 30% of the 12 -1 3 year olds, and at least 50% of the 14 -15 year olds had consumed at least one of the listed alcoholic drinks during the previous week. (p.63)
Beer or lager
38% of the males and 18% of the females, aged 14-15, drank at least one pint of beer or lager during the previous week. (p.66)
Wines and Spirits
23% 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 with at least 18%, 14-15 year old females, drinking one or more spirit measures in the past week. (p.70 & 73)
Alcohol units
Almost twice as many males than females in Year 10 (14-15 year olds) drank 15 or more units of alcohol in the previous week. (p.74)
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.76)
Drinking at home
65% of '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, about half do so with their parents always knowing about it. (p.77-78)
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.79)
Drug users
Around 60% of the 14-15 year olds are 'fairly sure' or 'certain' that they know a drug user. (p.80)
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 almost 20% of 14-15 year olds reporting having taken it. (p.81)
- Data from 13,000 pupils in Year 8 and Year 10 surveyed between September 1999 - September 2000 suggests only 2% - 3% of Year 8 pupils and 13% - 14% of Year 10 pupils will have used drugs in the last month
- Again Cannabis is by far the most common drug used
- From this same sample 3/4 of the Year 10 pupils who have ever tried drugs will have first done so in the last 2 years
- There is little or no drug experimentation reported in the primary school age range
- Further details will be published in the forthcoming issue of Education and Health (SHEU's quarterly journal)
Section 6: Money
"Work and money open up all sorts of opportunities, including the opportunity to explore health-risky behaviours. " -- Dr. David Regis, Research Manager.
Paid work during term time
The percentage of young people with a regular job rises from about 23% (12-13 years) to 42% (14-15 years). (p.84)
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.85)
Hours worked
More than 12% 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 between 4.4 and 6.2. (p.86)
Money earned
Over 23% of 14 - 15 year olds earned more than "20 a week. The average earnings for the same age group was nearly £18 for males and nearly £16 for females. (p.87)
Pocket money
About 78% of 10 - 11 year olds receive up to "5, while 12% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £10 per week. (p.88)
Total income
Almost 20% of the 14-15 year olds receive more than £20 per week from pocket money and job. (p.89)
Saving money
More males than females are savers and about one third saved something. (p.90)
Spending money
Over 30% of older pupils spent more than £10 during the week before the survey. (p.91)
Items bought last week
Sweets, crisps, and fast food were bought by more than 20% of pupils aged between 10 - 15 years. In Year 10, spending on alcohol, cigarettes and fares becomes important. (p.92-93)
Purchase of Lottery products
10% of the 14 -15 year old males owned a National Lottery draw ticket which was purchased in the previous week before the survey. (p.94)
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Section 7: Exercise and Sport
"The poor levels of physical activity among many young people is of concern - particularly the older girls. We must put more effort into making sport and other physical activities attractive and accessible to them." -- Anne Wise, Survey Manager.
Enjoyment of sport
44% 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'. Half as many 14-15 year old females as males say they enjoy physical activity 'a lot'. Nevertheless, 80% of primary school pupils and over 60% of the secondary pupils enjoy physical activity 'quite a lot' or 'a lot'. (p.96)
Active sports
Nearly all of the 36 activities listed show a decline in involvement with increasing age except for 5-a-side football, soccer, badminton and weight training for males. Volleyball, badminton and basketball remain generally constant across the age groups and between genders. (p.97-99)
Fitness
44% of pupils in Year 6 think they are fit. Over 20% of the Year 10 females describe themselves as 'unfit' or 'very unfit'. Perceived fitness declines with age in males and females. (p.101)
Aerobic exercise
Over 80% 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. (p.102)
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Section 8: Social & Personal
"Since 1996 we have noticed a marked increase in the proportion of young people who worry about school, and, as previously reported, the 1999 figures continue at the new higher level. Schools still remain an important source of information about sex and infections like HIV, but there is always room for improvement" -- Anne Wise, Survey Manager.
Boyfriends and girlfriends
About 25% of all the young people had a 'steady' friend. (p.104)
Meeting the opposite sex
Almost half of the young people feel at ease. 12-17% are 'quite' or 'very uneasy'. (p.105)
Information about sex
Between Years 8 and 10 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 according to these young people. (p.106-107)
Worries
14-15 year old females top the list of most problem areas. 'The way you look' is the principal worry for these young people, but school, money and career worries are also high on the list of the older teenagers. (p.108)
School problems
There has been a marked rise in worry about school work since 1996. Mother and father are the most common source of support. (p.109)
Money problems
Around 50% would talk to their mother and father. (p.110)
Health problems
Almost half the males would turn to mother and father, but mother is the most frequent choice of the females. (p.111)
Career problems
Mother and father are the most likely source of support and the school teacher plays a stronger part for older pupils. 20% of females would turn to their mother. (p.112)
Friend problems
Gender differences are pronounced. More males say mother and father, or 'would keep it to myself' . More females say mother. A similar proportion, however, would share the problem with another friend. (p.113)
Family problems
Females are twice as likely than males to turn to a friend. Males are more likely to go to mother and father or to' keep it to myself'. (p.114)
Gambling problems
Around 25% would keep it to themselves.(p.115)
Self-esteem
The level of self-esteem tends to increase with age. The 'high' group included more males than females. (p.116)
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. (p.117-119)
Getting on with adults
Up to 53% 'get on best' with both parents. Older pupils show a move away from parents towards other individual family members and friend. More than 85% trust at least two adults. 5% of older pupils trust no one. (p.120-121)
Life satisfaction
Males are more satisfied than females. This difference is in line with evidence that females worry about more things than males. (p.122)
Transmitting HIV
Sharing needles and unsafe sex are correctly seen as the top risks. Within each year group, the females' knowledge is more accurate than the males'. (p.123)
Information about HIV
TV programmes and school lessons are the most widely-mentioned useful sources. (p.124)
Precautions against HIV
More males than females say they will not take care of getting infected with the HIV virus. Nearly 20% of the 12-13 year old males say 'no' or 'not sure'. (p.125)
Birth control services
43% of the 14 -15 year old females knew about the service for young people, and knowledge grew with age. 58% of the older males did not know of a source of free condoms whereas two-thirds of the females said they did know. (p.126-127)
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Section 9: The Primary Questionnaire Responses (10-11 year olds)
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 (p.130)
Vegetarian diet
5% are vegetarian. (p.131)
Being bullied
Around 30% experience some form of bullying. Playtime and lunchtime can cause anxiety for up to 20% of 10 - 11 year olds. (p.132-133)
'Stranger danger'
Over 30% report that they have been scared or upset by an adult stranger which is an increase on previous years (1997 = 26% reporting they had been frightened). (p.134-135)
Bicycle ownership
Over 90% of 10 - 11 year olds have a bike but other data suggest that they don't necessarily cycle, particularly females, and few cycle to school. (p.136)
Alcoholic drinks
Over 67% have tasted wine. Males top the list in all categories of alcoholic drink except wine. Over 21% have tasted at least one alcoholic drink. 25% of the males drank alcohol in the previous week. (p.137-138)
Smoking
At least 21% said they 'maybe' or 'yes' to smoking when they are older. Over 75% said that they didn't think they will smoke. (p.139)
AIDS
About one-third do not know of an illness called AIDS (or HIV). Only about 10% of Year 6 teachers have talked to their pupils about AIDS (or HIV). Parents are the most likely source of information. (p.140-141)
Illegal drugs
70% of 10-11 year olds said they would like their parents to talk to them about drugs. (p.142)
Puberty and growing up
Parents are the most likely group to talk with Year 6 pupils about puberty and growing up. Over 20 % of the 10-11 year old males do not have discussions with any of the listed groups. Schools may leave teaching about menstruation to the end of Year 6, which in our view is too late. (p.143)
Pocket money
More than half receive regular weekly pocket money. (p.144)
Playtime and dinner time
25% of females compared with 19% of males report reading. Females' 'playing ball games' has increased and males' reading has decreased since 1997. (p.145)
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