Trends in early alcohol and drunkenness initiation, by gender and subregion

In 2014, around one in four adolescents in the Region first consumed alcohol at age 13 or younger, and just under one in 10 were first drunk at this early age. • Gender differences are not present in all countries and regions, but when present, boys are more likely to report early alcohol initiation and early drunkenness. • Early alcohol initiation has declined in most countries and regions. On average, early alcohol initiation across all countries and regions declined from 46% in 2002 to 28% in 2014. Similarly, early drunkenness more than halved, from 17% to 8%, over this period. • A significant increase in alcohol use at age 13 or younger was reported in Slovenia among both boys and girls and in Greece among girls only. • The biggest changes in early initiation of alcohol and drunkenness were seen in the Nordic and Ireland/Great Britain subregions, which had the highest prevalence in 2002. Less change was seen in the southern Europe/ Mediterranean subregio

The urgent need to address health literacy in schools

International audienceThe Editorial1 raised an important question: why is health literacy failing so many? It urgently called for effective responses to support people to better manage health information, but also to account for the environmental and social forces that shape people's choices. Overcoming the commercial determinants of health and the increase in disinformation on social media and the internet are being highlighted as key drivers of mistrust among people, families, and communities.The WHO2 concept note, published on Sep 6, 2021, emphasises health literacy in the context of schools, already responding to many of the issues raised in the editorial—including environmental and social factors, the commercial determinants of health, and the adverse effect of disinformation on healthy choices. The report makes the case for harnessing the potential of schools to educate children about health and improve school processes and structures, aiming at both behaviour and social change.Health literacy is a relational concept3 that requires addressing personal and organisational health literacy. Organisational health literacy provides a unique framework on the systems level for implementing a whole-of-school approach to promoting health literacy including students, teachers, families, and communities.4 Schools as educational institutions have the potential to address individual differences in learning and to narrow the disparities in learning caused by disadvantaged backgrounds.We believe health literacy failing so many is not the primary issue, but the policy support gap and inequity in investments for health literacy across systems, sectors, and governments should be the target for action

The human rights framework, the school and healthier eating among young people: a European perspective

OBJECTIVE: To give an account of provisions in the framework of international human rights and intergovernmental policy agreements in relation to eating at school and discuss how these provisions could be invoked to ensure healthy eating at school.DESIGN: A review of provisions in the international and European human rights frameworks and policy documents was performed in order to identify evidence and examples of provisions implying responsibilities of the school as a public service provider to ensure healthy eating.RESULTS: The review of the human rights and policy texts showed that there are a large number of provisions that can be invoked in support of measures at school which can contribute to ensuring healthier eating as well as better education supporting such measures.CONCLUSIONS: The international frameworks of human rights and intergovernmental policy agreements should be invoked and translated into concrete strategies, policies, regulations and accountability mechanisms at national, regional, local and school levels. Ensuring healthy eating should be a top priority among all stakeholders in and around the school environment since it is a good investment in children's short- and long-term health and educational achievements.</p

Adolescent Obesity and Related Behaviours: Trends and Inequalities in the WHO European Region, 2002-2014. Observations from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) WHO Collaborative Cross-National Study

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey is a WHO collaborative cross-national study that monitors the health behaviours, health outcomes and social environments of boys and girls aged 11, 13 and 15 years every four years. HBSC has collected international data on adolescent health, including eating behaviours, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and, more recently, overweight and obesity, for over 25 years, allowing prevalence to be compared across countries and over time. This report presents the latest trends in obesity, eating behaviours, physical activity and sedentary behaviour from the HBSC study and highlights gender and socioeconomic inequalities across the WHO European Region. Trends have previously been reported separately, but this report brings together for the first time HBSC data on obesity and obesity-related behaviours to review the latest evidence and consider the range and complexity of factors influencing childhood obesity

Adolescent Alcohol-Related Behaviours: Trends and Inequalities in the WHO European Region, 2002-2014. Observations from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) WHO Collaborative Cross-National Study

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey is a WHO collaborative cross-national study that monitors the health behaviours, health outcomes and social environments of boys and girls aged 11, 13 and 15 years every four years. HBSC has collected international data on adolescent health, including alcohol consumption and drinking behaviours, for over 30 years, allowing prevalence to be compared across countries and over time. This report presents the latest trends in alcohol consumption and drinking behaviours among 15-year-olds across the WHO European Region, taken from the HBSC study. It highlights gender and socioeconomic inequalities across the Region. Trends have previously been reported separately, but this report brings together for the first time a broader range of HBSC data on adolescent alcohol consumption and drinking behaviours to review the latest evidence and highlight differences in alcohol use by gender, socioeconomic position and geographic subregion