Participation and support - associations with Swedish pupils' positive health

Young peoples' reflections about using a chatbot to promote their mental wellbeing in northern periphery areas - a qualitative study

An international research collaboration with researchers from northern Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and developed the ChatPal chatbot to explore the possibility of a multilingual chatbot to promote mental wellbeing in people of all ages. In Sweden the end users were young people. The aim of the current study was to explore and discuss Swedish young peoples' experiences of using a chatbot designed to promote their mental wellbeing. Young people aged 15-19 filled out an open-ended survey giving feedback on the ChatPal chatbot and their suggestions on improvements. A total of 122 survey responses were analysed. The qualitative content analysis of the survey responses resulted in three themes each containing two to three sub-themes. Theme 1, feeling as if someone is there when needed, which highlighted positive aspects regarding availability and accessibility. Theme 2, human-robot interaction has its limitations, which included aspects such as unnatural and impersonal conversations and limited content availability. Theme 3, usability can be improved, given technical errors due to lack of internet connection and difficulty navigating the chatbot were brought up as issues. The findings are discussed, and potential implications are offered for those designing and developing digital mental health technologies for young people.

Validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) among a sample of Turkish university students.

METHODS

This study was conducted with 291 university students. The SHIS was evaluated in terms of language equivalence, validity and the reliability. Content validity was assessed with the content validity index (CVI). Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was used for the analysis of internal consistency, a Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for parallel form reliability, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for the test-retest technique.

RESULTS

The CVI of the SHIS was between 0.80 and 1.00. When the results of the CFA were examined, the factor loadings of all items were above 0.50. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between the SHIS and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scores for parallel form reliability (r = 0.489). Within the scope of the test-retest analysis, an ICC = 0.762 was determined (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The findings obtained from this validity and reliability study carried out on a sample of Turkish university students showed that the SHIS was both valid and reliable.

Psychosocial School Conditions and Mental Wellbeing Among Mid-adolescents: Findings From the 2017/18 Swedish HBSC Study

Objectives: To investigate mid-adolescent boys' and girls' experiences of school demands, teacher support, and classmate support, and explore the associations of these factors with mental wellbeing. Methods: Data were derived from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18, with information collected among 1,418 students in grade 9 (∼15-16 years). School demands, teacher support, and classmate support were measured by indices based on three items each. Mental wellbeing was measured by the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Higher demands were associated with lower mental wellbeing. Conversely, mental wellbeing increased with greater teacher support and classmate support. Interactions between demands and the support variables showed that at the lowest levels of teacher and of classmate support, mental wellbeing was low and not associated with school demands. With increasing levels of teacher and classmate support, the overall level of mental wellbeing increased and revealed an inverse association between school demands and mental wellbeing. Conclusion: The study contributes with knowledge about how psychosocial conditions in school may hinder or enhance wellbeing among students.

School educational models and child mental health among K-12 students: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The promotion of mental health among children and adolescents is a public health imperative worldwide, and schools have been proposed as the primary and targeted settings for mental health promotion for students in grades K-12. This review sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of key factors involved in models of school education contributing to student mental health development, interrelationships among these factors and the cross-cultural differences across nations and societies.

METHODS

This scoping review followed the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and holistically reviewed the current evidence on the potential impacts of school-related factors or school-based interventions on student mental health in recent 5 years based on the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and PsycExtra databases.

RESULTS/FINDINGS

After screening 558 full-texts, this review contained a total of 197 original articles on school education and student mental health. Based on the five key factors (including curriculum, homework and tests, physical activities, interpersonal relationships and after-school activities) identified in student mental development according to thematic analyses, a multi-component school educational model integrating academic, social and physical factors was proposed so as to conceptualize the five school-based dimensions for K-12 students to promote student mental health development.

CONCLUSIONS

The lessons learned from previous studies indicate that developing multi-component school strategies to promote student mental health remains a major challenge. This review may help establish appropriate school educational models and call for a greater emphasis on advancement of student mental health in the K-12 school context among different nations or societies.

A Philosophical Review of School Nursing Framed by the Holistic Nursing Theory of Barbara Dossey

This article is a philosophical review of school nursing and its constructs framed by Barbara Dossey's holistic nursing theory. The author describes the application of holistic nursing theory within the school nurse's area of activity. The review suggests that holistic nursing theory can be applied in several areas of school nursing. School nurses have a multifaceted occupation that includes meetings with students, parents, and school staff. Barbara Dossey's holistic nursing theory offers the school nurse tools to deal with people's varied experiences, feelings, and needs.

Longitudinal Associations Between Energy Drink Consumption, Health, and Norm-Breaking Behavior Among Swedish Adolescents

Objectives: To describe the intake of energy drinks (EDs) among a sample of Swedish adolescents while considering health-related variables, and to investigate the longitudinal associations between ED consumption, health, and norm-breaking behavior. Longitudinal studies on this topic are scarce. Methods: Questionnaire data were collected in the northern part of Sweden in 2010-2011 from 1,622 adolescents in grades 6-9. Analyses were performed using a chi-squared test and logistic regression. Results: Seventy-four percent of the boys and 54% of the girls had consumed EDs (P < 0.001). ED consumption was associated with variables related to low health, low support levels, and norm-breaking behavior. The associations were generally stronger among the girls and the boys who consumed EDs at least once a week. ED consumption was a predictor of worse health and norm-breaking behavior 1 year later. Adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.53 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.20; school-related stress) to 4.88 (95% CI: 2.28, 10.43; gaming-related truancy). Conclusions: Health promotion activities benefit from a broad approach but could focus on girls who consume EDs and those boys with the highest consumption levels.

Psychosocial Working Conditions in School and Life Satisfaction among Adolescents in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Study

Poor psychosocial working conditions in school have consistently been shown to be associated with adverse health among adolescents. However, the relationships between school demands, teacher support, and classmate support and positive aspects of health have not been explored to the same extent. The aim of this study was to examine differences in psychosocial working conditions in school and in life satisfaction by gender and by grade, and to investigate the association between psychosocial working conditions in school and life satisfaction among boys and girls, and among students in different grades. Data from the Swedish Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18 were used, consisting of 3614 students in Grades 5, 7, and 9 (~11, 13, and 15 years). Psychosocial working conditions in school were captured by indices of perceived school demands, teacher support, and classmate support. Life satisfaction was measured by the 11-step Cantril’s ladder (using cutoffs at >5 and >8, respectively). Whereas girls reported higher school demands than boys, higher levels of teacher and classmate support were reported by boys. Students in lower grades reported lower school demands but higher levels of teacher and classmate support compared with students in higher grades. Boys and students in lower grades were more likely to report high life satisfaction compared with girls and students in higher grades. Results from binary logistic regression analyzes showed that school demands were inversely associated with life satisfaction, and that higher levels of teacher support and classmate support were associated with high life satisfaction. These results were found for both boys and girls, and for students in all grades. The findings indicate that schools have the potential to promote positive health among students.

Excellent Self-Rated Health among Swedish Boys and Girls and Its Relationship with Working Conditions in School: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which school demands, teacher support, and classmate support were associated with excellent self-rated health among students, and to examine if any such statistical predictions differed by gender. Data were drawn from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study of 2017/18, performed among adolescents in grades five, seven, and nine (n = 3701). Linear probability models showed that school demands were negatively associated with excellent self-rated health, whereas teacher and classmate support showed positive associations. The link with school demands was stronger for girls than boys, driven by the finding that in grades five and nine, school demands were associated with excellent self-rated health only among girls. In conclusion, the study suggests that working conditions in school in terms of manageable school demands and strong teacher and classmate support may benefit adolescents’ positive health. The finding that the link between school demands and excellent self-rated health was more evident among girls than among boys may be interpreted in light of girls’ on average stronger focus on schoolwork and academic success. The study contributes with to knowledge about how working conditions in school may impede or promote students’ positive health.

Positive self-reported health might be an important determinant of student's experiences of high school in northern Sweden

There is a need for more knowledge about positive health determinants in the school setting. The overall aim of this study was to analyse if positive self-reported health is associated with experiences of school among high-school students. Data originated from the health dialogue questionnaire answered by students in grade 1 of high school. A total of 5035 students participated from the academic years 2013 to 2016. Logistic regression with positive odds ratio (POR) was used to analyse associations between positive self-reported health and school experiences. There was an association between positive self-reported health and school experiences among students. Positive mental health was the strongest predictor for positive school experiences. To frequently participate in Physical Education, have a positive body image and satisfactory sleep nearly doubled the students' odds for positive school experiences. The results also revealed gender differences; boys more often reported positive experiences of school and positive health than girls. Positive self-reported health is associated with positive experiences of school, particularly mental health. Moreover, these findings have significant implications for how students experience school and demonstrate the importance of including health-promoting interventions in systemic school improvement, meeting both girls' and boys' needs.

A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway

Although high school graduation is important for living conditions and health throughout life, many students do not complete. In Norway's northern most county, Finnmark, up to 45% of students do not complete high school. Contrary to prior research that has primarily focused on causes for dropout, this study's aim was to deepen understanding of factors that support high school attendance. A strengths-based participatory approach using photovoice addressed attendance factors as perceived by seven participating students from one high school in Finnmark. Qualitative content analysis of data generated through group dialogue about participant-generated photos and individual interviews identified six factors important for students' school attendance: a supportive school environment, a good learning environment, recuperation and recreation, family and friends, goals and ambitions, and place attachment. Related aspects of a supportive environment and belongingness, where school staff made important contributions to promoting a positive environment, were essential.