Changes in alcohol use and relationship satisfaction in Norwegian couples during pregnancy

Background: Numerous studies have documented a profound reduction in alcohol use among pregnant women, whereas research on expectant fathers has been scarce. The aim of this study was to measure changes in alcohol consumption from before pregnancy to 17 weeks in gestation for mothers and fathers, differentiating between parents with and without any previous children, and to measure how level and change in alcohol consumption into early pregnancy was associated with relationship satisfaction. Methods: The data collection was conducted as part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This cohort now includes 108 000 children, 90 700 mothers and 71 500 fathers recruited from 1999 to 2008. The present study comprises 82 362 couples. Alcohol consumption was assessed using a questionnaire including items about usual drinking frequency, quantities, and number of occasions with heavy episodic drinking (HED). Relationship satisfaction was measured by five items scored on a Likert agreement scale. Results: The findings indicate that both mothers and fathers reduce their drinking significantly during pregnancy. Reduction was apparent for all three measures of alcohol consumption. First-time fathers reduced their alcohol consumption more than experienced fathers, from initially higher levels. The gap between the fathers and their pregnant partner was greater for first-time parents compared to parents with previous children. Drinking pre-pregnancy and relationship satisfaction during pregnancy were weakly related within each partner, whereas no association across partners was observed. Conclusions: Both expectant mothers and fathers changed their alcohol consumption patterns when expecting a child. Almost all mothers stopped drinking, whereas fathers reduced their drinking to a considerable degree. Relationship satisfaction was only slightly related to their drinking patterns. The findings may have important policy implications, mainly with regard to developing alcohol preventive strategies.publishedVersio

Gamblers' use of measures to prevent gambling problems and reduce harm

In this study, the use of measures to control gambling were investigated. Data from gamblers (N = 5,878) participating in a cross-sectional survey in 2019 based on random sampling from the Norwegian Population Registry, were analysed. The survey included questions about use of eight measures, which comprised the dependent variables. Questions about sociodemographics, gambling behaviour, gambling problems, self-reported impact from gambling advertisement and beliefs in measures to control gambling comprised the predictor variables. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify significant predictors. Use of measures varied, ranging from 0.8% (contacting help services) to 23.2% (pre-commitment to affordable loss limits). All predictors had at least one significant association with the actual use of measures. Being a moderate risk or problem gambler was the most consistent predictor and was associated with the use of all eight measures. Being born outside Norway in a western or non-western country was associated with use of seven of the eight measures, whereas gambled online and participated in low-risk game only (inversely) were associated with use of six measures. Gender, age, game spending and beliefs in the usefulness of measures were associated with use of four measures. Participation in random games only was inversely associated with use of three measures. Self-reported impact from gambling advertisement was only (inversely) associated with self-testing for gambling problems. Several mechanisms responsible for the associations between predictors and the dependent variables are suggested, e.g., younger gamblers and moderate risk or problem gamblers may use these measures as they may acknowledge personal susceptibilities for developing gambling problems, such as impaired impulse control. Online gambling on the other hand was associated with use of various measures as the latter more often are integrated in online than offline gambling. Notably, the beliefs in measures as helpful was a significant predictor of use of four of the measures, which illustrates that positive views on the use of measures are not consistently associated with actual use of all the measures. Characteristics of the gamblers (e.g., place of birth, moderate risk or problem gambler), the game itself and the online distribution seem to be the most consistent predictors.publishedVersio

Gendered leisure activity behavior among Norwegian adolescents across different socio-economic status groups

The present paper explores gendered behavior based on participation patterns of leisure activities among adolescents across socio-economic status (SES) groups, aiming to increase knowledge and understanding of how gender socialization processes are expressed through boys’ and girls’ participation in leisure activities. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate whether such gendered behavior is associated with general levels of participation, and if there may be differences between low, middle, and high SES groups. The study used Norwegian nationally representative data of 15- and 16-year-olds from the World Health Organization's cross-sectional survey, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2005/06 (n = 3,273). Logistic regression analysis and propensity scores showed that adolescent boys and girls had clear gendered behavior patterns based on leisure activity participation in 27 different activities, and that boys and girls had about equal distributions on what was classified as typical (“boyish” or “girlish”), atypical, and neutral gender behavior. Furthermore, gendered behavior was correlated with higher levels of participation for both sexes, and it was more or less similar for boys and girls and for different socio-economic status groups. However, when investigating differences in distributions between SES groups, high SES girls were found to have a significantly higher prevalence of both “boyish” and “girlish” activity behavior, but less “gender-neutral” compared with girls in medium and low SES groups. There were no such differences for boys.publishedVersio

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

Time-trends in Nordic adolescents’ communication with their parents

Adolescence is an important developmental period toward greater independence. However, the family is still very important in the life of young people. The aim of this study was to analyse changes over time in easy communication between adolescents and their parents in the Nordic countries. The study used the Nordic part of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children, carried out in four waves from 2002–2014. It included 109,446 adolescents. The adolescents were asked how easy it was to communicate with their mother or father about things that really bothered them. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and binomial logistic regression. In all Nordic countries, the prevalence of easy communication between adolescents and their parents increased from 2002 to 2014. Although the positive change in parental communication was more pronounced among Nordic fathers, the data showed that mothers had markedly better communication with their adolescents than fathers did. In 2014, around three out of four adolescents found it easy to talk with their fathers, while four out of five found it easy to talk with their mothers. The results indicate that policies in the Nordic countries to support the role of both mothers and fathers in caring for their children are warranted.publishedVersio

Gamblers' use of measures to prevent gambling problems and reduce harm

In this study, the use of measures to control gambling were investigated. Data from gamblers (N = 5,878) participating in a cross-sectional survey in 2019 based on random sampling from the Norwegian Population Registry, were analysed. The survey included questions about use of eight measures, which comprised the dependent variables. Questions about sociodemographics, gambling behaviour, gambling problems, self-reported impact from gambling advertisement and beliefs in measures to control gambling comprised the predictor variables. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify significant predictors. Use of measures varied, ranging from 0.8% (contacting help services) to 23.2% (pre-commitment to affordable loss limits). All predictors had at least one significant association with the actual use of measures. Being a moderate risk or problem gambler was the most consistent predictor and was associated with the use of all eight measures. Being born outside Norway in a western or non-western country was associated with use of seven of the eight measures, whereas gambled online and participated in low-risk game only (inversely) were associated with use of six measures. Gender, age, game spending and beliefs in the usefulness of measures were associated with use of four measures. Participation in random games only was inversely associated with use of three measures. Self-reported impact from gambling advertisement was only (inversely) associated with self-testing for gambling problems. Several mechanisms responsible for the associations between predictors and the dependent variables are suggested, e.g., younger gamblers and moderate risk or problem gamblers may use these measures as they may acknowledge personal susceptibilities for developing gambling problems, such as impaired impulse control. Online gambling on the other hand was associated with use of various measures as the latter more often are integrated in online than offline gambling. Notably, the beliefs in measures as helpful was a significant predictor of use of four of the measures, which illustrates that positive views on the use of measures are not consistently associated with actual use of all the measures. Characteristics of the gamblers (e.g., place of birth, moderate risk or problem gambler), the game itself and the online distribution seem to be the most consistent predictors

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Academic Evaluation Anxiety: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for academic evaluation anxiety and self-confidence in 70 help-seeking bachelor’s and master’s students was examined. A repeated measures analysis of covariance on the 46 students who completed pretreatment and posttreatment measures (median age = 24 years, 83% women) showed that evaluation anxiety and self-confidence improved. A growth curve analysis with all 70 original participants showed reductions in both cognitive and emotional components of evaluation anxiety, and that reduction continued postintervention. Although more research is needed, this study indicates that MBSR may reduce evaluation anxiety.publishedVersio

Is spending time in screen-based sedentary behaviors associated with less physical activity: a cross national investigation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Australia and the USA, national guidelines exist for limiting children's screen-exposure to two hours per day. This study aims to determine whether exceeding the suggested guidelines for screen-based sedentary behavior is associated with reduced levels of physical activity across different geographical regions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data material were taken from the 2005/2006 survey of "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study; A WHO cross-National Survey". Data were collected through questionnaires from 11-,13- and,15- year olds. The final sample included 200,615 adolescents from 39 different countries in Europe and North America. Gender and country stratified analyses regressed time spent in leisure-time vigorous physical activity (VPA) and days of 60 minutes moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on time spent in screen-based sedentary behaviors. To simplify interpretation, the estimates from each country were pooled using a meta-analytic procedure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exceeding 2 hrs of daily total screen-time was negatively associated with MVPA for both boys and girls, and with VPA for girls. When investigating the different types of screen-based behaviors separately, exceeding 2 hrs daily of TV viewing was associated with less MVPA for both boys and girls and less VPA for girls. Gaming was associated with less MVPA and VPA for boys, and non-gaming computer use was associated with higher levels of VPA for both genders. Stronger negative associations between physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviors were found in countries where mean levels of physical activity were relatively high. The association between physical activity and sedentary behavior was not significantly associated with national levels of screen-based sedentary behaviors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The displacement mechanism does not appear to be universal across countries. On a national level, negative associations between physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviors are less likely to be found in countries with relatively low levels of physical activity. Consequently, national guidelines for limiting children and adolescents time in screen-based sedentary behavior may not be conducive to increasing levels of physical activity in all countries.</p

Tracking of leisure-time physical activity during adolescence and young adulthood: a 10-year longitudinal study

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Leisure-time physical activity trajectories from adolescence to adulthood in relation to several activity domains: a 27-year longitudinal study

Background Insufficient physical activity (PA) levels among adolescents and adults make promoting PA a public health priority. Although most people exhibit low or decreasing levels of PA, other groups increase or maintain high levels of activity. These different groups may engage differently in activity domains during their leisure time. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of leisure-time vigorous physical activity (LVPA) and to explore whether these trajectories are characterised by differences in four activity domains (participation in organised sports clubs, diversity in leisure-time activities, outdoor recreation, and peer PA) over the life course. Methods Data were drawn from the Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study. The sample of participants (n = 1103, 45.5% female) was surveyed 10 times from age 13 years in 1990 to age 40 years in 2017. LVPA trajectories were identified using latent class growth analysis, and mean differences in activity domains were studied using the one-step BCH approach. Results Four trajectories were identified: active (9%), increasingly active (12%), decreasingly active (25%), and low active (54%). Overall, this analysis showed a declining tendency in LVPA from age 13 to 40 years except for the increasingly active trajectory. Belonging to a trajectory with a higher LVPA level was related to higher mean levels of the included activity domains. Compared with those in the increasing trajectory, people belonging to the decreasing trajectory reported higher mean participation levels in and age at becoming a member of sports clubs, diversity in leisure-time activities, and best friend’s activity level during adolescence. However, in young adulthood, people in the increasingly active trajectory reported significantly higher mean levels for the same variables. Conclusions The development of LVPA from adolescence to adulthood is heterogeneous, suggesting the need for targeted health promotion initiatives. The largest trajectory group included more than 50 percent and was characterized by low levels of LVPA, less engagement in PA domains and fewer active friends. There seems to be little carry-over effect of engagement in organised sports in adolescence regarding level of LVPA later in life. Changes in social surroundings throughout the life span, such as having friends who are more or less engaged in PA, may assist or hinder health enhancing engagement in LVPA.publishedVersio