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Despite the extensive literature on the psychosocial determinants of bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents, there is not sufficient comprehensive analysis of the differences between perpetrators. This study aims to assess the psychosocial similarities and differences between bullies and cyberbullies. Data of 3650 students from two grades, K9 and K11 (47% females, mean age = 16.53), were used from a survey conducted in Poland in 2018 as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Perpetration was measured by questions adapted from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. The following predictors were analyzed: demographic, socioeconomic status measured with the Family Affluence Scale-III (FAS), and individual and social factors. Multiple binary logistic regression was applied. The random sampling design was based on stratification according to the local deprivation index of the region where the school was located. Male gender, younger age, and non-intact family were associated with a higher risk of bullying and cyberbullying. Family support, empathy, school performance, and school attachment had a protective effect against both aggressive behaviors. Life dissatisfaction and high FAS were revealed as determinants of cyberbullying and local deprivation of bullying only. Bullying and cyberbullying school prevention programs should take into account these psychosocial differences and consider the economic deprivation of the region.

© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC, Adolescents' mental health determines their general health and their mental health as adults. Improve the Youth project (ITY) was created and implemented among Polish and Portuguese adolescents. The aim of the project was to investigate the well-being of Portuguese and Polish adolescents, and to evaluate differences between them in self-rated health, life satisfaction and perceived psychosomatic health. A mixed-method approach was applied. The quantitative part was based on Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2014 data, including adolescents aged 11-15 years (6026 in Portugal; 4545 in Poland). This study meets the issues raised by the HBSC results, regarding mental health in adolescence, and it is aimed to improve adolescents' social participation and active citizenship. In most study areas, findings in Poland were less favourable than in Portugal. The qualitative part was developed to recognize the main threats for adolescent's well-being. In this, they emphasised that every opportunity to talk about their feelings and needs resulted in improvement of their mental health. Elevated levels of stress were connected to environmental pressure and high expectations that they were often unable to cope with. Nervousness, perceiving that it was impossible to meet expectations, the desire to keep up with their peers, fatigue, and uncertainty of the future increased the feelings of frustration. The differences found between countries may be due to cultural roots, surfacing the relevance of assessing adolescents' mental health needs in the social context of family, school and peers. This study also aims to raise awareness among educators and stakeholders to the importance of youth engagement.

In the last Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey conducted in Poland in 2018, a group of 17-year-old adolescents (n = 1663; mean age 17.63 ± 0.36 years) was included outside the international protocol. This allowed an assessment to be made of their level of health literacy (HL) using the 10-point HBSC research tool. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between HL and risk behaviours (RB). A standardised index of RB in the last 30 days was considered as an outcome measure. This index was significantly higher in the group with low HL (0.318 ± 1.269) in comparison with the group with high HL (−0.083 ± 0.962). In a multivariate linear regression model, the strongest predictors of RB were gender, academic performance and level of regional deprivation, but the association with HL remained significant. This significant association persisted in general schools and in girls but disappeared in vocational schools and in boys. It was also shown that in rural areas, good academic performance has a less significant impact on RB if the HL level is low. The analyses led to the conclusion that when examining the relationship between HL and RB in older adolescents, it is advisable to take into account gender, the educational track and neighbourhood characteristics.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)., This study aimed to translate and adapt the psychometric properties of the Behavioural Regulation in Active Commuting to School (BR-ACS) questionnaire to young Portuguese students. This study had two stages: (1) translation and adaptation of the questionnaire; (2) evaluation of the psychometric properties. A sample of 338 participants (212 female, 126 male) aged 11 to 19 years (Mage = 15.6 ± 2.1) from 31 cities and Madeira island participated in this study. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested an acceptable fit to the data for the first-order and third-order measurement models. The composite reliability values ranged from 0.71 (identified regulation) to 0.90 (integrated regulation), demonstrating internal consistency. The AVE values ranged from 0.40 (amotivation) to 0.69 (integrated regulation), demonstrating an acceptable convergent validity for all constructs. The model estimation had an acceptable fit, with values akin to those of the first-order tested model. Finally, the results of the multigroup analysis for the successive restricted models (CFI < 0.010 and RMSEA < 0.015) point out that the null hypothesis of factor invariance between gender cannot be rejected. The psychometric properties demonstrates the suitability of this questionnaire among Portuguese youths aged 11 to 19. This questionnaire will help understand the motivation aspects that underpin active commuting to school and consequently help to increase physical activity among Portuguese adolescents., This work was supported by a grant (2018–3291/001–001) from the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) ERASMUS+ Sport Program. E.R.G. acknowledges support from LARSyS—Portuguese national funding agency for science, research and technology (FCT) pluriannual funding 2020–2023 (Reference: UIDB/50009/2020).

The UN has recognised well-being as a main goal of The Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030).The aim was to identify the areas of mental health that are the most significant to teenagers.The mixed-method approach was applied. Quantitative research included adolescents aged 11-15 years (6,026 in Portugal; 4,545 in Poland). HBSC study results (2013/2014) were analysed in terms of the following variables: self-rated health, life satisfaction (Cantril Ladder, KIDSCREEN-10 Index), and psychosomatic complaints (SCL scale). Focus workshops took place in 2018, with 72 teenagers aged 14 to 16.16.6% of the Polish participants and 12.7% of the Portuguese participants were concerned about their health. Polish participants were less satisfied with their life [KIDSCREEN score: 25.48 for Poland (SD=6.39), and 29.96 (SD=6.03) for Portugal]. Both nations associated mental health (MH) with the family setting and relationships with friends. An additional association among Portuguese teenagers involved social issues, whereas Polish adolescents were more focussed on relationships with various people in their environment, as well as on experiencing issues at school and in the family.Adolescent MH is determined by stress, environmental pressure and high expectations. The viewpoints of adolescents are the most valuable source of knowledge for specialists, researchers and youth institutions, who can benefit greatly from taking advantage of this resource.

To promote active commuting to and from school, it is pertinent to understand the motivational factors that influence the choice of this form of transportation.Translation, cultural adaptation and analysis of the factor structure as well as psychometric properties of the Basic Psychological Needs and Satisfaction in Active Commuting to and from School (BPNS-ACS) scale among Polish students and examination of the distribution of the scale scores according to gender, mode of commuting to and from school and the frequency of using bicycle for this purpose.Data from 475 Polish students aged 11-18, including 53.9% of girls were analysed. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Polish version of the BPNS-ACS, U Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis H tests were performed.The BPNS-ACS consists of 12 items forming three dimensions: autonomy, competence and relatedness need satisfaction. The scale has acceptable psychometric properties: χ2(51)=195.424 (p ˂ 0.001); χ2/df=3.832; CFI=0.944, TLI=0.927, RMSEA=0.077 (90%CI 0.066-0.089), AIC=249.424, BIC=361.833, GFI=0.937, AGFI=0.904. BPNC-ACS scores on factors corresponding to the three basic psychological needs differ based on gender, mode of commuting to and from school and the frequency of cycling to or from school.Further exploration of the function of basic psychological needs in active commuting to and from school among Polish adolescents may be conducted using an adapted version of the BPNS-ACS scale.

(1) Background: The World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index has been used in many epidemiological studies to assess adolescent mental well-being. However, cross-country comparisons of this instrument among adolescents are scarce and, so far, no good-fitting, common invariant measurement model across countries has been reported. The present study aims to evaluate and establish a version of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index that allows for a valid cross-country comparison of adolescent self-reported mental well-being. (2) Methods: Using data from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, we evaluated the measurement model and measurement invariance of the five items of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. We used nationally representative samples of 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old adolescents (N = 74,071) from fifteen countries and regions in Europe. Measurement invariance of the WHO-5 was assessed using a series (country, gender, and age) of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses. In addition, we evaluated the convergent validity of the measure by testing its correlations with psychosomatic complaints, life satisfaction, and self-rated health. (3) Results: We found that WHO-5 does not show good psychometric properties or good measurement invariance fit. However, by excluding the first item of the scale (“I have felt cheerful and in good spirits”), the WHO-4, consisting of the other four original items, had good psychometric properties, and demonstrated good suitability for cross-national comparisons (as well as age and gender) in adolescent mental well-being. (4) Conclusions: The present study introduces the WHO-4—a revised version of the WHO-5—, that allows for a valid comparison of mental well-being across fifteen countries and regions in Europe. The WHO-4 proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to assess mental well-being in the adolescent population.

The daily functioning of children who suffer from chronic conditions may be limited by the disease and by hospitalization. Hospital schools have an important role in counterbalancing those negative effects. The aim of the study was to define hospital schools’ teachers’ needs. The data from qualitative research conducted on 21 Polish hospital school teachers was included in the analysis. A semi-structured interview method was chosen. Researchers played an active role as moderators. Thirty-four descriptive codes were assigned to the main five areas of needs related to: work conditions, the character of work, psychological support, self-fulfillment, and social relations. The results showed that the teachers were concerned about hospital school marginalization, they received no mental health support, and felt that the extent of their role was underestimated by medical staff. The lack of recognition is likely to make teachers feel frustrated, and demotivated. By learning more about what hospital teachers think of their work, it is possible to create recommendations for changes. There seems to be a need to raise awareness of the importance of schools in health care institutions.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all schools in Poland were closed and obliged to conduct lessons remotely. The aim of the study is to present the demographic analysis of difficulties with remote learning, as perceived by students during coronavirus pandemic in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In April 2020, a nationwide online survey was conducted among adolescents aged 11-18 (N=2408). Quantitative and qualitative data were used. Teenagers were asked about the problems connected with remote learning. In order to examine the overall level of remote learning difficulties, a scale of remote learning difficulties (RLD) was devised (range 0-23 points). Differences connected with gender, age and place of residence were analysed. RESULTS: More than a half of the teenagers surveyed rated the increased demands from teachers as a major problem. This answer appeared statistically more often among girls than boys (59.6% v. 53.2%). Almost every third adolescent saw the lack of consultation (31.6%) as a significant problem. Difficulties related to learning in the remote system were most often described as considerable by the oldest students (17-18-years-old) and those living in rural areas. The big problem for them was usually much higher requirements of teachers and poor organization of distance learning. The mean level on the scale of remote learning burden was M=11.9 (SD=7.1). Technical difficulties and insufficient skills in using software constituted additional problems most frequently mentioned by students. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to pay particular attention to organizing appropriate technical conditions for remote learning, especially in rural areas, where students have complained more often than in cities about equipment and problems with access to the Internet during the pandemic.

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)., Active commuting to and from school (ACS) is a strategy to enhance physical activity levels in youths. To promote ACS, it is important to understand the factors that lead to this behaviour. With this in mind, an adaptation of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale for ACS was developed, named the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Active Commuting to and from School (BPNS-ACS) scale. This study aimed to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the BPNS-ACS scale in young Portuguese students. A cross-sectional study was designed. A total of 338 students (212 girls, 126 boys), aged between 11 and 19 years old from 31 Portuguese cities participated in this study. To provide validity evidence based on the questionnaire's internal structure, confirmatory factor analyses were performed to test the three dimensions of the BNPS-ACS scale. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable fit to the data. The internal consistency of the measures was accepted as the composite reliability values ranged from 0.78 to 0.94. The evaluation of psychometric properties provided evidence of the adequacy of this questionnaire among Portuguese youth aged 11 to 19 years old., This work was supported by a grant (2018–3291/001–001) from the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) ERASMUS+ Sport Program.

It is widely proven that being physically active and avoiding sedentary behaviour help to improve adolescents&rsquo, well-being and keep them in better health in general. We aimed to investigate the relationship between modes of transport to school and subjective complaints among schoolchildren. Analyses were based on the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) surveys conducted in 2017/18 in nine countries (N = 55,607, mean age 13.43 &plusmn, 1.64 yrs.). The main outcome showed that health complaints consisted of somatic and psychological complaints. Transport to school was characterized by mode of getting there (walking, biking, or another passive mode). A total of 46.1% of students walked and 7.3% cycled to school, 46.6% commuted by passive means. Biking to school was more frequent in Denmark (37.9%), Norway (26.5%), and Germany (26.6%). The multivariate generalized linear model adjusted for age, gender, country, and school proximity showed that biking to school is protective against reports of health complaints. The beta parameters were equal to &minus, 0.498 (p &lt, 0.001) for the general HBSC-SCL index, &minus, 0.208 (p &lt, 0.001) for the somatic complaint index, and &minus, 0.285 (p &lt, 0.001) for the psychological complaints index. Young people who actively commute to school are less likely to report health complaints, especially psychological symptoms.

Background The project was an answer to the results of the HBSC (Health Behaviour of School-aged Children) study 2013/2014 which indicated an alarming situation regarding the adolescents' mental health. The aim was to investigate mental health problems of Polish and Portuguese youth and to create tools and materials which can be a professional help in this matter. Improve the youth project consisted of two main elements: research and implementation phase. The mixed-method approach was applied in the project. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. 2004 pupils (aged 13-19) were surveyed in 89 schools in 2017/ 2018 in Poland. Findings form qualitative study were guidelines for quantitative research. Perception of stress among young people was selected as the leading subject. Short Form Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) in a shorter version of 4-statement were used. There were two advisory boards: first - practitioners (psychologists, pedagogists, teachers, social workers) and second - adolescents. Both were consulted to prepare all materials. Results Stress levels are higher in girls than in boys, and they increase with age: between 13 and 19 year of age the increase in the prevalence of high stress level was 5,3% in boys and 12.5% in girls. Family affluence, school achievements and school burden were identified as stress determinants of adolescents. Materials presenting the data and giving practical information and tools on how to support adolescents in coping with stress: guide for adults, guide for youth created by youth and scenario of workshops. 20 workshops for young people run by young people were organised in both countries for about 200 adolescents Results and materials were presented to youth organizations, social institutions and decision makers responsible for youth policy during two 'Improve the Youth' conferences in Poland and in Portugal.

Introduction In numerous papers, it was indicated that teenagers who spend a lot of time in front of the screen can experience subjective health complaints. The aim The aim of the paper is to show the frequency and life style-related determinants of health complaints in adolescence. Material and methods The study was conducted in school year 2013/14 in the frame of international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey. The nationwide sample included 2441 students with age ranging 15–16 years. Ten logistic regression models for five somatic and five mental complaints were estimated. The main independent variables were sedentary behaviours (watching TV/ films, computer games, social media and the Internet), age and gender. Results More often than once a week, at least one somatic complaint was reported by 55.3% and at least one mental one by 48.5% of teenagers. On average, young respondents spent 3 hours daily on the Internet and social media, 2.5 hour on watching films and 1.5 hour on playing computer games. It was indicated that the Internet and social media significantly increase the risk of all ten complaints, especially dizziness, nervousness, stomach ache and irritation. Watching TV increases the risk of six complaints while computer games could induce only two of those complaints – in both cases, the highest association with stomach ache was found. Conclusions Sedentary behaviours have negative impact on the well-being in adolescents. There is a need to work out the educational strategies in order to limit their screen time as well as to promote higher physical activity.

Background An assumption was made that results of programme evaluation lead to better understanding for whom this intervention may work. The aim of the article is to compare the changes in physical activity of the intervention programme participants depending on subjective assessment of its impact. Methods The data were obtained from 14- to15-year-old Polish girls (N = 1120) from 48 random selected secondary schools participating in the 1-year Healthy Me programme in the 2017/2018. Schools were randomly assigned to one of two types of intervention or to a control (null) group. Satisfaction with the programme according to 21 criteria was measured retrospectively just after the intervention. Change in MVPA (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) during the programme implementation was assessed in relation to satisfaction level, and adjusted for initial MVPA. Results In total, the MVPA did not change significantly comparing pre- and post-intervention surveys (3.94 ± 1.94 vs. 3.87 ± 1.93)—P = 0.093. However, the perceived notable improvement of functioning in 10 out of 21 areas was related to the unquestionable increase in MVPA (P ≤ 0.001). With respect to the four impact areas, an interaction was demonstrated between an intervention group and an improvement in the domain-specific functioning. The beneficial impact of the programme on these areas was associated with the improvement of physical activity only in case of full and null intervention. Conclusions Indicators related to the implementation process and the results obtained during the Healthy Me programme evaluation could represent a change in motivational and environmental factors that indirectly affects adolescent girl’s physical activity.

The impact of physical activity on mental health is widely described in literature. Less attention is given to factors which may modify this correlation, except for gender. The aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative assessment of such papers relating to children and young people. Selected papers were evaluated with regard to additional factors related to family, school and neighborhood. Attention was drawn to the definitions of these variables, the methods of analysis, and the content of the discussion. The starting point for this study included 7 systematic reviews published in 2006-2018. A total of 161 full articles described in detail in those reviews, and representing different research patterns, were selected for qualitative analysis. They met the criteria for the type of publication, mental health outcome, the direction of association, and the age group. A supplementary section of this paper contains a review of Polish literature from the Polish Medical Bibliography, and an analysis of national studies and some more recent papers not included in the analyzed reviews. It was demonstrated that 33 papers analyzed environmental variables to a greater degree than the characteristics of the sample. Twenty-three papers containing the results of statistical analyses were considered to be of particular interest. Almost 50% of these included both the socio-economic position of the family and the characteristics of the neighborhood. However, only 1 featured stratification of the sample with regard to contextual environmental variables. The obtained results are of great practical importance. Firstly, development of the research into environmental moderators should be advocated. Secondly, the social context in which adolescents grow up should be taken into account when designing intervention programs. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(4):423-39b/bb/b.

Mental health problems during adolescence are becoming increasingly frequent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the total impact of selected behavioural and environmental factors on the variability of mental well-being indexes of young people aged 15 to 17 years. The survey, conducted as part of the last round of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2017/18 study, covered 3693 secondary school students in Poland at the average age of 16.53 years (SD = 1.09). Dependent variables: depression (CES-DC), stress (Cohen scale), satisfaction with life (Cantril&rsquo, s Ladder), and self-efficacy in social relations (Smith and Betz scale). Independent variables included: physical activity, sedentary behaviours, length of sleep, and perception of the environment in which the respondent was raised. The analyses were adjusted by gender, age, and occurrence of chronic disease. It was demonstrated that gender, duration of sleep, and perception of the surrounding environment proved to be significant predictors of all four mental health indicators. The protective influence of physical activity appeared to be a particular advantage in a less-supportive environment. The intervention programmes aimed at improving the mental well-being of young people should include promoting physical activity and sufficient sleep, furthermore, environmental moderators should be taken into consideration.

The role of supportive environments on health, wellbeing, and longevity has been widely recognized. However, there is no strong empirical evidence on the association between health literacy (HL) as a particular health-related competence and neighbourhoods. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the association between the features of neighbourhoods and the level of HL competencies of young people from three countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia). Self-reported data from an international sample of 11,521 students aged 13–15 years participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC) in the year 2018 were included in the analyses. The level of HL shows a strong positive relationship with family wealth, and a significant relationship is maintained in all studied countries. Both social and structural features of neighbourhoods turned out to have an impact on students’ HL. However, HL is most clearly explained by the school environment. This study confirms the school effect on higher levels of HL competences in adolescents. This indicates the need to invest in schools located in less affluent areas to generally improve the level of education, implement modern health education combined with HL, and strengthen the social and health competencies of students.

Introduction: Reduced wellbeing and low mood also apply to young people and may lead to serious mental problems. Aim of the study: The purpose of the study was to analyse the prevalence of depression threat symptoms depending on the level of physical activity of young people, taking into account environmental factors and the quality of social relations. Material and methods: The survey conducted within the framework of the last round of international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) studies in the academic year 2017/2018 covered 5225 students aged 11–15 years from all over Poland. The mental wellbeing of young people measured by the WHO-5 screen test was the dependent variable. Sixteen independent variables were taken into account, in blocks related to the assessment of demographic features, physical activity, social and economic position, and social relations. Results: The study demonstrated that 14.2% of respondents had depression threat symptoms. After a mul- tidimensional analysis the main risk factors were low level of family support (OR = 3.20), maladjustment to school (OR = 2.79), inability to cope in social situations (OR = 2.52), and low physical activity (OR = 2.15). Factors associated with living conditions do not have a direct effect on depression risk but moderate the impact of physical activity on its symptoms. Conclusions: The protective effect of physical activity on the mental health of teenagers is maintained after taking into account several other predictors of reduced wellbeing. Factors associated with living conditions do not have a direct influence on depression risk but moderate the effect of physical activity on its symptoms. The protective effect of physical activity is particularly visible in single-parent families, in poor families, and in large cities. It is important to design programs providing equal opportunities to children growing up in a less favourable environment by providing young people from the poorest families with the ability to participate in free of charge sports activities, particularly team sports

The objective of the paper was to investigate the association between PA and general life satisfaction in adolescents, taking into account family affluence and selected psychological, family and school factors. The survey (2015) involved 4085 Polish lower-secondary school students. Life satisfaction was measured with the abridged Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS). Vigorous Physical Activity, self-esteem, family affluence, family relations and the perception of the school environment were considered as independent variables. Hierarchical and path models were applied. The mean SLSS score was M = 4.66 (SD = 2.23), and 36.9% of its variability was explained—mainly by self-esteem. The impact of PA on self-esteem became stronger when family affluence decreased, which led to the conclusion that material status may modify the impact of behavioural factors on the SLSS scores’ variability in adolescence.