Teen Girls Stressed Out More Often Than Boys.

Teenage girls are nearly 40% more likely than boys to say they experience stress on a regular basis, according to the latest Teenmark data from Mediamark Research Inc.

Girls are far more likely than boys to cite their weight/body image and overall appearance as stress-inducing factors, although both genders agree that having too much schoolwork is the leading cause of stress in their lives.

Asked how often they feel “stressed out,” 59% of female teens responded “all the time” or “sometimes,” compared with 42% of male teens. Pointing the source of their stress, girls are 146% more likely to cite their weight/body image, and 101% more likely to cite their overall appearance.

The survey was conducted among teen residents in households interviewed for Mediamark’s Survey of the American Consumer. Questionnaires were mailed to eligible persons in those households from April through July 2002 and again from April through July 2003. 4,577 youths, aged 12-19, responded.

“While it’s not surprising that the pressures of school and girls’ self-image weigh heavily on the youth population, only about one-quarter of the respondents cited their parents’ relationships as a stress factor,” said Anne Marie Kelly, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning at MRI. “Despite living in a time when divorce is so prevalent, there are many concerns that cause teens anxiety other than how their parents are getting along.”

Ranking last on the list of stress-related questions in the Teenmark® survey was “issues with your own health,” with only 13% of respondents citing it as a cause of stress.

To view charts CLICK above on ‘More Images’.

For more information at http://mediamark.nopworld.com