title: Cross-national variation of gender differences in adolescent subjective health in Europe and North America.
abstract: The cross-national consistency and variation of gender differences in subjective health complaints was examined in a sample of 125732 11- to 15-year-olds from 29 European and North American countries, participating in the WHO collaborative study 'Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) 1997/98'. Health complaints were measured with the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Symptom Checklist. Gender differences in health complaints were analysed through multilevel logistic regression analysis. The results indicated a very robust pattern of increasing gender differences across age, with 15-year-old girls as a group at increased risk for health complaints across all countries. The magnitude of gender differences varied across countries, with some countries showing a consistently strong gender difference across age group and different health complaints, and other countries showing a consistently weak gender difference. The gender difference in health complaints was stronger in countries with a low gender development index score. The findings underscore the need to incorporate socio-contextual factors in the study of gender health inequalities during adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen, Christiesgt. 13, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. torbjorn.torsheim@psyhp.uib.no
authors.forename: Torbjørn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torsheim
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravens-Sieberer
authors.forename: Jorn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hetland
authors.forename: Raili
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Välimaa
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Overpeck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D011593:Psychology, Social; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors