Influence of perceived social support on health and socio-economic differences in social support in adolescents

The influence of perceived social support on health and socio-economic differences in social support were investigated in sample of adolescents (n = 2616, including 1370 boys, mean age 15 years). The perceived social support was studied in five spheres: school, interpersonal relations, serious decisions, health problems, and psychological problems. The subjective health state of adolescents was studied by means of four self-rating scales: general health evaluation scale, well-beings questionnaire, vitality and mental health scale, and subjective health complaints occurrence questionnaire. The socio-economic status of adolescents was assessed in three ways: the highest parents' occupational group, the highest parents' education, and the type of school attended by an adolescent. The authors' findings proved a significant influence of social support on the health of adolescents. The adolescents who stated that they have no person to turn upon, to talk with about any of five selected problem spheres, evaluated their own health state mole frequently only as good, insufficient or bad, the level of their wellbeing, vitality, and mental health was lower, and they suffered from higher number of subjective health complaints in comparison with the group of adolescents who stated that they have a person to turn upon. The health state of girls was statistically significantly worse than that of boys, on the other hand statistically significantly more boys stated that they have no per: son to talk with. The gender differences in health were smaller in groups with high level of social support. The low level of social support influenced more the health of investigated girls. The socio-economic differences in social support were proved only when using the type of school as the indicator of the socio-economic status of adolescents but not when using the highest parents' social class or the highest parents' education. Especially the apprentice schools youth was threatened by the lack of social support.