Self-Rated Health and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Italy: A Comparison between Data on University Students, Young Workers and Working Students Collected through the 2005 and 2013 National Health Surveys.

Isabella Giulia Franzoi,Antonella Granieri,Angelo D’Errico,Fabrizio D’Ovidio,Giuseppe Costa

doi:10.3390/ijerph18126403

Isabella Giulia Franzoi, Antonella Granieri + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126403

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Abstract

Background. The present study aimed at comparing self-reported physical health and mental health among university students, workers, and working students aged between 19 years and 29 years. Method. Using data from National Health Surveys held in 2005 and 2013, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 18,612 Italian emerging adults grouped into three groups: university students, workers, and working students. The odds ratios of self-reported anxiety or depression, poor general health, and poor mental health and physical health (as assessed through SF-12) were estimated through logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results. Compared with workers, students showed an increased risk of anxiety or depression and a lower risk of poor general health. Students and working students showed an increased risk of reporting weak mental health compared with that in workers, while students displayed a lower risk of poor physical health. Significant differences were not found between the 2005 and 2013 surveys. Conclusions. These results are of considerable importance for psychologists as well as educational and occupation-based institutions for planning prevention programs and clinical interventions.

Highlights

The present study aimed at comparing self-reported physical health and mental health among university students, workers, and working students aged between 19 years and29 years
Significant differences between workers, students, and working students were found for sex, age, economic conditions, year of survey, Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking, sporting activity and Italian geographic region (Table 1)
We found better mental and physical health than that documented in a cross-validation study of SF-12 for an Italian cohort [53], that study involved an older population

Summary

Introduction

The present study aimed at comparing self-reported physical health and mental health among university students, workers, and working students aged between 19 years and29 years. The present study aimed at comparing self-reported physical health and mental health among university students, workers, and working students aged between 19 years and. Using data from National Health Surveys held in 2005 and 2013, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 18,612 Italian emerging adults grouped into three groups: university students, workers, and working students. The odds ratios of self-reported anxiety or depression, poor general health, and poor mental health and physical health (as assessed through SF-12) were estimated through logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Students showed an increased risk of anxiety or depression and a lower risk of poor general health. Students and working students showed an increased risk of reporting weak mental health compared with that in workers, while students displayed a lower risk of poor physical health

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion