Country material distribution and adolescents' perceived health: multilevel study of adolescents in 27 countries.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of country material distribution on adolescents' perceptions of health.


METHODS
Cross sectional multilevel study.


METHODS
Data were collected from the school based health behaviour in school aged children: WHO cross national study 1997/98, which includes students from 27 European and North American countries.


METHODS
12 0381 students in year 6, 8, and 10 who were attending school classes on the day of data collection.


RESULTS
Adolescents in countries with a high dispersion of family affluence were more likely to have self rated poor health even after controlling for individual family level of affluence and family social resources.


CONCLUSIONS
There are substantial inequalities in subjective health across European and North American countries related to the distribution of family material resources in these countries.
Torsheim
Torbjorn
T
University of Bergen, Department Education and Health Promotion, Christiesgt 13, N-5015, Bergen, Norway. torbjoern.torsheim@psyhp.uib.no
Currie
Candace
C
Boyce
Will
W
Samdal
Oddrun
O
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012923:Social Class; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires