Objectives: Sense of unity refers to the positive feeling of being part of a larger socialstructure. This study aimed to investigate to what extent adolescents report sense of unityand if this differs across groups, and to assess the associations between sense of unityand self-reported health while taking into account sociodemographic characteristics andtangible social relationships.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2017/18 Swedish Health Behavior in School-agedChildren study, using information collected among 15-year-old students (n1,392). Linearand binary logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results: The participants reported overall high levels of sense of unity. Sense of unity didnot differ by gender, but adolescents without an immigrant background and those withhigher family affluence reported higher levels. Sense of unity was inversely associated withpsychological complaints, somatic complaints, and less than good self-rated health, evenwhen adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and family, classmate, and teacherrelationships.

Conclusion :This study suggests that sense of unity may be an important socialdeterminant for adolescent health. More research is needed on the origins andimplications of sense of unity.