Article, 2024

Relationship between smoking and mental health in educational settings with high smoking rates: a cohort study among Danish youth.

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1403-4948, 1651-1905, Page 14034948241227305, 10.1177/14034948241227305

Contributors

Kjeld, Simone Gad 0000-0001-6883-8764 [1] Homberg, Teresa [2] Andersen, Susan 0000-0002-2741-0742 [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] University of Southern Denmark
    2. [NORA names: SDU University of Southern Denmark; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  2. [2] Centre for Childhood Health, Copenhagen, Denmark.
    3. [NORA names: Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Smoking and poor mental health in youth represent important public health priorities. This study aimed to (i) compare tobacco-related behaviors and mental health in two educational settings with high smoking rates: vocational education and training (VET) schools and preparatory basic education (PBE) schools, and (ii) examine associations between smoking at school start and mental health 5 months later. METHODS: Data were obtained from baseline (N = 1843) and follow-up (N = 1039) assessments conducted as part of a school-based trial in two rounds (baseline in August 2018 and August 2019). Students' characteristics were presented by adjusted prevalences. Logistic regression analyses assessed associations between smoking and measures of mental health: school-related well-being, overall loneliness, and stress. RESULTS: More PBE students than VET students reported daily smoking (40% vs. 27%), nicotine dependence, perceived benefits of smoking (e.g., stress reduction: 41% vs. 33%), low smoking-related self-efficacy (e.g., ability to resist smoking if offered by a friend: 20% vs. 32%), school-related loneliness, and low school connectedness (25% vs. 11%). Daily smokers at VET and PBE schools had lower odds of school-related loneliness (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35-0.74) and higher odds of stress (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI: 2.00-3.80). Smoking was associated with better classmate relations in VET schools but not in PBE schools. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that students in PBE schools constitute a more vulnerable group in terms of smoking and mental health compared with students in VET schools. Smoking seemed to prevent loneliness in school but was associated with heightened stress levels.

Keywords

Danish youth, VET, VET schools, VET students, analyses assessed associations, assessment, association, baseline, basic education, behavior, benefits of smoking, characteristics, classmate relations, cohort, cohort study, connectedness, daily smokers, daily smoking, data, dependence, education, educational settings, follow-up, group, health, health priority, heightened stress levels, higher odds, levels, logistic regression analyses assessed associations, loneliness, lower school connectedness, measurements, measures of mental health, mental health, nicotine, nicotine dependence, odds, odds of stress, overall loneliness, perceived benefits, perceived benefits of smoking, poor mental health, prevalence, prevent loneliness, priority, public health priority, rate, regression analyses assessed associations, relations, relationship, round, school, school connectedness, school start, school-based trial, school-related well-being, self-efficacy, sets, smokers, smoking, smoking rates, smoking-related self-efficacy, start, stress, stress levels, student characteristics, students, study, tobacco-related behaviors, training, trials, vocational education, vulnerable groups, well-being, youth

Funders

  • Danish Cancer Society

Data Provider: Digital Science

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