Paul Andrew Bourne
Background: The study of young female adolescents in Jamaica is sparse and few, in particular on reported health status. This research seeks to examine the self-reported health status of young female 12-17 years and to model factors that influence good health status of young female adolescents.
Method: This study utilizes a 2002 Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC). The survey is a nationally representative cross-sectional one in which data was collected using stratified random sample, during June - October 2002. It is a modification of the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) household survey. The current study used a sub-sample of 1,565 female respondents between the ages of 12 to 17 years, with a mean age of 14.4 years (± 1.7 years).
Results: Four variables emerged as accounting for 20.3% of the variability in reported good health status of young females. The factors are cost of medical care (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.00), private health care insurance coverage (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.09), number of females in household (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.59, 0.90), and health care seeking behaviour (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.52).
Conclusion: The findings are far reaching and can be used to guide policy. Any policy that seeks to address the well-being of female adolescents must incorporate the advancement of the household, social and economic factors coupled with the needs of the individual
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
Russian 
German 
French 
Japanese 
Portuguese 
Hindi