Vaccination Coverage during Childhood and Adolescence among Undergraduate Health Science Students in Greece.

High rates of vaccination coverage in childhood represent one of the most important cost-effective tools of primary prevention and have substantially reduced the incidence of and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases globally. Vaccination coverage of young people has not been well estimated in Greece. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires and the participants' Child Health Booklet were used to estimate complete vaccination coverage of mandatory vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases of undergraduate students at the University of West Attica during the academic year 2020−2021. Student's t-tests were used to estimate mean values. Overall, 79% (95% CI: 78−81%) of study participants were fully vaccinated. This coverage was lower in males especially for vaccines that should be done during childhood (p = 0.045). High vaccination percentage (>90%) was observed for the meningococcus group A, C, W135, Y, measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis B and meningitis C vaccine. Nevertheless, suboptimal coverage was assessed for the booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, for the human papillomavirus vaccine among girls, for the tuberculosis, for the meningococcus group B, for the pneumococcal, and for the seasonal influenza vaccines. In conclusion, the promotion of routine vaccination programs for young adults needs to be strengthened. An identification system for under-vaccinated students, an efficient reminder system and university campus vaccine program practices should be established, particularly among males.

Adolescents' Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries.

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of online exposure to pornography in European adolescents and its relationship to sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates. A cross-sectional school-based survey of 10,930 adolescents (5211 males/5719 females), aged 14-17 years old (mean age 15.8 ± 0.7) was carried out in six European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iceland). Anonymous self-completed questionnaires covered exposure to pornography, internet use and dysfunctional internet behavior, and psychopathological syndromes (measured by Achenbach's Youth Self-Report). The prevalence of any online exposure to pornography was 59% overall and 24% for exposure at least once a week. The likelihood of online exposure to pornography was greater in male adolescents, heavier internet users, and those who displayed dysfunctional internet behavior. Country-specific analyses confirmed that the gender effect existed in every country, although its strength varied, from an odds ratio of 1.88 in Poland to 14.9 in Greece. Online exposure to pornography was shown to be associated with externalizing problem scale scores, especially rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, but also associated with higher scores in competences, namely activities and social competence. Exposure to pornography is ubiquitous, more relevant to boys, and is associated with both positive qualities/competences and externalizing behavioral problems.

Psychosocial Factors and Obesity in Adolescence: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: The continuously increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. Greece is among the countries with the highest childhood obesity prevalence rates. The present study aims to identify psychosocial factors associated with excess body weight of adolescents. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in Athens, Greece, and included 414 adolescents aged 11-18 years. Anthropometric measurements were recorded, and an anonymous self-completed questionnaire captured the psychosocial background, family environment, peer relations, and school environment. RESULTS: Of the total sample of adolescents, 54.6% had normal body weight and 45.4% were overweight or obese. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors related to the presence of overweight/obesity were adolescents' age (OR = 0.416, p < 0.001), area of residence, presence of anxiety (OR = 4.661, p = 0.001), presence of melancholia (OR = 2.723, p = 0.016), participation in sports (OR = 0.088, p <0.001), smoking (OR = 0.185, p = 0.005), and mother's occupation (OR = 0.065, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Psychological problems, maternal occupation, the absence of physical activity, and poor school performance were associated with adolescent overweight/obesity. It is important that screening for the presence of psychosocial issues is included in childhood obesity policies and treatment.

Gambling involvement and problem gambling correlates among European adolescents: results from the European Network for Addictive Behavior study.

PURPOSE: Worldwide, concern has grown over the expansion of gambling among adolescents, who have an increased likelihood of developing risk-taking behaviors. This study aimed to increase knowledge of problem gambling among adolescents in seven European countries and to assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Addictive Behavior survey (https://www.eunetadb.eu). METHODS: A cross-sectional school-based study (n = 13,284) was conducted in Germany, Greece, Iceland, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included socio-demographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control, the Internet Addiction Test, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents Test and Achenbach's Youth Self-Report. RESULTS: 12.5% of the participants reported last year gambling activities either online or offline. 3.6% of the study participants and 28.1% of gamblers (either online or offline) were at risk or had a gambling problem. The study results showed that a higher proportion of adolescents was either at risk or had a gambling problem among males, in the older age group, when the parental educational level was lower/middle, and in the absence of siblings. Furthermore, being at risk or having a gambling problem was associated with lower age at first use of the internet, lower school grades, using the internet 6-7 days per week, and problematic internet use. At risk or problem gamblers had higher scores on all scales of problem behavior and lower scores (lower competence) on activities and academic performance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underline the need for better gambling legislation and suggest the importance of developing social responsibility tools that may help diminish adolescent gambling involvement, with special attention to males.

Cross-national aspects of cyberbullying victimization among 14-17-year-old adolescents across seven European countries.

BACKGROUND: The increasing use of the Internet and social network sites (SNS) has created a new domain of socio-emotional development for adolescents. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore cybervictimization across seven European countries, in relation to socio-demographic, Internet use and psychosocial variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in the participating countries: Germany, Greece, Iceland the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included sociodemographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control, the Internet Addiction Test and Achenbach's Youth Self-Report. RESULTS: The highest rate of cyber victimization was found in Romania (37.3%) and the lowest in Spain (13.3%). Multiple logistic regression analyses gave differing results between countries. In Romania, Poland and Germany cyberbullying victimization was associated with SNS use, whereas Internet use was associated with increased odds of cybervictimization only in Romania. Cybervictimization was associated with greater internalizing behavior problems in all countries analysed, and with externalizing problems in all except Romania. CONCLUSIONS: Cyberbullying victimization is an on-going problem, which is subject to country-specific socio-demographic factors and diverse patterns of current Internet use and its development. Preventive measures should emphasize the integration of Internet communication technology education in educational contexts, and focus on the consistent association between cybervictimization and internalizing and externalizing difficulties.

Association between problematic internet use, socio-demographic variables and obesity among European adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Overweight of children and adolescents continues to be an important and alarming global public health problem. As the adolescent's time spent online has increased, problematic internet use (PIU) potentially leads to negative health consequences. This study aimed to examine the relation between PIU and overweight/obesity among adolescents in seven European countries and assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Adolescent Addictive Behaviour (EU NET ADB) survey (www.eunetadb.eu). METHODS: A cross-sectional school-based survey of 14- to 17-year-old adolescents was conducted in seven European countries: Germany, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires included sociodemographic data, internet usage characteristics, school achievement, parental control and the Internet Addiction Test. Associations between overweight/obesity and potential risk factors were investigated by logistic regression analysis, allowing for the complex sample design. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 10 287 adolescents aged 14-17 years. 12.4% were overweight/obese, and 14.1% presented with dysfunctional internet behavior. Greece had the highest percentage of overweight/obese adolescents (19.8%) and the Netherlands the lowest (6.8%). Male sex [odds ratio (OR) = 2.89, 95%CI: 2.46-3.38], heavier use of social networking sites (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.09-1.46) and residence in Greece (OR = 2.32, 95%CI: 1.79-2.99) or Germany (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.12-1.96) were independently associated with higher risk of overweight/obesity. A greater number of siblings (OR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.64-0.97), higher school grades (OR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.63-0.88), higher parental education (OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.82-0.97) and residence in the Netherlands (OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31-0.77) independently predicted lower risk of overweight/obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate an association of overweight/obesity with PIU and suggest the importance of formulating preventive public health policies that target physical health, education and sedentary online lifestyle early in adolescence with special attention to boys.