Lifestyle and health risk behaviours among Elbasan students

Abstract

AIM: The purpose of this study is: (1) to help monitor the Albanian students’ lifestyle, the way they spend their free time, the weight that studying, networks, screens and sports have in their life; (2) to assess their health risk behaviours, such as tobacco and drug use, weapon carrying and sports betting; (3) to identify differences in behaviour by gender, grade, socioeconomic and demographic status; (4) to understand the influence of parents on their children. METHOD: The study was conducted in May 2013, as a classroom survey of students in urban and rural schools of Elbasan. A questionnaire was distributed to the 8th to 12th grade students to be completed by them anonymously. RESULT: There are a low number of the students that are interested to books and study and meantime, a large number of them spend their free time in front of a screen or hanging out in bars with friends. Moreover, a considerable number of them are engaged in health risk behaviours. CONCLUSION: In students’ lifestyle exist serious problems and these data also provide inside into ways to shape a public health response. We need to change the way society views and treats these problems.