| 1. |
- Brolin Låftman, Sara, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
-
Psychosocial School Conditions and Mental Wellbeing Among Mid-adolescents: Findings From the 2017/18 Swedish HBSC Study
- 2023
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1661-8556 .- 1661-8564. ; 67
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate mid-adolescent boys' and girls' experiences of school demands, teacher support, and classmate support, and explore the associations of these factors with mental wellbeing.Methods: Data were derived from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18, with information collected among 1,418 students in grade 9 (similar to 15-16 years). School demands, teacher support, and classmate support were measured by indices based on three items each. Mental wellbeing was measured by the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Linear regression analyses were performed.Results: Higher demands were associated with lower mental wellbeing. Conversely, mental wellbeing increased with greater teacher support and classmate support. Interactions between demands and the support variables showed that at the lowest levels of teacher and of classmate support, mental wellbeing was low and not associated with school demands. With increasing levels of teacher and classmate support, the overall level of mental wellbeing increased and revealed an inverse association between school demands and mental wellbeing.Conclusion: The study contributes with knowledge about how psychosocial conditions in school may hinder or enhance wellbeing among students.
|
|
| 2. |
- Aarø, L. E., et al.
(författare)
-
Nordic adolescents responding to demanding survey scales in boring contexts: Examining straightlining
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Adolescence. - : Wiley. - 0140-1971 .- 1095-9254. ; 94:6, s. 829-843
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Straightlining, or identical responses across all items within a multi-item scale, is often taken as an indication that responses to all items in a questionnaire are of poor quality. The purpose of this study was to examine straightlining on two scales: The Sense of Unity Scale (SUS) and the short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS). Methods: Data stem from the 2017–2018 data collections in four Nordic countries of the Health Behaviour in School-children study (HBSC) (15-year-old students only; 50.9% girls; n = 5928). Data were weighted to adjust for oversampling of Swedish-speaking Finnish students and to equalize sample size across countries. The main analyses were done with general linear modeling with adjustments for cluster effects (school classes). Results: The proportion with straightlining on SUS was 22.8%, varying from 5.8% among Swedish girls to 46.4% among Finnish boys. The proportion with straightlining on SWEMWBS was 18.4%, varying from 5.2% among Norwegian girls to 46.0% among Finnish boys. Straightlining on one of the scales correlated with straightlining on the other one. Straightlining tended to inflate Cronbach's αvalues and reduce number of factors in factor analyses. Associations between the two scales and external variables tended to be lower among straightlining students. Associations between external variables (other than SUS/SWEMWBS) are on average slightly weaker among straightliners. Straightlining students obtained more favorable scores on several resource-related variables. Conclusion: Although some problems have been identified, straightlining does not serve well as a general indicator of poor data quality.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bjereld, Ylva, 1984, et al.
(författare)
-
The association between self-reported psychosomatic complaints and bullying victimisation and disability among adolescents in Finland and Sweden
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 51:8, s. 1136-1143
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To analyse the associations between bullying victimisation, disability, and self-reported psychosomatic complaints in adolescents, and to investigate the role of support from parents and teachers in such associations. Methods: The study was based on Finnish and Swedish data from two waves (2013/2014 and 2017/2018) of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey (n=16,057). Descriptive statistics were produced for four groups of adolescents: (a) bullied with disabilities; (b) not bullied with disabilities; (c) bullied without disabilities; and (d) not bullied without disabilities (reference group). Two multilevel multinomial logistic regression models were performed for the Finnish and Swedish samples separately. The first model analysed associations between psychosomatic complaints and bullying victimisation, controlling for a range of confounders. The second model analysed associations between psychosomatic complaints and social support from parents and teachers. Results: Across both countries, bullied adolescents with disabilities were more likely to self-report psychosomatic complaints than the reference group, even after adjusting for other potential confounders. Teacher support was identified as a potential protective factor as the odds ratio for psychosomatic complaints decreased when including teacher support as a factor in the model. The association with parent support showed mixed findings in Finland and Sweden. Conclusions: Disability in combination with bullying victimisation generated the highest levels of self-reported psychosomatic complaints compared to adolescents that were not bullied nor had disabilities. High teacher support may be a protective factor against psychosomatic complaints for bullied and/or disabled adolescents.
|
|
| 4. |
- Brolin Låftman, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Excellent Self-Rated Health among Swedish Boys and Girls and Its Relationship with Working Conditions in School: A Cross-Sectional Study
- 2021
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601 .- 1661-7827. ; 18:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which school demands, teacher support, and classmate support were associated with excellent self-rated health among students, and to examine if any such statistical predictions differed by gender. Data were drawn from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18, performed among adolescents in grades five, seven, and nine (n = 3701). Linear probability models showed that school demands were negatively associated with excellent self-rated health, whereas teacher and classmate support showed positive associations. The link with school demands was stronger for girls than boys, driven by the finding that in grades five and nine, school demands were associated with excellent self-rated health only among girls. In conclusion, the study suggests that working conditions in school in terms of manageable school demands and strong teacher and classmate support may benefit adolescents' positive health. The finding that the link between school demands and excellent self-rated health was more evident among girls than among boys may be interpreted in light of girls' on average stronger focus on schoolwork and academic success. The study contributes with to knowledge about how working conditions in school may impede or promote students' positive health.
|
|
| 5. |
- Brolin Låftman, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Sexual jokes at school and psychological complaints : Student- and class-level associations.
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 49:3, s. 285-291
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Students who are subjected to sexual harassment at school report lower psychological well-being than those who are not exposed. Yet, it is possible that the occurrence of sexual harassment in the school class is also stressful for those who are not directly targeted, with potential negative effects on well-being for all students. Aim: The aim was to examine whether exposure to sexual jokes at the student level and at the class level was associated with students' psychological complaints, and if these associations differed by gender. Method: Data from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) of 2017/18 was used, with information from students aged 11, 13 and 15 years (N=3720 distributed across 209 classes). Psychological health complaints were constructed as an index based on four items. Exposure to sexual jokes at the student level was measured by one item, and at the class level as the class proportion of students exposed to sexual jokes, in per cent. Two-level linear regression analyses were performed.Results: Students who had been exposed to sexual jokes at school reported higher levels of psychological complaints, especially boys. Furthermore, the class proportion of students who had been exposed to sexual jokes was also associated with psychological complaints, even when adjusting for student-level exposure to sexual jokes, gender, grade and class size. Conclusions: Sexual jokes seem to be harmful for those who are directly exposed, but may also affect indirectly exposed students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual jokes may profit all students.
|
|
| 6. |
- Brolin Låftman, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Sexual jokes at school and students' life satisfaction: findings from the 2017/18 Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study
- 2021
-
Ingår i: BMC Research Notes. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1756-0500. ; 14:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective In a previous study we demonstrated that the occurrence of sexual jokes in the class was associated with higher levels of psychological health complaints. Building on and extending these findings, the aim of the current study was to examine if exposure to sexual jokes at the student and at the class level was inversely associated with students' life satisfaction. Data were derived from the 2017/18 Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, with students aged 11, 13 and 15 years (n = 3710 distributed across 209 classes). Exposure to sexual jokes at the student level was captured by one item. Exposure to sexual jokes at the class level was calculated by aggregating this measure. The Cantril ladder was used to operationalise life satisfaction. Two-level logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Students who were exposed to sexual jokes at school were less likely to report high life satisfaction (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.27-0.53). An inverse association was found between the class proportion of students who were exposed to sexual jokes and students' likelihood of reporting high life satisfaction, whilst adjusting for exposure to sexual jokes at the student level (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.9994). The findings highlight the importance of promoting a school climate without sexual harassment.
|
|
| 7. |
- Chen, Yun, 1966, et al.
(författare)
-
Hair glucocorticoid concentration, self-perceived stress and their associations with cardiometabolic risk markers in Swedish adolescents
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4530. ; 146
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: While hair cortisol is proposed as a biomarker for chronic stress and a possible mediator linking chronic stress and cardiovascular risk in adults, studies in adolescents are scarce. We explored the associations between self-perceived stress, hair cortisol (HairF) and cortisone (HairE), and cardiometabolic risk markers in adolescents. Further, we examined whether association between self-perceived stress and HairF may depend on the use of the coping strategies "shift-persist ". Methods: Participants were 7th grade pupils recruited to the STudy of Adolescence Resilience and Stress (STARS) and data from the baseline examinations were used. Adolescents (n = 1553, 26 % boys, Mage=13.6, SD = 0.4) completed questionnaires assessing perceived stress and coping strategies "shift-persist ", provided hair sample, and examined for cardiometabolic risk factors including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) z -score, blood pressure, and white blood cell counts (WBC). HairF and HairE were analysed using liquid chro-matography with tandem mass spectrometry. We conducted descriptive analyses (Student's t-test, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test, Chi-square test) and linear regression analyses. Results: Perceived stress was not associated with HairF, neither had the use of coping strategies "shift-persist " any influence on this association. Both HairF and HairE were positively associated with BMI z-score (beta coefficients (8): 0.178 (p < 0.001) and 0.119 (p < 0.001) for boys; 0.123 (p < 0.001) and 0.089 (p < 0.01) for girls) and WC (8: 0.089 (p > 0.05) and 0.098 (p < 0.05) for boys; 0.103 (p < 0.01) and 0.076 (p < 0.05) for girls). Perceived stress was also positively associated with BMI z-score and WC. Perceived stress, but not HairF, remained asso-ciated with WC in boys (8 = 0.200, p < 0.001) in the models with HairF and perceived stress presented simultaneously. Modest association between HairE and WBC was found in boys (8 = 0.149, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The study supports the association between chronic stress and overweight/obesity in adolescents. Hair cortisol and self-perceived stress capture different aspects of how chronic stress is related to overweight/ obesity in adolescents.
|
|
| 8. |
- Corell, Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
Does the family affluence scale reflect actual parental earned income, level of education and occupational status? A validation study using register data in Sweden
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Bmc Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 21:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim To examine the external validity of the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) among adolescents in Sweden by using register data for parental earned income, level of education and occupational status. Methods Data from the baseline (2015-2019) of the Study of Adolescence Resilience and Stress (STARS), comprising 2283 13-year-olds in the region of Vastra Gotaland, were used. The FAS III consists of six items: unshared bedroom, car ownership, computer/tablet ownership, dishwasher, number of bathrooms and number of holidays abroad. Register data regarding earned income, educational level and occupational status from Statistics Sweden (2014-2018) were linked to adolescents. In total, survey data were available for 2280 adolescents, and register data were available for 2258 mothers and 2204 fathers. Results Total parental earned income was moderately correlated with adolescents' scoring on FAS (0.31 r < 0.48, p < 0.001), depending on examination year. The low FAS group mainly comprised low-income households, and the high FAS group mainly comprised high-income households. Correlations between mothers' and fathers' educational level and adolescents' scoring on FAS were low (r = 0.19 and r = 0.21, respectively, p < 0.001). FAS was higher among adolescents whose parents were working, but the correlation between parents' occupational status and FAS was low (r = 0.22, p < 0.001). Conclusions The FAS can mainly identify low- and high-income households in Sweden. It may be used as an alternative measure of parental earned income in studies using self-reported socioeconomic status among adolescents.
|
|
| 9. |
- Corell, Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent mental health in the Nordic countries in the 2000s-A study using cross-sectional data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study
- 2024
-
Ingår i: ARCHIVES OF PUBLIC HEALTH. - 0778-7367 .- 2049-3258. ; 82:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundAdolescents in Sweden experience more mental health problems and lower mental well-being than adolescents in other Nordic countries. According to the literature, one possible explanation may be differences in income inequality. The at-risk-of-poverty rate varies significantly across the Nordic countries, and the highest rate is found in Sweden. The aims of the study were to examine socioeconomic inequalities in subjective health complaints and life satisfaction among adolescents in the Nordic countries during 2002 - 2018 and to explore whether subjective health complaints and life satisfaction were related to income inequality in terms of the at-risk-of-poverty rate at the country level.MethodsData regarding 15-year-olds from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study from five survey rounds (2002 - 2018) were used (n = 41,148). The HBSC Symptoms Checklist and Cantril's ladder were used as measures of subjective health complaints and life satisfaction, respectively. The Family Affluence Scale, the Perceived Family Wealth item and the at-risk-of-poverty rate in each country were used as measures of individual-level socioeconomic conditions and country-level income inequality. Statistical methods involved ANOVA, multiple linear regressions and multilevel regression analyses.ResultsAbsolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in both subjective health complaints and life satisfaction were found in all countries. Sweden showed average socioeconomic inequalities, Iceland the largest and Denmark the smallest. Country-level income inequality in terms of the at-risk-of-poverty rate was associated with a higher prevalence of subjective health complaints and lower levels of life satisfaction in all countries.ConclusionSocioeconomic inequalities in adolescent mental health and well-being persisted in Nordic countries in the 2000s. Increasing income inequality may have contributed to higher levels of SHC and lower LS in Sweden compared to the other Nordic countries. Policies improving families' socioeconomic conditions and reducing income inequality at the country level are needed to improve and reduce inequalities in mental health and well-being among adolescents.
|
|
| 10. |
- Corell, Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
Subjective health complaints in early adolescence reflect stress: A study among adolescents in Western Sweden
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 50:4, s. 516-523
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Mental health problems are common among Swedish adolescents and are sometimes referred to as 'stress-related'. The overall aim of this study is to do an analysis of subjective health complaints (SHCs) and perceived general stress among adolescents in Sweden, both their prevalence and association, by gender, migration background, family structure and socioeconomic conditions. Methods: Data from the baseline (comprising 2283 adolescents aged 13) of the STudy of Adolescence Resilience and Stress (STARS) study in Vastra Gotaland in Sweden were used. SHCs were measured by the Psychosomatic Problems Scale (PSP-scale) and self-reported stress was measured by Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Socioeconomic conditions were measured with the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (SSS). Statistical analyses included Student's t-tests and ANOVAs of means, linear and logistic regression analyses and Pearson's correlations. Results: Social inequalities in both SHCs and self-reported stress were found; levels were higher among girls, adolescents living with one parent or in families with less favourable socioeconomic conditions. Self-reported stress and SHCs were found to be strongly correlated (r=0.70). Correlations with self-reported stress were stronger for psychological complaints (r=0.71) than for somatic complaints (r=0.52). Correlations did not vary with socioeconomic conditions of the family. Conclusions: SHCs do reflect general stress among adolescents, and it is appropriate to address the complaints as 'stress-related'. Measures to improve adolescents' mental health by reducing levels of SHCs should pay special attention to stressors in adolescents' daily lives and strengthening adolescent's coping resources and strategies.
|
|
