Adolescents' Perceptions of the Words "Health" and "Happy"

Autor/inn/en	O'Higgins, Siobhan; Sixsmith, Jane; Gabhainn, Saoirse Nic
Titel	Adolescents' Perceptions of the Words "Health" and "Happy"
Quelle	In: Health Education, 110 (2010) 5, S.367-381 (15 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0965-4283
DOI	10.1108/09654281011068522
Schlagwörter	Grounded Theory; Psychological Patterns; Student Attitudes; Young Adults; Adolescents; Interviews; Content Analysis; Health Behavior; Decision Making; Secondary School Students; Well Being; Gender Differences; Friendship; Language Usage; Foreign Countries; Ireland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schülerverhalten; Young adult; Junger Erwachsener; Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Inhaltsanalyse; Health behaviour; Gesundheitsverhalten; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Sekundarschüler; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Geschlechterkonflikt; Freundschaft; Sprachgebrauch; Ausland; Irland
Abstract	Purpose: The shared language of youth includes understandings of concepts that can be different from those of adults. Researchers, in their efforts to explore and illuminate the health behaviours and decision-making processes of young people, use generic terms in their data collecting protocols. This study aims to explore what adolescents understand by the words "healthy" and "happy". Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in three post-primary schools with 31 students aged 12 and 13 years. Drawing on a grounded theory approach, interviews were transcribed and subjected to thematic content analysis. Findings: The students provided a description and explanation of what health and happiness meant to them and how they intended to maintain both as they grew older. Perceptions of these two concepts were found to contain gendered nuances. This was clear in relation to descriptions of how friends were part of well-being; the girls were more likely to talk about feeling restricted and resentment at being treated like children and only the boys talked of looking forward to things. Originality/value: In order to gain an understanding of young people's perspectives about what matters and what influences their health behaviour, a clearer view of the different perspectives held by researcher and researched needs to be established so that more accurate conclusions can be drawn from data generated by young people. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10