scholarly journals A Comparative Study on Adolescents’ Health Literacy in Europe: Findings from the HBSC Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leena Paakkari ◽  
Minna Torppa ◽  
Joanna Mazur ◽  
Zuzana Boberova ◽  
Gorden Sudeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Population Level ◽  
European Countries ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Current State ◽  
Hbsc Study ◽  
Path Models

(1) Background: There is a need for studies on population-level health literacy (HL) to identify the current state of HL within and between countries. We report comparative findings from 10 European countries (Austria, Belgium (Fl), Czechia, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, and Slovakia) on adolescents’ HL and its associations with gender, family affluence (FAS), and self-rated health (SRH). (2) Methods: Representative data (N = 14,590; age 15) were drawn from the HBSC (Health Behavior in School-Aged Children) study. The associations between HL, gender, FAS, and SRH were examined via path models. (3) Results: The countries exhibited differences in HL means and in the range of scores within countries. Positive associations were found between FAS and HL, and between HL and SRH in each country. Gender was associated with differences in HL in only three countries. HL acted as a mediator between gender and SRH in four countries, and between FAS and SRH in each country. (4) Conclusions: The findings confirm that there are differences in HL levels within and between European countries, and that HL does contribute to differences in SRH. HL should be taken into account when devising evidence-informed policies and interventions to promote the health of adolescents.

scholarly journals Romantic Attraction and Substance Use in 15-Year-Old Adolescents from Eight European Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3063 ◽  
Author(s):  
András Költő ◽  
Alina Cosma ◽  
Honor Young ◽  
Nathalie Moreau ◽  
Daryna Pavlova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Romantic Attraction ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Multiple Substance ◽  
Hbsc Study ◽  
Heterosexual Youth ◽  
Opposite Gender

Sexual minority youth are at higher risk of substance use than heterosexual youth. However, most evidence in this area is from North America, and it is unclear whether the findings can be generalized to other cultures and countries. In this investigation, we used data from the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study to compare substance use in same- and both-gender attracted 15-year-old adolescents from eight European countries (n = 14,545) to that of their peers who reported opposite-gender attraction or have not been romantically attracted to anyone. Both-gender attracted, and to a lesser extent, same-gender attracted adolescents were significantly more likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, get drunk and use cannabis, or be involved in multiple substance use in the last 30 days compared to their opposite-gender attracted peers. Those adolescents who have not been in love had significantly lower odds for substance use than all other youth. The pattern of results remained the same after adjusting for country, gender and family affluence. These findings are compatible with the minority stress and romantic stress theories. They suggest that sexual minority stigma (and love on its own) may contribute to higher substance use among adolescents in European countries.

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Löfstedt ◽  
A M Arnarsson ◽  
M Corell ◽  
N Lyyra ◽  
K R Madsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
High Life Satisfaction ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Hbsc Study ◽  
Sleep Difficulties

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 (about 35%) than Denmark, Finland and Norway (about 25%). Norway was the only country to show a decline during 2002-2014. The prevalence of sleep difficulties has increased over the 12-year period in Denmark, Iceland, and Finland. In Sweden the prevalence fell from 26% to 21% from 2002 to 2006 but rose by 10% points from 2010 to 2014. Only Norway showed a positive development over the 12-year period; the prevalence declined in 2014 to 17% the lowest prevalence of sleep difficulties in any of the five Nordic countries. The trend of excellent self-rated health for Nordic adolescents indicates a small overall improvement between 2002 and 2006 but a stable trend in the following periods up until 2014. Finland and especially Sweden shows a decline in the prevalence of students having an excellent self-rated health. The only country to show a positive development in the prevalence of students having excellent self-rated health from 2002 to 2014, is Norway. The overall prevalence of adolescents having high life satisfaction has declined in most of the Nordic countries examined.

scholarly journals Trends in Life Satisfaction and Self-rated Health in Czech School-aged Children: HBSC Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S51-S56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Hodačová ◽  
Eva Hlaváčková ◽  
Dagmar Sigmundová ◽  
Michal Kalman ◽  
Jaroslava Kopčáková
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Hbsc Study

Does the School Performance Variable Used in the International Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study Reflect Students' School Grades?

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 404-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemarie Felder-Puig ◽  
Robert Griebler ◽  
Oddrun Samdal ◽  
Matthew A. King ◽  
John Freeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
School Performance ◽  
International Health ◽  
Performance Variable ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
School Grades ◽  
Hbsc Study

Cannabis use in Switzerland: The role of attribution of drug use to friends, urbanization and repression 1The study was supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit BAG) Grant 316.96.5980.

2001 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Structural Variables ◽  
Hbsc Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Individual Use

Cannabis use does not show homogeneous patterns in a country. In particular, urbanization appears to influence prevalence rates, with higher rates in urban areas. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was employed to analyze these structural influences on individuals in Switzerland. Data for this analysis were taken from the Switzerland survey of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study, the most recent survey to assess drug use in a nationally representative sample of 3473 15-year-olds. A total of 1487 male and 1620 female students indicated their cannabis use and their attributions of drug use to friends. As second level variables we included address density in the 26 Swiss Cantons as an indicator of urbanization and officially recorded offences of cannabis use in the Cantons as an indicator of repressive policy. Attribution of drug use to friends is highly correlated with cannabis use. The correlation is even more pronounced in urban Cantons. However, no association between recorded offences and cannabis use was found. The results suggest that structural variables influence individuals. Living in an urban area effects the attribution of drug use to friends. On the other hand repressive policy does not affect individual use.

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