dc.contributor |
University of Iceland |
dc.contributor |
Háskóli Íslands |
dc.contributor.author |
Svansdottir, Erla |
dc.contributor.author |
Arngrímsson, Sigurbjörn Árni |
dc.contributor.author |
Sveinsson, Thorarinn |
dc.contributor.author |
Johannesson, Erlingur |
dc.date.accessioned |
2017-04-19T14:16:27Z |
dc.date.available |
2017-04-19T14:16:27Z |
dc.date.issued |
2015-11-24 |
dc.identifier.citation |
Svansdottir, E., Arngrimsson, S.A., Sveinsson, T. et al. Int J Equity Health (2015) 14: 140. doi:10.1186/s12939-015-0272-x |
dc.identifier.issn |
1475-9276 |
dc.identifier.uri |
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/237 |
dc.description.abstract |
Education and health constitute two interlinked assets that are highly important to individuals. In Iceland, prevalence of dropout from secondary education poses a considerable problem. This 8-year prospective study assesses to what extent poor physical health and negative health-behaviors of Icelandic adolescents predict increased odds of dropout from secondary education.
The sample included n = 201 Icelandic children who participated at age 15 (baseline) and again at age 23 (follow-up). Data included objective measurements of physical health and questionnaires assessing health-behaviors, education status, parental education, neighborhood characteristics, self-esteem, and depression. Independent t-tests and chi-square were used to assess differences in physical health and health-behaviors at follow-up stratified by education status. Ordinal regression models were conducted to assess whether physical health and health-behaviors at age 15 predicted increased odds of dropout from secondary education at age 23, independent of gender, parental education and psychological factors.
At age 23, 78 % of girls and 71 % of boys had completed a secondary education. Completion of a secondary education was associated with significant health benefits, especially among women. Women without a secondary education had lower fitness, more somatic complaints, higher diastolic blood pressure, less sports participation, and poorer sleep, whilst men without a secondary education watched more television. In logistic regression models somatic complaints during adolescence were associated with 1.09 (95 % CI: 1.02-1.18) higher odds of dropout from secondary education in young adulthood, independent of covariates. Health-behaviors associated with higher dropout odds included smoking (3.67, 95 % CI: 1.50-9.00), alcohol drinking (2.57, 95 % CI: 1.15-5.75), and time spent watching television (1.27, 95 % CI:1.03-1.56), which were independent of most covariates. Finally, mother's higher education was strongly associated with significantly lower dropout odds (OR 0.54, 95 % CI: 0.34-0.88) independent of father's education and psychological factors, whilst high self-esteem was independently associated with lower dropout odds (OR 0.91, 95 % CI: 0.85-0.98).
Completion of a secondary education yields substantial physical health benefits for young women, but not for men. Importantly, somatic complaints and negative health-behaviors among adolescent boys and girls adversely impact their educational outcomes later in life, and may have widespread consequences for their future prospects. |
dc.format.extent |
11 |
dc.language.iso |
en |
dc.publisher |
Springer Nature |
dc.relation.ispartofseries |
International Journal for Equity in Health;14(1) |
dc.rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
dc.subject |
Lýðheilsa |
dc.subject |
Heilsufar |
dc.subject |
Unglingavandamál |
dc.subject |
Brottfall úr skóla |
dc.subject |
Adolescence |
dc.subject |
Health Inequalities |
dc.subject |
Education |
dc.subject |
Gender |
dc.subject |
Health behavior |
dc.title |
Importance of physical health and health-behaviors in adolescence for risk of dropout from secondary education in young adulthood: an 8-year prospective study |
dc.type |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dcterms.license |
CC By |
dc.description.version |
Peer Reviewed |
dc.identifier.journal |
International Journal for Equity in Health |
dc.identifier.doi |
10.1186/s12939-015-0272-x |
dc.relation.url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12939-015-0272-x |
dc.contributor.school |
School of Education (UI) |
dc.contributor.school |
Menntavísindasvið (HÍ) |
dc.contributor.school |
School of Health Sciences (UI) |
dc.contributor.school |
Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ) |