Abstract Purspose The prevention of youth violence is a public health priority in many countries. We examined the prevalence of bullying victimization and physical fighting in youths in 79 high- and ...low-income countries and the relations between structural determinants of adolescent health (country wealth, income inequality, and government spending on education) and international differences in youth violence. Methods Cross-sectional surveys were administered in schools between 2003 and 2011. These surveys provided national prevalence rates of bullying victimization (n = 334,736) and four or more episodes of physical fighting in the past year (n = 342,312) in eligible and consenting 11–16 year olds. Contextual measures included per capita income, income inequality, and government expenditures on education. We used meta-regression to examine relations between country characteristics and youth violence. Results Approximately 30% of adolescents reported bullying victimization and 10.7% of males and 2.7% of females were involved in frequent physical fighting. More youth were exposed to violence in African and Eastern Mediterranean countries than in Europe and Asia. Violence directly related to country wealth; a 1 standard deviation increase in per capita income corresponded to less bullying (−3.9% in males and −4.2% in females) and less fighting (−2.9% in males and −1.0% in females). Income inequality and education spending modified the relation between country wealth and fighting; where inequality was high, country wealth related more closely to fighting if education spending was also high. Conclusions Country wealth is a robust determinant of youth violence. Fighting in affluent but economically unequal countries might be reduced through increased government spending on education.
The relationship between cyberbullying and friendship dynamics on adolescent body dissatisfaction was examined. Data from the Irish contribution to the international cross-sectional 2013/2014 Health ...Behaviour in School-aged Children study were used. Results showed that girls were three times more likely than boys to report that their body is too fat, and adolescents who were cyberbullied were almost twice as likely as adolescents who were not cyberbullied to consider themselves too fat. Stronger friendship dynamics were associated with decreased levels of body dissatisfaction, and friendship dynamics were found to partially mediate the relationship between cyberbullying and body dissatisfaction.
Adolescents belonging to minority or marginalized groups often experience discrimination, which may negatively affect their mental and physical health. Using the dataset of the 2018 Health Behaviour ...in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study, we analyzed perceived discrimination based on various grounds in four minority groups of schoolchildren in Ireland: sexual minority youth, youth living with a disability or chronic condition, immigrant youth, and youth belonging to the Traveller community. To minimize the potential confounding effect of psycho-social contextual factors, we used a case-control matching approach, comparing minority groups with their non-minority peers matched by gender, age group, and social class. Minority groups were significantly more likely than their matched non-minority counterparts to report discrimination, not only on the basis of their minority status but also on other grounds. These associations varied in their effect size. We discuss educational and policy implications of the findings for reducing discrimination and structural stigma in school settings.
Objectives:
(1) To compare the prevalence of bullying and victimization among boys and girls and by age in 40 countries. (2) In 6 countries, to compare rates of direct physical, direct verbal, and ...indirect bullying by gender, age, and country.
Methods:
Cross-sectional self-report surveys including items on bullying and being bullied were obtained from nationally representative samples of 11, 13 and 15 year old school children in 40 countries, N = 202,056. Six countries (N = 29,127 students) included questions about specific types of bullying (e. g., direct physical, direct verbal, indirect).
Results:
Exposure to bullying varied across countries, with estimates ranging from 8.6% to 45.2% among boys, and from 4.8% to 35.8% among girls. Adolescents in Baltic countries reported higher rates of bullying and victimization, whereas northern European countries reported the lowest prevalence. Boys reported higher rates of bullying in all countries. Rates of victimization were higher for girls in 29 of 40 countries. Rates of victimization decreased by age in 30 of 40 (boys) and 25 of 39 (girls) countries.
Conclusion:
There are lessons to be learned from the current research conducted in countries where the prevalence is low that could be adapted for use in countries with higher prevalence.
Background
Sport-related concussion is a significant public health issue, especially among children and adolescents. A growing body of evidence suggests that athletes who do not immediately report ...concussion and continue to play while concussed take longer to recover than their counterparts. Yet, many child and adolescent athletes do not immediately report concussion symptoms to a responsible adult.
Aim
This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in predicting concussion reporting intentions and in-season reporting behaviors among high school, Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) athletes in the Republic of Ireland.
Methods
High school GAA athletes aged 12-18 years completed surveys at baseline and at three-month follow-up. Concussion-related perceived behavioral control (PBC), attitudes, subjective norms, and reporting intentions were assessed at baseline. In-season concussion reporting behaviors were assessed at three-month follow-up. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between the constructs of the TPB and baseline reporting intentions. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between the constructs of the TPB and in-season reporting behaviors. All data were collected during the 2016–2017 academic year.
Results
A total of 153 adolescent athletes were included (n = 102 66.7% females; Mage = 14.4 years, SD = 1.6). Consistent with the TPB, results revealed that PBC and reporting intentions contributed to the prediction of in-season reporting behaviors. Reporting intentions, in turn, were strongly influenced by PBC, attitudes, and subjective norms. PBC was the strongest predictor of concussion reporting intentions and in-season reporting behaviors; the stronger the athletes’ PBC, the stronger their reporting intentions and the more likely they were to have reported concussion symptoms during the current season.
Conclusion
Although the findings from the current study must be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size, the findings suggest that the TPB has some utility in the prediction of concussion reporting intentions and reporting behaviors. However, our findings suggest that the TPB should not be used in isolation; other models that incorporate personal factors and environmental constraints may be needed to better our understanding of concussion reporting intentions and behaviors among high school athletes. Concussion education programs that include strategies to enhance PBC over concussion reporting may help improve concussion reporting behaviors among high school athletes.
This study aims to identify the concussion-related training and education needs of Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) coaches in Ireland, as well as the preferred method of concussion education ...delivery.
We used a self-report questionnaire to collect data from a convenience sample of 108 GAA coaches in Ireland. Data were captured on (1) informational needs and desires, (2) preferred methods of delivery, and (3) concussion practices and procedures. Questionnaires were completed electronically from June 3rd-September 29th, 2015.
Coaches indicated that they were most interested in receiving information about the (1) signs and symptoms of concussion, (2) assessment of concussion, and (3) return-to-play guidelines. Over two-thirds of participants indicated that in-person training would be the most effective mode of delivery of concussion education for this population. Additionally, only 10% coaches reported that before the start of the season they talked to their athletes about concussion management and safety, and this was more common among coaches who reported being formally educated about concussion.
Our findings reveal a disconnect between the concussion education needs and the education that is currently provided to GAA coaches, in terms of content and delivery modality. Our results suggest a need for a multifaceted approach to concussion education, tailored to the needs and learning preferences of the target population.
Abstract Purpose Although the potential consequences of immigration for adolescent problem behaviors have been addressed in many former studies, internationally comparative research is scarce. This ...study investigated the impact of immigration on four indicators of adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems in 10 countries, taking into account gender and immigrant generation as moderating factors. Methods Analyses were based on data from 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old adolescents participating in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United States, and Wales (total N = 53,218). Results Both first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents reported higher levels of physical fighting and bullying and a lower life satisfaction than native adolescents, whereas second-generation immigrant adolescents reported more psychosomatic symptoms than native adolescents. Effect sizes varied considerable for the different outcomes, and similar effects were found for first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents. Differences in these indicators of emotional and behavioral problems between immigrant and native adolescents did not vary significantly with the receiving country. With two exceptions, effects of immigrant status were similar for boys and girls. Although no differences in psychosomatic symptoms were found between first-generation immigrant and native girls, first-generation immigrant boys reported less psychosomatic symptoms than native boys. Furthermore, both second-generation immigrant boys and girls reported higher levels of physical fighting than their native peers, but differences were more pronounced for boys than for girls. Conclusions Overall, the results of this study support a risk perspective on the impact of immigration on adolescent problem behaviors.
Abstract Purpose To explore bullying victimization among French and Irish students with a disability or chronic illness (D/CI), considering individual, social, and family factors. We investigated ...this issue in France and Ireland because of the documented differences between these two countries on relevant contextual factors. Methods Data from 12,048 students aged 11, 13, and 15 years (50.1% were boys) as part of the cross-national study 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children were analyzed. Self-completion questionnaires were administered in classrooms; information on socio-demographic characteristics, bullying involvement, D/CI, school participation, social network, and family were collected. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed with individual, social, and family cofactors. Results Overall, the prevalence of bullying victimization was significantly higher in France compared with Ireland (34.2% 33.1–35.5 and 25.9% 24.5–27.4, respectively). Youngest were more likely to report victimization; however, no gender differences were observed. In both countries, students with D/CI were significantly more likely to report that they have been bullied compared with students without D/CI, and a significant additional risk of being bullied was found when students reported D/CI with restriction in school participation. Regardless of country and D/CI status, being bullied was significantly associated with weaker social support and difficulty of communication with fathers, with even stronger associations found among students with D/CI. Conclusion Adolescents with D/CI are more likely to be victimized than their peers, with a similar risk in both countries. Besides individual, social and family factors are consistently associated to bullying victimization across countries. These results will guide future antibullying prevention programs.
Relationships with supportive adults during adolescence may be a protective factor that lowers the risks associated with bullying. The current study aimed to examine the moderating role of supportive ...adults in the associations between bullying involvement (in-person and cyber) and mental health problems (psychological symptoms and low life satisfaction).
Data from 45 countries and regions taking part in the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study (
= 230,757) were used. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate relative risks of bullying on mental health. Effect estimates were compared across the number of supportive adults to examine a possible cumulative protective effect of relationships with supportive adults.
Bullying involvement was consistently associated with poor mental health across the 45 countries. Risk of mental health problems associated with bullying involvement was greatest among students reporting relationships with multiple supportive adults. This was true for all indicators of bullying involvement.
Bullying remains a prevalent and harmful experience for youth worldwide. Merely having supportive adults is not sufficient in protecting youth from experiencing the mental health risks associated with bullying.
When individuals stop working due to cancer this represents a loss to society - the loss of productivity. The aim of this analysis was to estimate productivity losses associated with premature ...mortality from all adult cancers and from the 20 highest mortality adult cancers in Ireland in 2011, and project these losses until 2030.
An incidence-based method was used to estimate the cost of cancer deaths between 2011 and 2030 using the Human Capital Approach. National data were used for cancer, population and economic inputs. Both paid work and unpaid household activities were included. Sensitivity analyses estimated the impact of assumptions around future cancer mortality rates, retirement ages, value of unpaid work, wage growth and discounting.
The 233,000 projected deaths from all invasive cancers in Ireland between 2011 and 2030 will result in lost productivity valued at €73 billion; €13 billion in paid work and €60 billion in household activities. These losses represent approximately 1.4 % of Ireland's GDP annually. The most costly cancers are lung (€14.4 billion), colorectal and breast cancer (€8.3 billion each). However, when viewed as productivity losses per cancer death, testis (€364,000 per death), cervix (€155,000 per death) and brain cancer (€136,000 per death) are most costly because they affect working age individuals. An annual 1 % reduction in mortality reduces productivity losses due to all invasive cancers by €8.5 billion over 20 years.
Society incurs substantial losses in productivity as a result of cancer-related mortality, particularly when household production is included. These estimates provide valuable evidence to inform resource allocation decisions in cancer prevention and control.
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