PUPILS in Scotland are reporting high and increasing levels of pressure from school work, with the stress reported by teenage girls causing particular concern.

A study covering 42 countries, led by the University of St Andrews, shows that by the age of 15, young people in Scotland are more likely to report issues with school work than those in any other country apart from Malta.

The research, backed by the World Health Organisation, saw children in 41 countries across Europe and North America surveyed about issues of health and social inequality.

Although at the age of 11, girls in primary school were less concerned about school work than boys, and only a minority of each reported feeling pressure, by the age of 13, more girls (38 per cent) and boys (28 per cent) were reporting feeling "some" or "a lot".

By 15, 80 per cent of girls and 59 per cent of boys said school work pressure was an issue, higher than in 41 other countries in the study. Researchers said it was not clear why the figures for Scotland are so high.

It is also not clear why they have climbed so rapidly since the last study in 2006 when 60 per cent of girls and 46 per of boys aged 15 reported school work pressure, or why the gap between girls and boys stress levels is growing.

Dr Fergus Neville, a researcher at the School of Medicine at St Andrews University, said: "I think it is a a concern.

"When you see Scotland so high in the league table, it is a dramatic change in a relatively short period of time. It could be that exam pressure is driving this, but more research is needed to understand what lies behind it."

The study also contains worrying findings about teenaged girls, with Scottish 15-year-old girl also significantly more likely to report worrying health complaints such as headaches and stomach aches; this gets worse in the least affluent parts of the country.

Overall, the report finds that young people in Scotland have some of the highest rates of health and social inequality in Europe and North America,

The difference between the health of boys in the 20 per cent most affluent areas and the 20 per cent least affluent is wider than in any other country in the survey.

Income also appeared to be having an impact on the health of Scottish boys, who showed the highest level of inequality for multiple health complaints, moderate physical activity, starting smoking and using cannabis. Scottish girls' relationships with their fathers also seemed highly dependent on the levels of deprivation, with those in low income areas less likely to report good relations than those who were less deprived.

However, the report includes some positive findings for Scotland. Although alcohol use among teenagers remains a concern – Scotland is one of the countries where 15-year-olds are most likely to report having been drunk two or more times – the trend is clearly downwards and has been since 1998.

Meanwhile, Scottish 11-year-olds are doing better than many of their European counterparts on a number of health indicators, including satisfaction with life.

Scottish 11-year olds are also on average significantly more likely to eat breakfast daily, brush their teeth twice a day and spend more time with friends outside of school.

Dr Joanna Inchley, deputy director of the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit at St Andrews, said: “It is encouraging that 11-year-olds in Scotland are doing well compared with many of their European counterparts, but we see a clear worsening of health and wellbeing during the adolescent years.

“Particularly concerning is the increase in school-related stress which may be contributing to poorer mental wellbeing especially among 15-year-old girls. It is essential that we look at ways of providing support to young people to help them navigate the challenges they face during adolescence.”

Gerry McCartney, head of Public Health Observatory, NHS Health Scotland, said: “The report highlights the progress we have made in many aspects of health amongst young people in Scotland over time, such as the decrease in consumption of high sugar drinks, but it also highlights the stark inequalities in how healthy children feel themselves to be. Amongst boys, these inequalities are wider than in any other country included in the survey.”