Linda Beckman

Does the association with psychosomatic health problems differ between cyberbullying and traditional bullying

The association between mental health problems and traditional bullying is well known, whereas the strength of the association in cyberbullying is less known. This study aimed to compare the association between mutually exclusive groups of bullying involvement and psychosomatic problems as measured by the PsychoSomatic Problems scale. The sample comprised 3820 students (13–16 years old) in Sweden. The results indicate an association between bullying and psychosomatic problems, regardless of type of bullying involvement. No statistically significant differences in psychosomatic problems were found between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, either for victims or for bullies. The results do not confirm the hypothesis that the association between bullying and mental health is stronger for cyberbullying than for traditional bullying. Another important finding is that cyberbullies seem as likely as cybervictims to be at risk for mental health problems.

Discrepant gender patterns for cyberbullying and traditional bullying – An analysis of Swedish adolescent data

In the wake of the rapid development of modern IT technology, cyberspace bullying has emerged among adolescents. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences among adolescents inv ...

The cost-effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: Results from a modelling study

Exposure to bullying affects around 3-5 percent of adolescents in secondary school and is related to various mental health problems. Many different anti-bullying programmes are currently available, but economic evaluations are lacking. The aim of this study is to identify the cost effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). We constructed a decision-tree model for a Swedish secondary school, using a public payer perspective, and retrieved data on costs and effects from the published literature. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis to reflect the uncertainty in the model was conducted. The base-case analysis showed that using the OBPP to reduce the number of victims of bullying costs 131,250 Swedish kronor (€14,470) per victim spared. Compared to a relevant threshold of the societal value of bullying reduction, this indicates that the programme is cost-effective. Using a relevant willingness-to-pay threshold shows that the OBPP is a cost-effective intervention.

Prevalence and risk factors of electronic cigarette use among adolescents : Data from four Swedish municipalities

Aims To assess the prevalence rates and risk factors of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, with special focus on e-cigarettes containing nicotine, among grade 9 students (aged 15–16 years) in four different municipalities in Sweden. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 665 adolescents was collected in April 2014. The data was analysed using binary logistic regression analysis. Results The results show that 26% of adolescents in this study have smoked e-cigarettes (have ever used), while 19% have smoked e-cigarettes with nicotine or do not know whether or not they contained nicotine. The strongest risk factor for ever having used e-cigarettes (any type or with nicotine) was smoking conventional cigarettes. Having tried cigarettes and having tried snus, as well as using or having used alcohol and having smoked a water pipe were also statistically significant risk factors for ever use of any type of e-cigarettes but not for use of e-cigarettes with nicotine. There was no gender difference. Conclusions Our result show that the use of e-cigarettes tends to cluster with the use of other substances, such as other tobacco products and alcohol. As a relatively large share of the participating adolescents, more than a fourth, had smoked e-cigarettes, this rather new phenomenon requires monitoring as a part of the tobacco control.

Self-reported peer victimization: Concordance and discordance between measures of bullying and peer aggression among Swedish adolescents

The current study examined concordance and discordance between a measure of bullying and measures of peer aggression with respect to the number of students identified as victims. Swedish adolescents (N = 1,760) completed a web-based questionnaire. A measure of bullying and measures of peer aggression were compared in order to elucidate the unique contribution of each measure as well as the overlap: 13% of students who experienced peer victimization reported only bullying, 44% reported only repeated peer aggression, and 43% reported both. Concordance was further elucidated by phi-square coefficient tests revealing that 18% of the variance in either measure was accounted for by the other measure. Given recent research showing similar associations with mental health for bullying and peer aggression victimization, it is suggested that questions about peer aggression as well as bullying should be used simultaneously in order to capture the prevalence and full magnitude of peer victimization.

Injury risks in schoolchildren with attention-deficit/hyperactivity or autism spectrum disorder: Results from two school-based health surveys of 6- to 17-year-old children in Sweden

INTRODUCTION Injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability among children in Sweden and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has previously been associated with an increased risk of injury in pediatric populations elsewhere in the world. Current evidence regarding the possible link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and injury risk appears limited, even though some potentially risk-increasing symptoms overlap. The purpose of this study was thus to study the association between both ADHD and ASD concerning the risk of injury among Swedish schoolchildren. METHODS Two samples were used: a population-based register study containing data from 18,416 children ranging from the ages of 6-17years collected by school nurses during 2012/2014 (Survey A), and a national cross-sectional study of 3202 ninth-grade children (~15years old) collected from 92 schools in 2011 (Survey B). The data were analyzed using χ(2)-tests and log-binomial generalized linear models to obtain risk ratios (RR), comparing cases reportedly affected by ADHD or ASD to unaffected controls. RESULTS After adjusting for confounders, ADHD was associated with a 65% increased risk of injury (RR 1.65 [95% CI: 1.32-2.05] in Survey A, and a 57% increased risk of injury (RR 1.57 [95% CI: 1.27-1.95]) in Survey B. ASD was not significantly associated with any differences in injury risk (RR 0.81 [95% CI: 0.57-1.14]). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that there is an elevated injury risk among Swedish schoolchildren with ADHD but not for children with ASD. Future studies should focus on causal mechanisms mediating the association between ADHD and injuries in order to facilitate injury prevention strategies. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Parents and teachers of schoolchildren with ADHD should be made aware of the elevated injury risks associated with the diagnosis. Safety experts and injury control professionals should consider the development of specialized prevention strategies in order to reduce these risks.

Association between childhood allergic diseases, educational attainment and occupational status in later life: systematic review protocol

Introduction Childhood allergic diseases may prevent affected children from achieving their academic potential. Potential mechanisms include absence from school due to illness and medical appointments. Experience of symptoms in classes or leisure time, and stigma associated with visible signs and symptoms, including skin disease, requirements for medication during school time or the need for specific diets, may also contribute to reduced educational attainment. Studies have investigated the association between specific allergic diseases and educational attainment. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature on allergic diseases, educational attainment and occupational status, and if possible, calculate meta-analytic summary estimates for the associations. Methods Systematic electronic searches in Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO and education Resources Information Center (ERIC); hand search in reference lists of included papers and conference reports; search for unpublished studies in clinical trial registers and the New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Report; data extraction; and study quality assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale) will be performed. Analysis Data will be summarised descriptively, and meta-analysis including meta-regression to explore sources of heterogeneities will be performed if possible. Ethics and dissemination Dissemination in a peer-reviewed, open-access, international scientific journal is planned. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017058036.

Associations between neurodevelopmental disorders and factors related to school, health, and social interaction in schoolchildren: Results from a Swedish population-based survey

BACKGROUND Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be surrounded by different risk factors. In order to work preventively with decreasing ADHD and ASD symptoms, there is a need of more knowledge concerning risk factors. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate school, health, lifestyle and social interactions association with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among schoolchildren aged 6-17 years. METHODS Data for 18,416 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years in the county of Värmland, Sweden, from the school year 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 were obtained from the Student Health Database, which includes information on health examinations by school nurses and self-reported information of mental and physical health, social relations, physical activity, and school conditions. RESULTS Of all participants, 2.4% reported only ADHD and 1.6% reported only ASD. The results confirmed that ADHD or ASD was significantly associated with worse school experiences, lower socioeconomic status, less physical activity, more substance use, weaker social network and more impairments than those without ADHD or ASD. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of risk or protective factors during school years is needed to develop interventions to reduce symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents.

The Cost-Effectiveness of the KiVa Antibullying Program : Results from a Decision-Analytic Model

Bullying causes substantial suffering for children and adolescents. A number of bullying prevention programs have been advocated as effective methods for counteracting school bullying. However, there is a lack of economic evaluations of bullying prevention programs assessing the “value for money.” The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Finnish bullying prevention program KiVa in comparison to “status quo” (treatment as usual) in a Swedish elementary school setting (grades 1 to 9). The cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out using a payer perspective based on a Markov cohort model. The costs of the program were measured in Swedish kronor and Euros, and the benefits were measured using two different metrics: (1) the number of victim-free years and (2) the number of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Data on costs, probability transitions, and health-related quality of life measures were retrieved from published literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out to establish the uncertainty of the cost-effectiveness results. The base-case analysis indicated that KiVa leads to an increased cost of €829 for a gain of 0.47 victim-free years per student. In terms of the cost per gained QALY, the results indicated a base-case estimate of €13,823, which may be seen as cost-effective given that it is lower than the typically accepted threshold value in Swedish health policy of around €50,000. Further research is needed to confirm the conclusions of this study, especially regarding the treatment effects of KiVa in different school contexts.

Corrigendum to “Associations between neurodevelopmental disorders and factors related to school, health, and social interaction in schoolchildren: Results from a Swedish population-based survey” [Disabil Health J 9(4) (2016) 663–672]

In the article ‘‘Associations between neurodevelopmental disorders and factors related to school, health, and social interaction in schoolchildren: Results from a Swedish population-based survey’’ ...