RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

The Role Of Gender To Health Behaviour Of Adolescents

Pernille Due & Bjorn Holstein

University of Copenhagen, Department of Social Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark

Objective: To describe gender differences in health behaviour patterns and to analyze the role of Gender to determinants for unhealthy health behaviours.

Material and methods: Health Behaviour in School-AGed children is an international repeated cross-sectional survey. The study population is 11, 13, and 15 year-old children in a random sample of schools. In Denmark the 1994 survey included 4,046 pupils (response rate 89%). Written questionnaires were filled out during a school lesson. The results presented here include only 15 year-old children (N=1,3058).

Results: There are consistent Gender differences in health behaviour among adolescents. More boys than Girls have unhealthy drinking and eating habits (40% vs 34% and 22% vs 18%), while more Girls smoke (23% vs 15%) and fail to be physically active (44% vs 25%).

The health behaviour of boys and Girls have significantly different patterns (girl smokers are less physically active (0R=2,3), physically inactive Girls never drink (OR 3,3); physically active girls eat less unhealthy food (OR=0,5). No associations are found for boys.

Multivariate analyses state that for girls social class,, family ties, peer relations, sociability, wealth, and urbanization have significant associations with unhealthy behaviour. To boys family ties and relation to adults are associated with unhealthy behaviour.

Discussion: The results indicate that there might be a need of gender targeted preventive strategies.

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