No mean city: adolescent health and risk behaviours in a UK urban setting
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Updated: Apr 28, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Kate A Levin1, David Walsh2, Gerry McCartney3
1NHSGGC, Public Health Directorate, West House, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow G12 0HX.
Background:
The adult population of Glasgow has worse health than in the rest of Scotland, only partially explained by deprivation. Little is known about the health of young Glaswegians.
Methods:
The 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey data were analysed using multilevel modelling to compare outcomes in Glasgow relative to the rest of Scotland.
Results:
Glasgow adolescents had similar or better self-reported health on some measures--e.g. adjusting for age and sex, OR for 'very happy' was 0.93 (95% CI = (0.75, 1.14))--and the beta coefficient for positive GHQ-12 was 2.79 (0.72, 4.85) compared with the rest of Scotland. However, many health aspects were worse in Glasgow especially for eating and sedentary behaviour, subjective health and aggression, e.g. the OR for 'daily consumption of vegetables' was 0.59 (0.46, 0.77), of reporting 'excellent health' was 0.66 (0.50, 0.87); headaches was 1.40 (1.09, 1.80); however drinking alcohol in the past week was lower (OR 0.71 (0.50, 0.99)) and smoking, similar. Adjustment for family affluence and school type marginally attenuated the association with Glasgow.
Conclusions:
The worse health experienced by Glasgow adults is only partially seen among young people in Glasgow; however, these are seen at the youngest ages in the study.
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