4. How young people evaluate their well-being and health

4. How young people evaluate their well-being and health

What this is about

‘How are you?’ and ‘Are you well?’ are questions that we hear every day. The fact that we ask other people about their well-being and health so often shows that they are very important parts of our lives. We mostly only realise that we were well once we fall ill. As our health and our thoughts and feelings about it are so important, we have devoted an entire chapter of the youth study to it. Not all young people have the same perception of well-being and health: there are differences, for example between children, adolescents and young adults. Or between boys and girls. Or between young people living in a well-off household and those whose families have to get by on little money. Immigrants and people who have had roots in Luxembourg for generations also experience different conditions as regards staying healthy, and have different perspectives on the topic of ‘well-being and health’.

It is important to note that young people know they should be actively doing something to ensure their own well-being and health. Most of them know what is good for them – even if they do not always do it. We describe relationships like these in section 4 of the youth study. In doing so, we are seeking to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of health, well-being and the attitudes of young people in Luxembourg towards these aspects of life.