Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
This is a mixed methods collection. The research focused on the role of critical incidents in the life of young people and the extent to which such critical incidents acted as crucial flashpoints in the generation of attitudes towards health-related behaviour. Specifically, the research investigated schoolchildren’s attitudes towards risk-taking and health. Consumption of alcohol and tobacco by young people was studied as a pertinent instance of health-related behaviour. Attention was focused on the 15-16 age range as a group who are of particular interest in terms of their stage of development in relation to the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The aims and objectives of the research were to: analyse young people’s perceptions of self and personal health in the context of two recent developments in sociological theory concerned with ‘self identities’ and with the meaning of risk in contemporary western society; investigate the role of ‘critical incidents’ in the formation of schoolchildren’s attitudes to health-related behaviour; provide a methodological development of the critical incident technique for social research based on group interviews with schoolchildren; engage with a variety of agencies concerned with young people and foster an interdisciplinary approach to the study of health-related behaviour; enhance the value of health education strategies through a contribution to the existing knowledge base on the willingness of young people to take risks with their health. The project used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodology, and the study therefore includes one quantitative data file comprising coded responses from the questionnaire, eleven transcripts of focus group interviews conducted with groups of 15-16 year olds who responded to the questionnaire, and eight transcripts of interviews, each conducted with two students together, at five of the schools that took part in the survey.
Main Topics:
Quantitative data: In order to explore the role of critical incidents on their willingness to engage in health-risking behaviour, the young people taking part in the survey were asked about any: first-hand experience of a serious accident or injury, or personal experience of a serious illness or a medical condition affecting their well-being. They were also asked about any experience they had involving: the death of a close friend or someone in the close family, or a serious accident or illness affecting someone close to them. In addition to items specifically concerned with critical incidents, the questionnaire included items on young people’s alcohol and tobacco consumption, attitudes to their own bodies, and perceptions of risks related to health. This information was correlated with the demographic data on sex, ethnic origin and social class that was also collected as part of the survey. The survey data acted as a prelude to the qualitative research by supplying information which a) addressed specific issues pertinent to the research and b) provided a foundation for the subsequent discussions in focus groups and interviews. Qualitative data: Focus groups: For the focus group interviews, the young people were initially invited to discuss issues arising from the survey. This allowed some validation of the findings from the questionnaires. The focus groups also provided more insights to the attitudes and perceptions of this age group and were specifically geared towards revealing cases of critical incidents in the young people’s lives. Interviews: The interviews covered more in-depth probing of young people's experiences of critical incidents in relation to their attitudes towards risk-taking with health.
One-stage cluster sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-completion
