NCJ Number
213650
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2006 Pages: 42-49
Date Published
March 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Interviews with 73 school-age youth in Tasmania (Australia) focused on their perceptions of health and well-being.
Abstract
The most common response to questions about health emphasized the importance of a good diet, which included daily servings of fresh fruit and vegetables and very little "junk" food." Exercise was mentioned, but was not prominent as a health factor. For older respondents, friendship groups were linked to behaviors viewed as risks to health, such as smoking, binge drinking, and dangerous driving. Social relationships were also associated with positive healthy behaviors and a sense of well-being, in that exercise was typically done with friends in sports activities and a sense of closeness with family and friends gave them a feeling of well-being. There were no significant differences in the responses of girls and boys; however, responses differed by age. Older youth were more likely to report behaviors that posed a risk to their health; and rural youth were more likely than urban youths to have several friendship groups as sources of a sense of well-being. The 73 youth interviewed lived in various parts of Tasmania, with 16 residing in rural areas and the remainder living in urban areas. The youth ranged in age from 11 to 18. Health-related questions focused on when they last went to a medical facility and their experience there, whether they had any long-term health problems or disabilities, what they did to stay healthy, and whether they had ever done anything that was bad for their health and why they did it. Responses related to well-being focused on what made them feel good, what made them feel happier, and the experiences that were the best and worst aspects of their lives. The interviews were conducted in 2004. 1 table and 17 references