HEALTH SURVEY OF ADOLESCENTS AGED 15-20 I N FRENCH-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND

During the year 1992, under the auspices of the Federal Office for Pub lic Health, the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine of Lausan ne conducted a survey on the health and life-style of a representative sample of adolescents aged 15 to 20 years from the French speaking pa rt of Switzerland. The main objective of the study was to explore adol escent health attitudes and behavior as well as health needs. After ex clusion of non valid questionnaires (1.2%), 3324 subjects have been in cluded in the analysis (females: 1477; males: 1847; apprentices: 59%; students: 41%). The majority of the respondents feel in good health (f emales: 87.5%; males: 94.3%), but a large proportion express needs in various areas: stress, depression, love, professional future, nutritio n etc. Comparisons with earlier surveys show that cannabis use has bec ome more common (lifetime prevalence: females: 24.1%; males: 39.3%). T he use of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin is not exceptional (li fetime prevalence: 1-3%). By 18 years of age, the majority of responde nts are sexually active (17 years: 49.0%; 18 years: 62.6%; 19 years: 7 2.0%). 76.6% of respondents have used contraception on their first coi tus and thereafter. Girls exhibit a tendency towards more perceived he alth problems and more use of health care structures, whereas boys exp ress 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 ac tive. The paper comments on the results in different areas such as hea lth care, prevention and general setting.