Positive factors associated with promoting health in low-risk and high-risk populations of 15- and 16-year-old pupils in Oslo, Norway

HAAVET, Ole Rikard
SAUGSTAD, Ola Didrik
STRAAND, Jørúnd

¹Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, Section for General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
²Department of Paediatric Research, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway

Correspondence: Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, Section for General Practice, University of Oslo, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway. Tel: +47 22850550. Fax: +47 22850590. E-mail: [email protected]

(Received 21 May 2004; revised 17 August 2004 and 18 November 2004; accepted 25 November 2004)

Acta Paediatrica 94(3):p 345-351, March 2005. | DOI: 10.1080/08035250510027615

Abstract

Aim:

To explore possible risk-reducing factors associated with the incidence of common illnesses and use of healthcare services among adolescents.

Methods:

Cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in all Oslo schools among all 15- and 16-y-olds in 2000 and 2001. The adolescent population was divided into a low-risk (LR) and a high-risk (HR) group, and into quartiles, based on a sum score of different negative life experiences. The groups were compared with respect to potential riskreducing factors.

Results:

88% of the 8316 pupils filled in the questionnaires. The difference between the LR and HR groups was largest for the possible risk-reducing factor "my family values my opinion" (LR group = 92%; HR group = 82%), and "I manage to solve serious problems myself" (LR = 91%; HR = 86%). The family valuing the adolescents' opinions was the risk-reducing factor most often associated with lower incidences of illness and healthcare utilization. Among the adolescents at highest risk, less depression was strongly related to positive relationships with friends, boys: odds ratio = 0.1 (CI 95%: 0.0-0.7); and girls: 0.2 (0.1-0.5). Adolescents reporting that they managed their own problems had about half the risk of depression.

Conclusion:

Good relations with family and friends, and a feeling of managing one's own life, are significantly related to lower rates of illness, in particular depression, and less healthcare-seeking behaviour. The risk-reducing effects increase with increasing risk. Healthcare workers therefore need to pay more attention to HR patients.