Findings from the Health Behaviours in School Aged Children survey as they relate to young people in England, Scotland and Wales.

1. Social determinants of health and
well-being among young people
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR IN
SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

2. Parental communication is one of the key ways in which the family
can act as a protective health asset, promoting pro-social values
that equip young people to deal with stressful situations or buffer
them against adverse influences.
FAMILY COMMUNICATION

3. Talk to your mother...
Young people were asked how easy it is for them to talk to their mothers
about “things that really bother you”. The findings presented here show the
proportions who reported finding it “easy” and “very easy”.
Boys Girls
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
Wales Wales
40 40
30 England 30 England
20 Scotland 20 Scotland
10 10
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

4. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who find it 15-year-old boys who find it
easy to talk to their mothers easy to talk to their mothers

5. Talk to your father...
Young people were asked how easy it is for them to talk to their fathers about
“things that really bother you”. The findings presented here show the
proportions who reported finding it “easy” and “very easy”.
Boys Girls
90 80
80 70
70 60
60 50
50
40
40 Wales Wales
30 30
England England
20 20
Scotland Scotland
10 10
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

6. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who find it 15-year-old boys who find it
easy to talk to their fathers easy to talk to their fathers

7. According to previous HBSC findings, the frequency of spending
time out with friends increases gradually with age. This is often
associated with risk behaviours.
PEER RELATIONSHIPS

8. Be back before curfew...
Young people were asked how many evenings per week they usually spend
out with their friends. The findings presented here show the proportions
who reported spending four or more evenings per week out with friends.
Boys Girls
50 45
45 40
40 35
35 30
30 25
25
England 20 England
20
15 Scotland 15 Scotland
10 Wales 10 Wales
5 5
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

9. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who spend four or 15-year-old boys who spend four or
more evenings per week out with more evenings per week out with
friends friends

10. “Liking school” has consequently been identified as a protective factor
against health-compromising behaviours including bullying, sexual
risk-taking and tobacco, alcohol and drug use. Students who dislike
school or do not feel connected to it are more likely to fail
academically, drop out and have mental health problems.
LIKING SCHOOL

11. We don’t need no education...
Young people were asked how they feel about school at present. The
findings presented here show the proportion reporting that they like school
a lot.
Boys Girls
50 60
45
40 50
35 40
30
25 30
Wales Wales
20
15 England 20 England
10 Scotland 10 Scotland
5
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

12. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who like school a lot 15-year-old boys who like school a lot

13. Feeling pressured or stressed by schoolwork may not only negatively
affect students’ learning, but can also influence a wide range of non-
academic outcomes such as health, health behaviour and well-being.
Affected students characteristically engage in more health-
compromising behaviours (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and
drunkenness).
PRESSURED BY
SCHOOLWORK

14. Under pressure
Young people were asked how pressured they feel by the schoolwork they
have to do. The findings presented here are the proportion who reported
feeling pressured by schoolwork either “a lot” or “some”.
Boys Girls
60 80
70
50
60
40 50
30 40
England England
30
20 Wales Wales
20
10 Scotland Scotland
10
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

15. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who like school a lot 15-year-old boys who like school a lot

16. Low perceived classmate support is related to somatic and
psychological health complaints, such as headache, abdominal pain
and depressed mood, and greater prevalence of smoking and
drinking. High support is associated with high life
satisfaction, increased self-efficacy and increased levels of physical
activity.
CLASSMATE SUPPORT

17. My friends like me...
Young people were asked to show how much they agreed or disagreed with
the statement “most of the students in my class(es) are kind and helpful”.
The findings presented here show the proportion who agreed or strongly
agreed.
Boys Girls
80 90
70 80
60 70
60
50
50
40
Wales 40 Wales
30 30
Scotland Scotland
20 20
England England
10 10
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

18. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who agree that their 15-year-old boys who agree that their
classmates are kind and helpful classmates are kind and helpful

19. Injuries during adolescence can be seen as a marker for a high-risk
lifestyle that includes multiple risk-taking behaviours and associated
health-related consequences. Studies have reported how injury is
linked with other risk behaviours such as substance use and truancy
and is related to frequent engagement in physical activity.
MEDICALLY ATTENDED
INJURIES

20. Ouch, that hurt...
Young people were asked how many times during the last 12 months they
had been injured and had to be treated by a doctor or nurse. The findings
presented here depict the proportions who reported having a medically
attended injury at least once.
Boys Girls
70 50
45
60
40
50 35
40 30
25
30 Scotland Scotland
20
20 England 15 England
Wales 10 Wales
10 5
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

21. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who report at least one 15-year-old boys who report at least
medically attended injury in the last one medically attended injury in the
months last months

22. Skipping breakfast is nevertheless very common among young
people in Europe, Canada and the United States and is associated
with risk behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption and
sedentary behaviours.
BREAKFAST CONSUMPTION

23. Go to work on an egg...
Young people were asked how often they eat breakfast, defined as “more
than a glass of milk or fruit juice”, on school days and at weekends. The
findings presented here are the proportions reporting eating breakfast every
school day.
Boys Girls
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 Scotland 40 Scotland
30 England 30 England
20 Wales 20 Wales
10 10
0 0
11 13 15 11 13 15
year year year year year year
olds olds olds olds olds olds

24. How we compare to Europe
15-year-old girls who eat breakfast 15-year-old boys who eat breakfast
every school day every school day