Report Compares Health of Teens in U.S., Europe

U.S. teens suffer more common aches and pains, and have a harder time sleeping than their European counterparts, according to a new report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The report, titled Teens in Our World: Understanding the Health of U.S. Youth in Comparison to Youth in Other Countries, is the the first HRSA-supported overview of health and well-being among U.S. teens with European teens.

Highlighted data for U.S. teens were taken from the international "Health Behavior in School-aged Children” study, which coordinated school-based surveys of teens ages 11, 13 and 15 in U.S. schools and in 29 locations throughout Europe in 1997/98. Findings are organized under the topics of general health and well-being, fitness, family and peer relationships, school relationships, smoking, alcohol use and violence.

"This new research is valuable for those interested in creating more effective teen programs nationwide," said HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke, in a HRSA press release.

According to the report, U.S. students were:

more likely to have stomachaches, backaches, headaches and difficulty sleeping "at least once a week" and were more likely to feel tired or "low" in the morning -- a new finding.

less likely to smoke than students in almost all other countries, but ranked in about the middle range for drinking alcohol "at least once a week."

among the highest ranked in enthusiasm toward school, but approximately four out of five reported liking school "only a little," "not very much" or "not at all."

were ranked relatively high for "never" or "rarely" feeling safe at school, and ranked in about the middle range among students bullied at school "at least sometimes." They also were in the higher ranking of students who reported that they bully others frequently.

Authors suggested that American students' feelings of fatigue may be associated with their fitness levels related to diet and exercise, since they often ate high-fat or high-sugar foods while exercising in the middle to lower range. The authors also recommended carrying out assessments of family stability, transient neighborhoods and limited community support among U.S. families to help develop teen programs that deter unwanted behaviors such as bullying.