Summary

Well-being is a complex concept that includes elements of inequality due to socio-economics, living environment or gender. Every person also encounters unique situations and has different experiences of well-being. This qualitative study aims to describe what issues promote and hinder the well-being of girls aged 13–16 in Northern Finland. A total of 117 girls aged 13–16 living in Northern Finland were asked to write about the issues that hinder and promote their well-being. The girls’ responses were analysed using content analysis. After analysis, two combining categories were discovered: issues hindering well-being were a debilitating sphere of life and negative experiences in life, and issues promoting well-being were positive subjective sensations and favourably perceived conditions. The results of this study indicate that girls’ well-being is connected to their social and physical environment. As the girls’ view of the issues that promote or hinder health are connected and interact with their living environment, there is also a need for health promotion measures to take into account both the individuals and the environment in which they function and live. This view challenges us to see health promotion in a broader way—a way which takes into account structural and political factors, individual consultation and empowerment.