IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v63y2006i10p2628-2639.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

"Everyone dies, so you might as well have fun!" Attitudes of Dutch youths about their health lifestyle

Author

Listed:
  • van Exel, N.J.A.
  • de Graaf, G.
  • Brouwer, W.B.F.

Abstract

Most Western societies seem to have embarked on a runaway weight-gain train, equipped with too many accelerators and not enough brakes. Adolescents have been identified as a public health risk group in this area. To uncover youths' attitudes about their health lifestyle, with a focus on overweightness, we conducted a discourse analysis using Q-methodology. Female, Dutch youths between 12 and 15 years rank-ordered statements on issues like eating behaviour, overweightness, health risks, health perceptions and motivations/obstacles for adopting a healthier lifestyle. Q-factor analysis revealed five attitudes: "carefree sporty", "worrying dependent", "contended independent", "looks over content" and "indifferent solitary". The youths were all more or less uninterested in their own health but for different reasons. For most of these youths, neither current nor future health is of major concern, because they feel physically fit, are generally satisfied and happy, or simply do not care. Some are concerned about their eating behaviour due to the consequences it has on appearance, being physically unfit or overweight. Even so, this preoccupation with eating appears far from healthy. Only one of the five health lifestyle attitudes identified combines healthy eating and exercising behaviour. Most youths appear to have little knowledge and many questions regarding health and overweightness.

Suggested Citation

  • van Exel, N.J.A. & de Graaf, G. & Brouwer, W.B.F., 2006. ""Everyone dies, so you might as well have fun!" Attitudes of Dutch youths about their health lifestyle," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(10), pages 2628-2639, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:63:y:2006:i:10:p:2628-2639
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277-9536(06)00339-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert C. Whitaker, "undated". "Obesity Prevention in Pediatric Primary Care: Four Behaviors to Target," Mathematica Policy Research Reports fb2a2ffd7d024ffa943e512c4, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Stenner, Paul H. D. & Cooper, Deborah & Skevington, Suzanne M., 2003. "Putting the Q into quality of life; the identification of subjective constructions of health-related quality of life using Q methodology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(11), pages 2161-2172, December.
    3. repec:mpr:mprres:3649 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Stenner, P. H. D. & Dancey, C. P. & Watts, S., 2000. "The understanding of their illness amongst people with irritable bowel syndrome: a Q methodological study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 439-452, August.
    5. Risdon, Andrea & Eccleston, Chris & Crombez, Geert & McCracken, Lance, 2003. "How can we learn to live with pain? A Q-methodological analysis of the diverse understandings of acceptance of chronic pain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 375-386, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Exel, Job van & Graaf, Gjalt de & Brouwer, Werner, 2007. "Care for a break? An investigation of informal caregivers' attitudes toward respite care using Q-methodology," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(2-3), pages 332-342, October.
    2. N. Exel & G. Graaf & P. Rietveld, 2011. "“I can do perfectly well without a car!”," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 383-407, May.
    3. Mason, Helen & van Exel, Job & Baker, Rachel & Brouwer, Werner & Donaldson, Cam, 2016. "From representing views to representativeness of views: Illustrating a new (Q2S) approach in the context of health care priority setting in nine European countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 205-213.
    4. van Exel, Job & de Graaf, Gjalt & Brouwer, Werner, 2008. "Give me a break!: Informal caregiver attitudes towards respite care," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 73-87, October.
    5. van Exel, Job & Baker, Rachel & Mason, Helen & Donaldson, Cam & Brouwer, Werner, 2015. "Public views on principles for health care priority setting: Findings of a European cross-country study using Q methodology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 128-137.
    6. Daphne Truijens & Job van Exel, 2019. "Views on deceased organ donation in the Netherlands: A q-methodology study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-15, May.
    7. van de Wetering, E.J. & van Exel, N.J.A. & Brouwer, W.B.F., 2010. "Piecing the jigsaw puzzle of adolescent happiness," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 923-935, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Exel, Job van & Graaf, Gjalt de & Brouwer, Werner, 2007. "Care for a break? An investigation of informal caregivers' attitudes toward respite care using Q-methodology," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(2-3), pages 332-342, October.
    2. van Exel, Job & de Graaf, Gjalt & Brouwer, Werner, 2008. "Give me a break!: Informal caregiver attitudes towards respite care," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 73-87, October.
    3. van Exel, Job & Baker, Rachel & Mason, Helen & Donaldson, Cam & Brouwer, Werner, 2015. "Public views on principles for health care priority setting: Findings of a European cross-country study using Q methodology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 128-137.
    4. N. Exel & G. Graaf & P. Rietveld, 2011. "“I can do perfectly well without a car!”," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 383-407, May.
    5. Baker, Rachel Mairi, 2006. "Economic rationality and health and lifestyle choices for people with diabetes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(9), pages 2341-2353, November.
    6. Giacaman, Rita & Mataria, Awad & Nguyen-Gillham, Viet & Safieh, Rula Abu & Stefanini, Angelo & Chatterji, Somnath, 2007. "Quality of life in the Palestinian context: An inquiry in war-like conditions," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 68-84, April.
    7. Finn, Mark & Sarangi, Srikant, 2008. "Quality of life as a mode of governance: NGO talk of HIV 'positive' health in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(7), pages 1568-1578, April.
    8. Rachel Baker & John Wildman & Helen Mason & Cam Donaldson, 2014. "Q‐Ing For Health—A New Approach To Eliciting The Public'S Views On Health Care Resource Allocation," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(3), pages 283-297, March.
    9. James Sumberg & Thomas Yeboah & Justin Flynn & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2017. "Young people’s perspectives on farming in Ghana: a Q study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(1), pages 151-161, February.
    10. Matthew Cotton & Patrick Devine-Wright, 2011. "Discourses of Energy Infrastructure Development: A Q-Method Study of Electricity Transmission Line Siting in the UK," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(4), pages 942-960, April.
    11. Christel Protiére & Rachel Baker & Dominique Genre & Anthony Goncalves & Patrice Viens, 2017. "Marketing Authorization Procedures for Advanced Cancer Drugs: Exploring the Views of Patients, Oncologists, Healthcare Decision Makers, and Citizens in France," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 37(5), pages 555-566, July.
    12. Emanuel Stoeckli & Christian Dremel & Falk Uebernickel & Walter Brenner, 2020. "How affordances of chatbots cross the chasm between social and traditional enterprise systems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(2), pages 369-403, June.
    13. Thomas Yeboah & James Sumberg & Justin Flynn & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2017. "Perspectives on Desirable Work: Findings from a Q Study with Students and Parents in Rural Ghana," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(2), pages 423-440, April.
    14. Daphne Truijens & Job van Exel, 2019. "Views on deceased organ donation in the Netherlands: A q-methodology study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-15, May.
    15. Rotteveel, A.H. & Reckers-Droog, V.T. & Lambooij, M.S. & de Wit, G.A. & van Exel, N.J.A., 2021. "Societal views in the Netherlands on active disinvestment of publicly funded healthcare interventions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    16. Hempel, Corinna & Will, Sabine & Zander, Katrin, 2018. "Societal Perspectives on a Bio-Economy in Germany: An Explorative Study Using Q Methodology," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276871, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    17. Robert C. Whitaker, "undated". "A Review of Household Behaviors for Preventing Obesity in Children," Mathematica Policy Research Reports bc86918ccf014d6a91b2648eb, Mathematica Policy Research.
    18. Ahmed, Shenaz & Bryant, Louise D. & Tizro, Zahra & Shickle, Darren, 2012. "Interpretations of informed choice in antenatal screening: A cross-cultural, Q-methodology study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(7), pages 997-1004.
    19. Hunter, William Cannon, 2011. "Rukai indigenous tourism: Representations, cultural identity and Q method," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 335-348.
    20. repec:mpr:mprres:4691 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Weldegiorgis, Fitsum S. & Ali, Saleem H., 2016. "Mineral resources and localised development: Q-methodology for rapid assessment of socioeconomic impacts in Rwanda," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 1-11.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:63:y:2006:i:10:p:2628-2639. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.