Suggested Guidelines to Prevent Health Difficulties and Risk Behavior among Students of Secondary Schools in Governorate of Cairo

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a phase of exposure to several risk behaviors which lead to high morbidity rates
and different health issues. Study aim: To evaluate the communal health difficulties and risk behavior among
secondary school students and to suggest health guidelines for students to minimize these risk behaviors.
Subject and Methods: correlational design as descriptive was used in the current work. Setting: The current
work pereformed at 2 secondary schools: El-Saneya secondary school for girls and El- Khedewey secondary
school for boys – Governorate of Cairo . Sample: 180 students were randomly selected from first and second
secondary grades from each school. Tools: three parts questionnaire sheet was prepared part I: demographic
students characteristic, part II: communal health difficulties (social, physical, and psychological), part III:
common risk behavior executed via secondary school students. Results: respiratory difficulties (25%), skin
difficulties (45.8%). Regarding psychological difficulties (61.1%) of students reported that they complain
of inability to communicate well with others, while (66.7%) complain of low self-esteem. Social health
difficulties were having difficulties with parents at home and with their colleagues at school. The most
common risk behaviors were as follow: 25% of students smoke tobacco, 60% of them engaged in physical
violence, while 42.2% have unhealthy dietary behavior. Smoking was positively correlated along age
(p= 0.001). Conclusion: The mostly communal risk behavior found was smoking tobacco, engagement
in physical violence, and having unhealthy dietary habits. There was significant relation among students’
age & gender and common risk factors as: drug use, smoking, violence involvement, eating fast food
and non-participation in activities. Recommendation: Dissemination of health guidelines for secondary
school students to prevent health difficulties and application of health education programs to raise students’
awareness regarding how to prevent risk behaviors.