Self-assessed Health Status and Morbidity Experiences of Teenagers in Nairobi's Low Income Settings

This study uses data from a slum survey in Nairobi, Kenya, to examine the factors associated with self-assessed health status among 1,654 teenage boys and girls. Analysis involved logistic regression and multilevel models. The results show: 1) a significant but non-linear association between prior morbidity experiences and self-assessed health; 2) gender differences in self-assessed health status with female teenagers being more inclusive in their assessment of health status than male teenagers; 3) that the absence of the father was significantly associated with lower likelihood of reporting good health for male teenagers; for female teenagers, it was the absence of the mother; and, 4) that female teenagers who had experienced physical abuse were less likely to report good health compared to those who did not. These findings suggest a need for adolescent health interventions to not only target all aspects of health but also take the gender dimensions into account.