Physical environmental characteristics and individual interests as correlates of physical activity in Norwegian secondary schools: The health behaviour in school-aged children study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The school has been identified as a key arena for physical activity promotion for young people. Effective change of physical activity behaviour requires identification of consistent and modifiable correlates. The study explores students' interests in school physical activity and facilities in the school environment and examines their associations with students' participation in physical activity during recess and their cross-level interaction effect.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study was based on a national representative sample of Norwegian secondary schools and grade 8 students who participated in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2005/06 study. The final sample comprised 68 schools and 1347 students. Physical environment characteristics were assessed through questionnaires completed by the principals, and students' physical activity and interests in physical activity were assessed through student self-completion questionnaires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most students were interested in more opportunities for physical activity in school. Multilevel logistic regression models demonstrated that students attending schools with many facilities had 4.49 times (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.93–10.44) higher odds of being physically active compared to students in schools with fewer facilities when adjusting for socio-economic status, sex and interests in school physical activity. Also open fields (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.31, 95% CI = 1.65–11.28), outdoor obstacle course (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.32–2.40), playground equipment (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.24–2.42) and room with cardio and weightlifting equipment (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.18–2.10) were associated with increased participation in physical activity. Both students' overall interests and the physical facilitation of the school environment significantly contributed to the prediction of recess physical activity. The interaction term demonstrated that students' interests might moderate the effect of facilities on recess physical activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings support the use of an ecological approach and multilevel analyses in the investigation of correlates of physical activity that allows for a broader understanding of the influence of and interaction between factors at multiple levels on physical activity behaviour. In the promotion of physical activity in lower secondary schools, the study suggests that programmes should include a focus on environmental facilitation and incorporate strategies to increase students' interests for school physical activity.</p

Hvordan verner det norske rettssystemet barn mot vold fra foreldre?

Oppgaven omhandler det norske rettssystemets vern av barn mot vold fra foreldre. Reglene som beskytter barn mot vold i barneloven, straffeloven og barnevernloven er redegjort for, med særlig vekt på hvilken betydning de ulike beviskravene og bevistemaene har for vernet

Gaming Behaviors and the Association with Sleep Duration, Social Jetlag, and Difficulties Falling Asleep among Norwegian Adolescents

The relationship between gaming and sleep is mostly informed by studies of addictive gaming behavior, thus limiting our understanding of sleep in the context of nonproblematic engaged gaming. The present study investigated whether addicted, problem, and engaged gaming behavior was associated with sleep duration, social jetlag, and difficulties falling asleep. The sample consisted of 13- and 16-year-old Norwegian adolescents (n = 3228) participating in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2018. Participants were categorized into addicted, problem, engaged, and normal/non-gaming behavior groups according to which GAS-7 criteria they fulfilled. Robust generalized linear mixed models with a random intercept for class ID were used to examine the association between the sleep variables and gaming behavior. Addicted gaming behavior was unfavorably associated with all sleep parameters. The findings for engaged gaming and problem gaming behavior were somewhat mixed. Engaged gamers slept less on weekends, less on weekdays for those aged 16, and experienced greater social jetlag compared to the normal/non-gaming group. Problem gamers experienced greater social jetlag and had higher odds of experiencing difficulties falling asleep. Overall, the results suggest that all types of gaming behaviors might harm sleep health, but to a greater extent for the addicted gamers.publishedVersio

Satisfaction With Life, Mental Health Problems and Potential Alcohol-Related Problems Among Norwegian University Students

Objective: Recent studies have shown that today's college students more than ever are struggling with mental health and alcohol problems. While poor satisfaction with life and mental health problems have been linked to higher alcohol consumption, there is still a lack of studies examining in detail the shape and nature of the relationship between mental health and alcohol consumption. Aim: To investigate the associations between satisfaction with life, mental health problems and potential alcohol-related problems among Norwegian university students. The shape of the associations was also examined. Methods: Data were drawn from a 2018 national survey of students in higher education in Norway (the SHoT-study). Associations between satisfaction with life, mental health problems and potential alcohol-related problems (AUDIT; risky and harmful alcohol use) were investigated using logistic regression. Both crude models and models adjusted for age, gender and marital status were conducted. To investigate the shape of the associations, logistic regression with quadric and cubic terms was tested. Results: Decreased satisfaction with life and increased mental health problems were associated with potential alcohol-related problems. For satisfaction with life, a curvilinear association with risky alcohol use and a linear association with harmful alcohol use was identified. For mental health problems, curvilinear associations were found for both risky and harmful alcohol use. Conclusion: Many students report potential alcohol-related problems. Students with harmful alcohol use seem to be more at risk of reduced satisfaction with life and increased mental health problems than students with risky alcohol use. Educational institutions may be an ideal setting for raising awareness of mental health issues and responsible alcohol consumption among students. The present study contributes with important information about the shape of the associations between satisfaction with life, mental health problems and potential alcohol-related problems in the student population.publishedVersio

Erfaringer med tidlig oppstart av enteral ernæring til intensivpasienter

Introduksjon: Hos intensivpasienter med akutt og kritisk sykdom kan riktig ernæring ha betydning for sykdomsforløpet. Hensikten med studien er å belyse intensivsykepleiernes erfaringer med tidlig oppstart av enteral ernæring til intensivpasienten. Målet med studien er å få økt kunnskap om hvordan intensivsykepleierne ivaretar intensivpasienter i forhold til enteral ernæring og få økt forståelse av ernæringspraksis ved et norsk sykehus. Metode: Studien har et kvalitativt design med en hermeneutisk tilnærming. Åtte intensivsykepleiere ved en intensivavdeling ble intervjuet i to fokusgruppeintervju. De ble stilt spørsmål om deres erfaring med tidlig oppstart av enteral ernæring til voksne intensivpasienter. Intervjuene ble transkribert, så analysert med systematisk tekstkondensering. Resultater: Vi identifiserte fem hovedkategorier gjennom analysen: «intensivsykepleierens ansvar og utfordringer», «å arbeide kunnskapsbasert», «bruk av ernæringsprotokoll», «pasientens tilstand» og «intuberte pasienter og ikke-intuberte pasienter». Diskusjon: Intensivsykepleieren opplever mye ansvar ved tidlig oppstart av enteral ernæring til intensivpasientene. Tverrfaglig samarbeid er viktig og kan være til hjelp i den helhetlige behandlingen av pasienten. Enteral ernæring kan oppleves som mindre interessant behandling og kan bli nedprioritert. Bruk av ernæringsprotokoll gjør det lettere for intensivsykepleiere å starte opp enteral ernæring, men ernæringsprotokollen bør være tydelig. Pasientens tilstand kan ha mye å si for tilførselen av enteral ernæring, men intensivsykepleieren opplever at uklare retningslinjer fører til usikkerhet hos både intensivsykepleieren og intensivlegen. Å fokusere på enteral ernæring, og kunnskap om enteral ernæring til alle intensivpasienter er viktig. Administrasjon av enteral ernæring oppleves lettere til intuberte pasienter enn til ikke intuberte pasienter.Introduction: Proper nutrition can play a crucial part in the course of illness in intensive care patients who experience acute and critical illness. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate intensive care nurses’ experiences with early initiation of enteral nutrition for patients in intensive care. The aim of this study is to gain more knowledge on how intensive care nurses manage their patients in relation to enteral nutrition, and to better understand how nutrition management is practiced in a Norwegian hospital. Method: This study has a qualitative design with a hermeneutic approach. Eight intensive care nurses in an intensive care unit were interviewed in two focus group interviews. They were asked questions about their experiences with early initiation of enteral nutrition for adult intensive care patients. The interviews were transcribed, then analysed with systematic text condensation. Results: We identified five different main categories through the analysis: «intensive care nurses’ responsibilities and challenges», «knowledge based practice», «the use of a feeding protocol», «the patient’s condition» and «intubated patients and non-intubated patients». Discussion: The intensive care nurse experiences a lot of responsibility in early initiation of enteral nutrition for intensive care patients. Multidisciplinary collaboration is important and can be helpful in the overall treatment of the patient. Enteral nutrition can be perceived as a less interesting treatment and be less prioritised. The use of a nutrition protocol makes it easier for intensive care nurses to initiate enteral nutrition, but the nutrition protocol needs to be clear. The patient’s condition plays an important part in the administering of enteral nutrition, but the intensive care nurse experiences how unclear guidelines make both the intensive care nurse and intensive care doctors uncertain. Focusing on enteral nutrition, and knowledge regarding enteral nutrition for all intensive care patients is important. To administer enteral nutrition in intubated patients is considered easier than in non-intubated patients

Emerging mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic among presumably resilient youth -a 9-month follow-up

Background The COVID-19 pandemic may have multifarious adverse effects on the mental health of some youth. To our knowledge, no study has followed young people beyond the first 6 months of the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to examine 1) Change in internalizing, externalizing, and total mental health problems over two time-points with a nine-month interval during the COVID-19 outbreak and 2) Whether contextual and COVID-19-related factors contribute to change in mental health problems. Methods Youth within the municipality of Bergen aged 11-19 years were invited via SMS to participate in an online survey in April and again in December 2020. A total of 2997 (40% response rate) youth participated at baseline in the present study, and 1598 (53.3%) completed the second survey. At baseline, the mean age was 16.0 (standard deviations 1.7) years, about 60% were girls, and 93% were born in Norway. Comparison across time was approached using inferential statistics and mixed linear models with maximum likelihood estimation and mixed-effects logistic regression models. Results There was an overall increase in total mental health problems from the first weeks into lockdown to 9 months after the pandemic outbreak. The overall increase seems to be exclusively driven by internalizing difficulties, i.e., increases in emotional problems and peer problems. The level of externalizing difficulties, i.e., conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention remained stable between the two time-points. Conclusions Our results imply that in the wake of the pandemic, one should be aware of emerging mental health problems among presumably resilient youth, in addition to the more expected and pronounced mental health needs of vulnerable groups. Efforts to reach out to the general youth population with preventive measures in schools may be important actions to normalize the situation for young people, and to identify those in need of more targeted mental health interventions.publishedVersio

Body-related concerns and participation in physical education among adolescent students: the mediating role of motivation

BackgroundThere is a need to understand better factors influencing participation in physical education (PE) and the mechanisms involved. The adolescent years are characterised by increasing levels of body-related concerns. In PE, the body is judged for its physical abilities and subject to social comparisons and body judgements. Grounded in the Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to explore whether body-related factors were associated with adolescents’ involvement in PE and whether types of motivation mediated this relationship.MethodsThe study involved 2,140 (54.5% girls) secondary students (15–16-year-olds) from Norway participating in the nationally representative “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: a WHO collaborative cross-national study.” Body-related factors included Body Mass Index (BMI), health complaints, body perception and dietary behaviours. Gender, age, and socioeconomic status (family affluence) were control variables. Motivation for PE was assessed with the Perceived Locus of Causality (PLOCQ) scale measuring three distinct factors: autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation. PE involvement was self-reported as weekly participation in PE classes and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during PE.ResultsGender (girl), family affluence, health complaints, not being on a diet but wanting to lose weight, and body perception (too fat) were negatively associated with weekly PE participation when adjusting for other variables. This association was largely explained by students’ autonomous motivation in the case of health complaints and partly in the case of dietary behaviour and body perception. Similar results were observed for MVPA during PE lessons. Additionally, gender was associated with MVPA through amotivation.ConclusionThe study adds new knowledge to the understanding of the relationship between body-related factors and PE, supporting that autonomous motivation is a central mechanism and an avenue for further research. The results should be considered in planning high-quality PE classes and suggest that an autonomous supportive learning climate sensitive to body-related concerns should be a priority to increase adolescent involvement in PE

Lessons Learned from an Intersectoral Collaboration between the Public Sector, NGOs, and Sports Clubs to Meet the Needs of Vulnerable Youths

The Norwegian Government emphasizes intersectoral collaboration to achieve health goals such as reducing social health differences. However, research shows that achieving fruitful collaboration between different organizations and the public sector is challenging. The sports sector is one potential partner for such collaboration. Although the Government calls for intersectoral collaboration that includes the sports sector, there are few concrete guidelines for how this may be implemented in practice. Guided by The Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning, the purpose of this study was to explore factors that promote or inhibit collaboration in an intersectoral project involving the sports sector, NGOs, and public sector. The current project aimed to work towards creating health promoting activities aimed at vulnerable youths. Methods: A qualitative case study of the Sports Project with interviews of eleven collaborative partners. Results: Factors promoting collaboration amongst the different partners were having a common mission, an appreciation of the partners’ complementary skills and knowledge, and a consistent user perspective. Conclusions: By orienting the collaboration towards the users’ needs, the partners have succeeded in creating tailored health-promoting activities for vulnerable youths. However, a challenge remains in transforming the collaborative project into a sustainable structure.publishedVersio

Associations between family structure and adolescents’ food habits

Objective: To investigate family structure differences in adolescents’ consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweets and sugar-added soft drinks with adjustments for socio-demographic and socio-economic variables. Design: Cross-sectional data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. Setting: Norwegian primary and secondary schools. Participants: Adolescents (n 4475) aged 11, 13, 15 and 16 years. Results: After adjusting for covariates, living in a single-mother family was associated with lower vegetable consumption (OR 0·76, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·91) and higher soft drink consumption (OR 1·29, 95 % CI 1·06, 1·57). Living in a mother and stepfather family was negatively associated with fruit (OR 0·71, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·95) and vegetable (OR 0·72, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·97) consumption. Living in a single-father family was associated with lower sweets consumption (OR 0·48, 95 % CI 0·32, 0·72). No significant interactions were demonstrated between family structure and socio-demographic or socio-economic covariates. Conclusions: The study suggests that an independent association between family structure and adolescents’ food habits exists.publishedVersio