HEALTH SURVEY OF ADOLESCENTS AGED 15-20 IN FRENCH-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND

During the year 1992, under the auspices of the Federal Office for Public Health, the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine of Lausanne conducted a survey on the health and life-style of a representative sample of adolescents aged 15 to 20 years from the French speaking part of Switzerland. The main objective of the study was to explore adolescent health attitudes and behavior as well as health needs. After exclusion of non valid questionnaires (1.2%), 3324 subjects have been included in the analysis (females: 1477; males: 1847; apprentices: 59%; students: 41%). The majority of the respondents feel in good health (females: 87.5%; males: 94.3%), but a large proportion express needs in various areas: stress, depression, love, professional future, nutrition etc. Comparisons with earlier surveys show that cannabis use has become more common (lifetime prevalence: females: 24.1%; males: 39.3%). The use of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin is not exceptional (lifetime prevalence: 1-3%). By 18 years of age, the majority of respondents are sexually active (17 years: 49.0%; 18 years: 62.6%; 19 years: 72.0%). 76.6% of respondents have used contraception on their first coitus and thereafter. Girls exhibit a tendency towards more perceived health problems and more use of health care structures, whereas boys express their problems in a more ''external'' way, i.e. violent behavior (injuries, fighting, theft etc.). Differences between apprentices and students are minimal, although apprentices tend to be more sexually active. The paper comments on the results in different areas such as health care, prevention and general setting.