1.
Kleppang, Annette Lovheim, et al.
(author)
Electronic media use and symptoms of depression among adolescents in Norway
2021
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public library of science. - 1932-6203. ; 16:7
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between electronic media use, including use of social media and gaming, and symptoms of depression, and whether gender or having friends moderated these associations. Methods This study was based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey, conducted in 2018 by the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) Institute in cooperation with seven regional drug and alcohol competence centres. The target group comprised 12,353 15-16 years old adolescents. Binominal logistic regression was used to analyse the association between electronic media use and symptoms of depression. Results The odds of having symptoms of depression were higher for those who used social media more than 3 hours per day (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.43-1.80), compared to those who used social media 3 hours or less per day. Additionally, the odds of having symptoms of depression was higher for those who used more than 3 hours on gaming per day (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.36-1.80), compared to those who used 3 hours and less on gaming per day after adjustment for potential confounders. There were no interaction effects between social media and gaming use with symptoms of depression. Neither were the associations between social media use and gaming with symptoms of depression moderated by gender or having friends. Conclusions The odds of having symptoms of depression were significantly higher for adolescents with a more frequent use of electronic media.
2.
Danielsson, Nanette, et al.
(author)
Associations between adolescent sleep disturbance and different worry themes: findings from a repeated cross-sectional study from 1988 to 2011
2016
In: Sleep Health. - Amsterdam : Elsevier BV. - 2352-7218 .- 2352-7226. ; 2:3, s. 194-197
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
ObjectiveThe objective was to investigate relationships between adolescent sleep disturbance and various worry themes.MethodsQuestionnaire data from 8 cross-sectional collections between 1988 and 2011 were used. The sample included more than 20,000 adolescents aged 15-16. Binary logistic regressions were used for the analyses.ResultsSleep disturbance and female sex increased the odds of worrying about all themes. Sleep disturbance shared stronger associations with worry about financial security, accidents/illness, being bullied, and terrorist attacks (odds ratios, 2.65-3.35) compared with worry about environmental destruction or nuclear war (odds ratios, 1.73-2.11). No interactions between sleep and year of investigation were found.ConclusionsLittle is known about the association between adolescent worry and sleep, and about sleep disturbance and specific worry content. This study shows that the strength in the relationship between adolescent worry and sleep varies with worry themes. Knowledge of the worry content related to sleep may aid in targeting preventions and interventions.
3.
Ma, Li, 1970-, et al.
(author)
The association between screen time and reported depressive symptoms among adolescents in Sweden
2021
In: Family practice. - Oxford : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2229 .- 0263-2136. ; 38:6, s. 773-779
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
BACKGROUND: How screen use is associated with adolescents' mental health has been widely debated in public media during the last decade, but there is still lack of information about if and how the associations vary between types of electronic media. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine how time spent on types of screen use (social media, gaming alone, gaming in groups and watching TV) was associated with depressive symptoms among adolescents in Sweden, and whether gender moderated these associations. METHODS: We analysed data from the Swedish section of the Children of Immigrants: Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries. The final sample consisted of 3556 eighth grade adolescents in 2011 (51% girls). We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio of feeling depressed often versus less often/not at all using time spent on different types of screen use as predictor variables. Additionally, we tested interaction effects between gender and the predictor variables. RESULTS: Our results showed that spending more than 2 hours on social media was associated with higher odds of feeling depressed often compared with spending 2 hours or less. Not watching TV was associated with higher odds of feeling depressed often compared with watching TV. These patterns did not differ across genders. Gaming alone and gaming in groups were not associated with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that more frequent social media use and not watching TV were associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms. © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. This study examined how time spent on four types of screen use including social media, gaming alone, gaming in groups and watching TV was associated with depressive symptoms among adolescents in Sweden, and whether these associations differed for girls and boys. We analysed data from the Swedish section of the Children of Immigrants: Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries. The final sample consisted of 3556 eighth grade adolescents in 2011 (51% girls). We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio of feeling depressed often versus less often/not at all using time spent on different types of screen use as predictor variables. In addition, we tested interaction effects between gender and the predictor variables. Our results showed that social media use and not watching TV was associated with higher odds of feeling depressed often. Gaming alone and gaming in groups were not associated with higher level of depressive symptoms. These patterns did not differ across genders.
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6.
Sundh, Mona, et al.
(author)
Compliance with a minimum-age law of 18 for the purchase of tobacco – the case of Sweden
2006
In: Health Education Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0268-1153 .- 1465-3648. ; 21:3, s. 378-385
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The purpose was 2-fold: first to analyse howcompliance with the minimum-age law of 18for the purchase of tobacco has changed overtime, second to determine what factors affectthe possibility for adolescents to buy cigarettes.Three series (1996, 1999 and 2002) oftest purchases of tobacco were conducted inthree regions of Sweden. Altogether, 36 test purchaserscarried out 1867 test purchases. In1996, 93% of all attempted purchases resultedin the purchase of cigarettes. The correspondingfigures for 1999 were 80% and for 2002 63%.The results indicate significant regional differencesin the test purchasers’ opportunities tobuy cigarettes. This paper demonstrates thatcompliance with the minimum-age law has hadan effect on the ease with which adolescentspurchase cigarettes, and further that such purchasehas become more difficult. The study alsoindicates great potential for local efforts toinduce more retailers to comply with the law.
7.
Sundh, Mona, 1960-, et al.
(author)
The importance of an minimum age law for the possibility of purchase of tobacco by adolecents : study based on Swedish experiences
2004
In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 32:1, s. 68-74
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
AIMS:The purpose of the study is partly to compare the possibility of adolescents purchasing tobacco before and after the introduction of the minimum age law of 18 years, respectively, and partly to examine the factors that characterize the situations in which adolescents may or may not purchase tobacco, respectively.METHODS:Under controlled conditions, adolescents of varying ages carried out test purchases of tobacco. A total of 1,500 attempted purchases were made with the help of 24 adolescents in three regions of Sweden. In 1996, the year before a minimum-age law of 18 for tobacco purchases went into effect, 750 attempted purchases were made, followed by 750 attempted purchases in 1999.RESULTS:In 1996, 91% of the attempted purchases of tobacco were successful. In 1999, the corresponding proportion was 82%. The attempted purchases in 1996 and 1999 show a very strong relationship between whether an age check was made and the result of the attempted purchase.CONCLUSIONS:The study shows that the introduction of a minimum-age law apparently has had a certain effect on the possibility of adolescent purchasing tobacco but that there are obvious shortcomings in the enforcement of the minimum age. The most apparent shortcoming concerns the lack of age controls. This article discusses measures for strengthening age controls in the sale of tobacco to adolescents.
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9.
Andrich, David, et al.
(author)
Real and artificial differential item functioning
2012
In: Journal of educational and behavioral statistics. - : American Educational Research Association (AERA). - 1076-9986 .- 1935-1054. ; 37:3, s. 387-416
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
The literature in modern test theory on procedures for identifying items with differential item functioning (DIF) among two groups of persons includes the Mantel–Haenszel (MH) procedure. Generally, it is not recognized explicitly that if there is real DIF in some items which favor one group, then as an artifact of this procedure, artificial DIF that favors the other group is induced in the other items. Using the Rasch model for dichotomous responses as a theoretical basis, this article proves that the source of artificial DIF in the MH procedure is that estimates of the person locations are substituted for their unknown values. The article then demonstrates that the formalization of artificial DIF implies mathematically (a) a particular sequential, iterative procedure for detecting items with real DIF and for identifying a set of items that may have no DIF and (b) a resolution of the items with real DIF for quantifying the DIF on the same metric as the items showing no DIF and provides expected value curves and tests of fit for the item for each of the groups. Finally, because the source of artificial DIF in the MH procedure is the substitution of a parameter with its estimate, it is suggested that all procedures that use the substitution of an estimate for a parameter are likely to induce artificial DIF.
10.
Andrich, David, et al.
(author)
Real and Artificial Differential Item Functioning in Polytomous Items
2015
In: Educational and Psychological Measurement. - SAGE Publications : SAGE Publications. - 0013-1644 .- 1552-3888. ; 75:2, s. 185-207
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Differential item functioning (DIF) for an item between two groups is present if, for the same person location on a variable, persons from different groups have different expected values for their responses. Applying only to dichotomously scored items in the popular Mantel–Haenszel (MH) method for detecting DIF in which persons are classified by their total scores on an instrument, Andrich and Hagquist articulated the concept of artificial DIF and showed that as an artifact of the MH method, real DIF in one item favoring one group inevitably induces artificial DIF favoring the other group in all other items. Using the dichotomous Rasch model in which the total score for a person is a sufficient statistic, and therefore justifies classifying persons by their total scores, Andrich and Hagquist showed that to distinguish between real and artificial DIF in an item identified by the MH method, a sequential procedure for resolving items is implied. Using the polytomous Rasch model, this article generalizes the concept of artificial DIF to polytomous items, in which multiple item parameters play a role. The article shows that the same principle of resolving items sequentially as with dichotomous items applies also to distinguishing between real and artificial DIF with polytomous items. A real example and a small simulated example that parallels the real example are used illustratively.
