title: What factors predict student self-rated physical health?
abstract: Data from a randomly selected sample of 840 Ontario students were used to examine factors that affect self-rated physical health. Analyses focused on demographics, family structure, family financial situation, child-parent relationship, school achievement, self-esteem, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use as factors which directly and indirectly influence self-rated health. Specifically, higher income, good child-parent relationship, higher interest and achievement in school, high self-esteem, not smoking, and being male were all positively and directly associated with higher self-ratings of health. Family structure was mediated by income, and school achievement and child-parent relationship were mediated by tobacco use and self-esteem. Our analyses suggest that student perceptions of physical health are affected by demographic, economic, social, psychological and competency factors.
authors.affiliation: Population and Community Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vingilis
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adlaf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders