Health Behaviour and School Environment among School-aged Black and White South African Children in the Limpopo Province

The main objective of the ‘Health Behaviour among School-Aged Children’ (HBSC) study was to collect information on health-related behaviour of South African youth. Another objective was to examine the association between learners’ perceptions of their school environment, teachers’ and peers’ support and their health behaviours. Furthermore, recommendations about the health behaviour of school-aged children are developed. The sample comprised 515 Grade 8 secondary school learners chosen at random from three urban schools in the Polokwane area, Limpopo Province. Results indicated that learners who had positive perceptions regarding their school environments were significantly more likely to engage in health promoting behaviours. The healthy food score was associated with supportive teachers but not with supportive peers and supportive parents and socioeconomic status. Regarding the different health-related behaviours, gender differences were less pronounced than racial differences. Black school-aged children had a significantly higher unhealthy food score than Whites but there were no racial differences on the healthy food score. In conclusion, therefore health promotion practitioners need to consider the impact of the school environment (particularly unrealistic scholastic expectations from teachers and parents) on health behaviours of school-aged children.