[Subjective health of adolescents aged 11-15 years in Poland and other countries of the European Union]

Abstract

The aim: to present results of the study concerning subjective health of adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 years in 26 countries members of the European Union (EU) in 2005/06 and changes in perception of health among Polish adolescents between 2002 and 2006.

Method: data from the 2005/06 HBSC survey (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Collaborative Cross-national Study), carried out in 26 EU countries among 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds (N = 140,339) were analysed. For Polish adolescents results of two surveys from 2002 and 2006 were compared. The international standard questionnaire was used. Three subjective indicators of health were used: self-rated health, life satisfaction (using 0-10 points Cantril scale) and 8 subjective health complaints (headache, stomach-ache, back-ache, feeling low, irritability or bad temper, feeling nervous, difficulties in getting to sleep, feeling dizzy).

Results: subjective indicators of health markedly differ between adolescents in different EU countries. In all countries adolescents report recurrent (every day or more then once a week) somatic and psychological complaints. Multiple complaints (3 or more) experienced 8% of boys and 38% of girls. There are strong gender differences in subjective health. In all countries girls perceived their health worse than boys. In Polish adolescents some tendency of improvement of subjective health indicators was observed between 2002-2006.

Conclusion: Existing differences in adolescents' subjective health in EU countries and gender differences are probably determined by many cultural, social and economical factors. These differences create health inequalities and probably will be maintained for a long time.