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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on June 23, 2005
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki097
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved
Received January 28, 2005
Accepted March 2, 2005

Article

A possible contributor to the higher degree of girls reporting psychological symptoms compared with boys in grade nine?

Katja Gillander Gådin 1* and Anne Hammarström 1

1 Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Katja Gillander Gådin, E-mail: katja.gillander-gadin{at}miun.se


  Abstract

Background: It is a recurrent finding that adolescent girls report psychological symptoms in a higher degree compared with boys. The explanations for this difference vary, but the psychosocial school environment has never been a focus in these explanations. The aim of this study was to analyse whether psychosocial factors at school were associated with a high degree of psychological symptoms among boys and girls in grade nine, with a special focus on sexual harassment. Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional study including 336 pupils (175 girls and 161 boys) in grade nine (about 15 years old), who answered an extensive questionnaire. The non-response rate was negligible (<1%). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse whether school-related factors (teacher support, classmate support, sexual harassment), body image, and parental support were associated with a high degree of psychological symptoms. Results: Sexual harassment at school was associated with a high degree of psychological symptoms among girls. Conclusions: Sexual harassment must be acknowledged as a negative psychosocial school environmental factor of importance for the high degree of psychological ill-health symptoms among girls compared with boys.

Keywords: adolescents; psychological symptoms; psychosocial factors; school; sexual harassment.
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