title: Self-perceived health among adolescents: the role of gender and psychosocial factors.
abstract: Since adolescents' psychosocial health problems may have major implications for adult morbidity and mortality, investigating their self-perceived health deserves priority. In the lack of limiting illness, psychosocial health variables, e.g., psychosomatic health complaints or health behaviors, play a decisive role in determining adolescents' self-perceived health. Using data on adolescents from Szeged, Hungary (n = 1,114), we examined the relationship between adolescents' self-perceived health and a set of psychosocial health status measurements. Findings show that psychosomatic and depressive symptoms contributed significantly to adolescents' poor/fair perceptions of health. Findings also support the relationship between health behaviors and adolescents' self-perceived health. Among boys, drug use and the lack of physical activity are significant predictors. Among girls, smoking may act in a similar way. Diet control is significant in both cases. Besides academic achievement, SES self-assessment and non-intact family status are strong contributes to health perception. Overall, findings show that psychosocial health variables are important influences on adolescents' self-perceived health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szentharomsag str. 5, 6722 Szeged, Hungary. pikobettina@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bettina F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Piko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires