title: Positive factors associated with promoting health in low-risk and high-risk populations of 15- and 16-year-old pupils in Oslo, Norway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore possible risk-reducing factors associated with the incidence of common illnesses and use of healthcare services among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in all Oslo schools among all 15- and 16-y-olds in 2000 and 2001. The adolescent population was divided into a low-risk (LR) and a high-risk (HR) group, and into quartiles, based on a sum score of different negative life experiences. The groups were compared with respect to potential risk-reducing factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  88% of the 8316 pupils filled in the questionnaires. The difference between the LR and HR groups was largest for the possible risk-reducing factor "my family values my opinion" (LR group = 92%; HR group = 82%), and "I manage to solve serious problems myself" (LR = 91%; HR = 86%). The family valuing the adolescents' opinions was the risk-reducing factor most often associated with lower incidences of illness and healthcare utilization. Among the adolescents at highest risk, less depression was strongly related to positive relationships with friends, boys: odds ratio = 0.1 (CI 95%: 0.0-0.7); and girls: 0.2 (0.1-0.5). Adolescents reporting that they managed their own problems had about half the risk of depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good relations with family and friends, and a feeling of managing one's own life, are significantly related to lower rates of illness, in particular depression, and less healthcare-seeking behaviour. The risk-reducing effects increase with increasing risk. Healthcare workers therefore need to pay more attention to HR patients.
authors: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, Section for General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. o.r.haavet@medisin.uio.no
authors: Ole Rikard
authors: OR
authors: Haavet
authors: Ola Didrik
authors: OD
authors: Saugstad
authors: Jørúnd
authors: J
authors: Straand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D033062:Friends; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D009664:Norway; D018570:Risk Assessment