The WHO Cross-National Study of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children from 35 Countries: Findings from 2001-2002

World Health Organization

The Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Study (HBSC) originated in 1982 as a collaborative project among researchers from Finland, Norway, and England (United Kingdom). Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the project. Since 1985, surveys have been conducted at four-year intervals, with the 2001-2002 survey marking the fifth administration in the series.

The 2001-2002 cross-national survey involved more than 162,000 young people aged 11, 13, and 15 years in 35 countries and regions including Austria, Belgium (the Flemish-speaking and French-speaking areas), Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England (the United Kingdom), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland (Denmark), Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Scotland (the United Kingdom), Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, the United States of America, and Wales (the United Kingdom).

Health and Well-Being

Young people's rating of their health varied widely among countries and regions. Among 15-year-olds, 8% to 32% of boys and 13% to 63% of girls reported their health as fair or poor, with girls more likely than boys to report poorer health in all countries and regions. Levels of poorer health among 15-year-old girls were highest (>42%) in Latvia, Lithuania, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine.

Smoking

All three age groups showed large cross-national differences in weekly smoking rates. At age 15, 11% to 57% of boys and 12% to 67% of girls were weekly smokers (most smoked dally). Gender patterns split geographically, with girls reporting higher rates in the western European countries and regions, and boys reporting higher rates in the eastern European countries and regions. For example, girls' weekly smoking was lowest (<15%) among girls in Canada, Poland, Sweden, the United States, the Baltic states, and parts of southern …

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Publication information: Article title: The WHO Cross-National Study of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children from 35 Countries: Findings from 2001-2002. Contributors: Not available. Journal title: Journal of School Health. Volume: 74. Issue: 6 Publication date: August 2004. Page number: 204+. © 1999 American School Health Association. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group.

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