PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the development of self-rated health among boys and girls during adolescence. METHODS: Longitudinal cohort study, involving 1,046 Swedish adolescents from the seventh (12-13 years old) to the ninth grade. Self-rated health (well-being) and health-related empowerment were measured using a questionnaire. RESULTS: In the seventh as well as in the ninth grade, the proportion of adolescents reporting a good health was lower in girls than in boys. In general, girls showed lower health-related empowerment as compared with boys and this difference remained between both the grades. In boys and girls belonging to both grades, a high empowerment score was related to a high self-rated health. For both boys and girls, self-rated health declined between the seventh and ninth grade. In girls, the proportion rating their health as "very good" declined from 47 % to 30%, and in boys the same proportion declined from 56% to 46%, indicating an increasing gender difference. Only a minor proportion of adolescents (16% of the boys and 13% of the girls) reported an improvement. A high self-rated health in grade nine was, in girls, predicted by positive school experiences in seventh grade and, in boys, by a good mood in the family. CONCLUSION: During adolescence, girls reported lower self-rated health than boys and this gender difference increased over the years. High empowerment is related to high self-rated health, and positive school experiences and a good mood in the family seem to be important predictors of a positive development of self-rated health.
PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the development of self-rated health among boys and girls during adolescence. METHODS: Longitudinal cohort study, involving 1,046 Swedish adolescents from the seventh (12-13 years old) to the ninth grade. Self-rated health (well-being) and health-related empowerment were measured using a questionnaire. RESULTS: In the seventh as well as in the ninth grade, the proportion of adolescents reporting a good health was lower in girls than in boys. In general, girls showed lower health-related empowerment as compared with boys and this difference remained between both the grades. In boys and girls belonging to both grades, a high empowerment score was related to a high self-rated health. For both boys and girls, self-rated health declined between the seventh and ninth grade. In girls, the proportion rating their health as "very good" declined from 47 % to 30%, and in boys the same proportion declined from 56% to 46%, indicating an increasing gender difference. Only a minor proportion of adolescents (16% of the boys and 13% of the girls) reported an improvement. A high self-rated health in grade nine was, in girls, predicted by positive school experiences in seventh grade and, in boys, by a good mood in the family. CONCLUSION: During adolescence, girls reported lower self-rated health than boys and this gender difference increased over the years. High empowerment is related to high self-rated health, and positive school experiences and a good mood in the family seem to be important predictors of a positive development of self-rated health.
Authors: Maria Wiklund; Eva-Britt Malmgren-Olsson; Ann Ohman; Erik Bergström; Anncristine Fjellman-Wiklund Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-11-16 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Junia Joffer; Gunilla Burell; Erik Bergström; Hans Stenlund; Linda Sjörs; Lars Jerdén Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2014-12-17 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Ana Luísa Patrão; Maria da Conceição Almeida; Sheila Maria Alvim Matos; Dora Chor; Estela M L Aquino Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2017-08-28 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Bevan Adrian Craig; Darren Peter Morton; Peter John Morey; Lillian Marton Kent; Alva Barry Gane; Terry Leslie Butler; Paul Meredith Rankin; Kevin Ross Price Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2018-04-03 Impact factor: 3.295