Pornography consumption, psychosomatic health and depressive symptoms among Swedish adolescents

• Objective: The aims of the study were to investigate predictors for frequent use of pornography and to investigate such use in relation to psychosomatic and depressive symptoms among Swedish adolescents.Methods: Data collection was performed longitudinally in 13 randomly selected senior high schools in 53 classes in 2011 with a follow up in 2013. Two hundred twenty-four boys (47%) and 238 girls (60%) participated.Results: Using a multivariate general linear model (GLM) we found that being a boy born outside Sweden, living in a parent-owned dwelling, attending a vocational high school program and being a frequent user of pornography at baseline had major effects in relation to the frequent use of pornography at follow-up (adjusted R2 0.689). In a second GLM we found that being a girl, living with separated parents, attending a vocational high school program, and being a frequent user of pornography at baseline had major effects on psychosomatic symptoms at follow-up (adjusted R20.254).Conclusions: Being male, attending a vocational high school program and being a frequent user of pornography at baseline predicted frequent use of pornography at follow-up. Frequent use of pornography at baseline predicted psychosomatic symptoms at follow-up to a higher extent compared to depressive symptoms.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

adolescents

pornography

longitudinal

psychological health

psychosomatic health

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)