Abstract
Senior high school students (147 boys, 191 girls in Osaka, and 89 boys, 160 girls in Hiroshima) were asked to answer a questionnaire on their awareness of health and life style.
When asked about the feeling of pleasure of having meals with family while chatting, 19% of the boys and 41% of the girls in Osaka and 17% of the boys and 34% of the girls in Hiroshima responded positively with the difference being significant by sex. With respect to their food habits, 45% of the boys and 52% of the girls in Osaka, and 56% of the boys and 54% of the girls in Hiroshima, answered that they thought their food habits were good enough to maintain their health, however, 40% and 30% of the boys and girls in Osaka and 21% and 27% in Hiroshima, respectively, answered “no” .
When questioned with respect to work, “to earn money” was given as the reason for working by more girls (46% and 48% in Osaka and Hiroshima, respectively) than boys (39% and 45%, respectively) while work was considered to be a “natural obligation” by 17% and 23% of boys in Osaka and Hiroshima, respectively, and 15% and 18% of the girls, respectively. Both boys and girls (45% and 38% in Osaka, and 42% and 40% in Hiroshima, respectively) considered that traditions support peoples lives, while negative responses were given by 38% and 29% of the boys and girls in Osaka, and 23% and 21% in Hiroshima, respectively. For questions on living conditions, 36% and 32% of the boys and girls in Osaka, and 35% and 31% in Hiroshima, respectively, considered them to be acceptable, and less than 24% and 31% of the boys and girls in both regions responded that their living conditions were “comfortable” .
