Less often positive about their own health
We have been seeing for some time that young people’s perceived health is declining. In 2015, almost 9 in 10 young people (88%) still said that they experienced their health as (very) good. In the latest measurement in 2023, this had fallen to 8 in 10 (80%). This decline in perceived health is visible in almost all GGD regions.
Mental health has not recovered
In the previous measurement, in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic, we saw that young people felt less happy. In this measurement (2023), we see that this has stabilised. Compared with before the coronavirus period in 2019, young people experience more stress. The main cause of stress among young people is school or homework (35%). Young people also often experience stress from the combination of everything they have to do (30%). In addition, the proportion of young people who were bullied at school and/or online in the last 3 months rose from 11% in 2019 to 18% in 2023. The previous measurement took place in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, when many measures were in force that affected young people’s wellbeing. It is worrying that the results have not recovered or improved since then.
Increase in unhealthy behaviour
Alarming is the increase in the proportion of young people who vape (smoke e-cigarettes): this figure has more than quadrupled in the past 4 years. In 2019, 2% of young people vaped weekly; in 2023, this was 9%. More young people also smoke cigarettes or roll-your-own tobacco weekly (rising from 4% in 2019 to 6% in 2023). Together with the increase in vaping, this means that young people’s smoking behaviour has risen sharply: 11% of young people now smoke and/or vape weekly (compared with 5% in 2019). The risk of problematic social media use is also increasing. By now, 13% of young people are at risk of problematic social media use, compared with 8% in 2019. Among other things, these young people report not getting enough sleep or rushing through their homework because of their use of social media.
Weekly smoking and/or vaping.
“We must turn the tide”
“These are worrying results,” says Andre Rouvoet, chair of GGD GHOR Netherlands. “We are striving for a healthy generation in 2040, but we are seeing precisely the opposite happen: young people’s perceived health is deteriorating and unhealthy behaviour is increasing. We must therefore turn the tide and take appropriate measures before it is too late. These figures clearly show that the new Cabinet must make additional efforts in prevention.” Rouvoet advises involving young people and their parents in this as well: “Let us involve young people in this above all; they can indicate very well what they need, for example when it comes to their mental health or information about vaping.” Schools can also play a role here, for example by working with the Healthy School approach.
2023 Youth Health Monitor
In autumn 2023, all municipal public health services (GGD), in cooperation with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), conducted the Youth Health Monitor among secondary school students in years 2 and 4 throughout the Netherlands. In total, more than 188,000 students from 885 mainstream secondary schools completed a questionnaire about health, lifestyle and wellbeing. Previous measurements of the regular Youth Health Monitors took place in 2015 and 2019. In 2021, an additional measurement was conducted as part of the coronavirus response. Comparing the results from different years makes it possible to identify developments over time. More results from the Youth Health Monitor are described on VZinfo and RIVM StatLine, and information about the Health Monitors can be found at www.monitorgezondheid.nl. Local and regional policymakers and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) can use the monitor’s results to develop and substantiate policy.
To provide greater depth and better understand the results of the questionnaire survey, additional research is being conducted through group discussions and individual interviews with young people. The results of this additional research will be published after the summer.