Children s Behavioural Outcomes: Data from the Health Behaviour of School- Aged Children (HBSC) Dr. Michal Molcho Health Promotion Research Centre NUI Galway Researching Children s Outcomes and All-Island Approach 26 September 2012 1
Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC) study International study, initiated in 1982 The network currently consists of 43 countries and regions Aims to gain better understanding of young people's lives Focus on science and policy.
HBSC 2010 43 regions
Growth of HBSC study: countries by survey year 1983/1984 1985/1986 1989/1990 1993/1994 1997/1998 2001/2002 2005/2006 1. England 2. Finland 3. Norway 4. Austria 5. Denmark 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Denmark 5. Belgium 6. Hungary 7. Israel 8. Scotland 9. Spain 10. Sweden 11. Switzerland 12. Wales 13. Netherlands 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Belgium (Fr) 5. Hungary 6. Scotland 7. Spain 8. Sweden 9. Switzerland 10. Wales 11.Denmark 12. Netherlands 13. Canada 14. Latvia 15. N. Ireland 16. Poland 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Belgium (Fr) 5. Hungary 6. Israel 7. Scotland 8. Spain 9. Sweden 10. Switzerland 11. Wales 12. Denmark 13. Canada 14. Latvia 15. N..Ireland 16. Poland 17. Belgium (Fl) 18. Czech Republic 19. Estonia 20. France 21. Germany 22. Greenland 23. Lithuania 24. Russia 25. Slovakia 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Belgium (Fr) 5. Hungary 6. Israel 7. Scotland 8. Sweden 9. Switzerland 10. Wales 11. Denmark 12. Canada 13. Latvia 14. N. Ireland 15. Poland 16. Belgium (Fl) 17. Czech Republic 18. Estonia 19. France 20. Germany 21. Greenland 22. Lithuania 23. Russia 24. Slovakia 25. England 26. Greece 27. Portugal 28. Ireland 29. USA 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Belgium (Fr) 5. Hungary 6. Israel 7. Scotland 8. Spain 9. Sweden 10. Switzerland 11. Wales 12. Denmark 13. Canada 14. Latvia 15. Poland 16. Belgium (Fl) 17. Czech Republic 18. Estonia 19. France 20. Germany 21. Greenland 22. Lithuania 23. Russia 24. England 25. Greece 26. Portugal 27. Ireland 28. USA 29. tfyr Macedonia 30. Netherlands 31. Italy 32. Croatia 33. Malta 34. Slovenia 35. Ukraine 1. Finland 2. Norway 3. Austria 4. Belgium (Fr) 5. Hungary 6. Israel 7. Scotland 8. Spain 9. Sweden 10. Switzerland 11. Wales 12. Denmark 13. Canada 14. Latvia 15. Poland 16. Belgium (Fl) 17. Czech Republic 18. Estonia 19. France 20. Germany 21. Greenland 22. Lithuania 23. Russia 24. England 25. Greece 26. Portugal 27. Ireland 28. USA 29. tfyr Macedonia 30. Netherlands 31. Italy 32. Croatia 33. Malta 34. Slovenia 35. Ukraine 36. Luxembourg 37. Turkey 38. Slovakia 39. Romania 40. Iceland 41. Bulgaria
Methods Cross-sectional survey, 4-year cycle School going children 11y, 13y, 15y (9-17 in Ireland) Nationally representative sample Self-administrated questionnaires in classrooms Response rate in 2010: 67% of schools, 85% of children Sample size: 16,060 Ethics.
Methods Children s lives Contexts: Family School Peers Risk behaviours: Drinking, smoking... Health enhancing behaviours: Physical activity, leisure activity... Health outcomes: Well being Life satisfaction Self rated health...
Findings Researching Children s Outcomes and All-Island Approach 26 September 2012 7
Ever Smoking
Current smoking
Never drunk alcohol
Sexual intercourse
YLT vs. HBSC 100 80 78 74 60 61 52 YLT 40 HBSC 20 24 25 8 21 0 Never smoked Never alcohol Never sex Disability
More powerful comparison
HBSC 1998 (15y) 100 80 60 56 N. Ireland 40 38 33 37 Ireland 20 8 7 11 10 16 13 0 Never smoked Never alcohol Truant 4+ Very healthy Very happy
Limitations Different age groups Different methods Different populations Different measures Different response rate
Limitations YLT includes very important measure that HBSC doesn t have GHQ Suicidal ideation HBSC has a much larger sample and better response rates 1660 vs. 744 65% vs. 21%
Conclusions Cross-national comparisons are very powerful To date, such comparisons cannot be conducted for adolescents All other GB regions are represented in HBSC HBSC data are not collected in the North since 1998 Can we make it happen??
Acknowledgment Children, parents, teachers, schools Drs. Nic Gabhainn and Kelly HBSC team Ireland Profs Currie and Samdal from the ICC and DBM Funders: Department of Health