One in two teenagers declared a positive impact of the pandemic on their family relationships and two in five on school performance. But for two out of five adolescents, their mental health and their lives in general have been adversely affected. These are some of the data contained in a survey by the Istituto Superiore della Sanità (ISS), which involved a representative sample in all regions of young people aged 11, 13, 15 and, for the first time this year, 17 years old.
The analysis, conducted every four years, the previous survey was in 2017-2018, is a snapshot of the behavior of Italian teenagers in the post-pandemic period. With regard to nutrition and lifestyles, based on what they self-declared, 18.2% of 11, 13 and 15 year olds are overweight and 4.4% obese; compared to the previous survey, the values are increasing. Among the incorrect eating habits, the habit of not eating breakfast on school days remains. The data also shows that less than one adolescent in 10 performs at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-intense motor activity and this habit decreases with increasing age. The percentage of adolescents who declare having smoked at least one day in the last month increases with age, passing from 1% at 11 years, to 8% at 13, to 24% at 15 years. As regards the phenomenon of alcohol abuse, the analysis shows an increase compared to the past among 15-year-old girls who claim to have been drunk at least twice in their life. Finally, the analysis shows an increase in the problematic use of social media compared to the previous survey: 16.9% of girls and 10.3% of boys. Among 15-year-old girls, the prevalence exceeds 20%. “The surveillance of the lifestyles of our boys and girls is particularly precious today – says Silvio Brusaferro, president of the ISS – because it helps us to intercept new phenomena, such as cyberbullying”.
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