Sense of coherence and psychosocial factors among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
The overall aim of the present study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between sense of coherence and psychosocial factors among adolescents.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of pupils in year eight from comprehensive schools in Stockholm city, selected with regard to socioeconomic area. In the final sample of the study there were 383 pupils: 196 girls and 187 boys. Two questionnaires, the Sense of Coherence Scale and the Health Profile Scale measuring health behaviour, were used to collect data.


RESULTS
Girls showed a significantly more negative outcome compared with boys, in eight psychosocial factors. The most pronounced difference between boys and girls was seen in feeling depressed: 17% and 54% respectively. Five factors proved to be associated with low SOC in the multivariate analysis: life dissatisfaction, feeling depressed, worries about family members, poor psychosomatic health and being a girl.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings reveal domains where adolescents, especially girls, seem to be more vulnerable. Psychosomatic health and mental health are related to low sense of coherence.
Myrin
B
B
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. britta.myrin@ki.se
Lagerström
M
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011581:Psychological Tests; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires