With tobacco and alcohol consumption remaining high among Serbian youth, preventive activities must be strengthened. This is one of the main findings of the first-ever Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Serbia, conducted in 2017–2018 by the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Serbia together with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. Serbia is now part of the HBSC network of 49 countries that conduct this type of study every 4 years.
“The HBSC study is a valuable resource, as it provides insight into young people’s health behaviours and the social contexts in which they live,” said Dr Marijan Ivanuša, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Serbia, at the meeting on 28 October 2019 where the results of the study were presented.
“The World Health Organization and many other entities use the results of HBSC studies to inform and contribute to improving the lives of millions of young people,” Dr Ivanuša explained.
“The importance of the HBSC study is immense because of the health-care planning and the introduction of strategies that can influence the behaviour of school-aged children and the risk factors that lead to certain health disorders,” stressed Dr Verica Jovanović, Head of the Institute of Public Health. “Habits related to physical activity, eating behaviour, and communication within the family and at school all influence behavioural styles later in life.”
The presentation of the study results gathered widespread interest. Dr Berislav Vekić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and Mr Dušan Kićović, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, both attended the meeting, together with professionals from the health and educational sectors who promised additional measures based on the study results.
Dr Martin Weber, Programme Manager at WHO/Europe, supported the Institute of Public Health in the process of joining the HBSC network. He used the opportunity to point out the important role of WHO in supporting schoolchildren’s health behaviour studies. Dr Weber noted that these studies allow for the comparison of results across countries, and for the sharing of good practices for advancing school-aged children’s health.
The study in Serbia is part of a global HBSC report that will be available in March 2020. To read key findings from the last HBSC study, follow the links below.