Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to examine to what extent observed gender differences in mental health are associated with the protective factors social support, sense of coherence and participation in regular physical activity and more generally, engagement in organized or unorganized activity with other people.MethodsThis study was based upon a cross-sectional regional health survey in Norway, conducted during the winter of 2015–2016, in three southern counties; Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder and Vestfold. The study focused on young adults, comparing three age groups; 18–24 years old (n = 624), 25–31 (n = 582), and 32–38 years old (n = 795).ResultsSense of coherence was strongly associated with low mental distress in all age groups and for both genders, while the association between low social support and mental distress was significant for young women only. Regular physical activity was not positively associated with low mental distress when sense of coherence and social support were included in the analysis.ConclusionSocial support appears to have a stronger role as a protective factor for mental distress among young women, compared to young men and older persons. This has implications for health promoting activities that target young women. Sense of coherence showed a strong association with low mental distress scores for all ages studied.
Highlights
The aim of the present study was to examine to what extent observed gender differences in mental health are associated with the protective factors social support, sense of coherence and participation in regular physical activity and more generally, engagement in organized or unorganized activity with other people
Low social support was highest for women in the youngest age group, at 26.5%
This study found a notable stronger association between mental distress and social support in regression models for young women compared to young men
Summary
The aim of the present study was to examine to what extent observed gender differences in mental health are associated with the protective factors social support, sense of coherence and participation in regular physical activity and more generally, engagement in organized or unorganized activity with other people. Several European studies conducted in recent years have found high and increasing prevalence of symptoms of mental distress in young people, in particular among young women [1,2,3], with levels in the 25–40% range among young women, and 15–30% range among young men [4,5,6]. A large study from Norway in 2019 showed a prevalence of symptoms of mental distress of 33%. A large study among adolescents 15– 19 years shows that among boys the level of high symptoms of mental distress was stable at 6% in the years 2011–2016, while among girls high symptoms of mental distress was 15.9% in 2011 and increased to 19.7% in 2016 [8]
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