Teenagers among most fed up in EU
Greek adolescents are less satisfied with their family life and their standard of living than most of their European counterparts, according to a pan-European study carried out by a group of Greek scientists. One in five Greek adolescents feels neglected by their parents and has difficulty communicating with them, according to the study carried out by experts from the University of Athens Medical School and the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine. The study was carried out on a sample of 1,200 Greek adolescents, aged 12 to 18, and their parents, and a similar sample from other European countries. When asked to rate their family life – with 100 indicating the perfect score – Greek adolescents awarded an average score of 70, below the European average of 74.6. Of the Greek youngsters polled, 22.3 percent said their parents «never or rarely» have enough time for them. But only 7 out of 100 Greek parents admitted that they were too busy to spend time with their children. Greek adolescents also revealed little confidence in their physical well-being, with an average mark of 68.6 out of 100. A related finding showed that only 61.7 percent of Greek adolescents (as compared to a European average of 77.3 percent) have a family doctor they can turn to for advice about health-related issues. The study also showed that Greek teenagers only visit a doctor in the event of a serious illness and hardly ever as preventative measures. Greek adolescents appear to have a more positive outlook regarding their economic situation, giving it a mark of 71.6 out of 100, which corresponds exactly to the EU average. However, the study also revealed that four out of 10 Greek adolescents do not have a personal computer in their homes – the highest rate out of all the European countries. Also nearly a third (31.6 percent) of Greek teenagers do not have their own bedroom at their family home, according to the research. Again, this was significantly higher than other European teenagers except for those in the Czech Republic, where 36.7 percent do not have their own bedroom, and Poland, where 37.9 percent share their sleeping quarters.
