Health behaviour and school environment among school-aged black and white South African children in the Limpopo Province: research

Abstract

The main objective of the 'Health Behaviour among School-Aged Children' (HBSC) study was to collect information on health-related behaviour of South African youth. Another objective was to examine the association between learners' perceptions of their school environment, teachers' and peers' support and their health behaviours. Furthermore, recommendations about the health behaviour of school-aged children are developed. The sample comprised 515 Grade 8 secondary school learners chosen at random from three urban schools in the Polokwane area, Limpopo Province. Results indicated that learners who had positive perceptions regarding their school environments were significantly more likely to engage in health promoting behaviours. The healthy food score was associated with supportive teachers but not with supportive peers and supportive parents and socioeconomic status. Regarding the different health-related behaviours, gender differences were less pronounced than racial differences. Black school-aged children had a significantly higher unhealthy food score than Whites but there were no racial differences on the healthy food score. In conclusion, therefore health promotion practitioners need to consider the impact of the school environment (particularly unrealistic scholastic expectations from teachers and parents) on health behaviours of school-aged children.


Die hoofdoelwit van die studie ";Health Behaviour among School-aged Children"; (Gesondheidsgedrag van skoolgaande kinders) studie is om inligting in te samel ten opsigte van gesondheidverwante gedrag van die Suid- Afrikaanse jeug . Nog 'n doelwit is om inligting te bekom ten opsigte van die verwantskap tussen leerders se persepsies van hul skoolomgewing, ondersteuning van hul onderwysers en portuurgroepe enersyds en hul gedrag andersyds. Verder is aanbevelings oor die gesondheidsgedrag van skoolgaande jeug gemaak. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 515 Graad 8 leerders van sekondêre skole wat ewekansig gekies is uit drie stedelike skole in die Polokwane omgewing in die Limpopo Provinsie. Resultate toon dat leerders wat positiewe persepsies het ten opsigte van hul skoolomgewing, beduidend meer geneig is om betrokke te wees in gesondheidsbevorderlike gedrag. Die gesondekos-telling is geassosieer met ondersteunende onderwysers, maar nie met ondersteunende portuurs, ondersteunende ouers en sosio-ekonomiese status nie. Ten opsigte van verskille in gesondheidsverwante gedrag, is geslagsverskille minder beduidend as rasseverskille. Swart kinders van skoolgaande ouderdom het beduidend hoër tellings op 'n skaal van ongesonde kos behaal in vergelyking met blankes, terwyl daar geen verskil tussen tellings vir die twee rasse was op die skaal vir gesonde kos nie. Ter samevatting: gesondheidsbevorderingpraktisyns moet die impak van die skoolomgewing (veral ten opsigte van onrealistiese skolastiese verwagtings van ouers en onderwyseres) op die gesondheidsgedrag van die jeug in berekening bring.
Key words: Health behaviour, Limpopo Province, School-aged children, School environment.


(Health SA Gesondheid : interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(1): 3-12)