Country material distribution and adolescents' perceived health: multilevel study of adolescents in 27 countries. Issue 2 (13th January 2006)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Torsheim, Torbjorn; Currie, Candace; Boyce, Will; Samdal, Oddrun
• Is Part Of: Journal of epidemiology and community health. Volume 60:Issue 2(2006)
• Page Start: 156
• Page End: 161
• Publication Date: 2006-01-13
• Subjects: FAS, family affluence scale -- VPC, variance partitioning coefficient; inequality -- Gini -- adolescence -- distribution -- multilevel; Public health -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; 614.4
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2005.037655
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-005X

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To assess the impact of country material distribution on adolescents' perceptions of health. Design: Cross sectional multilevel study. Setting: Data were collected from the school based health behaviour in school aged children: WHO cross national study 1997/98, which includes students from 27 European and North American countries. Participants: 12 0381 students in year 6, 8, and 10 who were attending school classes on the day of data collection. Main result: Adolescents in countries with a high dispersion of family affluence were more likely to have self rated poor health even after controlling for individual family level of affluence and family social resources. Conclusion: There are substantial inequalities in subjective health across European and North American countries related to the distribution of family material resources in these countries.