title: [Evaluation of usefulness of summarised and weighted scale of negative life events to examine the determinants of adolescent health].
abstract: Numerous studies have shown that the occurrence of negative life events, especially in childhood and adolescence, increases the risk of developing mental and somatic disorders in future. The purpose of presented paper was to assess to what extent the severity of events determines health disorders and risk behaviours among adolescents. The study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of ten secondary school students in Warsaw in the three-year period. A questionnaire for data gathering was elaborated in Health Promotion and Postgraduate Education of the National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene. The scale of negative life events consisted of 32 items covering: 1) changes in live and health of closed persons, 2) contact with the acts of a crime or incorrect, 3) problems concerning biological maturation, 4) interpersonal relations in the nearest surrounding, 5) financial and living conditions and 6) problems of learning. The average severity of events evaluated by the students was used to determine the weights of individual item. Weighted scale as well as summarised scale were applied to analysis. In addition, the questionnaire included questions on health, well-being, and risk behaviours and attitudes, as criterial indicators. Our study did not provide evidence that only the severity of negative life events determines the health disorders and taking risk behaviours. The both scales showed similar moderate correlation with most criterial indicators and explained 10% - 20% of variance of subjectively experienced health indicators (self-assessment of health status, physical, psychical and social well-being), 10% - 25% of risk behaviours and attitudes and only 1% - 7% of health disorders measured by objective indicators (sickness absence, staying at home or in hospital due to health disorders, contact with physician, taking medication). It seems that not the severity of negative life events but their cumulating determines health and behavioural negative effects.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Promocji Zdrowia i Szkolenia Podyplomowego Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego - Państwowy Zakład Higieny, Warszawa. psupranowicz@pzh.gov.pl
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Supranowicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data