| 1. |
- Flacking, Renée, 1964-, et al.
(author)
-
'In or Out'-On the Dynamic between Acceptance and Rejection and its Influence on Health in Adolescent Girls
- 2014
-
In: Young - Nordic Journal of Youth Research. - : SAGE Publications India. - 1103-3088 .- 1741-3222. ; 22:3, s. 291-303
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adolescent girls' subjective health, or well-being, is of international concern as the frequency of psychological and psychosomatic complaints is continuously increasing in several countries world-wide. The causes of this development are still obscure. The aim of this study was to explore well-being and strategies for increased well-being among adolescent girls. Grounded Theory method was used, in which in-depth interviews were held with 18 adolescent girls, 17-18 years of age. Results showed that striving for acceptance and avoiding rejection were central for their well-being. When rejection was experienced, emotions of stress-shame were recognized, a phenomena we call the stress-shame cycle. In the struggle to prevent rejection and to become accepted, the girls strived to boost their social attractiveness by impression management.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Joffer, Junia, et al.
(author)
-
Exploring self-rated health among adolescents : a think-aloud study
- 2016
-
In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 16
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite extensive use of self-rated health questions in youth studies, little is known about what such questions capture among adolescents. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore how adolescents interpret and reason when answering a question about self-rated health.METHODS: A qualitative study using think-aloud interviews explored the question, "How do you feel most of the time?", using five response options ("Very good", "Rather good", "Neither good, nor bad", "Rather bad", and "Very bad"). The study involved 58 adolescents (29 boys and 29 girls) in lower secondary school (7th grade) and upper secondary school (12th grade) in Sweden.RESULTS: Respondents' interpretations of the question about how they felt included social, mental, and physical aspects. Gender differences were found primarily in that girls emphasized stressors, while age differences were reflected mainly in the older respondents' inclusion of a wider variety of influences on their assessments. The five response options all demonstrated differences in self-rated health, and the respondents' understanding of the middle option, "Neither good, nor bad", varied widely. In the answering of potential sensitive survey questions, rationales for providing honest or biased answers were described.CONCLUSIONS: The use of a self-rated health question including the word 'feel' captured a holistic view of health among adolescents. Differences amongst response options should be acknowledged when analyzing self-rated health questions. If anonymity is not feasible when answering questions on self-rated health, a high level of privacy is recommended to increase the likelihood of reliability.
|
|
| 4. |
- Joffer, Junia, 1984-
(author)
-
Health for future : self-rated health and social status among adolescents
- 2020
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to explore self-rated health, subjective social status and smoking in adolescents.This thesis consists of a qualitative and a quantitative study. The qualitative study was an interview study that included 58 participants in the 7th and 12th grades. The cognitive interviewing technique ‘think-aloud’ was employed to explore how adolescents interpret and reason when answering a question about self-rated health (‘A person may feel good sometimes and bad sometimes. How do you feel most of the time?’). Additionally, factors contributing to subjective social status in school and the different strategies adolescents used for positioning were explored. Qualitative content analysis and thematic network analyzes were used to analyze the data. The quantitative study was a cohort study involving 1046 adolescents who answered questionnaires about their health in the 7th, 8th, 9th and 12th grades. Data were used to investigate predicting factors in the 7th grade for smoking in the 12th grade, as well as to examine associations between subjective social status in school, socioeconomic status and self-rated health in boys and girls in the 12th grade. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression analyses.The results from the interviews showed that participants interpreted the self-rated health question in holistic terms including social, mental and physical aspects. Results from the quantitative study showed that boys rated their health higher than girls at all ages. In a multivariable analysis lower selfesteem, a less negative attitude towards smoking and ever using snus in the 7th grade were significant predictors of smoking in the 12th grade. In addition, girls had an increased risk of becoming smokers. Cross-sectional analyses in the 12th grade revealed that adolescents’ self-rated health was positively associated with subjective social status in school, mood in the family and self-esteem in both girls and boys. Boys rated their subjective social status higher than girls. When exploring subjective social status in school further through interviews, status hierarchies in school were confirmed by the participants, which were strongly influenced by norms linked to gender, age, ethnicity and parental economy, but also expectations about how to look, act and interact.In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that the self-rated health question ‘How do you feel most of the time?’ is useful for capturing a multidimensional view of health. Early efforts to strengthen adolescents’ self-esteem, promote anti-smoking attitudes and avoid an early initiation of snus seem to be important components of smoking prevention in adolescence. The positive association between self-rated health and subjective social status in school indicates that the subjective social status question is a useful healthrelated measure of social position in adolescents. Because social desirability in the school hierarchy was defined by norms that left little room for diversity, the possible negative impact of status hierarchies on adolescents’ health should to be considered. Overall, gender differences in health and social status emphasize the need for a gender-sensitive understanding of factors that impact adolescents’ lives
|
|
| 5. |
- Joffer, Junia, et al.
(author)
-
Playing the complex game of social status in school – a qualitative study
- 2020
-
In: Global Health Action. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 13:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Research suggests that social status in school plays an important role in the social lives of adolescents and that their social status is associated with their health. Additional knowledge about adolescents’ understanding of social hierarchies could help to explain inequalities in adolescents’ health and guide public health interventions.Objective: The study aimed to explore what contributes to subjective social status in school and the strategies used for social positioning.Methods: A qualitative research design with think-aloud interviews was used. The study included 57 adolescents in lower (7th grade) and upper secondary school (12th grade) in Sweden. Subjective social status was explored using a slightly modified version of the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status in school. Data were analyzed using thematic network analysis.Results: The participants were highly aware of their social status in school. Elements tied to gender, age, ethnicity and parental economy influenced their preconditions in the positioning. In addition, expectations on how to look, act and interact, influenced the pursue for social desirability. The way these different factors intersected and had to be balanced suggests that social positioning in school is complex and multifaceted.Conclusions: Because the norms that guided social positioning left little room for diversity, the possible negative impact of status hierarchies on adolescents’ health needs to be considered. In school interventions, we suggest that norms on e.g. gender and ethnicity need to be addressed and problematized from an intersectional approach.
|
|
| 6. |
- Joffer, Junia, et al.
(author)
-
Self-rated health, subjective social status in school and socioeconomic status in adolescents: a cross-sectional study
- 2019
-
In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Social position, traditionally measured by objective data on socioeconomic status (SES), is linked to health status in adults. In adolescents, the association is more uncertain and there are some studies suggesting that subjective social status (SSS) might be more adequate in relation to health. This study aimed to examine associations between SSS in school, SES and self-rated health (SRH) in adolescent boys and girls.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design with quantitative survey data was used. The study involved 705 Swedish adolescents in upper secondary school (17–18-year-olds). SRH was measured with a single-item question and SSS by a question where adolescents were asked to assess their social position within their school. Formal education level of the parents was used as a proxy for objective SES. Univariable and multivariable ordinal regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations between SRH and SSS in school and SES.Results: In the multivariable analysis, SSS in school was positively associated with SRH, whereas no significant association between SES and SRH was found. The proportion of adolescents with high SRH increased with higher steps on the SSS ladder. Significant gender differences were found in that boys rated their SRH and SSS in school higher than girls did.Conclusions: The study shows that self-rated health in adolescents is related to perceived social position in school. Subjective social status in school seems to be a useful health-related measure of social position in adolescents.
|
|
| 7. |
- Randell, Eva, 1960-
(author)
-
Adolescent boys’ health : managing emotions, masculinities and subjective social status
- 2016
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The health of adolescent boys is complex and surprisingly little is known about how adolescent boys perceive, conceptualise and experience their health. Thus, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore adolescent boys’ perceptions and experiences of health, emotions, masculinity and subjective social status (SSS).This thesis consists of a qualitative, a quantitative and a mixed methods study. The qualitative study aimed to explore how adolescent boys understand the concept of health and what they find important for its achievement. Furthermore, the adolescent boys’ views of masculinity, emotion management and their potential effects on wellbeing were explored. For this purpose, individual interviews were conducted with 33 adolescent boys aged 16-17 years. The quantitative study aimed to investigate the associations between pride, shame and health in adolescence. Data were collected through a cross-sectional postal survey with 705 adolescents. The purpose of the mixed methods study was to investigate associations between SSS in school, socioeconomic status (SES) and self-rated health (SRH), and to explore the concept of SSS in school. Cross-sectional data were combined with interview data in which the meaning of SSS was further explored. Individual interviews with 35 adolescents aged 17-18 years were conducted.In the qualitative study, data were analysed using Grounded Theory. In the quantitative study, statistical analyses (e.g., chi-square test and uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses) were performed. In the mixed method study, a combination of statistical analyses and thematic network analysis was applied.The results showed that there was a complexity in how the adolescent boys viewed, experienced, dealt with and valued health. On a conceptual level, they perceived health as holistic but when dealing with difficult emotions, they were prone to separate the body from the mind. Thus, the adolescent boys experienced a difference between health as a concept and health as an experience (paper I). Concerning emotional orientation in masculinity, two main categories of masculine conceptions were identified: a gender-normative masculinity and a non-gender-normative masculinity (paper II). Gender-normative masculinity comprised two seemingly opposite emotional masculinity orientations, one towards toughness and the other towards sensitivity, both of which were highly influenced by contextual and situational group norms and demands, despite that their expressions are in contrast to each other. Non-gender-normative masculinity included an orientation towards sincerity, emphasising the personal values of the boys. Emotions were expressed more independently of peer group norms. The findings suggest that different masculinities and the expression of emotions are intricately intertwined and that managing emotions is vital for wellbeing. The present findings also showed that both shame and pride were significantly associated with SRH, and furthermore, that there seems to be a protective effect of experiencing pride for health (paper III). The results also demonstrated that SSS is strongly related to SRH, and high SRH is related to high SSS, and further that the positioning was done in a gendered space (paper IV).Results from all studies suggest that the emotional and relational aspects, as well as perceived SSS, were strongly related to SRH. Positive emotions, trustful relationships and having a sense of belonging were important factors for health and pride was an important emotion protecting health. Physical health, on the other hand, had a more subordinated value, but the body was experienced as an important tool to achieve health. Even though health was mainly perceived in a holistic manner by the boys, there were boys who were prone to dichotomise the health experience into a mind-body dualism when having to deal with difficult emotions.In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that young, masculine health is largely experienced through emotions and relationships between individuals and their contexts affected by gendered practices. Health is to feel and function well in mind and body and to have trusting relationships. The results support theories on health as a social construction of interconnected processes. Having confidence in self-esteem, access to trustful relationships and the courage to resist traditional masculine norms while still reinforcing and maintaining social status are all conducive to good health. Researchers as well as professionals need to consider the complexity of adolescent boys’ health in which norms, values, relationships and gender form its social determinants. Those working with young boys should encourage them to integrate physical, social and emotional aspects of health into an interconnected and holistic experience.
|
|
| 8. |
- Randell, Eva, et al.
(author)
-
Pride, shame and health among adolescents – a cross-sectional survey
- 2018
-
In: International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0334-0139 .- 2191-0278. ; 30:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundPride and shame are important emotions known to influence identity development and psychological well-being in adolescence. Research evidence indicates that self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of future health. This cross-sectional study, conducted during 2008–2009, aimed to investigate the associations between pride, shame and SRH among adolescent boys and girls.MethodsThe study sample comprised 705 adolescents in Sweden aged 17–18 years (318 boys and 387 girls) who completed a questionnaire that included items on SRH, shame and pride (participation rate 67%). Logistic regression analyses (univariable and multivariable) were used to investigate the associations between pride and shame as separate and combined constructs on SRH, adjusting for potential confounders (country of birth, parental educational level, school experience, having enough friends, mood in family and being active in associations).ResultsPride and shame separately were significantly associated with SRH in both genders. Logistic regression analysis of the pride-shame model showed that the odds of having lower SRH were highest in boys and girls with lower pride-higher shame. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis of the pride-shame model the odds of having lower SRH remained significant in boys and girls with lower pride-higher shame [boys: odds ratio (OR) 3.51, confidence interval (CI) 1.40–8.81; girls: OR 2.70, CI 1.22–5.96] and in girls with lower pride-lower shame (OR 2.16, CI 1.02–4.56).ConclusionThe emotions of shame and pride are associated with SRH in adolescence. Experiencing pride seems to serve as a protective mechanism in SRH in adolescents exposed to shame. We believe that this knowledge should be useful in adolescent health promotion.
|
|
| 9. |
- Randell, Eva, et al.
(author)
-
Tough, sensitive and sincere : how adolescent boys manage masculinities and emotions
- 2015
-
In: International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0267-3843 .- 2164-4527. ; 21:4, s. 486-498
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aimed to explore adolescent boys’ views of masculinity and emotion management and their potential effects on well-being. Interviews with 33 adolescent boys aged 16–17 years in Sweden were analysed using grounded theory. We found two main categories of masculine conceptions in adolescent boys: gender-normative masculinity with emphasis on group-based values, and non-gender-normative masculinity based on personal values. Gender-normative masculinity comprised two seemingly opposite emotional masculinity orientations, one towards toughness and the other towards sensitivity, both of which were highly influenced by contextual and situational group norms and demands, despite their expressions contrasting each other. Non-gender-normative masculinity included an orientation towards sincerity emphasising the personal values of the boys; emotions were expressed more independently of peer group norms. Our findings suggest that different masculinities and the expression of emotions are strongly intertwined and that managing emotions is vital for well-being.
|
|
| 10. |
- Randell, Eva, et al.
(author)
-
What is health and what is important for its achievement? : A qualitative study on adolescent boys’ perceptions and experiences of health
- 2016
-
In: Open Nursing Journal. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1874-4346. ; 10, s. 26-35
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Few qualitative studies have explored adolescent boys’ perceptions of health.Aim: The aim of this study was therefore to explore how adolescent boys understand the concept of health and what they find important for its achievementMethods: Grounded theory was used as a method to analyse interviews with 33 adolescent boys aged 16 to 17 years attending three upper secondary schools in a relatively small town in Sweden.Results: There was a complexity in how health was perceived, experienced, dealt with, and valued. Although health on a conceptual level was described as ‘holistic’, health was experienced and dealt with in a more dualistic manner, one in which the boys were prone to differentiate between mind and body. Health was experienced as mainly emotional and relational, whereas the body had a subordinate value. The presence of positive emotions, experiencing self-esteem, balance in life, trustful relationships, and having a sense of belonging were important factors for health while the body was experienced as a tool to achieve health, as energy, and as a condition.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that young, masculine health is largely experienced through emotions and relationships and thus support theories on health as a social construction of interconnected processes.
|
|
