Abstract

Background: Adolescents need effective lifestyle counselling precisely because health problems are so common. Good‐quality lifestyle counselling can prevent the problems from becoming worse and decrease the costs of health care. Nurse practitioners in schools are well positioned to promote adolescent health.

Aim: This study describes adolescents’ evaluations of the quality of lifestyle counselling and factors related to it in school‐based health care.

Methods: The data were collected from seventh‐ to ninth‐grade adolescents (n = 846) using the Counselling Quality Instrument, from two junior high schools in northern Finland. The study employed a web‐based survey. Response rate was 67% (n = 563). The data were analysed via descriptive statistics.

Results: Most adolescents (84%) reported that the counselling resources related to school‐based health care are quite good. Most of them reported that nutrition (70%) and physical activity (63%) related to lifestyle counselling are sufficient. Approximately half of adolescents (51%) considered the counselling related to substance abuse as being sufficient. Most (80%) felt that the level of interaction during counselling is good. Overall, the majority of adolescents reported that goal‐oriented lifestyle counselling (67%) and adolescent‐centred counselling (69%) are good. Finally, most adolescents (72%) reported that they have benefitted from lifestyle counselling. Gender and health status were significantly related to resources, interaction and benefits of lifestyle counselling. Girls evaluated that counselling were more adolescent‐centred than boys. Adolescents with very good health status evaluated content of lifestyle counselling better than adolescents with poorer health status.

Conclusion: The adolescents evaluated the quality of lifestyle counselling in school‐based health care as mainly being good. School nurses should pay particular attention when providing counselling to boys and those who are in poorer health.