Adolescents and health: Towards a social model

Abstract

Abstract Self-ratings of health as worse than, the same as, or better than their peers were elicited from 426 adolescents together with measures of health-related behaviours (dieting, substance and alcohol use, exercise) and social/interpersonal measures (extent of social activities, physical attractiveness and maturity, and self-esteem). Self-ratings of health were associated with both behavioural and social factors. The contention that self-rated health comprises qualitatively different states was supported by the finding that rating one's health as better or worse than peers' health was associated with a different set of factors. Better health was associated with the health-promoting behaviours of being on a sport or training diet and exercising frequently, together with perceptions of good relationships with the opposite sex but poor relationships with parents. Ratings of worse health were associated with the health-limiting behaviours of illicit drug use and minimal exercise, as well as perceiving oneself to be less attractive than one's peers and having either good or poor relationships with the same sex peers. It is concluded that the social well-being of young people is related to their self-assessments of health and must be considered in any framework for health promotion among this group.