Reported health concerns of Israeli high school students--differences by age and sex

Health concerns of high school students in the 10th grade and again in the 12th grade were studied. The students filled out an anonymous questionnaire that included a list of 73 concerns. At both ages their main concerns were reportedly related to school. Concerns relating to army service ranked high particularly in the 12th grade, among both sexes. Concerns relating to sexual relations were frequent among boys at both ages, whereas concerns about mood and loneliness were more frequent among girls. Reports on physical concerns were frequently related to height among the younger boys and weight and diet among girls of both ages. Concerns were grouped into 6 domains. In each of them, except for sexuality, girls had more concerns. A significant decline in the number of concerns was noted from the first to the second survey, indicating a partial resolution of the issues central to adolescent development. Knowledge about concerns of adolescents may help health care providers in counseling and health education program planning.