While 86% of French people feel in good health, only 2/10 actually would be. Paradoxically, young people are more stressed and more depressed.
Young people are said to be significantly more stressed, depressed and sleep deprived than their elders. This is what reveals a survey published this Thursday evaluating the state of health of the French according to indicators of form and hygiene of life. According to the 2nd edition of this barometer of French health from AXA Prévention, contrary to popular belief, young people are not the fittest.
9 out of 10 French people feel in good health but 2/10 really are
According to this survey carried out by TNS Sofres, 9 out of 10 French people say they are “in good health”, and among these 22% even consider themselves in “very good health”. However, reading the results of this survey, the data of which was collected via the internet, it actually emerges that only 24% are really in good health against 27% in 2012, with positive results in five criteria: presence or not of ” severe or chronic illness, depression, overweight / obesity, quality of sleep and stress. 39% of French people surveyed are positive on 2 to 3 indicators and therefore display fair health compared to 36% in 2012. Finally for 2013, 11% are clearly in poor health with only one positive indicator. Note that stress, depression and overweight were calculated on the basis of internationally standardized questions (series of questions allowing a score to be calculated for each individual). The quality of sleep and the presence of serious or chronic illnesses are based on the direct declaration of the volunteers interviewed.
People under 25 are the most stressed and depressed
But the most surprising result of this poll reveals that the youngest people are also the most stressed. 53% of those under 25 and 52% of those 25 to 34 say they are “under high stress”. Conversely, those over 65 are only 24% to say they are stressed, according to this poll carried out from July 2 to 8 with a representative sample of 1,004 people. They are also particularly affected by depression. Among 25-34 year olds, 31% say they suffer from depression. Worse still for those under 25, since 28% would be affected. Conversely, here too, the elderly show better psychological health, only 13% of those 65 and over are confronted with depression. In addition, when asked about the quality of their sleep (insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or waking up at night), it is generally between 25 and 34 years of age that the French sleep less well, since this concerns 41% of them. Contrary to popular belief, only 17% of those over 65 say they have sleep problems.
28% of French people who are significantly overweight or obese
Finally, this survey looked at the weight and risky behaviors of the French. Among those surveyed, 20% of French people say they are slightly overweight, 12% significantly overweight and 16% are obese. It is from the age of 65 that the French are the most likely to be significantly overweight: 40% of them are affected, as are 35% of 55-64 year olds. On this criterion, young people are doing better than their elders. 10% of those under 25 are significantly overweight or obese. 13% are slightly overweight. However, according to the instigators of this poll, this is much more than in 2012 when they were only 4%.
In addition, with regard to alcohol consumption, while 81% of French people consume alcohol, 37% have alcohol consumption that poses a risk to health. This excessive consumption particularly concerns those 65 and over (59% of them). Latest alarming figure highlighted by this barometer: 13% of French people are alcohol-dependent. Among them, there are 19% of people 65 and over and just as many under 25, often followers of occasional practices such as ‘binge drinking’.
.
