7.1 General context
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Main trends in the health conditions of young people
European Health Interview Survey
In 2019, the European Health Interview Survey [Európai lakossági egészségfelmérés, 2019 (referred hereinafter to as ELEF2019)] was conducted for the third time in Hungary. In this survey, younger people were also part of the target group for data collection. If the respondent had a child aged 6 months to 14 years living in the same household, the data were also collected on this child.
According to the preliminary data, in 2019, the Hungarian population aged 15 and over rated their own health on a five-point scale with an average of 3.7. 94% of 15-17 year olds rate their health as 'good' or 'very good'. The proportion of chronically ill people increases with age: only one-fifth of 15-17 year olds said they had a chronic long-term illness, but among those aged 65 and over the figure was 77%. One tenth of 15-17 year olds had to follow a special diet because of food sensitivities or another illness. 16% of them were overweight or obese and 19% were slim.
Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) is a cross-national survey, which has been conducted in Hungary since 1985. It aims to observe the health-related habits and subjective health status of 11 to 17 year old schoolchildren, to track temporal and international trends, and to investigate background factors for behavioural and health indices and their mechanisms of action.
Physical well-being
The results of the large sample youth survey, conducted every four years in Hungary, show an improving tendency. However, satisfaction with health and physical appearance has slightly decreased according to the survey results in 2020, compared to the 2016 results. Three quarters of 15-29 year olds were satisfied with their own health and well-being. Half of young people were completely or almost completely satisfied with their appearance in 2008, and this proportion increased to 63% in 2020.
According to the survey results in 2022, 22% of primary school students reported having a chronic health problem and in grades 9 and 11, more girls than boys reported this. The proportion of young people with chronic health problems increased significantly between 2010 and 2014, and then fell slightly but significantly among girls between 2014 and 2018.
Malnutrition is significantly less common in boys (10.6%) than in girls (16.1%) and in all age groups, a significantly higher proportion of girls consider themselves fat and a lower proportion thin than boys. In 2018, 39% of the Hungarian 15 year old girls considered herself to be fat; this rate was only 25% among boys.
Physical activity
The proportion of students doing enough physical activity (according to WHO recommendation) was 21.3% in the 2022 survey results and the rate was higher among boys (27.2%) than among girls (15.7%). 8% of young people never do physical activity.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, the proportion of young people who do enough physical activity has significantly increased. In 2002, 9.1% of young people between the age of 11 and 17, moved enough, while in 2022 this rate was 15.7%. The increase was significantly higher among boys but it was more consistent among girls.
Mental well-being
In 2022, the score that measures life satisfaction had an average of 7.28 (on a 0-10 point scale) and girls were significantly less satisfied with their life than boys. The average score increased between 2006 and 2014, than it decreased between 2018 and 2022.
The survey analyse mental well-being from the perspective of psychosomatic symptoms. The results show that the most common symptom was feeling tired, 57.3% of students reported to feel tired daily or more times a week. Feeling nervous was also common (54.2%) and 28.7% of students had a headache frequently. Overall, girls reported that they experienced more times symptoms than boys. The proportion of students who had more than one symptoms increased by 15% between 2018 and 2022.
More than a quarter of students (25.7%) never feel lonely, while almost a third of them (30.6%) rarely feel lonely and the proportion of those who feel lonely most or all of the time is 15.6%. The proportion of girls who often (mostly or always) feel lonely is higher among girls in all grades.
Smoking
According to the preliminary data of the ELEF2019, there were positive changes in smoking among boys compared to previous surveys: 14.1% of boys (aged 15-17) smoked in 2019, while this rate was almost 25% among 15-18 year olds in 2014. There was a slight increase among young girls: 16.4% of young girls smoked in 2019 while in 2014 this rate was 14% (among 15 to 18 year old girls).
According to results of the HBSC 2022 report, about 16% of students smoked regularly (at least weekly). The frequency of smoking increases towards higher grades. Although we see an overall decreasing trend between 2010 and 2018, which is in line with international trends, regular smoking has become more common among students compared to the 2018 data collection.
Alcohol consumption and drugs
According to the ELEF2019 survey, 97.4% of 15-17 year old boys and 93% of young girls rarely or never drink alcohol. These rates decrease with age: among 18-34 year olds, the proportion of those who rarely drink alcohol is 52.8% and 21.5% of those who never drink alcohol. Among the youngest the proportion is higher among women.
The results of the HBSC 2022 report shows that the proportion of students who have got drunk at least once in their lives has also risen to 40%, which can be described as very high by international standards.
Despite declining or stagnating trends, smoking and alcohol consumption are among the most serious behaviours that endanger the health of our young people - and society as a whole. In 2022, young people were most likely to try marijuana/hashish, followed by the combined use of alcohol and drugs and the use of drugs. The lifetime prevalence of other drugs is less than 5%.
Main concepts
In Hungary, the Article XX of the Fundamental Law of Hungary defines the components of physical and mental health. These are the basic elements that determine health policy in Hungary.
'Everyone shall have the right to physical and mental health. Hungary shall promote the effective application of that right by an agriculture free of genetically modified organisms, by ensuring access to healthy food and drinking water, by organising safety at work and healthcare provision, by supporting sports and regular physical exercise, as well as by ensuring the protection of the environment.'