Table 4

Illustrative quotes on subthemes related to health

Subtheme	Quotes
Your lifestyle	‘Health is eating healthily, practicing sports, so a lot of exercise. And, well, not too much sugar.’ Healthy girl, 12–15 year age group.
	‘… If you exercise, you also feel fit, so you have more energy. And then I think that you feel better about yourself.’ Girl with muscular disease, 16–18 year age group.
	‘Yes, because if you don’t sleep long enough it is also bad for yourself and your health will also deteriorate if you do not sleep enough.’ Healthy boy, 12–15 year age group.
Physical complaints	‘That you don’t notice anything, that you don't think ‘oh, this is in my way’ or ‘this hurts’.’ Boy with congenital heart disease, 12–15 year age group.
	‘For example, I have two illnesses and I never notice any of them, I never suffer from them.(…)And I don't feel unhealthy.’ Girl with inflammatory bowel disease, 8–11 year age group.
	’I have Crohn’s disease, it’s chronic but right now I don’t experience any complaints, so I feel healthy.’ Girl with inflammatory bowel disease, 16–18 year age group.
How you look	‘You can also notice it by the temperature of that person, whether they seem a little white or something. Those kind of things.’ Girl with functional abdominal pain, 12–15 year age group.
How you look	‘You will be able to see it if someone has a broken arm… but as for me, you could not see it. That is to say, when I walk on the street, nobody could see: ‘Ah, they performed open heart surgery on you.’ Boy with congenital heart disease, 12–15 year age group.
Family and friends	‘And if you don't have friends then you can't play with anyone or anything, then you're bored at home all the time and you don't feel so good because you don't have friends.’ Healthy boy, 8–11 year age group
	‘When you are in a good place with friends and things like that, where you just have good friends, that you can rely on people. At home too, that your parents are either together or separated, but in a good way.(…)That you can share it if you don't feel well and that you just know that there are people who are there for you.’ Girl with inflammatory bowel disease, 16–18 year age group.
	‘Because you can express your feelings. And that you are not completely alone.’ Boy with autism spectrum disorder, 12–15 year age group.
	‘If you are worrying about something and you tell someone about it, a trustworthy person, it will cause a sense of relief. You will be able to talk about it and it will be solved, the thing you were worrying about. You’ll feel relieved and feel much better and in that way you will actually automatically become healthier.’ Healthy boy, 12–15 year age group.
Having a positive attitude	‘I think the most important thing is your attitude in life(…)if you have a positive attitude towards life, it is easier to be healthy, I think.(…)I think it makes you happier if you look at it that way. If you only think: “I still want to do this and do that and that is no longer possible”, that it will make you a bit more gloomy.’ Girl with muscular disease, 16–18 year age group.
Having a positive attitude	‘By motivating yourself, telling yourself that you are just very strong and can get through it. So what can I do? And then just mention the positive things or something. And yes I think that motivates you.’ Healthy girl, 12–15 year age group.
Being yourself	‘Health is if you are who you are. And if you do what you truly like. Then you’ll feel good and you’ll probably have good friends who accept who you are.’ Healthy girl, 12–15 year age group.
Being yourself	‘… If you pretend to be different from who you are, then secretly you are not very healthy on the inside, I think, because you will not be yourself.’ Boy with muscular disease, 12–15 year age group.
Belonging	‘… That you can participate and that you don't feel left out(…)that you are one group and not you the one in the wheelchair.’ Healthy girl, 12–15 year age group.
Belonging	‘Yes, often you want to participate in what your friends do. And when you can't do all that, they may think: well, you can't join us anyway, so go away.’ Girl with inflammatory bowel disease, 16–18 year age group.