Self-rated health, psychosocial functioning, andother dimensions of adolescent health in Centraland Eastern European adolescents

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: Although studied extensively among adults,self-rated health (SRH) has not received the same research attention among adolescents. Ithas been suggested that SRH in adolescents may be a function of adolescents’ overallsense of functioning and may reflect psychosocial functioning more so than in adults. Therating of health as poor by adolescents might be a somatic expression of life distress andmay be connected with risky behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigateself-rated health (SRH) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) adolescents and determineits association with psychosocial functioning and other dimensions of adolescenthealth.Methods: A survey was administered to 3,123 students in 34 secondary schools acrossCEE which included measures of SRH, psychosocial functioning (loneliness, hopelessness,shyness, perceptions of social status, self-rated happiness, and perception of physical (..) (AU)