Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Subjective health complaints and exposure to peer victimization among disabled and non-disabled adolescents : A population-based study in Sweden

Fridh, Maria LU ; Köhler, Marie LU ; Modén, Birgit LU ; Lindström, Martin LU and Rosvall, Maria LU (2018) In Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 46(2).
Abstract

AIMS: To investigate subjective health complaints (SHCs) (psychological and somatic, respectively) among disabled and non-disabled adolescents, focusing on the impact of traditional bullying and cyber harassment, and furthermore to report psychological and somatic SHCs across different types of disability.

METHODS: Data from the public health survey of children and adolescents in Scania, Sweden, 2012 was used. A questionnaire was answered anonymously in school by 9791 students in the 9th grade (response rate 83%), and 7533 of these with valid answers on key questions were included in this study. Associations with daily SHCs were investigated by multi-adjusted logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS: Any disability was reported... (More)

AIMS: To investigate subjective health complaints (SHCs) (psychological and somatic, respectively) among disabled and non-disabled adolescents, focusing on the impact of traditional bullying and cyber harassment, and furthermore to report psychological and somatic SHCs across different types of disability.

METHODS: Data from the public health survey of children and adolescents in Scania, Sweden, 2012 was used. A questionnaire was answered anonymously in school by 9791 students in the 9th grade (response rate 83%), and 7533 of these with valid answers on key questions were included in this study. Associations with daily SHCs were investigated by multi-adjusted logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS: Any disability was reported by 24.1% of boys and 22.0% of girls. Disabled students were more exposed to cyber harassment (boys: 20.0%; girls: 28.2%) than non-disabled peers (boys: 11.8%; girls: 18.1%). Exposure to traditional bullying showed the same pattern but with a lower prevalence. Disabled students had around doubled odds of both daily psychological SHCs and daily somatic SHCs in the fully adjusted models. In general, the odds increased with exposure to cyber harassment or traditional bullying and the highest odds were seen among disabled students exposed to both cyber harassment and traditional bullying. Students with ADHD/ADD had the highest odds of daily psychological SHCs as well as exposure to traditional bullying across six disability types.

CONCLUSIONS: Disabled adolescents report poorer health and are more exposed to both traditional bullying and cyber harassment. This public health issue needs more attention in schools and in society in general.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
volume
46
issue
2
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:28693369
  • scopus:85042073255
ISSN
1651-1905
DOI
10.1177/1403494817705558
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e9ae88b3-3d45-44a3-8378-4ffac1b40be9
date added to LUP
2018-02-15 12:25:49
date last changed
2024-06-11 10:40:16
@article{e9ae88b3-3d45-44a3-8378-4ffac1b40be9,
  abstract     = {{<p>AIMS: To investigate subjective health complaints (SHCs) (psychological and somatic, respectively) among disabled and non-disabled adolescents, focusing on the impact of traditional bullying and cyber harassment, and furthermore to report psychological and somatic SHCs across different types of disability.</p><p>METHODS: Data from the public health survey of children and adolescents in Scania, Sweden, 2012 was used. A questionnaire was answered anonymously in school by 9791 students in the 9th grade (response rate 83%), and 7533 of these with valid answers on key questions were included in this study. Associations with daily SHCs were investigated by multi-adjusted logistic regression analyses.</p><p>RESULTS: Any disability was reported by 24.1% of boys and 22.0% of girls. Disabled students were more exposed to cyber harassment (boys: 20.0%; girls: 28.2%) than non-disabled peers (boys: 11.8%; girls: 18.1%). Exposure to traditional bullying showed the same pattern but with a lower prevalence. Disabled students had around doubled odds of both daily psychological SHCs and daily somatic SHCs in the fully adjusted models. In general, the odds increased with exposure to cyber harassment or traditional bullying and the highest odds were seen among disabled students exposed to both cyber harassment and traditional bullying. Students with ADHD/ADD had the highest odds of daily psychological SHCs as well as exposure to traditional bullying across six disability types.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Disabled adolescents report poorer health and are more exposed to both traditional bullying and cyber harassment. This public health issue needs more attention in schools and in society in general.</p>}},
  author       = {{Fridh, Maria and Köhler, Marie and Modén, Birgit and Lindström, Martin and Rosvall, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1651-1905}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Public Health}},
  title        = {{Subjective health complaints and exposure to peer victimization among disabled and non-disabled adolescents : A population-based study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494817705558}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1403494817705558}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}