Stress and happiness among adolescents with varying frequency of physical activity

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate associations between physical activity, stress, and happiness, as well as possible sex and age differences on these variables in a survey of 1,508 adolescent pupils (13 to 18 yr.) in middle Norway. Adolescents who reported they participated in physical activity 2 to 3 times per week or more scored significantly lower on stress and higher on happiness than those who participated in physical activity 1 day per week or less. There was no significant difference on stress and happiness between those being physically active 2 or 3 times a week and those being active almost every day. There was no sex difference in physical activity frequency. Girls had higher mean scores on stress, and boys scored higher on happiness. Adolescents 15 to 16 years old showed higher stress scores than those 17 to 18 years old, but there were no significant differences between the different age groups when looking at happiness and physical activity. A statistically significant two-way interaction of sex by age was found on both stress and happiness.     

Evaluation of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-N): factorial validity across samples

In spite of the potential significance of stressors, the past decades have yielded only limited and incremental progress in the field of the development of valid and reliable stress inventories for adolescents. The Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-N) was developed to address the domain of stressors specific to adolescent experience. The present study reports an evaluation of factorial validity, as well as the construct validity of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-N) across two samples, with the use of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Gender and age differences on the ASQ-N sub-dimensions are also evaluated. The CFA supported a seven-factor structure, where all sub-dimensions showed adequate internal consistency. The sub-dimensions were correlated positively with measures of depression and anxiety, and were correlated negatively with self-esteem, supporting the construct validity of the ASQ-N. Significant gender differences in self-reported adolescent stress were found in five of the seven scales, where girls had higher mean scores than boys. The correlation between each stress scale and age was weak, with significant correlations found in four of the seven scales. It is suggested that the ASQ-N is a measure of adolescent stress that is adequate for the research context, as well as for clinical investigation.     

Stress,sense of coherence and emotional symptoms in adolescents

This paper aims to investigate the association between the domains of stress, sense of coherence (SOC) and emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) in adolescents, as well as the potential moderating role of SOC on the relationship between stress and emotional symptoms. The study is based on a cross-sectional sample of 1183 adolescents aged 13–18 who attend public elementary and secondary schools in Mid-Norway. The results showed that girls scored higher than boys on stress related to peer pressure, home life, school performance, school/leisure conflict and emotional symptoms. Conversely, boys reported higher SOC than girls. Results from multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that for boys, stress related to school performance was positively associated with symptoms of both depression and anxiety, whereas stress from peer pressure was associated with depressive symptoms. For girls, stress from peer pressure, romantic relationships and school was associated with more depressive symptoms. SOC was strongly and inversely associated with emotional symptoms, especially anxiety in girls. SOC also moderated the association between stress related to peer pressure and depressive symptoms in both genders. The study provides evidence of the association of SOC with stress and emotional symptoms during adolescence.     

Associations among behavior, personality, and traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease: a study at a primary health care center in mid-Norway

The continuing presence of different negative emotions has been suggested as an important factor in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study was carried out at a medical center to investigate the presence of negative emotions and Type A behavior in a group of 40-yr.-old men and women. The National Institute of Public Health in Norway carried out the data-collection as a part of their CHD risk factor screenings. The correlation between hostility and total cholesterol is negative as is that between systolic blood pressures and the feeling of guilt for women. There was no further support for earlier findings of relationships between either Type A behavior pattern and negative emotions or Type A and elevated cholesterol values. A number of possible explanations are offered. In the study, assessment of hostility was questioned; there was possible support for poor assessment of hostility on the Karolinska Scales of Personality employed in the study.     

The Type A/B behaviour pattern in samples of urban and rural men

The present study assessed the prevalence of the Type A behaviour pattern in a rural and an urban sample of men in Norway. The study was carried through on data collected for other purposes, reported earlier in 1998 and 1999, to evaluate whether there were differences in Type A behaviour pattern between the two environmental settings. The Type A behaviour pattern was assessed in both studies using the Jenkins Activity Survey. Analysis of the data on the Global Type A scale indicated that, on average, participants in both environments reported as Type Bs as opposed to Type As. However, the distribution of scores on the subscales of the Jenkins Activity Survey showed that mean scores on the Type A behaviour attributes were higher in the urban sample than those in the rural sample. The results concerning the expression of the Global Type A from these samples supported expectations about differences in challenges of a competitive environment such as an urban setting, expressed in the literature.