Stress and health-related behaviour, personality characteristics and blood pressure in older school children.

Background: Frequent stress contributes to physical and psychical disorders already in school-age children. Subjective evaluation of stress level is considered adequately informative for differentiating eustress and distress.

Objectives: Assessment of the extent of stress and connections with health-related factors and characteristics is a precondition for health promotion and stress prevention in school children.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study we analysed data from 213 older school children (107 boys and 106 girls) aged 10 and 14 years. Use was made of a self-evaluation questionnaire to assess the stress level, behavioural factors, feeling of health, 7-day report of data on diet and physical activity, J.E.P.I. test (Eysenck, 1971) evaluating neuroticism and extroversion. Sport activities were expressed as FIT value (product of frequency, intensity and time of exercises) and daily energy balance as ratio of average daily energy intake and energy expenditure.

Results: The girls felt stress more frequently than boys (38.7% vs 24.3%, p < 0.03). School stress was significantly more frequent than home stress. The stressed students more negatively evaluated their health and physical performance. The relation between stress degree and neuroticism score was confirmed. Sport and physical activities were significantly lower in boys with high stress load. Any closer relations between frequency of stress and health risk behaviour, sleep as well as school performance and blood pressure failed to be confirmed.

Conclusion: The results have indicated the need of lowering school stress. One of effective ways is to promote physical activity in the life of children. (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 24.)