Annual Report of the Department of Health 2010 - Unrwa

- Hygiene: the survey indicated that 32.7% of students (41.2% males, 23.5 females) usually cleaned or brushed their teeth less than one
timeper day during the past 30 days.5.3% of students (7.9% males, 2.5% females) stated that they never or rarely washed their hands after
using the toilet or latrine during the past 30 days.
- Mental Health: the percentage of students who ever seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months was 18.1%,
(20.0% males, 16.1% females). 8.7% of students (9.0% males, 8.2% females) had no close friends.
- Physical Activity: the survey indicated that only 21.7% of students (26.2% males, 16.6% females) were physically active for a total of at least
60 minutes per day on five or more days during the past seven days. 49.1% of students (49.3% males, 49.0% females) went to physical
education (PE) class on three or more days each week during the school year and the percentage of students who spent three or more
hours per day during a typical or usual day doing sitting activities reached 25.6% (27.1% males, 23.7% females).
- Protective Factors: 38.0% of students (38.9% males, 36.7% females) missed classes or school without permission on one or more of the
past 30 days. 38.0% of students (35.0%males, 41.3% females) stated that their parents or guardians understood their problems and
worries most of the time or always during the past 30 days and 42.7% of students (41.6% males, 43.6%females) stated that their parents
or guardians really knew what they were doing with their free time most of the time.
- Tobacco Use: the percentage of students who smoked cigarettes on one or more days during the past 30 days was 10.4% (16.5% males,
3.9% females). Among students who ever smoked cigarettes, the percentage who first tried a cigarette before age 14 years was 85.6% and
the percentage of students who reported people smoked in their presence on one or more days during the past seven days reached
53.0%, (55.4% males, 50.3% females).
- Violence and Unintentional Injury: the percentage of students who took part in a physical fight one or more times during the past 12
months reached 40.7% (51.3%males, 28.7% females). 25.5%of students(34.9%males, 15.1% females) stated that they were seriously
injured one or more times during the past 12 months and the percentage of students who were bullied on one or more days during the
past 30 days reached 58.2%(62.5%males, 53.3% females).
THE 2010 UNRWA – WEST BANK GLOBAL SCHOOL HEALTH SURVEY (GSHS)
To measure dietary behaviours, drug use, hygiene, mental health, physical activity, protective factors, tobacco use, violence and unintentional
injury among school children 13-15 years in UNRWA schools, a two-stage cluster sample design was used to produce data
representative of all students in grades 7th, 8th, and 9th in UNRWA - West Bank. At the first stage, schools were selected with probability
proportional to enrolment size. At the second stage, classes were randomly selected and all students in selected classes were eligible to
participate. The school response rate was 96%, the student response rate was 93%, and the overall response rate was 90%. A total of 2,015
students participated in the UNRWA – West Bank GSHS. Students self -reported their responses to each question on a computer-scanned
answer sheet. For comparison purposes, only students aged 13-15 years were included in the analyses.
- Dietary Behaviours: the survey revealed that 3.7% of students ( 5.6% males, 2.3% females) were underweight , 25.6% overweight (22.6%
males, 27.8% males), 7.0% obese (7.6% males, 6.6% females) and that 60.3% of students (62.5% males , 58.4% females) usually drank
carbonated soft drinks one or more times per day during the past 30 days.
- Drug Use: the percentage who first used drugs before age 14 years was 82.6% and 4.5% used marijuana one or more times during their
life (8.2% males, 1.5% females).
- Hygiene: the survey indicated that 31.8% of students (37.6% males, 27.4 females) usually cleaned or brushed their teeth less than one time
per day during the past 30 days.4.4% of students (7.9% males, 1.7% females) stated that they never or rarely washed their hands after using
the toilet or latrine during the past 30 days.
- Mental Health: the percentage of students who ever seriously considered attempting suicide during the past 12 months amounted to
20.9%, (22.0% males, 19.8% females). 6.0% of students (6.9% males, 5.3% females) had no close friends.
- Physical Activity: the survey indicated that only 23.5% of students (30.9% males, 17.9% females) were physically active for a total of at least
60 minutes per day on five or more days during the past seven days. 46.8% of students (49.8% males, 44.6% females) went to physical
education (PE) class on three or more days each week during the school year and the percentage of students who spent three or more
hours per day during a typical or usual day doing sitting activities reached 33.6% (34.4% males, 33.0% females).
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