RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: "Freshman's week" (FW) is a Norwegian initiation ritual to higher education. Previous research has suggested that FW-participation is associated with better social adjustment to the student setting, as well as heavy alcohol use both during and after the event. In this study, we aimed to identify characteristics associated with participation in FW and characteristics associated with experiencing adverse effects of alcohol use during FW. METHODS: Students in the city of Bergen, Norway participated in a survey during fall 2015, shortly after FW. The current sample consisted of the first-year students (N = 4, 401, estimated response rate: 49%). The sample's mean age was 24 years (range: 17-73 years), 65% were females, and the majority were born in Norway (93%). Logistic regressions were conducted to identify characteristics associated with participation in FW and experiencing adverse effects. RESULTS: A total of 64% of the first-year students reported participation in FW, and 27% of these reported experiencing at least one adverse alcohol-related effect during FW. Participation in FW was positively associated with being single (OR = 1.29), extroversion (OR = 1.18), and alcohol use (OR = 1.28), and inversely associated with age (OR = 0.70), and having children (OR = 0.36). Several characteristics (e.g., alcohol use (OR = 1.84), extroversion (OR = 0.60), symptoms of depression (OR = 1.60)) were associated with an increased risk of experiencing adverse effects of alcohol use during participation. CONCLUSION: The current results suggest that initiatives for increasing the participation rate in FW, reducing alcohol use during FW, and decreasing the occurrence of adverse alcohol effects during FW are warranted. Aiming to reduce the focus on alcohol use during FW, and seeking to make FW more available and enjoyable for students with other priorities, students who do not match the stereotype of the typical first-year student, and less sociable students, might both increase participation rate and prevent the occurrence of adverse alcohol effects. Future studies should aim to develop and assess interventions designed to increase participation in FW and reduce the occurrence of adverse effects related to participation.
Asunto(s)
Consumo de Alcohol en la Universidad/psicología , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/efectos adversos , Conducta Ceremonial , Estudiantes/psicología , Universidades , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Noruega , Factores de Riesgo , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Research into problematic tanning (or 'tanning addiction') has markedly increased over the past few years. Although several instruments exist to measure excessive tanning, most of these are psychometrically poor, are not theoretically anchored, and have been used mainly on small samples. OBJECTIVES: To develop a new tanning addiction scale based on a specific theoretical approach utilizing core addiction criteria. METHODS: A scale comprising seven items (salience/craving, tolerance, mood modification, relapse/loss of control, withdrawal, conflict and problems) was administered online to a cross-sectional convenience sample of 23 537 adults (mean ± SD age 35·8 ± 13·3 years). There was also assessment of demographic factors, the five-factor model of personality, and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis showed that a one-factor model gave an optimal fit with the data collected [root mean square error of approximation = 0·050, 90% confidence interval (CI) 0·047-0·053; comparative fit index = 0·99; Tucker-Lewis index = 0·99]. High factor loadings (0·78-0·91, all P < 0·001) and coefficient omega indicator of reliability (ω = 0·94, 95% CI 0·94-0·94) were also found using the new scale. In a multiple linear regression analysis, tanning addiction was positively associated with being female, not being in a relationship, extraversion, neuroticism, anxiety and obsessive-compulsiveness. It was also found that educational level, intellect/openness and depression were inversely associated with tanning addiction. CONCLUSIONS: The new scale, the Bergen Tanning Addiction Scale (BTAS), showed good psychometric properties, and is the first scale to conceptualize tanning addiciton fully within a contemporary addiction framework. Given this, the BTAS may potentially assist future clinical practice in providing appropriate patient care, prevention and disease management.
Asunto(s)
Escala de Evaluación de la Conducta , Conducta Adictiva/diagnóstico , Baño de Sol/psicología , Adulto , Conducta Adictiva/psicología , Estudios Transversales , Estudios de Factibilidad , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Noruega , Psicometría , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Cross-national differences in adolescent life satisfaction in Europe and North America are consistent, but remain poorly understood. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the explanatory role of economic factors, such as national wealth and income equality, they revealed weak associations, at most. This study examines whether societal gender equality can explain the observed cross-national variability in adolescent life satisfaction. Based on the assumption that gender equality fosters a supportive social context, for example within families through a more equal involvement of fathers and mothers in child care tasks, adolescent life satisfaction was expected to be higher in more gender-equal countries. To test this hypothesis, national-level data of gender equality (i.e., women's share in political participation, decision making power, economic participation and command over resources) were linked to data from 175,470 adolescents aged 11-16 years old (M age = 13.6, SD = 1.64, 52% girls) from 34 European and North American countries involved in the 2009/10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Results of linear multilevel regression analyses indicate that adolescents in countries with relatively high levels of gender equality report higher life satisfaction than their peers in countries with lower levels of gender equality. The association between gender equality and adolescent life satisfaction remained significant after controlling for national wealth and income equality. It was equally strong for boys and girls. Moreover, the association between gender equality and life satisfaction was explained by social support in the family, peer and school context. This analysis suggests that gender equality fosters social support among members of a society, which in turn contributes to adolescent life satisfaction. Thus, promoting gender equality is likely to benefit all members of a society; not just by giving equal rights to women and girls, but also by fostering a supportive social climate for all.
Asunto(s)
Comparación Transcultural , Identidad de Género , Felicidad , Derechos Humanos , Satisfacción Personal , Psicología del Adolescente , Sexismo , Adolescente , Niño , Europa (Continente) , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , América del Norte , Apoyo SocialRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Due to previously reported mixed findings, there is a need for further empirical research on the factorial structure of the commonly used Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Therefore, the psychometric properties of the GAI and its short form version (GAI-SF) were evaluated in a psychogeriatric mixed in-and-out patient sample (n = 543). METHODS: Unidimensionality was tested using a bifactor analysis. Rasch modeling was used to assess scale properties. Sex, cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms were tested for differential item functioning (DIF). RESULTS: The bifactor analysis identified an essential unidimensional (general) factor structure but also specific local factors. The general factor comprises all the 20 items as one factor, and the results showed that the variance in the general and specific factors (subscale) scores is best explained by the single general factor. These findings were demonstrated for both versions of the GAI. Furthermore, the Rasch models identified extensive item overlap, indicating redundant items in the full version of the GAI. The GAI-SF also seems to extract much of the same information as the full form. Test scores and items have the same meaning for older adults across different demographic status. CONCLUSION: The findings support the use of a total sum score for both GAI and GAI-SF. Notably, when using the GAI-SF, no information is lost, in comparison with the full scale, thus, supporting the option of choosing the short form (version) when considered most appropriate in demanding clinical contexts.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos de Ansiedad/diagnóstico , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Psicometría/instrumentación , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Trastornos de Ansiedad/epidemiología , Femenino , Humanos , Lenguaje , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Noruega , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Health promotion and disease prevention among adolescents should include efforts to reduce the burden of health complaints. In order to develop systematic preventive approaches, epidemiological research is needed. This study focuses on prevalence, gender differences, and intercorrelations among such complaints. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were drawn from a nationwide (Norwegian) survey among pupils in compulsory school grades 6, 8, and 10 (age 11, 13, and 15); response rate 79%. RESULTS: Among 15-year-olds, most health complaints were more prevalent among girls than among boys. A principal components analysis revealed a dimension from primarily psychological to primarily somatic complaints. Among 15-year-olds, 18% reported at least one daily psychological complaint and 14% reported at least one daily somatic complaint. Sum-scores for psychological and somatic complaints were constructed, the intercorrelation being 0.56 among 15-year-olds. Girls scored significantly higher than boys on both sum-scores. Among girls there was a marked increase in scores with age (particularly for somatic complaints). INTERPRETATION: The high prevalence of complaints among both genders and the increase with age among girls implies that preventive action is needed. The intercorrelations among complaints indicate common etiological processes.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Morbilidad , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/epidemiología , Adolescente , Preescolar , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Noruega/epidemiología , Prevalencia , Factores SexualesRESUMEN
The role of sense of coherence (SOC) on the relationship between adolescent school-related stress and subjective health complaints was tested with structural equation modelling. As part of the crossnational WHO-survey 'Health behaviour in school-aged children 1997/98' Norwegian representative samples of 1592 grade 6, 1534 grade 8, and 1605 grade 10 students completed measures on SOC, school-related stress and subjective health complaints. A test of nested structural models revealed that both stress-preventive (delta chi2 814. 86, p<0.001), stress-moderating (delta chi2 11.74, p<0.02) and main health-enhancing (delta chi2 1289.1, p < 0.001) effects of SOC were consistent with the data. A model including all these relationships fitted the data well (CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.04). Age-group comparisons revealed that the association between SOC and stress grew weaker with age (p<0.05), whereas the direct association between SOC and health complaints grew stronger (p<0.001). The main effect of SOC accounted for between 39% (11 year olds) and 54% (15 year olds) of the variance in subjective health complaints. Findings indicate that SOC may potentially be a salutogenic factor in adolescents' adaptation to school-related stress, and that relationships between SOC and healthy adaptation, may be evident in younger age-groups than previously anticipated.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Psicología del Adolescente/estadística & datos numéricos , Psicología Infantil/estadística & datos numéricos , Instituciones Académicas , Estrés Psicológico/prevención & control , Adaptación Psicológica/clasificación , Adolescente , Ansiedad/etiología , Ansiedad/prevención & control , Ansiedad/psicología , Niño , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Humanos , Modelos Psicológicos , Noruega/epidemiología , Estrés Psicológico/complicaciones , Estrés Psicológico/etiologíaRESUMEN
This study investigated the relationship between shared psychosocial school environment and subjective health complaints. A representative sample of 1585 Norwegian grade 8 students (mean age 13.5 years) from 82 schoolclasses completed scales on health complaints, academic stress, the teacher and classmate support scale, decision control, and noise and disturbance in class. Multilevel analysis (MlwiN) revealed that level of health complaints varied across schoolclasses (ICC=5.6%). School class differences in psychosocial environment accounted for 40% of the between-schoolclass variance in health complaints. Tests of cross-level interaction showed a statistically significant interaction between mean schoolclass-level of classmate support and individual level of academic stress. Findings suggest that shared schoolclass contextual factors may have main and stress-moderating effects on adolescent health complaints.