Citation

Bergman MM, Scott J. J. Adolesc. 2001; 24(2): 183-197.

Affiliation

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Cambridge, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1006/jado.2001.0378

PMID

11437479

Abstract

In this paper we use the 1994-1997 Youth Surveys of the British Household Panel Study to examine the wellbeing of young adolescents. We conceptualize wellbeing as a multi-dimensional construct and we develop and test models of gender and age differences. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we find clear gender differences in self-esteem, self-efficacy, unhappiness and worries. We confirm that wellbeing and some health-risk behaviours (fighting and smoking) are linked. We test models that examine how family structure, father's occupation, tenure, and household income, affect adolescent wellbeing. While socio-economic factors affect health-risk behaviours and also adolescents' reported worries, they have little impact on other aspects of youth wellbeing. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Language: en