Table 1.
Description of the sample and differences by gender, showing socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported positive mental health outcomes, and mental disorder-related outcomes
| Total | Female | Male | Non-binary | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size, n (%) | 3767 | 1907 (51%) | 1820 (49%) | 19 (0.5%) | |
| Socio-demographic characteristics, n (%) | |||||
| Age, mean (SD) | 12.4 (0.9) | 12.4 (0.9) | 12.3 (0.9) | 13.1 (1.1) | 0.001 |
| Living with other children | 0.001 | ||||
| No | 951 (25%) | 477 (25%) | 464 (26%) | 2 (10%) | |
| With 1 child | 1852 (50%) | 912 (48%) | 926 (51%) | 7 (37%) | |
| With 2 or more children | 936 (25%) | 509 (27%) | 415 (23%) | 10 (53%) | |
| Position born (oldest) | 1603 (44%) | 810 (43%) | 777 (44%) | 7 (37%) | 0.942 |
| Born in the country of residence | 3443 (92%) | 1747 (92%) | 1666 (92%) | 13 (68%) | 0.004 |
| Positive mental health outcomes, mean (SD) | |||||
| Mental well-being | 50.9 (8.1) | 50.4 (8) | 51.5 (8) | 43.6 (8.5) | < 0.001* |
| Health-related quality of life | 69.4 (15.6) | 67.2 (16) | 71.9 (14.6) | 53.5 (20.5) | < 0.001* |
| Resilience | 3.8 (0.6) | 3.8 (0.6) | 3.8 (0.6) | 3.3 (0.8) | < 0.001* |
| Personal competence | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.2 (0.9) | < 0.001* |
| Social competence | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.8 (0.8) | 3.5 (1) | 0.304 |
| Structured style | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.8) | 3.5 (0.8) | 3 (0.8) | 0.015 |
| Social resources | 4.2 (0.7) | 4.2 (0.7) | 4.1 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.7) | < 0.001* |
| Family cohesion | 4 (0.8) | 4 (0.8) | 4 (0.7) | 3.4 (1.2) | 0.002 |
| School resilience | 3.7 (0.8) | 3.7 (0.7) | 3.6 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.9) | < 0.001* |
| Mental disorder-related outcomes, mean (SD) | |||||
| Perceived stress | 5.7 (2.9) | 6 (2.9) | 5.4 (2.8) | 8.4 (3.4) | < 0.001* |
| Depression symptoms | 6.5 (4.7) | 7 (4.9) | 5.9 (4.4) | 10.9 (7) | < 0.001* |
| Moderate-to-severe, n (%) | 775 (22%) | 443 (25%) | 318 (19%) | 10 (56%) | < 0.001* |
| Anxiety disorder | 5.5 (4.4) | 6.1 (4.6) | 4.8 (4.1) | 9.8 (5.7) | < 0.001* |
| Moderate-to-severe, n (%) | 623 (17%) | 389 (21%) | 222 (13%) | 8 (50%) | < 0.001* |
| Conduct problems | |||||
| Fighting and bullying, n (%) | |||||
| Physical fight (last year) | 1227 (33%) | 361 (19%) | 842 (47%) | 13 (68%) | < 0.001* |
| Bullying (last 2 months) | |||||
| Bullied | 563 (15%) | 239 (13%) | 314 (17%) | 9 (50%) | < 0.001* |
| Cyber-bullied | 346 (9%) | 167 (9%) | 169 (10%) | 6 (32%) | 0.006 |
| Bullying others | 401 (11%) | 149 (8%) | 242 (13%) | 6 (32%) | < 0.001* |
| Cyber-bullying others | 278 (7%) | 117 (6%) | 151 (8%) | 6 (32%) | < 0.001* |
| Substance use (ever), n (%) | |||||
| Smoking tobacco | 194 (5%) | 69 (4%) | 114 (6%) | 6 (32%) | < 0.001* |
| Drinking alcohol | 609 (16%) | 239 (13%) | 355 (20%) | 8 (42%) | < 0.001* |
| Getting drunk | 112 (3%) | 36 (2%) | 69 (4%) | 5 (26%) | < 0.001* |
| Using cannabis | 64 (2%) | 19 (1%) | 39 (2%) | 5 (26%) | < 0.001* |
Categorical data are presented as frequencies and percentages, n (%), and continuous data as means and standard deviation (SD); p value for differences between the three gender categories. *Statistically significant difference (p < 0.050), only considering comparisons between females and males. Percentages of missing values for all variables ranged from 1.2 to 7.6%. Scales: mental well-being (WEMWBS) [16], range 14–70; health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN) [18], range 0–100; resilience (READ) [19], range 1–5; school resilience [20], range 1–5; perceived stress (PSS-4) [21], range 0–16; depression (PHQ-9) [23], cut-off point between moderate and severe, ≥ 10; Anxiety disorder (GAD) [26], cut-off point between moderate and severe, ≥ 10; conduct problems (subscales of HBSC) [27]