3/2007Sociometric measurement of healthy behavior and life style in children and youth taking special consideration on drug addiction

GRZEGORZ CZERWIŃSKI (Poradnia Rehabilitacyjna NZOZ Przychodnia Rejonowa „Ogrody” w Bydgoszczy; Kierownik: lek. stom. Andrzej Zieliński)

Background
Drug addiction threat relates to all community groups and it is becoming even more and more dangerous either public or medical problem.

Material and methods
One hundred children and adolescents took part in the survey which was conducted by one of the biggest Polish websites “Wirtualna Polska” on the internet. The authors prepared sociogram using sociometric technique which showed general situation in the young generation environment.

Results
35 women (35% respondents) and 65 men (65% respondents) took part in the survey. 8% of them claimed that they had contact with drugs at home, 35% at school, 42% – at friends, 15% – in other places. Among people who admitted that they had taken drugs, i.e. 61% of the studied population – took marihuana, 10% – LSD, 18% had contact with steroids, 7% people took cocaine, 2% – amphetamine, no one used heroin, 2% took antipsychotic drugs. Among all the people who filled in the questionnaires – 55% admitted that there was not enough information about harmful effect caused by drugs, 45% claimed that they knew side effects of taking drugs. 30% of respondents found out about harmful consequences of taking drugs at school, at home – 10%, 25% heard about it in the radio or saw it on TV, 30% – read about it in newspapers and 5% got the information about drugs from other sources.

Key words: sociometry, screening, prevention, drug, health promotion