Well-being of 12-year-old children related to interpersonal relations, health habits and mental distress.

AIM

The main purpose was to examine if interpersonal relations, mental distress, somatic symptoms and health behaviours could be protective or risk factors for the subjective well-being of 12-year-old school children.

METHODS

After ethical and parental permission a questionnaire was completed by 807 pupils in the sixth grade of 18 randomised schools in seven rural and urban districts in the north-west area of Stockholm. The questionnaire was a modified version of the WHO Health Behaviour in School-Ages Children Study and the Youth Self-Report Questionnaire. Well-being was measured by the question, 'How are you these days'? Measures of protective or risk factors were relations to parents, teacher/schoolwork and peers, eating and safety habits, somatic symptoms, anxious/depressed and aggressiveness.

RESULTS

Logistic regressions were performed with well-being as dependent variable before and after adjustment for gender, which was the only significant background factor. Finally, a multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with gender and the six significantly related predictors as independent variables. In the multiple model, relations to teacher/school and peers, eating habits, anxious/depressed and somatic symptoms were associated with well-being and yielded significant odds ratios.

CONCLUSIONS

Relations to teacher/school, relations to peers and good eating habits could be protective factors for subjective well-being, while somatic and anxious/depressed symptoms may be risk factors for ill-being. This indicates an increased need for interpersonal relations and mental health-oriented, promotive interventions in schools.