The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and sch... more The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance among Finnish adolescents. A time-series from 1984 to 2011 was analysed from two large-scale survey studies, the Finnish School Health Promotion Study and the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. A total of 1,136,583 adolescents aged 11-18 years answered a standardized questionnaire assessing frequency of insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance. A clear approximately twofold increasing trend in insomnia symptoms and tiredness was found from the mid-1990s to the end of the 2000s. The increase was evident in all participating age groups and in both genders. After 2008, the increase seems to have stopped. Insomnia symptoms and tiredness were associated with lower school performance and they were more prevalent among girls (11.9 and 18.4%) compared to boys (6.9 and 9.0%, respectively). Unexpectedly, we also observed an increasingly widening gap in school...
The aim of this study was to examine whether vandalism, bullying, and truancy among pupils at sch... more The aim of this study was to examine whether vandalism, bullying, and truancy among pupils at school are associated with absence due to illness among teachers. Data on such problem behaviour of 17,033 pupils in 90 schools were linked to absence records of 2364 teachers. Pupil reported vandalism and bullying at the school-level were associated with teachers' short-term (1- to 3-day) absences. Cumulative exposure to various forms of pupils' problem behaviour was associated with even higher rates of short-term absences among teachers. No association was found between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' long-term (>3-day) absences. In conclusion, there seems to be a link between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' short-term absence due to illness. Further work should determine whether problem behaviour is a cause or a consequence of absences or whether the association is noncausal.
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and psychosocial problems are common in schools worldwide, yet long... more Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and psychosocial problems are common in schools worldwide, yet longitudinal research on the issue is scarce. We examined whether the level of or a change in pupil-reported school environment (IAQ, school satisfaction, and bullying) predicts recorded sick leaves among teachers. Changes in the school environment were assessed using pupil surveys at two time points (2001/02 and 2004/05) in 92 secondary schools in Finland. Variables indicating change were based on median values at baseline. We linked these data to individual-level records of teachers' (n = 1678) sick leaves in 2001-02 and in 2004-05. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for baseline sick leave and covariates showed a decreased risk for short-term (one to three days) sick leaves among teachers working in schools with good perceived IAQ at both times (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9), and for those with a positive change in IAQ (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9), compared to teachers in schools where IAQ was constantly poor. Negative changes in pupil school satisfaction (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.8) and bullying (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.3) increased the risk for short-term leaves among teachers when compared to teachers in schools where the level of satisfaction and bullying had remained stable. School environment factors were not associated with long-term sick leaves. Good and improved IAQ are associated with decreased teacher absenteeism. While pupil-related psychosocial factors also contribute to sick leaves, no effect modification or mediation of psychosocial factors on the association between IAQ and sick leave was observed.
Our study explored if bedtimes influenced school performance and motivation, as well as the odds ... more Our study explored if bedtimes influenced school performance and motivation, as well as the odds ratio (OR) for health-related concerns in adolescents. The School Health Promotion Study was based on an anonymous self-report questionnaire conducted in 90% of the municipalities in Finland. The study was conducted during 2008 and 2010 in Southern Finland, Eastern Finland, and Lapland, and during 2009 and 2011 in Western Finland, Northern Finland, and Åland. Several indicators were used to measure school performance and motivation. Accidents and health-related complaints, such as depressive symptoms, sleep quality, neck or shoulder pains, lower back pains, stomachaches, anxiety or nervousness, irritation or tantrums, headaches, and tiredness or dizziness were analyzed in relation to the usual bedtime. Our study had a relatively large sample size (N=384,076), consisting of students in the eighth and the ninth grades of secondary schools and the first and the second grades of upper secondary and vocational schools (ages 14-20 years) in Finland. All of the various indicators used to assess school performance and motivation suggest that the later the bedtime of adolescents, the lower their school performance and their motivation. Similarly later bedtimes increase the OR for depressive symptoms and other negative health consequences in adolescents as well as a tendency towards accidents. All of these problems were emphasized in students with bedtimes of 11:30 PM and later. Late bedtimes, especially those after 11:30 PM, indicate poor sleep which deteriorates school performance and motivation and increases the OR for depressive symptoms and other health-related issues in adolescents.
The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and sch... more The aim of this study was to investigate long-term trends in insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance among Finnish adolescents. A time-series from 1984 to 2011 was analysed from two large-scale survey studies, the Finnish School Health Promotion Study and the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. A total of 1,136,583 adolescents aged 11-18 years answered a standardized questionnaire assessing frequency of insomnia symptoms, tiredness and school performance. A clear approximately twofold increasing trend in insomnia symptoms and tiredness was found from the mid-1990s to the end of the 2000s. The increase was evident in all participating age groups and in both genders. After 2008, the increase seems to have stopped. Insomnia symptoms and tiredness were associated with lower school performance and they were more prevalent among girls (11.9 and 18.4%) compared to boys (6.9 and 9.0%, respectively). Unexpectedly, we also observed an increasingly widening gap in school...
The aim of this study was to examine whether vandalism, bullying, and truancy among pupils at sch... more The aim of this study was to examine whether vandalism, bullying, and truancy among pupils at school are associated with absence due to illness among teachers. Data on such problem behaviour of 17,033 pupils in 90 schools were linked to absence records of 2364 teachers. Pupil reported vandalism and bullying at the school-level were associated with teachers' short-term (1- to 3-day) absences. Cumulative exposure to various forms of pupils' problem behaviour was associated with even higher rates of short-term absences among teachers. No association was found between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' long-term (>3-day) absences. In conclusion, there seems to be a link between pupils' problem behaviour and teachers' short-term absence due to illness. Further work should determine whether problem behaviour is a cause or a consequence of absences or whether the association is noncausal.
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and psychosocial problems are common in schools worldwide, yet long... more Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and psychosocial problems are common in schools worldwide, yet longitudinal research on the issue is scarce. We examined whether the level of or a change in pupil-reported school environment (IAQ, school satisfaction, and bullying) predicts recorded sick leaves among teachers. Changes in the school environment were assessed using pupil surveys at two time points (2001/02 and 2004/05) in 92 secondary schools in Finland. Variables indicating change were based on median values at baseline. We linked these data to individual-level records of teachers' (n = 1678) sick leaves in 2001-02 and in 2004-05. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for baseline sick leave and covariates showed a decreased risk for short-term (one to three days) sick leaves among teachers working in schools with good perceived IAQ at both times (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9), and for those with a positive change in IAQ (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9), compared to teachers in schools where IAQ was constantly poor. Negative changes in pupil school satisfaction (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.8) and bullying (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.3) increased the risk for short-term leaves among teachers when compared to teachers in schools where the level of satisfaction and bullying had remained stable. School environment factors were not associated with long-term sick leaves. Good and improved IAQ are associated with decreased teacher absenteeism. While pupil-related psychosocial factors also contribute to sick leaves, no effect modification or mediation of psychosocial factors on the association between IAQ and sick leave was observed.
Our study explored if bedtimes influenced school performance and motivation, as well as the odds ... more Our study explored if bedtimes influenced school performance and motivation, as well as the odds ratio (OR) for health-related concerns in adolescents. The School Health Promotion Study was based on an anonymous self-report questionnaire conducted in 90% of the municipalities in Finland. The study was conducted during 2008 and 2010 in Southern Finland, Eastern Finland, and Lapland, and during 2009 and 2011 in Western Finland, Northern Finland, and Åland. Several indicators were used to measure school performance and motivation. Accidents and health-related complaints, such as depressive symptoms, sleep quality, neck or shoulder pains, lower back pains, stomachaches, anxiety or nervousness, irritation or tantrums, headaches, and tiredness or dizziness were analyzed in relation to the usual bedtime. Our study had a relatively large sample size (N=384,076), consisting of students in the eighth and the ninth grades of secondary schools and the first and the second grades of upper secondary and vocational schools (ages 14-20 years) in Finland. All of the various indicators used to assess school performance and motivation suggest that the later the bedtime of adolescents, the lower their school performance and their motivation. Similarly later bedtimes increase the OR for depressive symptoms and other negative health consequences in adolescents as well as a tendency towards accidents. All of these problems were emphasized in students with bedtimes of 11:30 PM and later. Late bedtimes, especially those after 11:30 PM, indicate poor sleep which deteriorates school performance and motivation and increases the OR for depressive symptoms and other health-related issues in adolescents.
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