| Abstract: | Surveyed 1,981 boys and 1,952 girls in Grades 3–12 about health habits and beliefs, including smoking and eating habits, perceptions of exercise, weight, and parental involvement in health. Factors that emerged were smoking habits, family discussion of health, family thinking about health, nutritional habits, and health locus of control. Girls generally reported healthier food habits than did boys. However, adolescent girls reported more cigarette smoking than did adolescent boys. Also, boys consistently reported higher levels of exercise. There were also changes in habits and belief with age; trends that emerged in junior high school continued through high school. Adolescence also seems to be a transitional time for health habits, as suggested by personal experimentation and individual variation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
