Table 2 Prevalence % and 95% CI of the “Very lonely” category of adolescents by gender, age, mental distress, and self-rated health

Gender

GIRLS

7.8 (7.0–8.6)

(N = 4414)

12.3 (11.3–13.3)

(N = 3932)

14.3 (13.3–15.3)

(N = 3974)

< 0.001

< 0.001

BOYS

4.2 (3.6–4.8)

(N = 4424)

6.8 (6–7.6)

(N = 3711)

6.6 (5.8–7.4)

(N = 3770)

0.039

Age

13–15 years

4.7 (3.9–5.5)

(N = 2938)

8.1 (7.1–9.1)

(N = 2796)

6.7 (5.7–7.7)

(N = 2548)

0.008

< 0.001

16–19 years

6.7 (6.1–7.3)

(N = 5900)

10.5 (9.6–11.4)

(N = 4847)

12.5 (11.6–13.4)

(N = 5196)

< 0.001

Gender/Age

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

13–15 years

Girls

85 (5.8)

(N = 1474)

142 (9.8)

(N = 1451)

123 (9.5)

(N = 1301)

< 0.001

< 0.001

Boys

53 (3.6)

(N = 1464)

84 (6.2)

(N = 1345)

47 (3.8)

(N = 1247)

0.722

16–19 years

Girls

261 (8.9)

(N = 2940)

342 (13.8)

(N = 2481)

447 (16.7)

(N = 2673)

< 0.001

< 0.001

Boys

134 (4.5)

(N = 2960)

167 (7.1)

(N = 2366)

202 (8)

(N = 2523)

< 0.001

Mental distress

Low (HSCL < 2)

2.9 (2.5–3.3)

(N = 7404)

4.0 (3.5–4.5)

(N = 6107)

3.2 (2.7–3.7)

(N = 5330)

< 0.001

< 0.001

High (HSCL ≥ 2)

22.3 (20.1–24.5)

(N = 1398)

32.8 (30.4–35.2)

(N = 1493)

26.9 (25.1–28.7)

(N = 2381)

0.003

Self-rated health

Poor self-rated health

14.6 (12.4–16.8)

(N = 951)

26.3 (23.3–29.3)

(N = 807)

26.6 (23.9–29.3)

(N = 1068)

0.001

< 0.001

Good self-rated health

5.0 (4.5–5.5)

(N = 7791)

7.6 (7–8.2)

(N = 6751)

7.9 (7.3–8.5)

(N = 6632)

0.503