TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring Ghanaian adolescents' meaning of health and wellbeing
T2 - A psychosocial perspective
AU - Glozah, Franklin N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 F. N. Glozah.
PY - 2015/4/7
Y1 - 2015/4/7
N2 - There is presently no internationally agreed upon set of indicators for assessing adolescent health and what "health and wellbeing" means to adolescents. The psychosocial context of family, friends, and school plays a crucial role in the construction of health and wellbeing by adolescents. In spite of this, not much is known about the meaning Ghanaian adolescents attach to their health and wellbeing and the role of stress and social support in the construction of this meaning. This study explores how perceived social support and stress influence the construction of the meaning of health and wellbeing to Ghanaian adolescents. Eleven respondents purposively selected from 770 males and females participated in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed with thematic analysis. Findings pointed to the fact that health and wellbeing was largely construed as "ability to perform daily functions," such as ability to take critical decisions and a general sense of vitality and mental strength. These were influenced by perceived social support ("encouragement and advice" and "religiosity or spirituality") and stress ("teasing, strictness, quarrels, and arguments"). These findings suggest that effective communication, mutual respect, and support from significant others, in the midst of stressful life events, contribute substantially to a holistic construction and meaning of health and wellbeing by Ghanaian adolescents.
AB - There is presently no internationally agreed upon set of indicators for assessing adolescent health and what "health and wellbeing" means to adolescents. The psychosocial context of family, friends, and school plays a crucial role in the construction of health and wellbeing by adolescents. In spite of this, not much is known about the meaning Ghanaian adolescents attach to their health and wellbeing and the role of stress and social support in the construction of this meaning. This study explores how perceived social support and stress influence the construction of the meaning of health and wellbeing to Ghanaian adolescents. Eleven respondents purposively selected from 770 males and females participated in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed with thematic analysis. Findings pointed to the fact that health and wellbeing was largely construed as "ability to perform daily functions," such as ability to take critical decisions and a general sense of vitality and mental strength. These were influenced by perceived social support ("encouragement and advice" and "religiosity or spirituality") and stress ("teasing, strictness, quarrels, and arguments"). These findings suggest that effective communication, mutual respect, and support from significant others, in the midst of stressful life events, contribute substantially to a holistic construction and meaning of health and wellbeing by Ghanaian adolescents.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Ghana
KW - Health and wellbeing
KW - Qualitative method
KW - Social constructionism
KW - Social support
KW - Stress
KW - Thematic analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84927546239&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3402/qhw.v10.26370
DO - 10.3402/qhw.v10.26370
M3 - Article
C2 - 25855158
AN - SCOPUS:84927546239
SN - 1748-2623
VL - 10
JO - International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
JF - International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being
M1 - 26370
ER -