Den fysiska aktiviteten i västvärlden har minskat under de senaste decennierna. Vi tillbringar mer tid inomhus framför TV, dator eller något annat medialt redskap. En av de främsta anledningarna till att vi blivit mer fysiskt inaktiva på senare tid tros vara att forskningen hela tiden går framåt, där vi uppfinner hjälpmedel som gör att vi rör på oss så lite som möjligt. Forskning visar att det finns indirekta bevis på att fysisk aktivitet är en positiv hälsofaktor som minskar risken för sjukdomar. Fysisk aktivitet har visat sig ha ett samband med högre nivåer av personligt välbefinnande, så som bättre humör, mer tillfredställelse med livet och högre livskvalitet. Vi har inte bara blivit mindre fysiskt aktiva på senare tid, den psykiska ohälsan har ökat bland befolkningen, där forskning visar att det finns samband mellan att leva ett stillasittande liv under en längre tid och klinisk definierad depression. Syftet med studien var att se om det fanns skillnader i självskattad hälsa mellan ungdomar som var fysiskt aktiva och ungdomar som inte var fysiskt aktiva. Samt att se om det fanns skillnader i självskattad hälsa mellan flickor och pojkar. Syftet innehöll en pedagogisk del där vi undersökte om omgivning och samspel mellan ungdomar påverkar den självskattade hälsan. Studien är gjord med kvantitativ metod där 187 elever från högstadiet deltog. Totalt delades 200 enkäter ut vilket gav oss en hög svarsfrekvens och ett litet bortfall. Utifrån resultatet kom vi fram till att ungdomar som är fysiskt aktiva i större utsträckning har en högre självskattad hälsa än ungdomar som inte är fysiskt aktiva. Resultatet visar att pojkar upplever i större utsträckning sin självskattade hälsa som högre än vad flickor gör. I resultatet kom vi även fram till att både samspel mellan ungdomar och stöd från omgivningen har ett har ett positivt samband med hög självskattad hälsa. / The physical activity in the western world has decreased in recent decades. We spend more time indoors watching television, computer or other media tools. One of the main reasons that we become more physically inactive in recent years that research is believed to be constantly moving forward, we invent tools that will make us move as little as possible. Research shows that there is indirect evidence that physical activity is a positive health factor that reduces the risk of disease and physical activity has been shown to be associated with higher levels of personal well-being, such as better mood, greater satisfaction with life and to have higher quality of life. We have not only become less physically active in recent years. Mental illness has increased in the population. Research shows that there is a link between living a sedentary life for a long time and clinically defined depression. The purpose of this study was to see if there were differences in self-rated health among adolescents who were physically active and young people who were not physically active. We also wanted to see if there were differences in self-rated health between girls and boys. The purpose contained an educational element in which we examined if environmental and interaction between young people affects the self-assessed health. Study was done with the quantitative method in which 187 students from junior high school participated. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed which gave us a good response rate and a small loss. Based on these results, we concluded that young people who are physically active, have more of a higher self-rated health than young people who are not physically active. The results show that boys experience their self-rated health higher than girls do. In the results, we found that both the interaction between young people and support from the environment has a positive association with high self-rated health.

Obesity prevalences are increasing in Sweden and the US. Obesity has many health consequences and health risks are associated with small increases in weight and marked obesity. Cross-sectional and panel surveys from northern Sweden and upstate NY provide the basis for furthering understanding of body mass index (BMI) development. BMI and weight change (+/-3%) were used to evaluate obesity and weight loss, maintenance, or gain. The 1989 prevalences of obesity were 9.6% and 21.3% in Sweden and the US; 1999 prevalences were 18.4% and 32.3%. Ten-year incidences (1989-1999) of overweight and obesity were 337/1000 and 120/1000 for Sweden and 336/1000 and 173/1000 for the US. Cross-sectional data suggest obesity is a problem of older age while panel data show that the young are gaining weight most rapidly. Individual changes in BMI have similar trends for Sweden and the US; the majority of adults are gaining weight. Older age, being a woman, higher BMI, and type 2 diabetes were associated with higher odds of weight non-gain. Younger age, being a man, being married and using snuff (snus) increased the odds of weight gain. The obese were 2-7 times more likely to report self-rated poor health. Healthy behaviours explain more of the person-to-person variability in BMI than do unhealthy behaviours or chronic diseases. Encouraging trends were found among Västerbotten Intervention Programme participants: a higher proportion of adults maintained weight in more recent survey years. The proportion of weight-gaining adults with identified health risk factors is smaller than those without risk factors. Frequently weight maintenance is felt to be important only for those identified as having a problem with weight or an obesity-related health condition. The largest proportion of those gaining weight are those with a normal BMI. Obesity prevention should target those usually considered low-risk (young, without cardiovascular risk factors, normal BMI).

Work is an essential part of most people’s lives. With increasing flexibility in work life, many employees experience job insecurity – they perceive that the future of their jobs is uncertain. However, job insecurity is not just an individual experience; employees can perceive that there is a climate of job insecurity at their workplace as well, as people collectively worry about their jobs. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the job insecurity climate construct and how it relates to work- and health-related outcomes and to individual job insecurity. Three empirical studies were conducted to investigate this aim. Study I investigated the dimensionality of the job insecurity construct by developing and testing a measure of job insecurity climate − conceptualized as the individual’s perception of the job insecurity climate at work − in a sample of employees working in Sweden. The results indicated that individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate are separate but related constructs and that job insecurity climate was related to work- and health-related outcomes. Study II examined the effects of individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate on work- and health-related outcomes in a sample of employees working in a private sector company in Sweden. The results showed that perceiving higher levels of job insecurity climate than others in the workgroup was associated with poorer self-rated health and higher levels of burnout. Study III tested the relationship between individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate in a sample of Flemish employees. The results indicated that individual job insecurity is contagious, as individual job insecurity predicted perceptions of job insecurity climate six months later. In conclusion, by focusing on perceptions of the job insecurity climate, the present thesis introduces a new approach to job insecurity climate research, showing that employees can perceive a climate of job insecurity in addition to their own individual job insecurity and, also, that this perception of the job insecurity climate at work has negative consequences for individuals and organizations. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

INTRODUCTION. Quality of life (QOL) – and individual’s perception of his or her own health – has become the subject of great interest in Lithuania. THE AIM OF THE STUDY. The aim of the study was to assess the determinants of the quality of life and self-rated health and to clarify the importance of perceived health in determining the risk of death among middle-aged Kaunas population. MAIN RESULTS. Quality of life in middle-aged Kaunas women was found to be lower than in men, except for the spirituality domain. Older age showed worse quality of life. Low income and lower educational level, manual work, living alone, unemployment, disability and retirement were associated with worse QOL in middle-aged Kaunas population. Overweight and obese men had lower probability of rating their overall QOL worse as compared to men with normal body mass. Diabetes, coronary heart disease and smoking were associated with worse QOL in men. Moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption was associated with lower risk of having worse QOL as compared to light alcohol consumption group among men. Obesity for women increased the odds of having worse QOL as compared to women with normal body mass. Moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption was associated with better QOL in the physical and independence domains and with worse QOL in the social relationships domain among women. Smoking and inadequate physical activity were associated with worse QOL among women. CHD increased women’s probability of scoring lower in... [to full text]

Material and methods Characteristics of study population The entire adult population (patients 16 years or older) of two PHC doctors practices in Kaunas were invited to participate in study. Approval from the Kaunas University of Medicine Ethics Committee was obtained and participants signed a written informed consent prior to examination. Patients from one practice were intervention community, patients from another practice - control community. In intervention community 1219 patients 16 years or older participated in first survey (506 men and 713 women, response rate 87.1%), in control community – 1068 patients (439 men and 629 women, response rate 87.1%). Intervention, oriented to improve control of risk factors of NCD, was integrated into the PHC team daily practice during one year in intervention community. Control community was receiving usual PHC. After one year (in 2000) all participants of first survey were invited to participate in second survey. Each survey followed the same methods. In intervention community 1069 patients (506 men and 713 women, response rate 87.7%) participated in second survey, in control community - 940 patients (439 men and 629 women, response rate 88.0%). There was no difference between communities concerning age and sex distribution of participants (table 2.1.1). Table 2.1.1 Distribution of respondents by age and sex in intervention and control communities Age,years Intervention community Control community Men women total men women... [to full text]

Introduction : Une majorité de Canadiens adopte un mode de vie sédentaire qui est un facteur de risque important pour différents problèmes de santé. Dernièrement, des interventions en santé publique ciblent le transport actif pour augmenter la pratique d’activité physique. Objectif : L’objectif de cette étude est de quantifier la direction et la taille de l’association entre l’état de santé rapporté par des adultes montréalais et leur utilisation de la marche et du vélo utilitaires. Méthode : L’échantillon comprend 4503 résidents de l’Île de Montréal, âgés de 18 ans et plus, ayant répondu à un sondage téléphonique sur la pratique de l’activité physique et du transport actif. Des analyses de régression logistique multiples ont été appliquées pour examiner l’association entre l’état de santé auto-rapporté et la pratique du vélo (N=4386) et entre l’état de santé auto-rapporté et la pratique de la marche utilitaire (N=4350). Résultats : Les gens ayant une santé perçue comme bonne et moyenne/mauvaise ont une probabilité plus faible de pratiquer la marche utilitaire (OR = 0,740; p < 0,05 et OR = 0,552; p < 0,01) que ceux rapportant une excellente santé, alors que cette association n’est pas significative pour la pratique du vélo utilitaire dans notre étude. Conclusion : Bien que les résultats obtenus ne soient pas tous statistiquement significatifs, la probabilité d’utiliser le transport actif semble plus faible chez les adultes indiquant un moins bon état de santé par rapport aux adultes indiquant que leur état de santé est excellent. / Background: A majority of Canadians are physically inactive and have a sedentary lifestyle, which is an important risk factor for a variety of diseases. Recently, public health interventions have focused on active transport as means of increasing the level of activity in the population. Objective: This study’s aim is to quantify the direction and size of the association between self-rated health and active transport practices, i.e. utilitarian cycling and walking, among adult Montrealers. Methods: Data on physical activity and utilitarian practices were collected from 4503 adult residents of the Island of Montreal (≥ 18 years old), from one of two telephone surveys conducted in the spring and in the fall of 2009. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between self-rated health and utilitarian cycling (N=4386) and walking (N=4350). Results: Reporting a good and a fair/bad self-rated health was associated with a lower likelihood of practicing utilitarian walking (OR = 0,740; p < 0,05 and OR = 0,552; p < 0,01) than reporting an excellent health, but no significant association was found between self-rated health and utilitarian cycling in our study. Conclusions: Even though all results were not statistically significant, active transport practices appear to be less likely among persons reporting a poorer health in comparison to those reporting excellent health.

Measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) in population chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems is essential for monitoring changes in socioeconomic inequities in health over time. A life course approach in epidemiology considers the long-term effects of physical and social exposures during gestation, childhood, adolescence, and later adult life on health. Previous studies provide evidence that socioeconomic factors at different stages of the life course influence current health status. Measures of SEP during early life to supplement existing indicators of current SEP are required to more adequately explain the contribution of socioeconomic factors to health status and monitor health inequities. The aim of this thesis was to examine how a life course perspective could enhance the monitoring of SEP in chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems. The thesis reviewed indicators of early life SEP used in previous research, determined indicators of early life SEP that may be useful in South Australian surveillance systems, and examined the association of SEP over the life course and self-rated health in adulthood across different population groups to demonstrate that inclusion of indicators of early life SEP in surveillance systems could allow health inequities to be monitored among socially mobile and stable groups. A variety of indicators, such as parents’ education level and occupation, and financial circumstances and living conditions during childhood, have been used in different study designs in many countries. Indicators of early life SEP used to monitor trends in the health and SEP of populations over time, and to analyse long-term effects of policies on the changing health of populations, need to be feasible to measure retrospectively, and relevant to the historical, geographical and sociocultural context in which the surveillance system is operating. Retrospective recall of various indicators of early life SEP was examined in a telephone survey of a representative South Australian sample of adults. The highest proportions of missing data were observed for maternal grandfather’s occupation, and mother’s and father’s highest education level. Family structure, housing tenure, and family financial situation when the respondent was aged ten, and mother and father’s main occupation had lower item non-response. Respondents with missing data on early life SEP indicators were disadvantaged in terms of current SEP compared to those who provided this information. The differential response to early life SEP questions according to current circumstances has implications for chronic disease surveillance examining the life course impact of socioeconomic disadvantage. While face-to-face surveys are considered the gold standard of interviewing techniques, computer-assisted telephone interviewing is often preferred for cost and convenience. Recall of father’s and mother’s highest education level in the telephone survey was compared to that obtained in a face-to-face interview survey. The proportion of respondents who provided information about their father’s and mother’s highest education level was significantly higher in the face-to-face interview than in the telephone interview. Survey mode, however, did not influence the finding that respondents with missing data for parents’ education were more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. Alternative indicators of early life SEP, such as material and financial circumstances, are likely to be more appropriate than parents’ education for life course analyses of health inequities using surveillance data. Questions about family financial situation and housing tenure during childhood and adulthood asked in the cross-sectional telephone survey were used to examine the association of SEP over the life course with self-rated health in adulthood. Disadvantaged SEP during both childhood and adulthood and upward social mobility in financial situation were associated with a reduced prevalence of excellent or very good health, although this relationship varied across gender, rurality, and country of birth groups. Trend data from a chronic disease and risk factor surveillance system indicated that socioeconomic disadvantage in adulthood was associated with poorer self-rated health. The surveillance system, however, does not currently contain any measures of early life SEP. Overlaying the social mobility variables on the surveillance data indicated how inequities in health could be differentiated in greater detail if early life SEP was measured in addition to current SEP. Inclusion of life course SEP measures in surveillance will enable monitoring of health inequities trends among socially mobile and stable groups. Life course measures are an innovative way to supplement other SEP indicators in surveillance systems. Considerable information can be gained with the addition of a few questions. This will provide further insight into the determinants of health and illness and enable improved monitoring of the effects of policies and interventions on health inequities and intergenerational disadvantage. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1367190 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) in population chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems is essential for monitoring changes in socioeconomic inequities in health over time. A life course approach in epidemiology considers the long-term effects of physical and social exposures during gestation, childhood, adolescence, and later adult life on health. Previous studies provide evidence that socioeconomic factors at different stages of the life course influence current health status. Measures of SEP during early life to supplement existing indicators of current SEP are required to more adequately explain the contribution of socioeconomic factors to health status and monitor health inequities. The aim of this thesis was to examine how a life course perspective could enhance the monitoring of SEP in chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems. The thesis reviewed indicators of early life SEP used in previous research, determined indicators of early life SEP that may be useful in South Australian surveillance systems, and examined the association of SEP over the life course and self-rated health in adulthood across different population groups to demonstrate that inclusion of indicators of early life SEP in surveillance systems could allow health inequities to be monitored among socially mobile and stable groups. A variety of indicators, such as parents’ education level and occupation, and financial circumstances and living conditions during childhood, have been used in different study designs in many countries. Indicators of early life SEP used to monitor trends in the health and SEP of populations over time, and to analyse long-term effects of policies on the changing health of populations, need to be feasible to measure retrospectively, and relevant to the historical, geographical and sociocultural context in which the surveillance system is operating. Retrospective recall of various indicators of early life SEP was examined in a telephone survey of a representative South Australian sample of adults. The highest proportions of missing data were observed for maternal grandfather’s occupation, and mother’s and father’s highest education level. Family structure, housing tenure, and family financial situation when the respondent was aged ten, and mother and father’s main occupation had lower item non-response. Respondents with missing data on early life SEP indicators were disadvantaged in terms of current SEP compared to those who provided this information. The differential response to early life SEP questions according to current circumstances has implications for chronic disease surveillance examining the life course impact of socioeconomic disadvantage. While face-to-face surveys are considered the gold standard of interviewing techniques, computer-assisted telephone interviewing is often preferred for cost and convenience. Recall of father’s and mother’s highest education level in the telephone survey was compared to that obtained in a face-to-face interview survey. The proportion of respondents who provided information about their father’s and mother’s highest education level was significantly higher in the face-to-face interview than in the telephone interview. Survey mode, however, did not influence the finding that respondents with missing data for parents’ education were more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. Alternative indicators of early life SEP, such as material and financial circumstances, are likely to be more appropriate than parents’ education for life course analyses of health inequities using surveillance data. Questions about family financial situation and housing tenure during childhood and adulthood asked in the cross-sectional telephone survey were used to examine the association of SEP over the life course with self-rated health in adulthood. Disadvantaged SEP during both childhood and adulthood and upward social mobility in financial situation were associated with a reduced prevalence of excellent or very good health, although this relationship varied across gender, rurality, and country of birth groups. Trend data from a chronic disease and risk factor surveillance system indicated that socioeconomic disadvantage in adulthood was associated with poorer self-rated health. The surveillance system, however, does not currently contain any measures of early life SEP. Overlaying the social mobility variables on the surveillance data indicated how inequities in health could be differentiated in greater detail if early life SEP was measured in addition to current SEP. Inclusion of life course SEP measures in surveillance will enable monitoring of health inequities trends among socially mobile and stable groups. Life course measures are an innovative way to supplement other SEP indicators in surveillance systems. Considerable information can be gained with the addition of a few questions. This will provide further insight into the determinants of health and illness and enable improved monitoring of the effects of policies and interventions on health inequities and intergenerational disadvantage. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1367190 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) in population chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems is essential for monitoring changes in socioeconomic inequities in health over time. A life course approach in epidemiology considers the long-term effects of physical and social exposures during gestation, childhood, adolescence, and later adult life on health. Previous studies provide evidence that socioeconomic factors at different stages of the life course influence current health status. Measures of SEP during early life to supplement existing indicators of current SEP are required to more adequately explain the contribution of socioeconomic factors to health status and monitor health inequities. The aim of this thesis was to examine how a life course perspective could enhance the monitoring of SEP in chronic disease and risk factor surveillance systems. The thesis reviewed indicators of early life SEP used in previous research, determined indicators of early life SEP that may be useful in South Australian surveillance systems, and examined the association of SEP over the life course and self-rated health in adulthood across different population groups to demonstrate that inclusion of indicators of early life SEP in surveillance systems could allow health inequities to be monitored among socially mobile and stable groups. A variety of indicators, such as parents’ education level and occupation, and financial circumstances and living conditions during childhood, have been used in different study designs in many countries. Indicators of early life SEP used to monitor trends in the health and SEP of populations over time, and to analyse long-term effects of policies on the changing health of populations, need to be feasible to measure retrospectively, and relevant to the historical, geographical and sociocultural context in which the surveillance system is operating. Retrospective recall of various indicators of early life SEP was examined in a telephone survey of a representative South Australian sample of adults. The highest proportions of missing data were observed for maternal grandfather’s occupation, and mother’s and father’s highest education level. Family structure, housing tenure, and family financial situation when the respondent was aged ten, and mother and father’s main occupation had lower item non-response. Respondents with missing data on early life SEP indicators were disadvantaged in terms of current SEP compared to those who provided this information. The differential response to early life SEP questions according to current circumstances has implications for chronic disease surveillance examining the life course impact of socioeconomic disadvantage. While face-to-face surveys are considered the gold standard of interviewing techniques, computer-assisted telephone interviewing is often preferred for cost and convenience. Recall of father’s and mother’s highest education level in the telephone survey was compared to that obtained in a face-to-face interview survey. The proportion of respondents who provided information about their father’s and mother’s highest education level was significantly higher in the face-to-face interview than in the telephone interview. Survey mode, however, did not influence the finding that respondents with missing data for parents’ education were more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. Alternative indicators of early life SEP, such as material and financial circumstances, are likely to be more appropriate than parents’ education for life course analyses of health inequities using surveillance data. Questions about family financial situation and housing tenure during childhood and adulthood asked in the cross-sectional telephone survey were used to examine the association of SEP over the life course with self-rated health in adulthood. Disadvantaged SEP during both childhood and adulthood and upward social mobility in financial situation were associated with a reduced prevalence of excellent or very good health, although this relationship varied across gender, rurality, and country of birth groups. Trend data from a chronic disease and risk factor surveillance system indicated that socioeconomic disadvantage in adulthood was associated with poorer self-rated health. The surveillance system, however, does not currently contain any measures of early life SEP. Overlaying the social mobility variables on the surveillance data indicated how inequities in health could be differentiated in greater detail if early life SEP was measured in addition to current SEP. Inclusion of life course SEP measures in surveillance will enable monitoring of health inequities trends among socially mobile and stable groups. Life course measures are an innovative way to supplement other SEP indicators in surveillance systems. Considerable information can be gained with the addition of a few questions. This will provide further insight into the determinants of health and illness and enable improved monitoring of the effects of policies and interventions on health inequities and intergenerational disadvantage. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1367190 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Bakgrund: Befolkningens hälsoutveckling följs ofta genom enkätundersökningar. Dessa har ofta med en generell fråga om självskattad hälsa, vilket har visat sig ha samband med såväl fysiska som psykiska faktorer. För enkätundersökningar riktade till ungdomar används ofta en fråga om självskattat mående. Det är dock inte empiriskt klarlagt vad självskattat mående hos ungdomar egentligen mäter. Syfte: Studien syftar till att undersöka i vilken utsträckning självskattat mående hos ungdomar mäter hälsorelaterad livskvalitet, där både positiva och negativa aspekter av hälsa ingår, positiv hälsa i form av positiv psykisk hälsa, psykisk ohälsa i form av symptom på depression/ångest, fysisk ohälsa gällande symptom på smärta/värk samt medicinska tillstånd i form av astma, födoämnesallergi, allergi, migrän och öronsus/tinnitus. Metod: En kvantitativ metod med tvärsnittsdesign användes med data från enkätundersökningen Liv och Hälsa Ung 2014, där 4047 elever från årskurs nio på högstadiet och årskurs två på gymnasiet i Västmanland inkluderades. Korrelationsanalyser genomfördes. Resultat: Självskattat mående mäter hälsorelaterad livskvalitet, positiv psykisk hälsa och psykisk ohälsa i måttlig utsträckning, smärta/värk i liten utsträckning och medicinska tillstånd i mycket liten utsträckning.  Slutsats: Självskattat mående mäter psykiska faktorer mer än fysiska faktorer. Självskattat mående mäter även hälsorelaterad livskvalitet i måttlig utsträckning, vilket motsvarar ett helhetsperspektiv på hälsa. Självskattat mående bland ungdomar är inte en adekvat indikator för fysisk ohälsa vilket bör tas i beaktande när denna fråga tolkas i befolkningsundersökningar. / Background: The health development of the population is often followed by questionnaires. These often include a general question of self rated health, which has been shown to be associated with both physical and mental factors. For questionnaires aimed at adolescents, a genereal question of self rated well-being is often used. However, it is not empirically clear what that question really measure. Aim: This study aims at investigating to which extent self rated well-being among adolescents measures health related quality of life, including both positive and negative aspects of health, positive health in terms of positive mental health, mental health in terms of symptoms of depression/anxiety, physical health complaints and medical conditions. Method: A quantitative method with a cross-sectional design was used with data from ”Survey of Adolescent Life in Vestmanland” (SALVe), 2014, which included 4047 students in grade 9 in elementary school and grade 2 in high school in Västmanland. Correlation analysis were used. Results: Self rated well-being is measuring health related quality of life, positive mental health and mental health to a moderate extent, physical complaints to a small extent and medical conditions to a very small extent. Conclusion: Self rated well-being measures mental factors more than physical factors. Self rated well-being also measures health-related quality of life to a moderate extent, which corresponds with a holistic perspective of health. Self rated well-being among adolescents is not an adequate indicator of physical complaints and medical conditions, which should be taken into consideration when the result of the question is interpreted in population surveys.