Pernilla Garmy

Sleep and Television and Computer Habits of Swedish School-Age Children

The aim of this study was to investigate sleep, television and computer habits and enjoyment and feelings of tiredness in school of school-age children and adolescents in Sweden. An instrument found to be valid and reliable here was distributed to 3,011 children aged 6, 7, 10, 14, and 16 years. Those sleeping less than the median length of time reported a significantly lower degree of enjoyment of school. Short sleep was found to be associated with having a bedroom TV, spending more than 2 hr a day at the TV or the computer, being tired in school, and having difficulties both in waking up and in sleeping. Discussing sleep and media habits with schoolchildren and their parents regarding matters of optimal sleep and of how media habits affect sleep and learning is seen to be an important task of the school health service.

Evaluation of a School-Based Program Aimed at Preventing Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the implementation of a universal school-based cognitive behavioral program whose target is to prevent depressive symptoms in adolescents. The study had a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and a 1-year follow-up and provides an illustrative calculation for the implementation costs of the intervention. Sixty-two students (aged 14) and seven tutors participated. A majority of the students and all of the tutors were satisfied with the intervention. The students, both females and males, rated their depressed symptoms as significantly lower after the course; and for the females, this was maintained 1-year postintervention. The implementation costs for the initial 2 years were about US

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a New Instrument for Measuring Sleep Length and Television and Computer Habits of Swedish School-Age Children.

300 per student. Positive effects of a universal school-based cognitive behavioral intervention aiming at preventing depressive symptoms in adolescents were found, especially among females.

Overweight and television and computer habits in Swedish school-age children and adolescents : a cross-sectional study

The aim was to develop a new instrument for measuring length of sleep as well as television and computer habits in school-age children. A questionnaire was constructed for use when children visit the school health care unit. Three aspects of the validity of the questionnaire were examined: its face validity, content validity, and construct validity. Test–retest reliability was assessed by giving the questionnaire twice, 2 weeks apart, to the respondents. The questionnaire was assessed as being reasonably valid, the test–retest results (n = 138) showing 90.4% of the estimates regarding bedtime on weeknights on the two survey occasions to lie within ± 30 min of each other, the test–retest agreement also being rather close (κ > .600) regarding both sleep and media habits. The instrument can be a valuable tool in a clinical setting, both for measuring sleep habits in a class and for discussing sleep with individual school children and their families.

Overweight and Lifestyle in Ten-Year-Old Children

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents (6–16 years), and relationships between being overweight and sleep, experiencing of fatigue, enjoyment of school, and time spent in watching television and in sitting at the computer. Trained school nurses measured the weight and height of 2891 children aged 6, 7, 10, 14, and 16, and distributed a questionnaire to them regarding television and computer habits, sleep, and enjoyment of school. Overweight, obesity included, was present in 16.1% of the study population. Relationships between lifestyle factors and overweight were studied using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Having a bedroom television and spending more than 2 h a day watching television were found to be associated with overweight (OR 1.26 and 1.55 respectively). No association was found between overweight and time spent at the computer, short sleep duration, enjoyment of school, tiredness at school, or difficulties in sleeping and waking up. It is recommended that the school health service discuss with pupils their media habits so as to promote their maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Sleep Habits and Nighttime Texting Among Adolescents

Overweight in childhood and adolescence is a major public health problem due to its medical and psychosocial consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate overweight and life style factors in children aged 10. The sample consisted of 138 children 10 years of age from three public primary schools in southern Sweden from whom data on height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and life style were obtained during 2003–2004. Differences in life style factors between the overweight and the non-overweight children were investigated using the chi-square test and Fisher exact test. The association between life style factors and overweight was studied using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Omitting lunch at school and feeling tired at school were found to be associated with overweight. Headache and the experience of being bullied were significantly more common among the overweight children. Overweight was found in 24% of the children, a fourth of whom (6%) were obese. This is important problems that school nurses need to confront. A new and interesting finding obtained was that omitting lunch at school was associated with overweight. Additional longitudinal studies of the impact of life style factors on paediatric overweight are needed to assess school-based preventive programmes.

Bullying in School-aged Children in Iceland : A Cross-sectional Study

The aim of this study was to examine sleep habits (i.e., bedtimes and rising times) and their association with nighttime text messaging in 15- to 17-year-old adolescents. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from a web-based survey of adolescent students attending secondary schools in southern Sweden (N = 278, 50% female). Less than 8 hr of time in bed during school nights was significantly associated with more sleep difficulties, wake time variability on school days and weekends, daytime tiredness, and less enjoyment at school (all ps < .05). Sending and/or receiving text messages (Short Message Service [SMS]) at night was significantly associated with later bedtimes, shorter time in bed, daytime tiredness during school, and irregular sleep habits (p < .05). These findings highlight the importance of regular, consistent sleep habits and the problems associated with sleeping with a cell phone in the bedroom.

Health Among Schoolchildren From the School Nurse’s Perspective

Purpose: We describe the frequency and variations in bullying among a representative national sample of school‐age children and examine whether sociodemographic characteristics are associated with bullying. Design and Methods: This study is based on a cross‐sectional school‐based survey—the Icelandic contribution to the international research network Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children (HBSC). The study population included all students in Iceland in grades 6, 8 and 10 (mean ages: 11, 13 and 15 years, respectively) (participation rate: 84%; n = 11,018). The students completed an anonymous standardized questionnaire administered in the classroom. Results: The self‐reported frequency of being victimized by bullying at least 2–3 times every month was 5.5%. A younger age, speaking a foreign language at home, not living with ones parents, and living in a rural area, were all associated with higher frequencies of being bullied. Conclusions: Despite efforts to reduce bullying in school, experiences of being victimized through bullying are still too common among Icelandic school‐age children. Stakeholders and school health administrators should consider sociodemographic antecedents when planning interventions to reduce bullying at school. Highlights:The self‐reported frequency of being bullied ≥ 2‐3 times every month was 5.5% among Icelandic school‐aged children.Being bullied was associated with younger age, speaking a foreign language, not living with ones parents, and rural area.Sociodemographic antecedents should be considered when planning interventions to reduce bullying at school.

Insufficient Sleep Is Associated with Obesity and Excessive Screen Time Amongst Ten-Year-Old Children in Sweden

The aim of the study was to investigate Swedish school nurses’ perceptions of schoolchildren’s health. The study is based on two national surveys in which school nurses responded to questions about schoolchildren’s health in 2015 (n = 181) and 2005 (n = 129). A statistical comparison showed that physical and mental health of schoolchildren in high-risk areas was perceived as worse than that of children in low-risk areas. There were no differences regarding the number of spontaneous visits or consulting reasons related to gender in high- and low-risk areas. A national framework for data collection and reporting of schoolchildren’s health may be important for school nurses to demonstrate the need for increased support in, for example, high-risk areas. By paying attention to factors that can affect schoolchildren’s health, school nurses can also direct health promotion to areas where it is needed. Increased cooperation among school health professionals may also prevent illness and improve health.

Psychometric Analysis of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) in Adolescents

Purpose: This study investigated sleep, television, computer habits, and obesity in school‐age children. Design and methods: This was a cross‐sectional self‐report survey of 1260 children in grade 4 (mean age, 10.1) living in southern Sweden (49.1% boys). The heights and weights of 1097 (87.1%) of the children were recorded. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multiple logistic regression were employed. Results: The median length of self‐reported sleep on weeknights was 9.5 h. Approximately 40% of the children reported receiving < 9 h of sleep. The median bedtime was 9 PM (21:00). On weekends, the median bedtime was 1 h later, and they delayed getting up by 1.5 h. The median time spent watching TV and using a computer was 1 h each. The prevalence of being overweight (including obesity) was 18%. Insufficient sleep (< 9 h) was associated with being overweight, watching TV, or using a computer for two or more hours each day, difficulty falling asleep, and being tired at school. Conclusions: School‐age children who receive less sleep are more likely to be overweight and report excessive television and computer use. A strong and urgent need exists to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and media habits. It is challenging for pediatric nurses and school nurses to teach children and their families about healthy sleep and media habits. HIGHLIGHTSForty percent of 10‐year‐old children reported receiving fewer than 9 h of sleep.< 9 h sleep and > 2 h screen time were associated with being overweight and being tired at school.It is crucial to highlight for parents and teachers the importance of healthy sleep and media habits amongst children.