Health and behaviours of Tunisian school youth in an era of rapid epidemiological transition

East Mediterr Health J. 2009 Sep-Oct;15(5):1201-14.

Abstract

To assess youth health behaviours and related quality of life in urban Tunisia, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 699 secondary-school students. The overweight rate was 20.7%. Most of the sample had an insufficient level of physical activity and were unfamiliar with the recommended frequency of moderate physical activity. Norm-based scores of psychological state were about average, slightly better for boys than girls. Girls perceived themselves to be more stressed than boys. Of all students, 35% declared having smoked a cigarette and 14% having drunk alcohol at least once in their lives. The main sources of health education were mass media (59%) and medical staff (36%).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior*
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Attitude to Health
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Exercise
  • Female
  • Health Behavior*
  • Health Education
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Status*
  • Health Surveys
  • Health Transition*
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Male
  • Overweight / epidemiology
  • Quality of Life / psychology
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • Students* / psychology
  • Students* / statistics & numerical data
  • Tunisia / epidemiology
  • Urban Health / statistics & numerical data