Coping strategies in adolescence and labour-market participation in young adulthood: A prospective birth cohort study.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether coping strategies in adolescence (14-15 years of age) were associated with labour-market participation (LMP) in young adulthood (25-26 years of age) and whether the association differed by sex. Methods: A birth cohort from the former county of Ringkjoebing, Denmark, consisting of 2826 individuals, comprised the study population. In 2004, the study population completed a questionnaire from which information about coping and covariates were gathered. Coping strategies were measured using five sub-scales of the Brief COPE Scale, which were combined into two overall coping strategies: active coping and avoidant coping. Ten years later, the participants were followed for a 52-week period in a register on social benefits. Logistic regression was applied to data, with adjustment for covariates: sex, parents' socio-economic status (education and income) and self-rated health. Results: A total of 2203 (78%) participants were categorised as high LMP at follow-up. No significant associations were found between active coping in adolescence and LMP in 2014/2015. For avoidant coping, in the fully adjusted model, medium-level avoidant coping was associated with higher odds (odds ratio (OR)=1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-1.25) of high LMP. For low avoidant coping, the OR was 1.37 (95% 1.07-1.75). For both coping strategies, sex did not modify the association. Conclusions: Findings showed that avoidant coping was significantly associated with high LMP. Further research is needed to investigate coping in relation to specific problem areas.

Do negative childhood conditions increase the risk of somatic symptoms in adolescence? - a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In order to prevent health and social problems later in life, it is important to identify childhood conditions related to the development of somatic symptoms. This prospective study expands on previous research by investigating whether negative childhood conditions are related to somatization later in life, taking other risk factors into account. This study aims to investigate whether somatic symptoms of the participants' parents, poor family functioning, or negative life events during childhood result in somatic symptoms in early or late adolescence. METHODS: The study population includes participants from the West Jutland Cohort Study who responded to the survey on their somatic symptoms at age 15 (n = 2963) and/or age 18 (n = 2341). The study also includes additional questionnaire information about the participants' poor family functioning, number of negative life events, and parental reports of somatic symptoms as well as register information about parental socioeconomic background. Generalized linear models for the binomial family were used and the results were presented as relative risks (RR) and risk differences (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (95%-CI). RESULTS: Experiencing poor family functioning at age 15 showed associations with somatic symptoms at age 15 (RR 1.75, 95%-CI, 1.43-2.14 and RD 18, 95%-CI, 11-25%) and 18 (RR 1.32, 95%-CI, 1.00-1.75 and RD 7, 95%-CI, 0.2-14%). The relative risks between poor family functioning and somatic symptoms were 2.5 for the boys at age 15 and 1.71 for the girls at age 18. Having experienced two or more negative life events up to the age of 15 was associated with reporting somatic symptoms at age 15 (RR 1.73, 95%-CI, 1.31-2.28 and RD 24, 95%-CI, 11-37%). No relative risks above 1.35 were found between parents reporting somatic symptoms and participants reporting somatic symptoms at ages 15 or 18. CONCLUSIONS: An increased awareness of the association between a poor social climate in the family and somatic symptoms may help professionals in health and educational systems prevent the development of such symptoms among adolescents.

Initial non-participation and loss to follow-up in a Danish youth cohort: implications for relative risk estimates.

BACKGROUND: Initial non-participation and loss to follow-up in the Danish youth cohort Vestliv could introduce selection bias of the measured risk estimates. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of initial non-participation and loss to follow-up on the validity of descriptive measures and selected estimates of relative risk. METHODS: Of the 3681 young people defining the source population, 83% answered a questionnaire at baseline in 2004. At follow-up waves in 2007 and 2010, the response rates were 71% and 64%, respectively. Relative ORs (RORs) were used to examine the impact of initial non-participation and loss to follow-up on the association between socioeconomic or personal risk factors at age 14/15 and educational attainment at age 20/21. RORs were calculated as OR (baseline population)/OR (source population) or OR (follow-up population)/OR (baseline population). RESULTS: The participants had slightly better school abilities and came more often from homes with two adults, higher income or higher educational level. These differences increased at subsequent follow-ups. The effect of initial non-participation on the ORs was modest with most RORs being close to one. Loss to follow-up led to larger variations in the RORs ranging from 0.77 to 1.62 although for most estimates, the bias was minor. None of the measured RORs were statistically different from one indicating no significant bias. CONCLUSIONS: Although certain characteristics were related to those who initially chose to participate and especially to those who participated at follow-ups, it did not have any large influence on the relative risk estimates measured in the study.

Personal predictors of educational attainment after compulsory school: influence of measures of vulnerability, health, and school performance.

AIMS: Getting a secondary education is essential in preventing future inequalities in health and socioeconomic status. We investigated to what degree personal predictors like low school performance, high vulnerability, and poor health status are associated with not completing a secondary education in a Danish youth cohort. METHODS: This prospective study used data from a questionnaire in 2004 and register data in 2010. The study population consisted of 3053 adolescents born in 1989. Information on educational attainment from Statistics Denmark was divided into four categories: completed, still studying, dropped out, or never attained a secondary education. Data was analysed using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Low grades when completing compulsory school predicted not having completed a secondary education by age 20/21 (odds ratios (OR) between 1.7 and 2.5). Low sense of coherence in childhood was associated with dropping out from a vocational education (OR 2.0). Low general health status was associated with dropping out (OR 2.2) or never attaining a secondary education (OR 2.7) and overweight was associated with never attaining a secondary education (OR 3.5). CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms the social gradient in educational attainment. Furthermore, the results indicate that factors related to the individual in terms of low school performance, low health status, and high vulnerability predict future success in the educational system. It is recommended that these high-risk groups are recognised and targeted when designing guidance and supervision programmes for youth at secondary education.

Development of simulated arthroscopic skills.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have shown that there is a correlation between arthroscopic experience and performance on a virtual-reality (VR) unit. We analyzed the development inexperienced surgeons went through during VR training of shoulder arthroscopy. METHODS: 14 inexperienced surgeons from Silkeborg Regional Hospital were randomized into an intervention group and a control group. 7 experienced surgeons constituted another control group. All were tested twice on insightMIST-an advanced arthroscopic VR trainer-within a period of 6-15 days. The intervention group also received a 5-hour training program on the VR unit. RESULTS: The average time for the arthroscopy in the intervention group was reduced from 720 (SD 239) seconds to 223 (SD 114) seconds (p = 0.03 compared to the inexperienced control group). Distance travelled by the camera was reduced from 367 (SD 151) cm to 84 (SD 44) cm in the intervention group (p = 0.02 compared to the inexperienced control group). Depth of collisions was also significantly reduced, whereas distance travelled by the probe and number of collisions were improved in the intervention group, although not statistically significantly. INTERPRETATION: VR training is a possible way for young and inexperienced surgeons to achieve basic navigation skills necessary to perform arthroscopic surgery. Further studies regarding the transferability of the skills acquired on the VR unit to the operating theater are desirable.