title: [Body perception among determinants of self-rated health in 13-year-old adolescents in Poland].
abstract: The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of body image on the subjective health of adolescents, taking into consideration the modifying factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected in 2008 as part of a postal survey conducted among 605 children born in Poland in January 1995. Self-reported health was analysed in two categories: 1) excellent or very good health; 2) good, fair or poor health. Body image was examined using three variables: self-perception of physical appearance, subjective assessment of body weight and self-body image according to the Body Image Subscale (BIS) by Orbach and Mikulincer. In addition, the impact of twelve other variables was analysed, which were related to: socio-demographic characteristics, physical and psychosocial health and also social relations. The impact of all the fifteen variables on self-rated health was compared using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the surveyed group, 31.9% of adolescents assessed their health as worse than very good, of which 6.3% considered it fair or poor. Gender, place of residence and body mass index (BMI) had no impact on health self-assessment. The percentage of those who assessed their health as worse than very good, was equal to 48.5% in the group which had a very negative attitude towards their body, and 61.5% in the subgroup which had big reservations about their body image. In the multivariate analysis, the strongest predictor variables for worse health self-assessment were chronic diseases and negative self-body image. The following factors, which can protect young people against worse well-being, were included in the final model: positive thinking, social support and high physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There exist many factors which influence the self-perceived health in early adolescence, and they may not be classified only as physical ailments. Body image appears to be a very important factor at that age. High physical activity, support from family, peers and neighbours and positive attitude toward themselves are important resources for health which affect adolescents' well-being.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Ochrony i Promocji Zdrowia Dzieci i Młodziezy, Instytut Matki i Dziecka, Warszawa. joanna.mazur@imid.med.pl
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzielska
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kołoło
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Małkowska-Szkutnik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011044:Poland; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012649:Self Concept