Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• PIKO, Bettina F

Titel

Self-perceived health among adolescents : the role of gender and psychosocial factors

Ist Teil von

• European journal of pediatrics, 2007-07, Vol.166 (7), p.701-708

Ort / Verlag

Heidelberg: Springer

Erscheinungsjahr

2007

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Since adolescents' psychosocial health problems may have major implications for adult morbidity and mortality, investigating their self-perceived health deserves priority. In the lack of limiting illness, psychosocial health variables, e.g., psychosomatic health complaints or health behaviors, play a decisive role in determining adolescents' self-perceived health. Using data on adolescents from Szeged, Hungary (n = 1,114), we examined the relationship between adolescents' self-perceived health and a set of psychosocial health status measurements. Findings show that psychosomatic and depressive symptoms contributed significantly to adolescents' poor/fair perceptions of health. Findings also support the relationship between health behaviors and adolescents' self-perceived health. Among boys, drug use and the lack of physical activity are significant predictors. Among girls, smoking may act in a similar way. Diet control is significant in both cases. Besides academic achievement, SES self-assessment and non-intact family status are strong contributes to health perception. Overall, findings show that psychosocial health variables are important influences on adolescents' self-perceived health.