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Poll: Every 4 teenagers under 15 are familiar with sex
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The health of adolescents depends on many factors, such as age, gender differences, place of residence, social conditions and the financial situation of the family.
The challenge is to help teenagers become healthy adults despite these differences.
This is reported in a new study prepared by the WHO European Service Bureau and presented in Edinburgh.
The results of sociological surveys conducted in 39 countries of the European Union and North America have shown, for example, that the rates of overweight and obesity among 11-year-old girls in Portugal and the United States are 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively, while in Switzerland it is only 5 percent.
Thus, in Norway and Portugal only 10 percent of 15-year-olds smoke, while in Austria and Latvia the figure is 25 percent.
Another risk factor for developing diseases is alcohol consumption. It was found that in Armenia there are 5 times more 15-year-old boys who have experienced alcohol intoxication than girls of the same age. And in England, girls are more inclined to alcoholic drinks - as well as to sex.
On average, according to the report, 25 percent of 15-year-olds have had sexual relations.
It was no surprise to find that children in wealthier families were better nourished, had higher levels of physical activity, and had better relationships with parents and classmates.
However, when it comes to smoking and drinking, the influence of family appeared to be less significant than the influence of peers.
New research provides policymakers and experts with information to give younger generations a chance to protect their own health.
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