Table 2.
Odds ratios for changes in mental health and well-being measures over time, by age group and sex. Scottish Health Survey, 2003–2014
| Total | Males | Females | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds ratio/β coefficient | Confidence interval | p value | Odds ratio/β coefficient | Confidence interval | p value | Odds ratio/β coefficient | Confidence interval | p value | ||||
| 4–12 years old | ||||||||||||
| Parent-reported general health | 0.97 | 0.94 | 0.99 | 0.010 | 0.97 | 0.94 | 1.00 | 0.085 | 0.96 | 0.93 | 1.00 | 0.054 |
| Mental health condition | 1.05 | 1.02 | 1.08 | 0.004 | 1.07 | 1.03 | 1.11 | 0.001 | 1.00 | 0.94 | 1.07 | 0.908 |
| Long-standing illness | 0.99 | 0.98 | 1.00 | 0.143 | 0.97 | 0.96 | 0.99 | 0.008 | 1.01 | 0.99 | 1.03 | 0.447 |
| SDQE binary | 0.98 | 0.96 | 1.00 | 0.079 | 1.00 | 0.98 | 1.03 | 0.764 | 0.96 | 0.93 | 0.99 | 0.005 |
| SDQE | −0.01 | −0.02 | 0.00 | 0.011 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.02 | 0.699 | −0.03 | −0.04 | −0.02 | <0.001 |
| SDQT binary | 0.99 | 0.97 | 1.01 | 0.328 | 1.01 | 0.98 | 1.04 | 0.455 | 0.95 | 0.92 | 0.99 | 0.009 |
| SDQT | −0.05 | −0.08 | −0.02 | 0.002 | −0.01 | −0.05 | 0.04 | 0.818 | −0.09 | −0.14 | −0.05 | <0.001 |
| 13–15 years old | ||||||||||||
| Parent-reported general health | 0.99 | 0.95 | 1.03 | 0.480 | 0.98 | 0.93 | 1.03 | 0.433 | 0.99 | 0.94 | 1.05 | 0.839 |
| Mental health condition | 1.07 | 1.01 | 1.13 | 0.024 | 1.04 | 0.98 | 1.12 | 0.197 | 1.11 | 1.00 | 1.24 | 0.045 |
| Long-standing illness | 1.03 | 1.01 | 1.06 | 0.015 | 1.04 | 1.01 | 1.08 | 0.023 | 1.02 | 0.98 | 1.06 | 0.277 |
| GHQ binary | 1.02 | 0.99 | 1.06 | 0.200 | 1.05 | 0.98 | 1.11 | 0.145 | 1.01 | 0.97 | 1.06 | 0.563 |
| GHQ | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.056 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.078 | 0.02 | −0.01 | 0.05 | 0.238 |
| WEMWBS | −0.45 | −1.12 | 0.23 | 0.192 | 0.10 | −0.79 | 0.99 | 0.829 | −1.06 | −2.07 | −0.05 | 0.039 |
| 16–24 years old | ||||||||||||
| Self-reported general health | 1.00 | 0.97 | 1.03 | 0.916 | 0.99 | 0.95 | 1.03 | 0.637 | 1.00 | 0.97 | 1.04 | 0.785 |
| Mental health condition | 1.08 | 1.03 | 1.13 | <0.001 | 1.07 | 1.00 | 1.15 | 0.044 | 1.08 | 1.03 | 1.14 | 0.003 |
| Long-standing illness | 1.04 | 1.01 | 1.06 | 0.001 | 1.02 | 0.98 | 1.05 | 0.375 | 1.05 | 1.02 | 1.08 | 0.001 |
| GHQ binary | 1.02 | 1.00 | 1.05 | 0.083 | 1.01 | 0.97 | 1.06 | 0.574 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 1.06 | 0.071 |
| GHQ | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.011 | 0.01 | −0.02 | 0.04 | 0.495 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.08 | 0.006 |
| WEMWBS | −0.13 | −0.27 | 0.01 | 0.072 | −0.06 | −0.26 | 0.15 | 0.604 | −0.21 | −0.40 | −0.02 | 0.033 |
SDQT, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Score (binary score 0–16 v. 17–36); SDQE, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Emotion Score (binary score 0–4 v. 5–10); GHQ, General Health Questionnaire (binary score 0–3 v. 4–12); WEMWBS, Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Health and Wellbeing Score.
For all binary variables, odds ratios show the change in odds per year over the study period. Values >1 indicate increasing odds of poor health over time. For scale variables (SDQE, SDQT, WEMWBS), the β coefficient represents the change in score per year over time. Positive values indicate increasing number of symptoms (SDQT, SDQE) or increasing well-being score (WEMWBS).