Purpose: To assess priority health-risk behaviors among youth which contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality during youth and adulthood.
Significance: In Hungary, a large proportion of adult morbidity and mortality is due to health-risk behaviors that begin in early adolescence. These preventable behaviors contribute simultaneously to poor health, educational, and social outcomes.
Methods: The 1999 Budapest Student Health Behavior Survey collected information on five categories of priority health-risk behaviors (injury, tobacco and alcohol use, physical activity, depression and attempted suicide, and sexual activity) among youth in 21 traditional high schools and 9 vocational/technical schools containing grades 9-12 in Budapest, Hungary. Schools were randomly selected with probability proportional to enrollment size. Classrooms were then randomly selected and all students in the class were eligible to participate. All schools selected participated; 2,615 students out of 3,092 eligible completed surveys (response rate=85%).
Results: During the 30 days preceding the survey 28.8% had rarely or never worn a seatbelt, 46.8% had smoked cigarettes, 68% had drunk alcohol, and 42% had < 3 days of aerobic activity. During the 12 months preceding the survey 14.5% had been threatened or injured with a weapon and 13.5% seriously considered suicide. Forty-five percent of sexually active students had not used a condom at last sexual intercourse.
Conclusion: Data on priority health behaviors among secondary school students in Budapest identify, justify, and support policies and programs that can effectively address important public health problems such as suicide, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, heart disease and cancer.
Learning Objectives: 1. Discuss the prevalence of priority health-risk behaviors among secondary school students in Budapest. 2. Describe the impact of health-risk behaviors in Hungary. 3. Apply this information to support policies and programs that can effectively address important public health problems in Hungary.
Keywords: Health Risks, Youth
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.