Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists from the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow reveal in the latest edition of the Journal of Youth Studies that what today's teenagers do in their spare time may partly explain why there is a greater increase in smoking, drinking and drug taking amongst girls than among boys.

The new figures are a reversal of the trend from past decades which have consistently shown greater increases in the number of boys indulging in these activities.

The study carried out in Glasgow found that the gender reversal corresponds with more girls spending greater amounts of time outside the home: seeing friends, hanging around the street and going to discos and clubs, and more boys staying at home: reading, doing hobbies and playing computer games.

The leisure and lifestyle study compared two groups of 15 year old schoolchildren from the same geographical area in and around Glasgow. The first group was surveyed in 1987 and the second group in 1999. Nearly 3,000 children contributed to the study via home-based interviews and questionnaires.

Lead scientist, Dr Helen Sweeting of the University of Glasgow, said:

"Up until the last few decades of the twentieth century, the leisure time of teenage girls was more likely to revolve around their homes or shops while boys were more likely to go out. Reduced constraints on female behaviour have resulted in both greater social freedom and more equal opportunities. But freedom and opportunities also bring some risks.

"These results underline the need for us to continue in our attempts to devise really effective risk reduction strategies and remind us how important it is to provide facilities and create chances for alternative social or sporting activities that are attractive and accessible to all young people."

Summary of results:

Between 1987 and 1999, there were considerable changes in leisure patterns, for example:

'Commercialised' leisure (cinema, discos/clubs and gigs/concerts) increased for both boys and girls. In 1987, 11% of boys went to discos/clubs weekly or more, increasing to 30% by 1999; comparable figures among the girls increasing from 15% to 35% Spending time in shops also became more popular, but particularly for boys, so reducing the gender difference. In 1987, 21% of boys looked round the shops weekly or more, increasing to 78% by 1999; among the girls the figures were 57% increasing to 91%.

Hanging around the street reduced for boys but not for girls, so that by 1999 there were no gender differences. In 1987, 45% of boys hung around the street daily or most days, reducing to 39% by 1999; among girls the figures were 30% and 37%.

Reading (books, papers or magazines) increased for boys but reduced for girls. In 1987, 64% of boys read daily or most days, increasing to 73% by 1999; for girls the figures were 73% and 65%.

Time spent on computer games increased, but much more so for boys. In 1987, 28% of boys played computer games daily or most days, increasing to 71% in 1999; among girls the figures were 4% and 14%.

These results highlight the massive increases in commercialised and consumer based leisure during the 1990s. There are also suggestions that over this period, teenage girls were spending greater amounts of time outside the home, while at the same time teenage boys' leisure became more home-based.

Between 1987 and 1999 there were also changes in the amount of smoking, drinking and drug use (paralleling those documented in other studies):

Rates of smoking among girls overtook those of boys. Current smoking was reported by 14% boys and 16% girls in 1987 and by 22% boys and 29% girls in 1999. There were large increases in drinking and although this had been higher among boys in 1987, this was not the case at the later date. In 1987 22% boys and 15% girls drank at least monthly, compared with 61% boys and 66% girls in 1999.

There were similarly large increases in drug use, and once again higher rates among boys in 1987 disappeared over time. 11% boys and 6% girls reported ever having tried drugs in 1987, and by 42% boys and 38% girls in 1999.

At both dates, some leisure activities were related to higher rates of smoking, drinking and drug use, while some were related to lower rates, for example:

Seeing friends, hanging around the street and going to discos/clubs were related to higher rates.

Reading, doing hobbies and playing computer games were related to lower rates.

For some activities the relationships changed with time, for example:

The relationship between hanging round the street and smoking, drinking and drugs was stronger in 1999 than it had been in 1987.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Dr Sweeting, contact the MRC Press Office on 020 7637 6011 or the University of Glasgow Press Office on 0141 330 3535 / 8593

First published: 26 January 2004