Behavioural factors as predictors of self-rated health among Polish adolescent girls

Introduction

Self-rated health (SRH), an indicator which is extensively used in population studies, constitutes a measure of health closely linked to morbidity, mortality and overall health status and enjoys popularity in surveys monitoring adolescents. Most studies show that at puberty girls assess their health as worse than boys do, and the difference widens with age. Moreover, puberty is a crucial period for health, since it is the time when health risk behaviours are often initiated or become established.

Aim

To analyse the associations between high scores on self-rated health among 15-year-old girls, participants of the Healthy Me programme, and their selected health behaviours.

Material and methods

The study covered a group of 1173 second-grade female students from 48 lower secondary schools located in rural and urban areas of 16 voivodeships all over Poland. The participants answered questions about chronic diseases or disability, self-rated health, diet, leisure activities, physical activity and health risk behaviours. In the statistical analysis, the association between self-rated health and individual indicators of health behaviour was examined using logistic regression.

Results

Two thirds of the girls assessed their health as excellent or good. Only approximately 5% of the respondents made the "extreme negative" assessment. In the final multivariate analysis, five factors remained important predictors of high self-rated health scores: regular participation in physical education classes, vigorous physical activity, daily breakfast consumption, consumption of fruit at least once a day and sleep for at least 8 hours a day.

Conclusions

Regularparticipation in physical education classes, vigorousphysical activity, consumption of breakfast and fruit every day, as well as sleep for at least 8 hours a day are powerful predictors of high scores on self-rated health of 15-year-old adolescent girls.

Public health activities aimed at adolescents should focus on the positive aspects of health and a lifestyle paying special attention on pro health behaviours.