Effects of self-esteem and stress on self-assessed health: a Swiss study from adolescence to early adulthood

Health literacy as the most important covariate of self-rated health in adolescents

Identifying risk factors of poor self-rated health during adolescence is critical for the subsequent health status. The aim of this study was to investigate the most important determinants of self-rated health (SRH) in Iranian adolescents. This was a population-based cross-sectional study recruiting 605 adolescents in Isfahan, Iran. Simple random sampling method was employed. Multivariable linear regression model was utilized for determining the adjusted beta coefficient for health literacy (HL) and the study main confounders. The SRH of 93.2% of participants was satisfied or very satisfied. The majority of participants had moderate or high levels of HL (94.7%). Based on the standardized linear regression coefficients, HL was the most important correlates of SRH followed by happiness and loneliness, respectively. The mean of SRH in those with high HL, on average, was 0.48 units better than those with low HL (95% CI 0.23, 0.72), P < 0.001). We also found that happiness and satisfaction in child-parent relationship were positively correlated with SRH. Inversely, the history of passive smoking, loneliness and higher values of BMI significantly decreased the SRH in adolescents. We demonstrated health literacy, happiness and loneliness as the most important correlates of SRH. Considering the central role of adolescence on later health, the findings of current study imply that adolescence health promotion strategies, beside the formerly well-demonstrated factors, will best be targeted on health literacy to impact the general health positively.

Cascade effects of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on three health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood

Using data from a 15-year longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of a parenting-focused preventive intervention for divorced families (N = 240) with children aged 9-12, the current study examined alternative cascading pathways through which the intervention led to improvements in offspring's perceived health problems, BMI, and cigarette smoking in emerging adulthood. It was hypothesized that the program would lead to improvements in these health-related outcomes during emerging adulthood through progressive associations between program-induced changes in parenting and offspring outcomes, including mental health problems, substance use, and competencies. Intervention-induced improvements in positive parenting at posttest led to improvements in mental health problems in late childhood/early adolescence, which led to lower levels of mental health and substance use problems as well as higher levels of competencies in adolescence, which led to improvements in the health-related outcomes. Academic performance predicted all three health-related outcomes and other aspects of adolescent functioning showed different relations across outcomes. Results highlight the potential for intervention effects of preventive parenting interventions in childhood to cascade over time to affect health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood.

Stress, mental symptoms and well-being in students: a gender analysis

Introduction

Stress is a major problem among students, threatening their health and well-being. The aim of the research is to analyze the sources of stress in students and to investigate whether there are gender differences and differences between university and non-university students in stress, coping styles, mental symptoms and well-being. A second aim is to know the relevance of age, education, stress, coping styles, self-esteem and social support on mental symptoms, psychological well-being and life satisfaction of boys and girls.

Methods

The study was cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 1,426 students between the ages of 16 and 26.

Results and discussion

The results of the ANOVAs showed that although there were some gender differences, being a university student or not explained more variance than gender. University students had more chronic stress than non-university students. However, they were more satisfied with their studies, had healthier coping styles, fewer mental symptoms, and greater well-being. For both genders, the main predictor of more mental symptoms was a higher emotional coping style. This was followed by lower self-esteem, a higher number of stressful life events, and higher chronic stress. Higher study dissatisfaction was associated with lower psychological well-being and lower life satisfaction. Higher chronic stress was associated with lower life satisfaction. It is concluded that stress and coping styles are relevant to students' mental health. The results of this study are relevant to the design of policies, strategies, and programs to improve students' mental health and well-being.

The influence of health awareness on university students' healthy lifestyles: The chain mediating role of self-esteem and social support

As university students face increasing pressures in a highly competitive society, unhealthy lifestyles have become a common phenomenon. Health awareness is considered a critical factor in promoting healthy behaviors, yet its mechanism of action on university students' healthy lifestyles, influenced by self-esteem and social support, remains unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between health awareness (HA) and healthy lifestyles (HL) and to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem (SE) and social support (SS) in this relationship. Based on social cognitive theory, this study initially constructs a theoretical model of the impact of health awareness on healthy lifestyles among university students, introducing self-esteem and social support as mediating variables to further build a chain mediation model. A total of 1,169 participants (554 males and 615 females) completed an online survey. Participants completed the Health Awareness Scale (HAS), the Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Scale (DEVS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3). The results show that high levels of health awareness positively influence self-esteem, which in turn positively influences social support, ultimately having a positive impact on healthy lifestyles. Specifically, self-esteem and social support play significant mediating roles in the relationship between health awareness and healthy lifestyles. The findings reveal the pathway by which health awareness influences healthy lifestyles through self-esteem and social support, enriching the theoretical explanation of health behaviors within the framework of social cognitive theory, particularly in the context of university students. Furthermore, the results provide practical guidance, suggesting that in designing interventions to promote healthy lifestyles, emphasis should be placed on enhancing university students' health awareness, self-esteem, and social support systems. This could include mental health education, establishing supportive communities, and fostering activities that promote self-esteem.

Associations between problem technology use, life stress, and self-esteem among high school students

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a critical period for development, with many risk factors resulting in long-term health consequences, particularly regarding mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between problem technology use, life stress, and self-esteem in a representative sample of adolescents residing in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

Self-reported data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 4,748 students (57.9% females) in grades 9 to 12 (mean age: 15.9 ± 1.3 years) who participated in the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. Problem technology use was measured using the 6-item Short Problem Internet Use Test, life stress was assessed using an item from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey and self-esteem was assessed using a global measure from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Ordinal logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, ethnoracial background, subjective socioeconomic status, body mass index z-score, tobacco cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use.

RESULTS

We found that 18.3% of participants reported symptoms of moderate-to-high problem technology use, although symptoms were more common in females than males (22% vs. 14.7%, respectively). Moderate-to-high problem technology use was associated with 2.04 (95% CI: 1.77-2.35) times higher odds of reporting high life stress and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.76-2.45) times higher odds of reporting low self-esteem compared to all other response options.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study show that problem technology use is strongly associated with higher life stress and lower self-esteem in adolescents. This study supports the importance of developing and implementing effective strategies that help to mitigate the adverse effects of problem technology use on adolescent mental health.

Healthy Lifestyle in Adolescence: Associations with Stress, Self-Esteem and the Roles of School Violence

A healthy lifestyle is considered by young people as the adoption of positive behaviors, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, or the decreased consumption of harmful substances. Living a healthy lifestyle during adolescence promotes a better quality of life and psychological well-being in adulthood. The objective of this research is to identify how a healthy lifestyle is related to stress, self-esteem, and school violence roles. The sample is composed of a total of 743 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. The instruments used were the Healthy Lifestyles Questionnaire (CEVS-II), the Student Stress Inventory (SSI-SM), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and an ad hoc questionnaire to evaluate school violence roles. The results obtained indicate that there are negative correlations between healthy lifestyle and stress, but positive correlations between healthy lifestyle and self-esteem. Adolescents who participate in situations of school violence have a higher mean of substance use and stress. However, those who do not experience such situations have higher mean self-esteem and lead a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the fact of suffering stress increases the probability of being a victim or an aggressor. Living a healthy lifestyle can have significant implications for health promotion and positive adolescent development.

Negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural left-behind adolescents: do self-esteem and resilience mediate the relationship?

BACKGROUND

Left-behind adolescents (LBAs) are adolescents aged 11-18 years who are separated from their parents and left behind in local cities by one or both parents for a period of more than 6 months. LBAs in rural areas are likely to engage in aggressive behavior, which can affect interpersonal relationships, reduce academic performance, and even lead to anxiety and depression. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the mediating effect of resilience and self-esteem on the relationship between negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural LBAs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural LBAs and how self-esteem and resilience mediate the association.

METHODS

Using a stratified random sampling method, 1344 LBAs in Hunan Province of China were investigated. Information was collected by a self-designed sociodemographic questionnaire, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Resilience Scale Chinese Adolescent, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Aggression Scales to assess the psychology of LBAs. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects using bootstrap analysis.

RESULTS

Negative life events were significantly related to self-esteem (r = - 0.338), resilience (r = - 0.359), and aggression (r = 0.441). Aggression was directly affected by self-esteem (β = - 0.44) and resilience (β = - 0.34). Negative life events were not only directly related to aggression (β = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.275 ~ 0.398) but also showed an indirect effect on aggression through self-esteem and resilience. The direct effect, total effect and indirect effect of negative life events on aggression through self-esteem and resilience were 0.3364, 0.4344 and 0.0980, respectively. The mediating effect of self-esteem and resilience accounted for 22.56% of the relationship between negative life events and aggression.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that self-esteem and resilience mediated most negative life events on aggression. It is imperative for educators and families to improve LBAs' self-esteem and resilience to reduce the occurrence of aggression. Future intervention studies should be designed to strengthen self-esteem and resilience.

School Disengagement Predicts Accelerated Aging among Black American Youth: Mediation by Psychological Maladjustment and Moderation by Supportive Parenting

Early experiences of school disengagement may serve as a warning sign for later young adult adjustment difficulties and eventually contribute to accelerated aging among Black American youth. At the same time, supportive parenting may play a protective role. Using longitudinal data from the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS), we examined psychological maladjustment (comprising depression, lack of self-regulation, and low self-esteem) as a mediator of the relationship between school disengagement and accelerated aging. We also examined the effect of supportive parenting in buffering the impact of school disengagement on adulthood outcomes by controlling for covariates. Hypotheses were examined in a sample of 386 (Mean age = 28.68; Females = 62.7%; Males = 37.3%) Black American youth who were followed into young adulthood. Path modeling was used to test hypothesized relationships. We found school disengagement, i.e., problems with school attendance, performance, and engagement, reported across ages 10-18, predicted psychological maladjustment, which, in turn, predicted accelerated aging at age 29. We also found a buffering effect for supportive parenting. No significant gender difference in the indirect effect or buffering effect was found. This study highlights the potential importance of greater attention to school disengagement to identify and potentially influence long-term health trajectories and adult outcomes for Black American youth.

It gets better with age: Resilience, stigma, and mental health among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons from Poland

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations are disproportionately affected by chronic stress associated with stigma which contributes to health adversities including depression. Negative impact of stigma on health can be alleviated by factors such as resilience. Little is known however on how exposure to stigma, protective factors and mental health change with age among gender and sexually diverse persons. Our study aimed at investigating this issue. Our sample consisted of (i) 245 sexually diverse cisgender women, (ii) 175 sexually diverse cisgender men, and (iii) 98 transgender and gender diverse persons. We collected data through a web-based survey. Linear regression models were performed to investigate the interactions of age and each group of participants for resilience, stigma exposure, and mental health indicators (depression and self-esteem). We hypothesized that resilience and mental health indicators will be positively associated with age in all distinguished groups despite the continued exposure to minority stress. The analysis yielded no significant relationships between stigma exposure and age among study participants. However, we observed significant interaction effects of distinguished groups of participants and age in case of self-esteem, depression, and resilience. Self-esteem and resilience were related positively, and depression was negatively associated with age in all study groups. Additionally, we observed that sexually diverse cisgender men demonstrated significantly increased resilience, reduced depression and higher self-esteem compared to other groups. Although the exposure to stigma did not decrease with age, resilience and self-esteem increased, suggesting that LGBTQ persons manage to thrive despite adversities.

Three-year prediction of depression and anxiety with a single self-rated health item

BACKGROUND

Self-rated health (SRH) is a single question with which general health status is assessed.

AIMS

To study whether SRH (i) is associated with depression and anxiety symptoms, concurrently and after three years, (ii) predicts the course over time for meeting a cutoff for depression and anxiety, and (iii) predicts development of depression and anxiety after three years.

METHOD

Population-based questionnaire data from northern Sweden were used. In total, 2336 individuals participated at baseline and three-year follow-up. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to quantify symptoms of depression and anxiety. Categorical and continuous data were used for analyses to complement each other.

RESULTS

Regarding prevalence, the analyses showed three- to four-fold increased odds for depression and anxiety at three-year follow-up, and two- to three-fold odds for their development at three-year follow-up. SRH at baseline was also found to be a significant, but weak, predictor of depression and anxiety severity and worsening at follow-up as well as being a predictor over time for meeting a cutoff for depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of SRH may be used in general practice to identify individuals who qualify for further evaluation of depression and anxiety.

Chubby, Hairy and Fearless. Subcultural Identities and Predictors of Self-Esteem in a Sample of Polish Members of Bear Community

Bear subculture exists within a larger gay community, which has been recognized by public health experts as disproportionately burdened with stigma and related health adversities. Bears are distinguished by a particular body look—body hirsuteness and heavy-set physique. Previous research documented the various health risks, and the exposure to both sexual minority and weight stigma, of this population. In this study we focused on the determinants of self-esteem in Bears. We explored the significance of such predictors as: perceived sexual minority and weight stigma, age, resilience, and physique as reflected by the BMI. Our sample consisted of 60 men from the Polish Bear community (i.e., Bears, Cubs, Otters, Wolves). Linear regression models were performed for the entire sample (N = 60) and for Bear-identified men (N = 31). Perceived sexual minority stigma negatively, and resilience positively, predicted self-esteem. In the case of Bear-identified men, age, perceived exposure to weight discrimination, and BMI were also significant predictors of self-esteem. Higher BMI in the case of Bear-identified men predicted higher self-esteem. Our results suggest that although Bear-identified men are characterized by their similarities to other gay men, subcultural identities create unique social contexts that are important for health and health interventions in this population.