Effects of sexual orientation-based bullying on feelings of loneliness and sleeping difficulty among Brazilian middle school students

ObjectiveTo investigate the extent to which sexual orientation-based bullying relates to self-reported feelings of loneliness and sleeping difficulty among Brazilian middle school students.MethodThis is a cross-sectional study using data from the 2015 PeNSE (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar), a survey designed to monitor the health of children and adolescents enrolled in the ninth grade in public and private Brazilian schools. Multiple linear regressions stratified by sex were used on a sample of 101,646 students, considering as reference students who had not experienced bullying, as well as students who had experienced other causes of bullying; a significance level of p < 0.05 was accepted.ResultsWhen the reference group was composed of students who had not experienced bullying, the associations between sexual orientation-based bullying and feelings of loneliness and between sexual orientation-based bullying and sleeping difficulty were positive (p < 0.05) for both male and female students, with magnitudes about twice as large as those found among those who reported having experienced other cause s of bullying. However, when the reference group was composed of students who had experienced other causes of bullying, only the association between sexual orientation-based bullying and feelings of loneliness was positive (p < 0.05) for both male and female students.ConclusionThis study highlights that sexual orientation-based bullying is a predictor of feelings of loneliness.     

Sense of coherence and psychosocial factors among adolescents

AIM: The overall aim of the present study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between sense of coherence and psychosocial factors among adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of pupils in year eight from comprehensive schools in Stockholm city, selected with regard to socioeconomic area. In the final sample of the study there were 383 pupils: 196 girls and 187 boys. Two questionnaires, the Sense of Coherence Scale and the Health Profile Scale measuring health behaviour, were used to collect data. RESULTS: Girls showed a significantly more negative outcome compared with boys, in eight psychosocial factors. The most pronounced difference between boys and girls was seen in feeling depressed: 17% and 54% respectively. Five factors proved to be associated with low SOC in the multivariate analysis: life dissatisfaction, feeling depressed, worries about family members, poor psychosomatic health and being a girl. CONCLUSION: The findings reveal domains where adolescents, especially girls, seem to be more vulnerable. Psychosomatic health and mental health are related to low sense of coherence.     

Relationship between bullying and type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents: a systematic review

ObjectiveTo carry out a systematic review on the relationship of bullying with type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents.MethodsSystematic review, according to the PRISMA methodology, in which the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Thomson Reuters, Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Begell House Digital Library, LILACS, and SciELO were searched using the terms “bullied”, “aggression”, “peer victimization”, “victimization”, “school violence”, “diabetes mellitus”, “type 1 diabetes mellitus”, “autoimmune diabetes”, “children” and “adolescents.” The authors included original studies, involving bullying associated with type 1 diabetes, with children and adolescents, without language restriction and publication period, with texts available in full.ResultsOf the 32 articles found, four studies met the selection criteria. Of these studies 85.7% identified occurrence of victimization in diabetics or found a higher frequency in diabetic children and adolescents when compared with young people with other chronic conditions or with healthy peers. Association between bullying and worse glycemic control was observed in two studies, and all the studies mention the fact that type 1 diabetes is a limiting factor for socialization related to diabetes, with less social support and difficulties for the management of the disease in public environments, such as school. The type of bullying suffered varied, including physical, verbal, social, psychological, and sexual.ConclusionMost of the studies showed an association between bullying and type 1 diabetes when compared to individuals with no such condition. Knowledge of this association has become essential for the follow-up of these patients and the implementation of preventive programs.     

Association between asthma and sleep hours in Brazilian adolescents: ERICA

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between asthma and sleep duration in participants of the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents.Materials and methodsCross-sectional, national, school-based study, involving adolescents aged 12–17 years. In the period between 2013?14, data from 59,442 participants were analyzed. Bivariate analysis between current asthma and short sleep duration, defined as < 7 h/night, was performed separately with the other variables analyzed: sex, age group, type of school, weight categories, and common mental disorders. Then, different generalized linear models with Poisson family and logarithmic link functions were used to assess the independence of potential confounding covariates associated with both asthma and short sleep duration in the previous analysis. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and a value of p < 0.05 was considered significant for all analyses performed.ResultsPrevalence of current asthma was 13.4%, being significantly higher among students with short sleep duration (PR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01–1.35; p = 0.034). This remained significant even after adjusting for the other study covariates.ConclusionThere was a positive association between the prevalence of current asthma and short sleep duration among Brazilian adolescents. Considering the high prevalence and morbidity of the disease in this age group, the promotion of sleep hygiene should be considered as a possible health strategy aimed at contributing to better control of asthma in this population.     

Anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic physical illnesses: a meta-analysis

To compare levels of anxiety of children with chronic illness with healthy peers and population norms. Meta-analysis integrated results from 332 studies. Children with chronic illness had elevated levels of anxiety (d=0.18 standard deviation units). Strongest elevations were found for chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine/tension headache, sensory impairment and epilepsy. Paediatricians should screen for anxiety symptoms in children at risk and offer interventions, if needed.     

Corrective lens wear among adolescents: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PURPOSE: To evaluate demographic variations in the use of corrective lenses among adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 3,916 adolescents between ages 12 and 18 years who participated in the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) vision examination component, which included questions regarding use of corrective lenses, distance visual acuity (VA; with corrective lenses if available), and non-cycloplegic autorefraction. Results reflect population-level estimates. RESULTS: Overall, 32.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.5%-35.0%) reported wearing corrective lenses. The adjusted odds of reporting corrective lens wear were greater for female and privately insured participants. In contrast, the adjusted odds of having corrective lenses available at the time of NHANES participation were greater for participants between ages 15 and 18 years compared with those between 12 and 14 years, and participants who were white compared with those who were black or Hispanic. Although 12.6% (95% CI, 8.8%-16.3%) of participants without their corrective lenses available for the NHANES had 20/25 or better distance VA in both eyes, 26.9% (95% CI, 21.6%-32.1%) of those with their corrective lenses had distance VA of 20/40 or worse in at least 1 eye. Near VA was not measured and participants with their corrective lenses available had only their corrected distance VA measured. No data regarding the accuracy of the NHANES assessment of distance VA are available. Autorefraction was performed without cycloplegia. CONCLUSIONS: Many adolescents report wearing corrective lenses. Variations across demographic characteristics are possibly due to a combination of undertreatment, overtreatment, and compliance with previously recommended corrective lenses.     

Mental health problems, negative life events, perceived pressure and the frequency of acute infections among adolescents. Results from a cross-sectional, multicultural, population-based study

AIM: To study the association between mental health problems, negative life events, perceived pressure at school and the frequency of acute infectious illnesses in an adolescent population, and to explore whether the association differs by sex and immigration status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving all tenth grade pupils in Oslo in 2000 and 2001. Of 8316 eligible pupils, 7346 participated in the study, giving a participation rate of 88%. Twenty-four percent of participants were first- or second-generation immigrants. RESULTS: Mental health problems and negative life events were associated with the number of acute infections in a population-based setting, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors. For girls with an immigrant background, internalised mental health problems and own serious illness or injury had the strongest association with acute infections. For adolescents with a non-immigrant background, experiencing sexual violence had the strongest association, and for native-born boys the strongest association with acute infections was externalised mental health problems. Smoking was the cofactor with the strongest association to acute infections. CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between acute infection, mental health problems and negative life events among adolescents in a multicultural population-based setting.     

Bullying behaviours and psychosocial health: results from a cross-sectional survey among high school students in Istanbul, Turkey

The aim of this study was to investigate bullying behaviours and their associations with health and health risk behaviours. This study involved completion of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) and Youth Self Report (YSR) questionnaires by 3,519 students. Of the students, 59.4% (n=2,091) were neither bullies/nor victims, 22% (n=774) victims, 9.4% (n=331) bully/victims and 9.2% (n=323) bullies. Generally, students involved in bullying behaviours were more likely to have higher YSR scale scores than students who were not involved in bullying behaviours. Bully/victims had higher scores on the YSR subscales than others. Students involved in bullying behaviours were more likely not to use seat belts, to watch TV >or= 4 h/day, to be involved in a physical fight, to skip class and to spend time with friends than students who were not involved in bullying behaviours. Bully/victims and bullies were more likely to smoke cigarettes, to drink alcohol, to be drunk, to play computer games and to be sexually active than others. Bully/victims were more likely to have less educated mothers and to have difficulty in talking to both parents than others. Victims were more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status, to have difficulty in talking to opposite gender friends and to have difficulty in making new friends than others. Bullying behaviour is common and associated with other risk behaviours and psychological health problems in Istanbul high school students. Health professionals should be aware of the influence of bullying on health and particularly on bully/victims' health. There is a strong need for bullying prevention programmes in schools in Turkey.     

Oral Health Opinions and Practices of Pediatricians: Updated Results From a National Survey

BackgroundProfessional guidelines and state Medicaid policies encourage pediatricians to provide oral health screening, anticipatory guidance, and fluoride varnish application to young patients. Because oral health activities are becoming more common in medical offices, the objective of this study was to assess pediatricians' attitudes and practices related to oral health and examine changes since 2008.MethodsAs part of the 2012 Periodic Survey of Fellows, a random sample of 1638 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics was surveyed on their participation in oral health promotion activities. Univariate statistics were used to examine pediatricians' attitudes, practices, and barriers related to screening, risk assessment, counseling, and topical fluoride application among patients from birth to 3 years of age. Bivariate statistics were used to examine changes since 2008.ResultsAnalyses were limited to 402 pediatricians who provided preventive care (51% of all respondents). Most respondents supported providing oral health activities in medical offices, but fewer reported engaging in these activities with most patients. Significantly more respondents agreed they should apply fluoride varnish (2008, 19%; 2012, 41%), but only 7% report doing so with >75% of patients. Although significantly more respondents reported receiving oral health training, limited time, lack of training and billing remain barriers to delivering these services.ConclusionsPediatricians continue to have widespread support for, but less direct involvement with oral health activities in clinical practice. Existing methods of training should be examined to identify methods effective at increasing pediatricians' participation in oral health activities.     

Health,health-compromising behaviour,sexuality and involvement in pregnancy among 18-year-old Swedish males: a cross-sectional survey

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences regarding well-being, health habits and health-compromising behaviour between Swedish young men who had never had sexual intercourse (group I), those who were sexually active but without a pregnancy record (group II), and those who had caused pregnancies (group III). A self-report questionnaire was used covering questions regarding health, health habits and risk behaviour. Tests of significance for differences between the three groups were performed with chi 2-tests. Differences were found in health, health behaviour and risk-taking behaviour between the three groups of young men, with an apparent tendency towards riskier lifestyles from group I, through group II, to group III. Two especially striking findings were the more frequent use of anabolic steroids and the reported high rate of sexual offences in group III compared with groups I and II. CONCLUSION: This study highlights serious health-compromising behaviours in 18-y-old men involved in pregnancies in a medium-sized Swedish city. This group has been largely ignored both in clinical practice and in scientific studies, in contrast to the huge efforts directed towards pregnant adolescent females. Public health workers, school health programmes and adolescent clinics need to acknowledge this and work accordingly.     

Parental Psychological Distress and Children's Mental Health: Results of a National Survey

ObjectiveQuestions persist as to which dimensions of child mental health are most associated with parental mental health status and if these associations differ by parental gender. We assessed associations between parental psychological distress and children's mental health.MethodsPooled data from the 2001, 2002, and 2004 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS), a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of US children aged 4 to 17 (n = 21,314), were used. Multivariate logistic regression was performed assessing associations between parental psychological distress, measured by the Kessler 6 scale, and the extended-form Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scales.ResultsLogistic regression demonstrated associations between parental psychological distress and increased likelihood of child mental health problems. Children aged 4 to 11 were more likely to have mental health problems if they had a psychologically distressed father (odds ratio [OR] 7.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3–24.3) or mother (OR 6.7, 95% CI 2.7–16.7). Children aged 12 to 17 with a psychologically distressed father (OR 4.53, 95% CI 1.18–17.47) or mother (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.34–11.37) were also more likely than those without to have mental health problems. In parents of both genders, associations existed between parental psychological distress, and abnormal emotional symptoms in younger children, conduct disorder in older children, and hyperactivity in children of all ages.ConclusionsParental psychological distress appears similarly associated with adverse child mental health outcomes, regardless of parental gender. These findings corroborate limited prior research and demonstrate that associations between child mental health and parental mental illness are similar in magnitude for fathers and mothers.     

Consultations with adolescents: the gap between their expectations and their experiences

AIM: To study the expectations and experiences of adolescents when in consultation with doctors, particularly with regard to issues of confidentiality. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 613 seventh- and ninth-grade students (347 students aged 13 y and 266 students aged 15 y) completed a 40-item questionnaire specifically developed for this study. Students anonymously completed the self-administered questionnaire at school. RESULTS: Of these adolescents, 89% aged 13 y and 57% aged 15 y were accompanied by one of their parents to appointments with private practitioners. Of the respondents, 33%/52% (13-y-olds/15-y-olds) said that seeing the doctor alone for some time was important but only 18%/20% were given the opportunity to do so. Although 79%/90% of respondents stated that it was important for the doctor to keep information confidential, on request, only 37%/40% of private practitioners had spoken about confidentiality; 64%/78% of adolescents said that doctors should give assurance of confidentiality even with regard to their parents. However, only 26%/27% of private practitioners explicitly assured confidentiality with regard to parents. Acceptance of conditional confidentiality was high in all subpopulations. Short waiting times and the opportunity to talk about topics such as nutrition, drugs and sexuality were rated as important. CONCLUSION: Physicians should adapt their consultation style to the needs of adolescents by seeing the adolescent patient alone for some time and by assuring them of conditional confidentiality. Furthermore, they should provide opportunities to talk specifically about issues of potential concern to adolescents such as nutrition, drugs and sexuality. To accomplish these tasks, educational curricula in adolescent healthcare are required for physicians.     

Self-perceived health among adolescents: the role of gender and psychosocial factors

Since adolescents’ psychosocial health problems may have major implications for adult morbidity and mortality, investigating their self-perceived health deserves priority. In the lack of limiting illness, psychosocial health variables, e.g., psychosomatic health complaints or health behaviors, play a decisive role in determining adolescents’ self-perceived health. Using data on adolescents from Szeged, Hungary (n = 1,114), we examined the relationship between adolescents’ self-perceived health and a set of psychosocial health status measurements. Findings show that psychosomatic and depressive symptoms contributed significantly to adolescents’ poor/fair perceptions of health. Findings also support the relationship between health behaviors and adolescents’ self-perceived health. Among boys, drug use and the lack of physical activity are significant predictors. Among girls, smoking may act in a similar way. Diet control is significant in both cases. Besides academic achievement, SES self-assessment and non-intact family status are strong contributes to health perception. Overall, findings show that psychosocial health variables are important influences on adolescents’ self-perceived health.     

Ethnic differences in metabolic syndrome among overweight and obese children and adolescents: the Oslo Adiposity Intervention Study

Aim: Are there differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between obese and overweight Norwegian and immigrant children and adolescents? Methods: Two hundred and three overweight and obese Norwegian, Pakistani, Tamil and Turkish patients aged 6–17 years living in Norway were included. Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of at least three abnormal values of waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, fasting glucose and HDL cholesterol. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher among the immigrant compared to Norwegian subjects when adjusted for age, gender and BMI‐Z‐score (20.8 vs. 30.6%; OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.05–4.77). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased with increasing severity of obesity and reached 50% in severely obese immigrants and 30% in severely obese Norwegians. Among the overweight subjects metabolic syndrome prevalence was 23.5% among immigrants and 19.4% among Norwegians. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome was found more frequently among children and adolescents with Middle Eastern and South Asian origins than Norwegians. Differences were found even after adjustment for age, sex and degree of obesity. This suggests that ethnic minorities may have an increased sensitivity to adiposity and need more aggressive prevention and treatment than their Norwegian counterparts.     

Sexual and Reproductive Health in Young People with Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background Improved survival in young people with congenital heart disease (CHD) alters the significance of a range of developmentally important subjects, such as sexual and reproductive health. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health issue in young people with CHD. Methods We undertook a systematic review of the literature from 1966 to March 2004, searching Medline, Psych Info, and Em base using a broad range of search terms. Additionally, we searched the literature for published guidelines on standards of care for young people with CHD. Results We identified ten articles that examined patients,' understanding of their heart disease. Seven of them specifically investigated knowledge of sexual and reproductive health as it related to cardiac disease. Conclusions In general, young people have a poor understanding of their heart disease. They appear to have a particularly poor grasp of sexual and reproductive health issues, yet they are interested in these issues. Therefore, health care programs for young people with CHD should incorporate sexual and reproductive health information and include anticipatory counseling and health risk screening.