Does health literacy explain the link between structural stratifiers and adolescent health?

Abstract Background The concept of health literacy (HL) may help us to better understand the mechanisms leading to health disparities, and to focus on the factors that can be influenced. However, not much is yet known about how HL is related to health disparities, or whether the association exists among adolescents. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between structural stratifiers, HL and health indicators among adolescents. Methods The nationally representative Finnish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey data (n=3833) were collected from 13- and 15-year-old pupils in the spring of 2014. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, and separate path models…

Hälsotrender bland elever i svensk- och finskspråkiga grundskolor 1994-2014 : WHO:s skolelevsstudie (HBSC-Study)

WHO:s skolelevsstudie (Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study) är internationellt en av de mest omfattande, långvariga och betydelsefulla undersökningarna om levnadsvanor bland skolungdomar. Undersökningen startade för drygt 30 år sedan och i detta nu deltar över 40 länder i Europa och Nordamerika. Nästa internationella datainsamling, som är den tionde i ordningen, genomförs år 2018. Nytt forskningsmaterial insamlas vart fjärde år. Forskare vid Jyväskylä universitets Forskningscenter för hälsofrämjande (Terveyden edistämisen tutkimuskeskus) ansvarar för WHO:s skolelevsstudie i Finland. För ungefär 20 år sedan började det givande samarbetet mellan Jyväskylä universitet och Samf…

Health asset profiles and health indicators among 13- and 15-year-old adolescents

Objectives We examined the associations between adolescents’ health assets and various health indicators (smoking, alcohol use, sleep length, physical activity, healthy eating, oral health, self-reported health, multiple health complaints). Methods A nationally representative sample was drawn from Finnish-speaking schools, comprising 13- and 15-year-old adolescents (n = 3833). The measures taken covered the adolescents’ health assets, which were labelled Family-financial, Psychological, Family-social, Friends-social, School-social, and Human. Our analysis applied two-step cluster analysis and multilevel mixed-effects binary logistic regression. Results Six asset profiles were identified: ‘L…

Terveyskäyttäytyminen terveystiedon opetuksessa

Self-esteem and intentions mediate perceived fitness with physical activity in Finnish adolescents with long-term illness or disabilities

Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is recognised as the common language in disability research. However, personal factors in the ICF are not explicitly coded because of cultural differences that influence physical activity (PA) participation. The ICF suggests using fitness as a personal factor, as well as other psychological assets. Intentions may serve as such psychological assets and studies on the antecedents to intentions which prompts PA behaviours is lacking in adolescent long term illness or disability (LTID) populations. Objective: The purpose of this study was to report how ICF personal factors can influence participation in PA.…

Semantics bias in cross-national comparative analyses : Is it good or bad to have "fair" health?

The Health Behavior in School-aged Children is a cross-national study collecting data on social and health indicators on adolescents in 43 countries. The study provides comparable data on health behaviors and health outcomes through the use of a common protocol, which have been a back bone of the study sine its initiation in 1983. Recent years, researchers within the study have noticed a questionable comparability on the widely used item on self-rated health. One of the four response categories to the item “Would you say your health is….?” showed particular variation, as the response category “Fair” varied from 20 % in Latvia and Moldova to 3–4 % in Bulgaria and Macedonia. A qualitative min…

Trends in sleeping difficulty among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002–2014

Sleep has been found to be an important factor in adolescents’ mental and physical health. The aim of the present study was to examine trends in sleep difficulty (i.e., difficulty falling asleep more often than once a week) in the Nordic countries among 11- to 15-year-olds. We analysed Nordic data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC), which is conducted every four years, looking specifically at trends in sleep difficulty over a 12-year period from 2002 to 2014. The participants were aged 11 to 15 years. The total number of participants across these years was 113,447. A large percentage (17% to 31% in 2014) of adolescents in the Nordic countries experience sleep dif…

Trends in perceived school stress among adolescentsin five Nordic countries 2002–2014

Abstract Associations between school-related stress and poor health, risk behaviours and low well-being are well documented. The aim of this paper was to estimate trends of perceived school stress experienced by boys and girls of different ages in the Nordic countries, and to describe trends in school stress between the Nordic countries. Nordic data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) between 2002 and 2014 were used. The participants were aged 11–16 years. School stress was measured by a single item; “How pressured do you feel by schoolwork?” The participants answering “some” or “a lot” were categorised as reporting school stress.   Sweden, Norway and Denmark had …

Adolescents' medicine use for headache: secular trends in 20 countries from 1986 to 2010

BACKGROUND: This study reports secular trends in medicine use for headache among adolescents in 20 countries from 1986 to 2010.METHODS: The international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey includes self-reported data about medicine use for headaches among nationally representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds. We included 20 countries with data from at least three data collection waves, with a total of 380 129 participants.RESULTS: The prevalence of medicine use for headaches varied from 16.5% among Hungarian boys in 1994 to 62.9% among girls in Wales in 1998. The prevalence was higher among girls than boys in every country and data collection year. The prevalenc…

Loneliness and subjective health complaints among school-aged children

Aim: The first aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of loneliness and subjective health complaints (SHCs) among school-aged children in Finland. The second aim was to analyse to what extent perceived loneliness explains any variance in SHCs among school-aged children. Method: A representative sample of 5925 Finnish children and adolescents from grades 5 ( Mage=11.8 years), 7 ( Mage=13.8) and 9 ( Mage=15.8) completed the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence of health complaints and loneliness. Structural equation modelling was used to test how strongly loneliness was associated with SHCs. Results: The p…

Drinking motives and links to alcohol use in 13 European countries.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the structure and endorsement of drinking motives and their links to alcohol use among 11- to 19-year-olds from 13 European countries. Method: Confi rmatory factor analysis, latent growth curves, and multiple regres- sion models were conducted, based on a sample of 33,813 alcohol-using students from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Wales who completed the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF). Results: The fi ndings confi rmed the hypothesized four- dimensional factor structure. Social motives for drinking were most frequently indicated, …

Minority status and perceived health: a comparative study of Finnish- and Swedish-speaking schoolchildren in Finland

Results of earlier studies suggest that the health of the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland is better than that of the sociodemographically similar Finnish-speaking population. The causes of differences are unknown. The main aim of the study referred was to investigate whether differences in perceived health according to linguistic group were present in a nation-wide representative sample (n=5,230) of schoolchildren aged 11, 13 and 15 years. A further aim was to determine whether differences could be attributed to socioeconomic background, social relationships or health behaviour. The study is part of the international Health Behaviour in School-aged children (HBSC) survey. The perceive…

Does health literacy explain regional health disparities among adolescents in Finland?

Summary Health literacy (HL)—as a broad range of health-related competencies—has been proposed to be a promising construct in understanding health disparities better, also among adolescents. Several factors have been found to explain differences in adolescents’ HL levels; however, not much is known about how different regions of a country or majority/minority status is associated with HL, or whether HL is associated with regional health disparities. The aim of this study was to examine and compare HL and health levels among majority- and minority-language-speaking adolescents living in different regions of Finland, and to explore if HL explains regional health disparities, taking into accou…

How Comprehensive School Students Perceive their Psychosocial School Environment

The aim of this study was to describe students’ perceptions of their psychosocial school environment and to examine the associations between such perceptions and students’ perceived school performance. Our analyses were based on data from the Health Behaviour in School‐Aged Children 2006 study, involving responses by Finnish students from grades 7 and 9. The results indicated that students’ perceptions of their school environment were fairly positive, but that a remarkably large proportion of the students reported negative attitudes towards school. School engagement, school strain, and teacher‐student relations were found to be the most influential predictors in the psychosocial school envi…

Socioeconomic differences in the use of alcohol and drunkenness in adolescents: Trends in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in Finland 1990-2014.

Aims: The aims of this study were to explore time-based trends of socioeconomic differences in alcohol use and drunkenness in Finnish adolescents from 1990 to 2014 and to investigate the significance of two indicators in detecting socioeconomic differences in alcohol use and drunkenness. Methods: Data were retrieved from seven surveys conducted as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Finland from 1990 to 2014. The alcohol use and drunkenness of 15-year-old students, as well as socioeconomic status, including educational aspiration and perceived family wealth, were assessed via a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to investigate t…

Lukiolaisten masentuneisuus ja vanhempien työllisyystilanne –Uudenmaan ja Pohjanmaan maakuntien suomen- ja ruotsinkielisten lukioiden opiskelijoiden vertailua

Suomessa väestöryhmien väliset hyvinvointierot ovat suuria. Tutkimuksissa on raportoitu esimerkiksi alueellisia, sosioekonomisten ryhmien välisiä ja suomen- ja ruotsinkielisen kieliryhmän välisiä hyvinvointieroja. Nämä erot näkyvät myös lasten ja nuorten terveydessä ja hyvinvoinnissa. Tässä tutkimuksessa analysoitiin, vaihteleeko Uudenmaan ja Pohjanmaan lukiolaisten masentuneisuuden yleisyys lukion opetuskielen, sukupuolen, maakunnan ja vanhempien työllisyystilanteen suhteen. Aineistona olivat vuosina 2010 ja 2011 Kouluterveyskyselyihin (Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos) vastanneet Uudenmaan ja Pohjanmaan alueilla sijaitsevien lukioiden oppilaat (n=3974). Masentuneisuutta mitattiin Kouluter…

Trends in excellent self-rated health among adolescents: A comparative Nordic study

Abstract Background: Excellent self-rated health (SRH) can be seen as an important component of positive health among adolescents. The aim of this paper is to examine time trends of excellent health among adolescents in five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) between 2002 and 2014, including differences between countries, gender and age. Methods: Nordic data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey (including 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds) from 2002 (n = 19,009), 2006 (n = 29,656), 2010 (n = 33,232) and 2014 (n = 31,540) were analysed by design-adjusted binomial logistic regression models. Results: The trend analysis of excellent SRH for Nordi…

Physical Activity Trends of Finnish Adolescents With Long-Term Illnesses or Disabilities From 2002–2014

Background:Adolescents’ physical activity level is a major source of concern. For adolescents with long-term illnesses or disabilities (LTID), being physically active can prevent secondary conditions. This is one of the first studies reporting trends in physical activity of adolescents with LTID in relation to gender, age, and sports club membership.Methods:Data were collected from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study in Finland during 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. In 13- and 15-year-olds (N = 2206), 17.1% reported having LTID. Daily physical activity recall was the dependent variable. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted eparately for sports club members (n = 936) a…

Overweight Adolescents’ Self-Perceived Weight and Weight Control Behaviour: HBSC Study in Finland 1994–2010

Introduction. Overweight and perception of being overweight, may lead adolescent to lose weight. The aim of the present study was to investigate overweight adolescents’ self-perceived weight, body dissatisfaction, and weight control behaviour during 1994–2010 in Finland.Methods. The country-representative, cross-sectional data of 15-year olds were obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, conducted in 1994 (; males: 48%), 1998 (; 49%), 2002 (; 50%), 2006 (; 47%), and 2010 (; 48%).Results. The majority of overweight boys (62–69%) and girls (89–100%) assessed themselves as too fat, and their body image was lower than in nonoverweight adolescents. The highest pre…

Empowerment-enabling home and school environments and self-rated health among Finnish adolescents

Perceived health during adolescence has not only immediate consequences for individuals and for society, but also long-term. We need to understand better the health development in this period of the lifespan. Empowerment may be one pathway through which social factors and conditions translate into health effects. This study aimed to examine whether empowerment-enabling home and school environments are associated with self-rated health among adolescents, and whether the associations differ between genders, age or majority/minority language groups. Anonymous questionnaire data from respondents aged 11, 13 and 15 years were obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, cond…

Smoking trends among adolescents from 1990 to 2002 in ten European countries and Canada.

Abstract Background Daily smoking adolescents are a public health problem as they are more likely to become adult smokers and to develop smoking-related health problems later on in their lives. Methods The study is part of the four-yearly, cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, a school-based survey on a nationally representative sample using a standardised methodology. Data of 4 survey periods are available (1990–2002). Gender-specific daily smoking trends among 14–15 year olds are examined using logistic regressions. Sex ratios are calculated for each survey period and country. Interaction effects between period and gender are examined. Results Daily smoking preval…

Cross-national variation of gender differences in adolescent subjective health in Europe and North America

The cross-national consistency and variation of gender differences in subjective health complaints was examined in a sample of 125732 11- to 15-year-olds from 29 European and North American countries, participating in the WHO collaborative study 'Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) 1997/98'. Health complaints were measured with the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Symptom Checklist. Gender differences in health complaints were analysed through multilevel logistic regression analysis. The results indicated a very robust pattern of increasing gender differences across age, with 15-year-old girls as a group at increased risk for health complaints across all countries. The m…

Finnish pupils' perceptions of health education as a school subject.

Only a few countries have introduced health education (HE) as a stand-alone school subject. In Finland every pupil in basic education grades 7–9 takes three obligatory courses in HE. This study investigated Finnish pupils’ perceptions of the teaching and learning of HE. It also explored how school- and family-related background variables are associated with these perceptions. Nationally representative data were obtained from a 2010 school-based study on Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC). A total of 4262 pupils from 7th and 9th grades (13 and 15 years old) responded anonymously to the questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associations betwee…

Loneliness, subjective health complaints, and medicine use among Finnish adolescents 2006-2018.

Aims: Loneliness is an important public health challenge for all ages. This study reports time trends of loneliness among adolescents over a 12-year period and analyses the strength of the associations between loneliness, health complaints, and medicine use. Methods: Data were derived from the cross-sectional Finnish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. The study population is based on a random sample of schools with 20,444 participants aged 11–15 years. The trends were analysed with a Mantel–Haenszel test, and the strength of the associations was evaluated by mixed-effects logistic and linear regressions. Results: An increasing prevalence …

Teacher Competencies in Health Education : Results of a Delphi Study

peer-reviewed THE LINK TO THE DATA SET FOR THIS ARTICLE IS: URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10344/4736 Objective The aim of this research study was to identify the core competencies for health education teachers in supporting the development of health literacy among their students. Method/Results A three round Delphi method was employed. Experts in health education were asked to identify core competencies for school health educators. Twenty six participants from the academic field were invited to participate in the study. Twenty participants completed the first round of the Delphi, while eighteen took part in round two and fifteen participated in the final round. Data were collected using an ele…

Daily physical activity in Finnish adolescents with long-term illnesses or disabilities: psychosocial associations with participation in sports club

Background: Physical activity (PA) in adolescence with long term illnesses or disabilities (LTID) is a public health concern. One way of increasing PA is through participation in sports clubs. Since sports clubs are organised and regular, there are expected to be differences in motivation for physical activity between adolescents that are members and non-members. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of psychosocial factors on sports club membership and daily PA. Methods: Finnish adolescents with self-reported LTID (n=1006) took part in the WHO collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in 2002 and 2010. Daily self-reported moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA)…

The role of health literacy in explaining regional health differences among adolescents

Abstract Background Health disparities in adolescence track forward to adulthood. In understanding disparities better, health literacy (HL) - as a broad range of health-related competencies - has been identified as a valuable construct. Higher HL has been associated with better health outcomes, also among adolescents. Not much is known about how language or region in a bilingual country is associated with HL, or how HL is associated with regional health disparities. The aim of this study, in a bilingual country, was a) to examine and compare HL and health levels among majority and minority language speaking adolescents in different regions of Finland, and b) to explore if HL explains possib…

How young Europeans sleep.

This study investigated sleeping habits, difficulties in being able to fall asleep and their connections to self-reported health conditions, as well as other selected health behaviours and use of leisure time, among 11-16 year old Europeans from 11 countries. The study was part of a larger, comparative, WHO coordinated project on the health and life-style of school children (Health Behaviour of School Age Children--A WHO Cross-National Survey, The HBSC Study). In most of the countries, research data were collected from samples representative of the whole country. Using a standardized survey questionnaire, the data were collected anonymously in schools. Altogether 40,202 students responded t…

The cross-national measurement invariance of the health literacy for school-aged children (HLSAC) instrument

Background Health literacy (HL) is an important determinant of health and health behaviours, and there is a need to monitor HL levels among all population groups. It is therefore essential to develop instruments to assess HL during childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to examine the cross-national measurement invariance of the instrument Health Literacy for School-aged Children (HLSAC) in four European countries. Methods The data were collected via standardized self-administered anonymous questionnaires within classrooms in Finland, Poland, Slovakia, and Belgium. There were in total 1468 respondents (aged 13, N = 690; aged 15, N = 778). The HLSAC instrument was used to measu…

Ethical issues in the teaching and learning of health topics in schools: the conceptions of teacher trainees

There has been little research on how teacher trainees can be educated to deal with ethical issues, or on trainees' conceptions of these issues. Using written essays, this study aimed to examine health education teacher trainees' (N = 35) conceptions of the ethical aspects involved in teaching and learning health topics. A qualitative content analysis revealed three broad themes: health education as an ethical subject, the teacher as an ethical professional, and spaces for learning. The results reflect the content areas focused on in health education teacher training, and provide new insights into topics that can be useful in developing teacher training. peerReviewed

Lasten ja nuorten liikuntakäyttäytyminen Suomessa : LIITU-tutkimuksen tuloksia 2018

School Satisfaction and School Pressure in the WHO European Region and North America: An Analysis of Time Trends (2002–2018) and Patterns of Co-occurrence in 32 Countries

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the trends between 2002 and 2018 in school pressure and school satisfaction among 15-year-old students, across countries and by gender, in the WHO European region and North America, and explore whether there are variations between countries and by gender in the co-occurrence of school pressure and school satisfaction. Methods: Data from the 32 countries that participated in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) study between 2002 and 2018 were used. Statistical analyses included ttests, binary logistic regression analyses, and chi-square tests, as required by each of the study aims. Results: School satisfaction tended to i…

Screen-based activities and physical complaints among adolescents from the Nordic countries

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Trends in life satisfaction in European and North-American adolescents from 2002 to 2010 in over 30 countries

Background: Life satisfaction (LS) is an indicator which is widely used for assessing the perception of a child's feeling about his life. Methods: LS is assessed in Health Behaviour in School-aged Children via the Cantril ladder with 10 steps indicating the worst and best possible life. This range of values (0-10) was dichotomized into 'low' (0-5) vs. 'high' (6-10). Countries, age groups and genders were compared based on the odds ratio (OR) of declaring a higher LS in 2010 with respect to 2002. Results: Analyzing the difference between 2002 and 2010, six countries from Western Europe show decreasing LS: Austria, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland and Greenland. In contrast, a group of E…

Perceived sleep quality and its precursors in adolescents

This study investigated perceived sleep quality among 11-, 13and 15-year-old Finnish adolescents (n = 4187). Additionally, associations of selected behavioural, social and psychological factors with subjective sleep quality were examined among 15-year-olds. This study is part of an international, WHO-co-ordinated survey of school children’s health and lifestyle (the HBSC Study). In Finland, research data represented the whole country. The data were collected during March–May 1994. Pupils responded anonymously to a standardized questionnaire during a class period. About every 10th adolescent felt that their sleep quality was at most satisfactory, about 30% of pupils had had difficulties in f…

Nuorten liikuntakäyttäytyminen Suomessa : LIITU-tutkimuksen tuloksia 2020

Daily physical activity in Finnish adolescents with long term illnesses or disabilities: psychosocial associations with participation in sports club


 Background:
 Physical activity (PA) in adolescence with long term illnesses or disabilities (LTID) is a public health concern. One way of increasing PA is through participation in sports clubs. Since sports clubs are organised and regular, there are expected to be differences in motivation for physical activity between adolescents that are members and non-members. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of psychosocial factors on sports club membership and daily PA.
 Methods:
 Finnish adolescents with self-reported LTID (n=1006) took part in the WHO collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in 2002 and 2010. Daily self-reported moder…

Self-reported recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among 15-year olds: Results from the international study

Background There is considerable variation in adolescent pain prevalence across epidemiological studies, with limited information on pain-related behaviours among adolescents, including medicine use. The aims of this study were (1) to examine the prevalence of recurrent pain among 15-year-old adolescents internationally; (2) to investigate the association between recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among boys and girls; and (3) to evaluate the consistency of these associations across countries. Methods The World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2009/2010 study collects data about self-reported aches and medicine use from 3…

Trends in self-reported sleep problems, tiredness and related school performance among Finnish adolescents from 1984 to 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance among Finnish adolescents. A time-series from 1984 to 2011 was analysed from two large-scale survey studies, the Finnish School Health Promotion Study and the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. A total of 1,136,583 adolescents aged 11-18 years answered a standardized questionnaire assessing frequency of insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance. A clear approximately twofold increasing trend in insomnia symptoms and tiredness was found from the mid-1990s to the end of the 2000s. The increase was evident in all participating age groups and in both genders. Af…

The medicine use and corresponding subjective health complaints among adolescents, a cross-national survey

BACKGROUND: Medicine use among children and young people is under-researched. Studies that investigated cross-national patterns in adolescents' medicine use practice are rare. This study aims to investigate adolescents' medicine use for corresponding health complaints in Europe and USA. METHODS: Nationally representative samples of adolescents from 19 countries and regions in Europe and USA completed an anonymous, standardised questionnaire as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2005/2006 survey. The prevalence of health complaints and medicine use were determined. The influence of the frequency of medicine use, age, gender and country of residence, on the likelihood of med…

Trends in high life satisfaction among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002–2014

Abstract Life satisfaction is an important indicator when assessing positive mental health aspects in populations, including among adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate trends over time in prevalence of high life satisfaction among adolescents from five Nordic countries: Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden.    We used data from four waves of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study from 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 (n=109,847). HBSC is a school-based study examining social circumstances, health and health behaviour among 11-, 13- and 15-years olds every four years in many European and North American countries. The Cantril Ladder, an 11-step visual analogue sc…

The Association between Loneliness, Mental Well-Being, and Self-Esteem among Adolescents in Four Nordic Countries

Positive mental health is central to adolescent well-being. The present study examines the prevalence of loneliness and positive mental health indicators (mental well-being and self-esteem) in four Nordic countries and associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and high self-esteem. This study is based on data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study which was conducted in 2018 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Participants were 5883 15-year-old boys and girls. To examine the associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied. In the comparison of Nordic countries, the prevalence of lonel…

Socialt stöd, känsla av ensamhet och psykiska besvär bland finlandssvenska ungdomar

I den här studien utforskades ifall det förekommer sociodemografiska skillnader i upplevelse av psykiska besvär, socialt stöd och känsla av ensamhet bland finlandssvenska ungdomar. Det undersöktes även ifall ungdomarnas upplevelse av psykiska besvär kan förklaras med familje-, kamrat- och klasskamratstöd samt känsla av ensamhet. Utöver det utforskades ifall samband mellan socialt stöd och psykiska besvär kan förklaras med känsla av ensamhet.
 Som datamaterial användes WHO:s skolelevstudie (WHO-Koululaistutkimus) från 2018 med ett deltagarantal på 599 svenskspråkiga elever från årskurs 5, 7 och 9 (Målder = 11,9/14,0/15,9; svarsprocent 38 %). Som statistiska analysmetoder användes Pearso…

Associations between adolescents’ energy drink consumption frequency and several negative health indicators

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to identify how various negative health indicators are associated with energy drink consumption frequency among 13- and 15-year-old Finnish adolescents. Methods Data (N = 2429) from the nationally representative international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (2018) were analyzed via descriptive analysis and logistic regression analyses, with control for salient covariates. Relative risks (RR) were derived from the adjusted odds ratios. Results Even infrequent energy drink consumption was associated with various negative health indicators. Moreover, as compared to non-users, frequent energy drink consumers were more likely to re…

On the art of doing surveys among adolescents

Abstract The aim is to discuss methodological challenges for research on adolescent positive mental health. A first consideration is which questions should the measurement instrument answer. In the clinical context it should have the properties of giving enough information for making a diagnosis of high quality. In the public health context, its objective may be to give information that enables the researcher to describe trends at the population level and provide guidance on areas of intervention. The HBSC study is monitoring the health and health behaviour of school-aged children in a public health context. It is a population survey, defined by the form of data collection and the method of…

Setting the scene: controversies on trends in mental health among adolescents in the Nordic countries

Abstract At present there are different positions regarding trends in adolescent mental health. Can we trust trend data on the mental health among adolescents in the Nordic countries? Some question the trustworthiness of adolescent self-reports, which describe ordinary daily hassles as health complaints, which cannot be interpreted as signs of mental disorders. In addition, today there is a more open climate for talking about mental issues, which can lead to an overestimation of the prevalence of mental disorders. Statistics on mental health services statistics report increased psychopharmaceutic prescriptions as well as consumption of professional care. Such data argues for increased gover…

Time trends of technology mediated communication with friends among bullied and not bullied children in four Nordic countries between 2001 and 2010

Background Friends are important in childhood and adolescence, especially to bullied children. Technology mediated communication (TMC) could be used both to develop and maintain friendship. The present study examined (1) trends in the use of TMC with friends between 2001 and 2010; (2) possible differences between bullied and not bullied children and (3) differences between children with few close friends and children with several close friends. Methods Data were obtained from three waves of the serial cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey conducted in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden during 2001/2002, 2005/2006 and 2009/2010. The total sample consisted of 65 95…

Trends in self-rated health in European and North-American adolescents from 2002 to 2010 in 32 countries

© 2015 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved. Background: Self-rated health (SRH) in adolescence is known to be associated with health outcomes in later life. We carried out a trend analysis on data coming from three waves of data collected in 32 countries (mostly European) from 2002 to 2010 coming from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children surveys. Methods: SRH in adolescents was assessed using a Likert scale (excellent, good, fair and poor). Responses were dichotomized into 'excellent' vs. 'rest'. Country, age and gender groups were compared based on the odds ratio of declaring excellent SRH in 2010…

Attempts to lose weight among overweight and non-overweight adolescents: a cross-national survey

Abstract Background Despite the global obesity epidemic, few studies have performed cross-national comparisons of adolescents' attempts to lose weight and weight control practices. This study aims to investigate matters mentioned above by weight status in Europe, Israel, and North America. Methods Nationally representative samples of adolescents from over 30 countries completed an anonymous, standardized questionnaire as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2001/2002 survey. The prevalence and likelihood of attempts to lose weight were determined. The effect of weight status, self-perception of overweight, age and country of residence upon the likelihood of current attempts …

Does health literacy explain regional health disparities among adolescents in Finland?

Health literacy (HL)—as a broad range of health-related competencies—has been proposed to be a promising construct in understanding health disparities better, also among adolescents. Several factors have been found to explain differences in adolescents’ HL levels; however, not much is known about how different regions of a country or majority/minority status is associated with HL, or whether HL is associated with regional health disparities. The aim of this study was to examine and compare HL and health levels among majority- and minority-language-speaking adolescents living in different regions of Finland, and to explore if HL explains regional health disparities, taking into account other…

On the time trends among school-aged children in the Nordic countries

Abstract Long-term trends in mental health of school-aged children can be analysed in the HBSC study. In Sweden the proportion of the children that report at least two weekly health complaints during the last six months has increased from the first data collection 1985/1985 to the latest 2017/2018 among all age groups for both girls and boys. Among the 11-year-old it reached 41 % among girls and 30 % boys, and among 15-year-old girls 62 % and boys 35 %. Can we trust this? The prevalence of two or more weekly health complaints showed large differences by country over time and especially in 2014, when Iceland and Sweden showed an almost 10%-point larger prevalence of multiple weekly symptoms …

Forms of Bullying and Associations Between School Perceptions and Being Bullied Among Finnish Secondary School Students Aged 13 and 15

AbstractThe study aimed to examine the extent to which Finnish secondary school students experience bullying, how they are bullied, and whether being bullied is associated with school perceptions. The analyses were based on data from the Finnish part of the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, and were obtained from 4262 students aged 13 and 15. The sample was nationally representative. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associations between school perceptions and being bullied. Younger students reported being bullied more often than older students. Among younger students, boys were more often bullied than girls of the same age. There …

Asthma and wheezing symptoms in young people in six Western countries.

Background Asthma diagnosed in children shows wide geographical variations. Large scale surveys identify children with diagnosed asthma, but neglect the group of youngsters with multiple asthmatic complaints. Methods A short validated asthma questionnaire was included in six national surveys of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study. Prevalence rates are presented by country, gender and age. Gender and age differences are analysed using binary and multinomial logistic regressions controlling for age and smoking. Results Large country differences are observed in the prevalence rates of diagnosed asthma (8.6%-20.9% in boys, 6.9%-18.5% in girls) and young people with “asthma-like s…

Associations between Students’ Perceptions of the Psychosocial School Environment and Indicators of Subjective Health in Finnish Comprehensive Schools

The study examined how far students’ perceptions of the psychosocial school environment are associated with self‐rated health, life satisfaction and subjective health complaints. Students’ perceptions were associated with one or more indicators of subjective health. Perceived health was better in direct proportion to positive perceptions. Student relations and school strain were the factors that stood out in both genders, with regard to all the health indicators. School engagement, parental support and educational aspiration were found to be important for overall perceived health of the students. This study indicates the importance of the psychosocial school environment for students’ health…

Cross-country comparisons of trends in adolescent psychosomatic symptoms : a Rasch analysis of HBSC data from four Nordic countries

BACKGROUND: To analyse the psychometric properties of the HBSC Symptom Checklist (HBSC-SCL) on psychosomatic symptoms with a focus on the operating characteristics of the items, and on the impacts of measurement distortions on the comparisons of person measures across time and between countries.METHODS: Data were collected in 1993/94, 1997/98, 2001/02, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2013/14 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Data comprised 116,531 students 11, 13 and 15 years old. Rasch analysis was conducted of the HBSC-SCL consisting of eight items with a focus on Differential Item Functioning (DIF) and item threshold ordering. …

Trends in multiple recurrent health complaints in 15-year-olds in 35 countries in Europe, North America and Israel from 1994 to 2010

Background: Health complaints are a good indicator of an individual’s psychosocial health and well-being. Studies have shown that children and adolescents report health complaints which can cause significant individual burden. Methods: Using data from the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, this article describes trends in multiple recurrent health complaints (MHC) in 35 countries among N = 237 136 fifteen-year-olds from 1994 to 2010. MHC was defined as the presence of two or more health complaints at least once a week. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate trends across the five survey cycles for each country. Results: Lowest prevalence thro…

Prevalence of self-reported chronic pain among adolescents: Evidence from 42 countries and regions

© 2018 European Pain Federation ‐ EFIC ®

Physical Activity of Children With and Without Long-Term Illness or Disability

Background:We know very little about physical activity in children with long-term illness or disability compared with those children without disabilities. Previous studies indicate low physical activity levels among all adolescents.Methods:The sample consisted of Canadian (n = 2720) and Finnish pupils (n = 3459) approximately 13.5 and 15.5 years of age in general (mainstreamed) education. The study is a part of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Nationally representative data were collected in 2002 using a standardized questionnaire. The moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity screening measure was used.Results:Approximately one-fifth of the pupils in both co…

Energy Drink Consumption Among Finnish Adolescents: Prevalence, Associated Background Factors, Individual Resources, and Family Factors.

Objectives: Energy drink consumption among adolescents has become a notable global phenomenon, and has been associated with numerous negative health outcomes. In order to understand the popularity of energy drinks among adolescents, and to target interventions, it is important to identify the determinants underpinning consumption. Methods: The nationally representative data (cross-sectional) were drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveys, conducted in 2014 and 2018, each comprising 13- and 15-year-old Finnish adolescents (n = 7405). Results: Weekly energy drink consumption increased among Finnish adolescents between 2014 (18.2%) and 2018 (24.4%), especially amon…

The Role of Individual- and Macro-Level Social Determinants on Young Adolescents’ Psychosomatic Complaints

This study examines the social determinants of psychosomatic complaints in young adolescents. Using data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, psychosomatic complaints are studied in 98,773 adolescents (11- and 13-year-olds; 48% 11-year-olds, 52% 13-year-olds; 52% females, 48% males) from 34 European countries. Individual-level determinants, including family-, peer- and school-related factors as well as country-level determinants (Human Development Index [HDI]) are considered. In line with existing evidence, results revealed more psychosomatic complaints in young adolescents experiencing stress inducing familial-, peer- and school-related factors. Negative effects…

Drinking motives mediate cultural differences but not gender differences in adolescent alcohol use

Item does not contain fulltext PURPOSE: To test whether differences in alcohol use between boys and girls and between northern and southern/central Europe are mediated by social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives. METHODS: Cross-sectional school-based surveys were conducted among 33,813 alcohol-using 11-to 19-year-olds from northern Europe (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, and Wales) and southern/central Europe (Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland). RESULTS: Particularly in late adolescence and early adulthood, boys drank more frequently and were more often drunk than girls. Instead of mediation, gender-specific motive paths were found…

Koulukokemusten kansainvälistä vertailua 2010 sekä muutokset Suomessa ja Pohjoismaissa 1994-2010 : WHO-koululaistutkimus (HBSC-study)

Tässä raportissa kuvataan 5., 7. ja 9. luokan oppilaiden koulukokemuksia, kouluviihtyvyyttä ja sosiaalisia suhteita sekä niissä tapahtuneita muutoksia vuodesta 1994 vuoteen 2010 Suomessa. Tutkimustulokset perustuvat WHO-Koululaistutkimuksen suomenkielistä perusopetusta antavista kouluista kerättyihin aineistoihin vuosilta 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 ja 2010. Raportissa tarkastellaan kaikilla vuosiluokilla koetun koulumenestyksen ja 9. luokan oppilaiden koulutusorientaation yhteyksiä koulukokemuksiin. Lisäksi vertaillaan oppilaiden kokemuksia Pohjoismaissa 1994–2010 koulusta pitämisestä, koulutyöstä kuormittumisesta, oppilaiden välisistä suhteista ja koulukiusaamisesta. Näitä teemoja käsitellään …

LIITU 2018 -tutkimus : liikunnan merkitysten kirjo on kaventunut

Hieman reilu kolmasosa suomalaislapsista ja -nuorista liikkui suosituksen mukaan – toimintarajoitteita kokevista joka neljäs. Lasten ja nuorten liikunnalle antamien merkitysten kirjo oli kaventunut ja esteet vahvistuneet, vaikka koettu pätevyys ja liikuntamotivaatio olivat korkealla. Suurin osa lapsista ja nuorista kannatti urheilun eettisten sääntöjen noudattamista. Säännöllinen liikkuminen oli myönteisesti yhteydessä koettuun terveyteen. Säännöllisesti liikkuvilla oli myös vähemmän yksinäisyyden kokemuksia. nonPeerReviewed

Empowerment-enabling home and school environments and self-rated health among Finnish adolescents

SummaryPerceived health during adolescence has not only immediate consequences for individuals and for society, but also long-term. We need to understand better the health development in this period of the lifespan. Empowerment may be one pathway through which social factors and conditions translate into health effects. This study aimed to examine whether empowerment-enabling home and school environments are associated with self-rated health among adolescents, and whether the associations differ between genders, age or majority/minority language groups. Anonymous questionnaire data from respondents aged 11, 13 and 15 years were obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children stud…

Trends in health complaints from 2002 to 2010 in 34 countries and their association with health behaviours and social context factors at individual and macro-level

BACKGROUND: This article describes trends and stability over time in health complaints in adolescents from 2002 to 2010 and investigates associations between health complaints, behavioural and social contextual factors at individual level and economic factors at macro-level.METHODS: Comprising N = 510 876 11-, 13- and 15-year-old children and adolescents in Europe, North America and Israel, data came from three survey cycles of the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Age- and gender-adjusted trends in health complaints were examined in each country by means of linear regression. By using the country as the random effects variable, we tested to what extent in…

Nuorten yksinäisyys on yhteydessä lisääntyneeseen oireiluun ja lääkkeiden käyttöön

LÄHTÖKOHDAT Yksinäisyys on merkittävä riski nuoren terveydelle. Selvitimme suomalaisnuorten kokeman yksinäisyyden yleisyyttä ja yhteyksiä psykosomaattiseen oireiluun sekä lääkkeiden käyttöön. MENETELMÄT Aineistona käytettiin kansallisesti edustavaa WHO-Koululaistutkimusta, johon vastasi 1 798 oppilasta 7. ja 9. luokilta keväällä 2018. Tilastollisina menetelminä käytettiin2-testiä ja 95 %:n luottamusvälitarkastelua. TULOKSET Yksinäisyys yleistyi yläkoulun aikana, ja lähes joka kuudes 15-vuotias tunsi itsensä vähintään melko usein yksinäiseksi. Yksinäiset nuoret raportoivat muita yleisemmin pää-, vatsa- ja selkäkipua sekä hermostuneisuutta ja nukahtamisvaikeuksia. He käyttivät niihin lääkkeit…

Nuorten koettu terveys kyselyaineistojen ja ryhmähaastattelujen valossa

Is physical activity associated with low-risk health behaviours among 15-year-old adolescents in Finland?

Aims: To investigate the associations between physical activity and the pattern of risk health behaviour consisting of smoking, alcohol consumption, snuff (snus), cannabis, and condom use among 15-year-old adolescents, taking their educational aspirations and family affluence into account. Methods: The data were collected in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Finland in 2006. Standardised questionnaires were issued at schools to a 15-year-old nationally representative sample, of which 84.5% (1710 pupils) participated. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations between physical activity, pattern of risk health behaviour, family affluence, and…

Pojat nostavat painoja ja tytöt pudottavat niitä: WHO-Koululaistutkimuksen tuloksia

Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: This study, which builds on previous research demonstrating that drinking motives are associated with adverse consequences, investigates the associations between drinking motives and non-alcohol-attributed adverse consequences and disentangles alcohol-related and direct effects. DESIGN AND METHOD: On the basis of a sample of 22 841 alcohol-using 13- to 16-year-olds (50.6% female) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Wales, structural equation models were used to estimate direct and indirect effects. Additionally, differences across countries were tested in a multigroup analysis. RESULTS: The indirect effect (vi…

Tyttöjen painonpudottaminen, painonhallintakeinot ja liikunta-aktiivisuus

Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, kuinka yleisesti 13- ja 15-vuotiaat suomalaistytöt ilmoittavat pudottavansa painoaan, millaisena he kokevat painonsa ja millaisia painonhallintakeinoja he ilmoittavat käyttävänsä. Lisäksi tutkittiin, eroavatko aktiivisesti liikkuvat tytöt painoindeksin, painon kokemisen, painonpudottamisen tai painonhallintakeinojen suhteen vähemmän liikuntaa harrastavista. Tutkimuksen aineisto on koottu WHO-Koululaistutkimuksen vuoden 2002 kyselystä, jonka otos edustaa koko Suomen seitsemäs- (N = 853) ja yhdeksäsluokkalaisia (N = 875) tyttöjä. Ylipainoisiksi luokiteltiin tytöt, joiden painoindeksi oli yhtä suuri tai suurempi kuin ikäspesifin painoindeksijakauman 85. persentiilin…

Nuorten ateriarytmi : Kuka syö koulupäivinä säännöllisesti?

Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin aamiaisen, lounaan ja ilta-aterian muodostaman ateriarytmin yleisyyttä 7- ja 9-luokkalaisilla suomalaisnuorilla koulupäivinä. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin elintapojen, koulutusorientaation ja perhetekijöitten yhteyksiä ateriarytmin säännöllisyyteen. Tulokset perustuvat WHO-Koululaistutkimuksen kyselyyn, johon koululaiset (N = 3477) vastasivat vuonna 2002. Aineiston analysoinnissa käytettiin ristiintaulukointeja ja logistisia regressioanalyysejä. Noin 40 prosenttia pojista ja vajaa 30 prosenttia tytöistä söi aamiaisen, lounaan ja ilta-aterian säännöllisesti koulupäivinään. Vähäinen alkoholin käyttö ja aikomus mennä lukioon olivat yhteydessä säännölliseen ateriarytmiin sek…

Attempts to lose weight among overweight and non-overweight adolescents : a cross-national survey

Background: Despite the global obesity epidemic, few studies have performed cross-national comparisons of adolescents' attempts to lose weight and weight control practices. This study aims to investigate matters mentioned above by weight status in Europe, Israel, and North America. Methods: Nationally representative samples of adolescents from over 30 countries completed an anonymous, standardized questionnaire as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2001/2002 survey. The prevalence and likelihood of attempts to lose weight were determined. The effect of weight status, self-perception of overweight, age and country of residence upon the likelihood of current attempts to lose…