Children’s and young people’s accounts of their health and healthy living underscore the role of the environment, whether at home or school, or in their neighbourhoods. Considerations such as cleanliness and safety are important, but so too are facilities, friendliness and general ‘ethos’. Schools Schools have been the focus of several studies. Mayall (1996) drew on data from a large-scale survey of children, as well as six case studies, to investigate children’s health at primary schools.
Some facets have been looked into as the buildings and lavatories, opportunities for a nutritious diet and exercise, relationships at school, and provision for care if children became ill. Based on what young people said, Mayall challenged the common designation of children as objects of the education system, and instead proposed that they are young people striving to maintain their well-being in a service under siege. Vernon et al (2003) also explored the issue of school lavatories with primary school age children in England and Sweden.
In both countries they found school toilets unpleasant, dirty, smelly, and frightening and a place where bullying occurred, and many children avoided using them (62% of boys and 35% of girls in the UK site and 28% of boys and girls in the Swedish site). The authors conclude that European standards are needed for school toilets in order to prevent children developing problems such as constipation, urinary tract infections and incontinence.
Healey (2002) found that many young people highlight the link between the school environment and their ability to learn. Basic facilities (such as lockers) and cleanliness (including and clean toilets) are strong concerns, but the less tangible ‘feel’ of a school – including friendliness, being noticed as an individual, and respect for cultural diversity – are also seen as critical. Basically, young people are apt to associate school environment with both emotional well-being and learning.
Nine out of ten children saw after-school facilities as an important component of a healthy school. Other Settings Supported housing was the focus of one consultation about healthy living with four young people (Lewis, 2004). While participants shared the views of young people everywhere about the kind of services they appreciated, and the importance of friendships and ‘fitting in’ for healthy lifestyles, they also identified the particular constraints present in their day-to-day environment.
In particular they pointed to inadequate cooking facilities, lack of access to sports facilities, and the pressures in hostels to gain acceptance by getting involved in harmful patterns of behaviour. Ideas to improve their health and well-being included more outings, more group activities, internet access, a house phone, double-glazed windows, and new books for the library. The role of lifestyle and the environment on health was also examined in a study of young people in custody (Lewis, 2005), and was in this instance found to have positive aspects.
While these young people experienced a high level and range of needs, many explained how reception into custody had provided them with opportunities to improve some aspects of their health and well-being. It was a chance for those with chaotic lifestyles to settle into a routine, stop drinking and taking drugs, access healthcare services, start exercising, and fill gaps in their personal, social and health education. The physical and social fabric of the prison environment also had a crucial impact on their health and well-being as it was seen as an indication of their value.
Young people identified the importance of a bright and comfortable physical environment and suggested that buildings should be designed to feel as open and unimposing as possible. Many suggested that their ‘pads should be more homely’ as this would help them feel more settled, less home sick, and more able to cope. Another study of the health and health needs of young offenders has provided complementary messages (Anderson et al, 2004b). Interestingly, this illustrated how perceptions of mental illness can range between stigma, aggression, lack of coping, previous experiences, and physical ill-health.