Resumo

MATOS, Margarida Gaspar de  e  CARVALHOSA, Susana Fonseca. The adolescents health: school ethos and well being. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2001, vol.2, n.2, pp.43-53. ISSN 1645-0086.

During school age years, disengagement from school fosters adolescents involvement with other adolescents with the same lack of school ties. Often this fact is related to involvement in risk behaviors shared by peers within the group as a group culture. In contrast, a supportive school "ethos" facilitates adolescents’ development and promotes their well being (Battistich & Hom, 1997; Matos & Carvalhosa, 2001c). This paper examines the way in which a perception of a positive school "ethos" is important in the perception of well being in school age adolescents, using data from the Portuguese sample of the HBSC European study (Matos, Simões, Carvalhosa, Reis & Canha, 2000). Portugal was included as a full partner in this study for the first time in 1996. This survey is based on a self-completed questionnaire that is administered in schools to pupils in the 6th, 8th and 10th grades of high school, average age 14.1 years, standard deviation 1.71. Schools in the sample were randomly selected from a national list of schools, stratified by region. The Portuguese sample consisted of 6903 students, from 191 Portuguese schools, covering the whole country. Pupils were distributed, by Education Regional Divisions, as follows: 39.7% North, 24.7% Centre, 25% Lisbon, 6.2% Alentejo and 4.4% Algarve. Of the total 6903 pupils, 53% were girls and 47% boys, 34.9% in the 6th grade, 37.5% in the 8th grade and 27.6% in the 10th grade. By using a multiple linear regression model, it is clear from our results, that the more relevant issue in adolescent subjective perception of well being is perceived positive school "ethos". This score is a broad "ethos" score and included relationship with school matters themselves, and relationship with teachers, parents and peers, within the school arena. The next significant influences are, an easy communication with father, a positive self-image and an easy friendship making. These findings strongly support that both school, family, personal and social factors are important in the establishment of a positive perception of well being in school aged adolescents. However school based ones seem to be the more powerful. Notably father job was not a significant predictor of well being, unless only demographic factors are included in the model. These findings suggest that although socio economic status (father job) can be a relevant influence in what well being in adolescents is concerned, this effect can be faded in the presence of a positive perception of school "ethos" by those adolescents. These results highlighted the importance of schools, in the perception of well being in adolescents and thus the relevance to focus on the quality of school "ethos" in order to achieve an increased chance of a positive mental health status in school aged Portuguese adolescents.

Palavras-chave : Adolescents; Health promotion; School "ethos"; Well being.

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