What Do Spanish Young Students Know About Health Problems?

Abstract

Competence is the ability to solve problems or deal with situations in a given context. In our case, health competences involve the ability and determination to solve the problems related to personal and collective health. In order to develop these competences and manage situations related to health, the knowledge acquired by students through compulsory education in relation to health problems becomes essential. To this end, a questionnaire that asks to point out the problems known concerning health in seven specific areas (Nutrition and Physical activity; Prevention of addictions; Sexual or affective life; Hygiene; Mental and emotional health; Accidents and Attention to the Environment) was developed.A total of 688 students (335 males and 353 females) fulfilled the questionnaire. It was completed in the provinces of Valencia, Las Palmas, Teruel, the Basque Country and Cuenca, trying to find a balance between educational establishments in rural and urban areas and public and private schools.In a first approximation we can say that in relation to Nutrition, students mentioned obesity and eating behaviour disorders; in the context of Addictions, illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco; in the field of Hygiene, infectious diseases and those associated to poor personal hygiene or inappropriate clothing; when focussing on Mental and emotional Health, the stated problems were very few, except for the depressions; in the field of Accidents, they mentioned traffic accidents; in the field of care for the Environment, they mentioned scarce problems except for those arising from air and water pollution.