[Bullying as health hazard among school children]. / Mobning som sundhedstrussel blandt store skoleelever.

The objective was to analyse bullying in relation to sociodemographic factors, health, well-being, and health behaviours. The study is the 1998 Danish contribution to the international WHO-coordinated study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children. It includes 5,205 11-15 year-old students from a random sample of 55 schools who answered a standardized questionnaire. Twenty-five percent were bullied several times during the academic year, most frequently among the youngest students, and independent of sex; 32% bullied others, boys more frequently than girls; the frequency increased with age. Bullying was associated with low social class. Bullying varied considerably among schools. The victims had more problems as regards health, well-being and self-esteem; they smoked and drank less than others. Those who bullied others also had more problems but to a much smaller extent than the victims. They had higher levels of risk behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and seat-belt avoidance, and were less satisfied with school. In conclusion, victims of bullying have a very high proportion of health problems, poor well-being and low self-esteem. To bully others is significantly associated with health risk behaviours.

[Injuries among 11-15 year old children]. / Tilskadekomst blandt 11-15-årige.

The objective is to describe the one year incidence rate of self-reported injuries, their causes, where they happened, and their consequences within the age group 11-15 years. Four thousand and forty-six students from a random sample of 45 schools answered a standardized questionnaire about health and health behaviour. This report regards injuries treated by a doctor or a nurse. During one year, 28% were injured, 12% more than once; 12% needed medical treatment such as a plaster cast, stitches, surgery or staying in a hospital; 16% missed at least one full day in school. The injury incidence rate increases with age among boys but not among girls. The proportion with more than one injury increases by age among girls but not boys. The proportion who receive hospital treatment is higher among boys than girls. The proportion who stay home from school because of the injury increases with age among both girls and boys. Five percent are injured at home, 5% at school, 9% are injured at a sport facility, and 4% in the street/road. Ten percent report a sports injury, 4% an injury by falling, and 3% by riding a bicycle. Most common injuries are sprain/strain/pull of a muscle (9%), broken or dislocated bone (6%), and cuts (3%). In conclusion, the incidence of self-reported injuries is much higher than the hospital-reported. More research about injury-mechanisms and more preventive efforts are needed.

["Sense of coherence", social class and health in a Danish population study]. / "Sense of coherence", socialgruppe og helbred i en dansk befolkningsundersøgelse.

The objectives are a) to present Antonovsky's concept Sense of Coherence (SOC) and his 13-item SOC-scale, b) to describe the distribution of SOC in a random sample of five age groups in the Danish population, and c) to study the association of SOC to sex, age, social class, and health. The Danish Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study (DLHBS) collected self-administered questionnaire data from a random sample of the population born in 1975, 1965, 1940, 1930, and 1920. The baseline study took place in 1990, response rate 71%, n = 2,858. The article reports data from the first follow-up in 1994, response rate 86% of the survivors, n = 2,352. SOC shows no gender differences; it is significantly lower in the youngest age group and increases with age. SOC is highest in the highest social classes. Poor SOC is associated with poor self-rated health and high prevalence of symptoms. Poor SOC is associated with high prevalence of long-term illness among respondents older than 50 years of age.

[Smoking among 11-15 year-old adolescents, 1984-1994]. / Rygevaner blandt 11-15-årige, 1984-1994.

The objectives are to describe smoking habits among 11-15-year olds in Denmark in the period 1984-1994 and to describe the association between smoking and social background factors. The article reports data about children at the age of 11, 13 and 15 years from four cross-sectional studies in 1984-1985, 1988, 1991 and 1994 (n = 678, 1667, 1860 and 4046) based on stratified random samples of schools. Data were collected by standardized questionnaires. Median age for first smoking experience changed from approx 12 years in 1984-1985 to approx. 14 years in 1994. The proportion of smokers among 15 year-olds is almost unchanged from 1984 to 1994. In 1994, the proportion of smokers is respectively 2% and 4% among 11 year-old girls and boys, 16% and 11% among 13 year-old girls and boys, and 33% and 25% among 15 year-old girls and boys. The proportion of girls and boys in the three age groups respectively who smoke every day is 0%, 1%, 3%, 4%, 17%, and 11%. In conclusion, smoking habits among children changed considerably from the 1950's to 1980's. The smoking habits have not changed much since the 1980's apart from a slight delay in first smoking-experience.