Table 1—

General Health and Nutrition of Caribbean Adolescents

	Gender (%)		Age group, (%)
	Female	Male	< 12y	13–15y	16–18y	Total (%)
General healtha–e
Poor	4.3	4.5	5.4	4.3	2.7	4.4
Fair	16.2	14.2	11.6	15.6	21.8	15.4
Good	34.8	39.0	34.7	37.7	36.4	36.5
Excellent	44.7	42.3	48.3	42.3	39.2	43.8
Limiting disabilitya	8.7	10.1	9.4	9.2	8.9	9.2
Exercise hard (work, play, or exercise hard enough to sweat and breathe hard)a–e
Never	26.5	21.7	30.4	23.1	17.3	24.6
1–2 times weekly	36.2	26.3	26.7	33.8	38.2	32.2
≥ 3 times weekly	37.3	52	42.8	43	44.5	43.1
Regular health problems (more than 1–2 times weekly)f
Developing too fasta,b,d,e	16.3	16.4	18.1	17	11.5	16.3
Body not developingb–e	11.8	12.3	2.6	12.7	9.7	12
Headachea	16.7	11.1	14.5	14.4	14.8	14.5
Stomachachesa	11.3	16.5	10.2	9.2	8.8	9.4
Acnea–e	13.6	9.5	8.7	13	15.4	12
Number of health problems reporteda–e
None	49.8	55	52.4	51.5	51.8	51.8
1–2	39.4	35.1	35.2	38.3	40.5	37.7
3 or more	10.8	9.9	12.4	10.2	7.7	10.5
Body satisfaction
Think weight is okaya–d	67.7	71.6	73.3	66.8	67.9	69.2
Look in mirror, feel okay or happya–d	87.7	89.5	91.3	87.1	87.0	88.4
Use of weight loss methods (ever)
Diet or exerciseb–e	15.5	15.3	12.2	16.4	18.8	15.4
Laxativesa–e	14.1	16.8	18.1	15.6	9.1	15.3
Vomitinga–e	7.7	8.9	11.0	7.7	4.5	8.2
Hungry because there is not enough food
Lack food a lotb–d	8.3	9.1	11.3	7.7	6.2	8.6
Skip breakfast because lack food	4.0	3.7	4.4	3.6	4.0	3.9
Clinic visits last 2 years
Medical clinicb–d	36.3	36.1	29.7	38.5	41.2	36.2
Mental health serviceb–d	11.0	12.3	8.5	12.4	14.2	11.5
Dental visitb–d	42.1	40.0	35.9	43.2	45.4	41.3

^aStatistically significant difference between genders (P < .01).

^bStatistically significant difference between age groups (P < .01).

^cStatistically significant difference between age groups 10–12 vs 13–15 years (P < .01).

^dStatistically significant difference between age groups 10–12 vs 16–18 years (P < .01).

^eStatistically significant difference between age groups 13–15 vs 16–18 years (P < .01)

^fCategories: “a lot” vs. “hardly ever” or “sometimes.”