1. The scientific context: what is HBSC telling us?
Socioeconomic determinants of healthy eating habits and physical activity among adolescents
The scientific context: what is HBSC telling us?
Candace Currie
HBSC International Coordinator
University of Edinburgh

2. HBSC Forum Background Paper
‘Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents and the role of healthy eating, physical activity and socioeconomic status’
Ellen Haug, Oddrun Samdal, Antony Morgan, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer and Candace Currie

3. HBSC reporting of obesity related data
HBSC International report: ‘Young people’s health in context’ (2004) Numerous scientific papers from the HBSC international research network (listed on .

4. HBSC scope
Includes physical, emotional and social health and well-being
Measures comprehensive range of behaviours that both risk and promote health
Places health and behaviour of young people in social and developmental context

5. Social and developmental context of adolescent health and behaviour
Socioconomic profile of country
Family socioeconomic status
Family structure and relationships
School environment and relationships
Peer group and relationships
Individual maturation: pubertal development

6. HBSC surveys
Conducted every four years at same time in all countries with common standardised instrument
Nationally representative samples of 11,13 and 15 year olds
1st survey in 1983/4 in 3 countries; 7th survey in 2005/6 in 40 countries
European region and North America

7. HBSC countries 2005/6

8. The study of obesity in HBSC
Optional topic in 1997/98 survey
Self-reported height and weight mandatory questions in 2001/2 and 2005/6 surveys
HBSC produces only comparable cross-national data on BMI among adolescents across European region

9. Obesity: conceptualisation in HBSC
A measure of a young person’s physical condition with implications for health and well-being
With behavioural determinants and outcomes
With social and emotional causes and consequences
Influenced by individual and environmental factors

10. Focus of Forum background paper
Overweight and obesity
Eating habits
Physical activity
Gender
Socieconomic status

11. Wider HBSC focus
Overweight and obesity
Eating habits
Physical activity
Body image
Weight control behaviour
Gender
Socieconomic status

12. ‘HBSC obesity triangle’
Eating
behaviour
gender
Socioeconomic
factors
obesity
Mental
health
Physical
activity
Environmental factors (social and physical)

13. WHO/HBSC Forum series focus
Social and economic determinants and sources of inequality in adolescent health

14. Variations in life circumstances for adolescents across Europe
Countries vary considerably in the extent of young people living in low affluence households
Countries vary considerably in family structures in which young people are living

15. % young people reporting low family affluence (FAS)
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))
Ukraine
Norway

16. Family structure across HBSC countries
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

17. Gender inequalities
There are consistent and significant gender differences across all countries in elements of the ‘obesity triangle’
Levels of physical activity
Consumption of obesogenic foods
Prevalence of overweight

18. % 15 year old boys meeting physical activity guidelines
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

19. % 15 year old girls meeting physical activity guidelines
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

20. % 15 year olds boys drink soft drinks daily
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

21. % 15 year olds girls drink soft drinks daily
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

22. % overweight 15 year old boys
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

23. % overweight 15 year old girls
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

24. Selected evidence of socioeconomic inequalities in the ‘HBSC obesity triangle’
Overweight higher among children from lower SES backgrounds (11 and 13 year olds)
Aspects of poor eating are more common among lower SES groups (eg low fruit consumption)
High levels of TV watching more common among lower SES groups

25. Cross-national variation in socioeconomic inequalities in the ‘HBSC obesity triangle’
High consumption of soft drinks:
more common among lower SES groups in Northern, Southern and Western Europe
more common in higher SES groups in Central and Eastern Europe

27. % 15 year old boys report ‘too fat’
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

28. % 15 year old girls report ‘too fat’
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

29. % overweight 15 year old boys
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

30. % overweight 15 year old girls
(Source: Young People’s Health in Context (2004))

31. Obesity not the only epidemic
‘Epidemic’ of cheap, nutritionally poor, food being produced in a globalised market with hidden environmental costs

32. Obesity not the only epidemic
‘Epidemic’ of nutritionally poor and obesogenic food consumption by poor children in rich industrialised countries

33. Obesity not the only epidemic
‘Epidemic’ of reduced opportunities for children and adolescents (especially girls) to be physically active, enjoyably and safely

34. Obesity not the only epidemic
‘Epidemic’ of ‘body judgementalism’ by the media, by peers, by clinicians and by themselves that is putting young people’s mental well-being at risk

35. Obesity: the need for a broad perspective
in our discussions at this forum we need to examine obesity in a very broad context so that efforts in prevention and intervention are successful and sensitive to the life circumstances and preoccupations of young people growing up in Europe today

36. What HBSC has to offer
Data on key aspects of adolescent health their social and economic determinants in adolescents
A conceptual framework for health improvement among adolescents that takes into account the wider social and developmental context

37. ‘HBSC obesity triangle’
Eating
behaviour
gender
Socioeconomic
factors
obesity
Mental
health
Physical
activity
Environmental factors (social and physical)

38. Acknowledgements Members of the HBSC international research network
WHO Regional Office for Europe