Social Support in Adolescence: How Friendships Influence Health Perceptions among Brazilian Youth

Hisrael Passarelli-Araujo, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Adolescent health is a critical area of study within population research, particularly in the context of changing family dynamics and support systems. Although some research has highlighted the importance of social support for the health of Brazilian adolescents, there remains a significant gap in understanding the role of close friendships in shaping adolescents' self-rated health (SRH) on a national level. This study draws upon a large and representative sample of Brazilian adolescents (n = 153,672) from the 2019 National Survey of School Health (PeNSE), to examine whether adolescents with close friends perceive their health more positively compared to those without close friends. Results from descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regressions suggest that the absence of close friends is strongly associated with reporting poor SRH among Brazilian adolescents, an effect that persists even when controlling for demographic factors. The analysis also suggests that both males and females are affected by age-related changes in health perceptions. However, girls seem to be more sensitive to negative self-assessments of health as they age compared to boys. These findings underscore the importance of peer relationships in the broader context of adolescent health and well-being, particularly in light of evolving family structures and social networks.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Health and Morbidity, Data and Methods

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