Studying the Prevalence of Behavioral Health Risk Factors in High Schoolers

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, much attention has been paid to conditions of forming high schoolers’ health. Characteristics of the high school age largely determine the future of a person, his physical and mental health, the success of inclusion in adulthood, and realization of the reproductive potential. Health disorders in this period are largely determined by the influence of behavioral risk factors. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of behavioral health risk factors among Moscow high schoolers and to study their gender characteristics in order to determine up-to-date priorities of adolescent hygiene and school medicine. Materials and methods: In October 2018, a survey of 2,254 Moscow adolescents in grades 10–11 (15–18 years of age) was conducted using a questionnaire based on that of the World Health Organization collaborative cross-national survey “Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children”. Results: The most common risk factors in high schoolers included intensification of learning (90.5 ± 0.6 %) and high levels of screen time (92.0 ± 0.6%) that significantly increased daily visual workload of adolescents and might induce vision disorders (49.9 ± 1.1% of respondents), frequent headaches (56.2 ± 1.1%), and back pain (43.5 ± 1.0%). The majority of respondents also noted mood swings (71.8 ± 0.9%) and weakness after school (69.6 ± 1.0%). Almost half of the students (45.3 ± 1.1%) rated their health as satisfactory or poor. Conclusions: The irrational use of electronic devices in the educational process and at leisure can negatively affect the daily routine of schoolers causing reduction in the time spent on physical activities and outdoors and a decrease in night sleep duration. For most high schoolers malnutrition is yet another adverse factor characterized by imbalance and irregularity. Our findings help identify priority strategies of health promotion among high schoolers and appropriate preventive measures in view of the identified behavioral risk factors having a negative impact on adolescents’ health.