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The health of Swedish‐speaking and Finnish‐speaking schoolchildren in Finland
Author(s) -
Saarela J. M.,
Finnäs F. S. A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2004.00385.x
Subject(s) - life expectancy , context (archaeology) , psychology , perspective (graphical) , logistic regression , expectancy theory , population , medicine , environmental health , gerontology , demography , social psychology , geography , sociology , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science
Background It is well known that Swedish‐speaking adults in Finland have higher life expectancy and better health than their Finnish‐speaking counterparts. Among young people, similar comparisons have been scarce. The present paper aims to compare the health of Swedish‐speaking and Finnish‐speaking schoolchildren. Methods Survey data from 1997, representing children at grades 8 and 9 of compulsory school in a bilingual region, are analysed with the help of logistic regression models. Self‐rated health as well as objective measures of health are explored. Results We find that Swedish‐speaking schoolchildren are healthier than Finnish‐speaking ones in terms of objective measures of health, whereas there is no difference between language groups in terms of self‐assessed health. Self‐rated health seems to reflect well‐being in a very broad context rather than objective health from a medical perspective. Risk factors and health behaviours being equal, both language groups consequently assess their health in a similar manner. Conclusions Policy makers should be careful when advocating the health needs of schoolchildren based on survey results concerned with self‐assessed health measures, particularly when they are concerned with targeting measures towards specific subgroups of the population. Self‐rated health is obviously not well suited for reflecting overall and specific needs of medical assistance and expertise for schoolchildren.