-
Related
Most New Zealand teenagers are well adjusted and healthy but a minority indulge in risky behaviour, a comprehensive new study shows.
The five year Auckland University study found more than 80% of young New Zealanders had positive relationships within their family and school. But alcohol related problems are a concern and over half of the 16-year-old students report at least one episode of binge drinking.
Principal investigator Peter Watson told ONE News that "most young people are healthy and well ... I think it underlines the importance of a work family balance for raising healthy kids and if we want a prosperous society then we want healthy young people."
Contrary to popular belief, 4,000 - nearly half the teens surveyed - say parents don't spend enough time with them.
"They have their own lives to run but they need to spend more time with us," head boy Ashley Davies told ONE News.
"I guess the parents need to be there otherwise the youth do all these things," Ben Harawira, a year 13 student, told ONE News.
Of the students surveyed, 27% had ridden in a car with a potentially drunk driver in the preceding four weeks.
The study, Youth2000 , examined the health and behaviour of nearly 10,000 randomly selected girls and boys aged 12 to 18 years who were attending secondary school in 2001. Participants came from Kaitaia to Invercargill and from a diverse range of ethnic groups.
"We now have a wealth of contemporary data from a large representative group," Watson says.
New Zealand's first national youth health study provides valuable insights for families, schools, communities and health providers.
It found up to 50% of young people did not see a health professional despite knowing that they needed to.
"In our experience, there are very few providers delivering the comprehensive youth-appropriate services required to make a real difference," says Watson.
Many teenagers take occasional risks, but 12% were involved in multiple risk taking such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Depression and suicide continues to be a serious issue for New Zealand youth, particularly females, with nearly 18% showing symptoms. Violence is impacting on male students and 9% of boys and 5% of girls say they are bullied at least once a week, often leaving them traumatised.
Sexual activity is less than expected, with 30% of the students saying they have had sexual intercourse and more than two thirds of these using condoms.
The study was prompted by concerns about New Zealand's poor showing in youth health statistics such as teen pregnancy and suicide.
"We now know what's going well for youth...and what we can all do to improve the outlook for the youth of New Zealand," says Watson.
