Abstract
This study aimed to analyze how bullying involvement is associated with the distribution of parental background and with subjective
health complaints (SHC) among Swedish boys and girls. Data were collected from the World Health Organization, Health Behavior
in School-aged Children (WHO/HBSC) survey, measurement years 1997/1998, 2001/2002 and 2005/2006. A total of 11,972 boys (50.6 %)
and girls (49.4 %) in grades five, seven and nine participated in the study. The adolescents were categorized in subgroups
according to parental background: Swedish (80.1 %), mixed (10.5 %) and foreign (9.7 %). Multivariate logistic regressions
were used to estimate remaining risk of SHC in the categories of bullying involvement. The frequencies of bullying involvement
once or more were: none involved (74.8 %), victims (10.6 %), bullies (10.3 %) and bully/victims (4.4 %). Six out of ten involved
in bullying were boys. Boys of foreign background were more involved as bullies compared to boys of mixed or Swedish background.
Girls of foreign background were more involved in all three categories of bullying than girls of mixed or Swedish background.
Increased risk of SHC was estimated among all adolescents involved in bullying, with highest OR in the category of bully/victims,
OR 3.95 (CI 3.13–4.97) for the boys and OR 4.51 (CI 4.51–6.40) for the girls. The multivariate models were stable even after
adjustment for socio-demographics. There are some associations between bullying involvement and parental background. Regardless of parental background, family
affluence, family structure and gender, all adolescents involved in bullying are at increased risk of SHC.
health complaints (SHC) among Swedish boys and girls. Data were collected from the World Health Organization, Health Behavior
in School-aged Children (WHO/HBSC) survey, measurement years 1997/1998, 2001/2002 and 2005/2006. A total of 11,972 boys (50.6 %)
and girls (49.4 %) in grades five, seven and nine participated in the study. The adolescents were categorized in subgroups
according to parental background: Swedish (80.1 %), mixed (10.5 %) and foreign (9.7 %). Multivariate logistic regressions
were used to estimate remaining risk of SHC in the categories of bullying involvement. The frequencies of bullying involvement
once or more were: none involved (74.8 %), victims (10.6 %), bullies (10.3 %) and bully/victims (4.4 %). Six out of ten involved
in bullying were boys. Boys of foreign background were more involved as bullies compared to boys of mixed or Swedish background.
Girls of foreign background were more involved in all three categories of bullying than girls of mixed or Swedish background.
Increased risk of SHC was estimated among all adolescents involved in bullying, with highest OR in the category of bully/victims,
OR 3.95 (CI 3.13–4.97) for the boys and OR 4.51 (CI 4.51–6.40) for the girls. The multivariate models were stable even after
adjustment for socio-demographics. There are some associations between bullying involvement and parental background. Regardless of parental background, family
affluence, family structure and gender, all adolescents involved in bullying are at increased risk of SHC.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-9
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-012-0033-9
- Authors
- Heidi Carlerby, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
- Eija Viitasara, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
- Anders Knutsson, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
- Katja Gillander Gådin, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300