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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Self-rated health in adolescence: a multifactorial composite
Hans-Johan Breidablik1, Eivind Meland, Stian Lydersen
1Department of Research and Development, District General Hospital of Førde, Førde, Norway. hans.johan.breidablik@helse-forde.no
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
|April 23, 2008
Summary
Adolescent self-rated health is linked to medical, social, and personal factors. Both positive and negative health ratings are similarly influenced by these variables, with well-being being a strong predictor.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health research
- Psychosocial factors in health
- Health psychology
Background:
- Self-rated health is a key health predictor, yet understudied in adolescents.
- Adolescent health perceptions encompass medical, psychological, social, and lifestyle elements.
- Understanding adolescent health ratings is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between self-rated health and various factors in adolescents.
- To compare the influence of these factors on negative versus positive health ratings.
- To explore the multidimensional nature of adolescent health perception.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of the Young-HUNT II study data.
- Inclusion of 2,800 Norwegian students aged 16–20 years (81% response rate).
- Gender-specific logistic regression analyses examining self-rated health predictors.
Main Results:
- Self-rated health in adolescents significantly correlates with medical, social, and personal factors.
- These associations remain significant in multivariate analyses.
- Both negative (poor/not good) and positive (very good) health ratings are similarly affected, with general well-being showing a strong link.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents perceive health holistically, integrating medical, psychological, social, and lifestyle aspects.
- Factors influencing positive health ratings affect them similarly to those influencing negative ratings.
- The impact of factors hindering positive health may be more significant due to higher prevalence.
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