Level Of Subjective Health Complaints Research Articles

Subjective health complaints in early adolescence reflect stress: A study among adolescents in Western Sweden

Aims: Mental health problems are common among Swedish adolescents and are sometimes referred to as ‘stress-related’. The overall aim of this study is to do an analysis of subjective health complaints (SHCs) and perceived general stress among adolescents in Sweden, both their prevalence and association, by gender, migration background, family structure and socioeconomic conditions. Methods: Data from the baseline (comprising 2283 adolescents aged 13) of the STudy of Adolescence Resilience and Stress (STARS) study in Västra Götaland in Sweden were used. SHCs were measured by the Psychosomatic Problems Scale (PSP-scale) and self-reported stress was measured by Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Socioeconomic conditions were measured with the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (SSS). Statistical analyses included Student’s t-tests and ANOVAs of means, linear and logistic regression analyses and Pearson’s correlations. Results: Social inequalities in both SHCs and self-reported stress were found; levels were higher among girls, adolescents living with one parent or in families with less favourable socioeconomic conditions. Self-reported stress and SHCs were found to be strongly correlated (r=0.70). Correlations with self-reported stress were stronger for psychological complaints (r=0.71) than for somatic complaints (r=0.52). Correlations did not vary with socioeconomic conditions of the family. Conclusions: SHCs do reflect general stress among adolescents, and it is appropriate to address the complaints as ‘stress-related’. Measures to improve adolescents’ mental health by reducing levels of SHCs should pay special attention to stressors in adolescents’ daily lives and strengthening adolescent’s coping resources and strategies.

The role of perceived loneliness and sociodemographic factors in association with subjective mental and physical health and well-being in Norwegian adolescents.

Adolescence is a particularly salient period for understanding the role of perceived loneliness for subjective health and well-being. This study investigated sociodemographic differences (sex, age, self-reported socio-economic status (SES)) in loneliness and associations between sociodemographic factors, loneliness and self-rated health (SRH), subjective health symptoms, symptoms of depression/anxiety and mental well-being (MWB) in a sample of Norwegian adolescents. The study was based on a cross-sectional sample of 1816 adolescents aged 15-21 years. The participants reported scores on an 11-item scale assessing subjective health complaints (SHC), one item each assessing SRH and loneliness, the 10-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist and the seven-item version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. SES was assessed using perceived family economy and parents' education. Data were analysed with descriptive, comparative and multiple linear regression analyses. The multivariate results showed that boys scored significantly higher on MWB than girls did, whereas girls scored significantly higher on loneliness, depression/anxiety and SHC. Perceptions of poorer family finances were significantly associated with higher levels of SHC and depression/anxiety, lower levels of MWB and more negative SRH. Loneliness showed significant positive associations with depression/anxiety and SHC, and significant negative associations with MWB and SRH. A significant moderation effect of sex by loneliness was found in association with depression/anxiety, with stronger associations for girls. The findings in this study support the significant roles of sex, perceptions of family finances and loneliness in association with adolescent's subjective mental and physical health and well-being, especially mental health.

The influence of age, gender and the FKBP5 genotype on subjective health complaints in the Norwegian working population

ObjectiveIn the present study we examined the potential association between age, gender, the genetic variant FKBP5 rs9470080 and subjective health complaints. MethodsThe data were collected through a three-wave nationally representative survey of 1060 Norwegian employees drawn from the Norwegian Central Employee Register by Statistics Norway. The follow-up period was six months. Subjective health complaints were scored by eight items reflecting; headache, neck pain, mid- and low back pain, stomach cramps or intestinal discomfort, problems with sleep onset or maintenance and early morning awakening. Genotyping with regard to FKBP5 rs9470080, previously linked to cortisol sensitivity, was carried out using Taqman assay. ResultsThe baseline data showed that in women, levels of subjective health complaints were highest among those above 50 years of age. Moreover, in women the rs9470080 CC variant at baseline was associated with higher levels of subjective health complaints. However, the effect size was not large, and no relationships were demonstrated between age or genotype and subjective health complaints in men. Also, the study variables were not related to any changes in the levels of subjective health complaints during the follow-up period. ConclusionWe conclude that our biology such as age and sex, but also single genetic variants found in non-sex chromosomes, may be important in understanding the mechanisms underlying subjective health complaints in the general working population.

Symptom load and general function among patients with erythema migrans: a prospective study with a 1-year follow-up after antibiotic treatment in Norwegian general practice

Objective: Promptly treated erythema migrans (EM) has good prognosis. However, some patients report persistent symptoms. Do patients with EM have more symptoms than the general population? We describe individual symptoms and general function in EM-patients at time of diagnosis and one year after treatment.Design: Prospective study with 1-year follow up after treatment. Questionnaires included a modified version of the Subjective Health Complaints Inventory, comprising three additional Lyme borreliosis (LB) related symptoms. General function was assessed using a five-point scale modified from the COOP/WONCA charts.Setting: Norwegian general practice.Subjects: A total of 188 patients were included in a randomized controlled trial comparing three antibiotic regimens for EM, of whom 139 had complete data for this study.Main outcome measures: Individual symptoms, symptom load and general function.Results: Mild symptoms were common, reported by 84.9% at baseline and by 85.6% at follow-up. At baseline, patients reported a mean of 5.4 symptoms, compared with 6.2 after one year. Severely bothersome symptoms and severely impaired general function were rare. Tiredness was the most reported symptom both at baseline and at follow-up. Palsy (other than facial) was the least reported symptom, but the only one with a significant increase. However, this was not associated to the EM.Conclusion: The symptom load was comparable to that reported in the general population. We found an increase in symptom load at follow-up that did not significantly affect general function.Implication: Monitoring patients’ symptom loads prior to treatment reduce the probability of attributing follow-up symptoms to LB.Key pointsErythema migrans has a good prognosis.Patients treated for erythema migrans have a slight increase in symptom load one year after treatment.This increase does not affect general function.The levels of subjective health complaints in patients treated for erythema migrans are comparable to the background population.

Associations between long commutes and subjective health complaints among railway workers in Norway.

Commuting is an important aspect of daily life for many employees, but there is little knowledge of how this affects individual commuters' health and well-being. The authors investigated the relationship between commuting and subjective health complaints, using data from a web-based questionnaire. In a sample of 2126 railway employees, 644 (30.3%) had long commute times. A 29-item inventory was used to measure the number and degree of the subjective health complaints. Those who commuted 60 min or more each way were characterized by significantly higher numbers and degrees of subjective health complaints compared with their peers with short commutes. The mean number of complaints was 7.5 among the former group and 6.4 for the latter group (p = 0.009). In a regression model, in which the authors controlled for age, gender, education, self-rated health, and coping, the employees with long commutes reported more complaints than those with short commutes. Significant associations were found between those with long commutes and the number and degree of incidences of self-reported musculoskeletal pain, pseudo-neurologic complaints, and gastrointestinal problems. Commuters who had had long commutes for more than 10 years reported more gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal complaints than those with long commutes for less than 2 years. Also, commuters with long commutes spent less time with their families and leisure activities compared with those with short commutes. The authors conclude that the association between long commute times and higher levels of subjective health complaints should attract the attention of transport planners, employers, and public health policymaker.

Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Adverse Health Impacts among Medical Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Internationally, there is growing concern about the adverse health effects of mobile phone use by young people. Aim: To determine the pattern of mobile phone use among medical students and determine the potential association between degree of use and self-reported health impacts. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 472 medical students in King Abdulaziz Original Research Article Hegazy et al.; BJMMR, 15(1): 1-11, 2016; Article no.BJMMR.24339 2 University. Self-administered specially designed questionnaire was used to collect data regarding the following: Socio-demographic characteristics, pattern of phone use and self-reported health complaints. Results: The students’ median duration of mobile phone use was 330 min/day and was significantly higher in females (P= 0.04). A positive significant correlation was observed between the health complaints score and the average daily duration of use (r =0.139, P=0.002). Adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that heavy mobile use was significantly associated with self-reported sleep disturbances, headache (AOR=4.76), fatigue (AOR=4.67), depression (AOR=2.63), nervousness (AOR=1.64), musculoskeletal pain (AOR=2.14) and visual problems (AOR=2.40). Conclusion: mobile phone use occupies a significant part in the daily life of medical students. The heavy use of mobile phone in calling and non-calling activities was associated with a high level of subjective health complaints with dose dependent pattern. After controlling for other important predictors, heavy mobile use was associated with sleep disturbances, headache, depression, nervousness, eye and musculoskeletal problems. Excessive use of mobile phones should be avoided and social awareness increased through health education activities. In addition, employing a speaker-phone device for longer daily use and recommended parental procedures are taken to prevent young people being woken by their mobile phones.

Subjective health complaints in adolescent victims of cyber harassment: moderation through support from parents/friends- a Swedish population-based study.

BackgroundVictimization in cyberspace has emerged as a new public health issue among the young. The main purpose of this study was to analyze associations between cyber victimization defined as cyber harassment (CH) (a somewhat broader concept than cyberbullying) and subjective health complaints (SHC), to study whether these associations were modified by parental/friend support (measured as communication), and to explore the influence of traditional bullying victimization (TBV) on the association between CH and SHC.MethodsThe study population consisted of 8544 students in 9th grade (around 15 years old) who participated in the 2012 Scania public health survey of children and adolescents. The survey was a cross-sectional total-population study conducted in school, with a response rate of 83 %.Main and interaction (stress-buffering) effects of social support on the relationship between CH and SCH were investigated by hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses, adjusted for potential confounders, including TBV.ResultsThe past-year prevalence of CH (once or several times) was 14 % among boys and 20 % among girls. Having been cyber harassed once or several times during the past year was associated with higher levels of SHC, controlling for age, parental occupation, parental origin, daily smoking, intense alcohol consumption, and disability. Among both boys and girls, the associations were stronger for CH occurring several times than for CH occurring only once. Main effects of parental/friend support were seen for both boys and girls, while stress-buffering effects were indicated for boys only. Additional analysis further adjusting for TBV did not change the associations substantially, indicating that CH has an effect of its own on SHC.ConclusionIntervention programs aimed at improving the quality of peer and family relationships among children and adolescents might reduce the incidence of both cyber harassment and traditional bullying and lower the prevalence of psychosomatic complaints.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2239-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functioning, coping and work status three years after participating in an interdisciplinary, occupational rehabilitation program

The aim of this study was to explore how functional ability, coping and health were related to work and benefit status three years after participating in a four-week inpatient interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation program. The cohort consisted of 338 individuals (75% females, mean age 51 years (SD=8.6)) who three years earlier had participated in a comprehensive inpatient interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation program, due to long-term sick leave. The participants answered standardised questionnaires about subjective health complaints, functional ability, coping, and current work and benefit status. The relationships between these variables were analysed using logistic regression analyses. At the time of the survey, 59% of the participants worked at least 50% of a full working day. Twenty-five percent received at least 50% disability pension and 16% received other benefits. Poor functional ability (OR 4.8; CI 3.0-7.6), poor general health (OR 3.8; CI 2.3-6.1), high level of subjective health complaints (OR 3.3; CI 2.1-5.2), low coping (OR 2.8; CI 1.7-4.4), poor physical fitness (OR 2.8; CI 1.7-4.6) and poor sleep quality (OR 2.4; CI 1.5-3.7) were associated with receiving allowances. In a fully adjusted model, only poor functional ability and low coping were associated with receiving allowances three years after occupational rehabilitation. Functional ability and coping were the variables most strongly associated with not having returned to work. More attention should therefore be paid to enhance these factors in occupational rehabilitation programs. Part-time work may be a feasible way to integrate individuals with reduced workability in working life, if the alternative is complete absence from work.

Selected family characteristics are associated with adolescents' subjective health complaints

This national study of schoolchildren in Greece investigated the association between adolescents' subjective health complaints (SHC) and a number of family characteristics. Questionnaires were completed by a random, school-based sample of children from 12 to 18 years of age, and one of their parents (76.6% mothers), in 2003. Data from 1041 adolescent-parent pairs were analysed. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the associations between the adolescent's SHC and the following characteristics: parent's marital status, parent's physical and mental health status, parent's worries about their child's SHC, the parent-child relationship, family cohesion, family socio-economic status and the adolescent's sex and age. The analysis showed that the adolescents' SHC were independently and significantly correlated with poor parental subjective mental health status, poor quality parent-child relationships and parental worry. There were also associations between levels of SHC and female and older adolescents. Certain family features can be seen as potential contributing factors to SHC in adolescence and should therefore constitute complementary targets for prevention and treatment planning.

Modern Health Worries, Subjective Health Complaints, Health Care Utilization, and Sick Leave in the Norwegian Working Population

Modern health worries (concerns about aspects of modern life affecting health) heve been associated with subjective health complaints and health care utilization. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between modern health worries (MHW) and subjective health complaints (SHC), health care utilization, and sick leave related to such complaints in the Norwegian working population. A sample of the Norwegian working population (N = 569) answered a questionnaire which included the Subjective Health Complaints Inventory and a Norwegian version of the Modern Health Worries Scale. Ninety-one percent of the participants reported at least one complaint in the past 30 days, and 96 % of the participants reported concerns for at least one of the items in the MHW scale. Women reported significantly more and more severe complaints compared to men and significantly more concern about aspects of modern life affecting health. Participants who reported a high level of MHW showed nearly twice the risk of reporting a high level of SHC (odds ratio (OR) = 1.83; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.30-2.71; p = 0.001), and they showed twice the risk for self-certified sick leave related to SHC (OR = 2.04; 95 % CI = 1.01-3.92; p = 0.048). High levels of MHW showed no significant association with health care utilization or doctor-certified sick leave. Subjective health complaints and concerns about aspects of modern life affecting health are very common, even among healthy workers. Women have more complaints and more concerns compared to men. Within the health care system, it may be advantageous to pay close attention to the association between high levels of MHW and high levels of SHC.

The association between stress, sense of coherence and subjective health complaints in adolescents: sense of coherence as a potential moderator

AbstractThe present study investigated the association between domain‐specific stress, sense of coherence (SOC) and subjective health complaints (SHC), as well as the possible moderation effect of SOC on the relationship between stress and SHC. The study is based on responses from 1183 adolescents 13–18 years old. The initial results showed that girls scored higher than boys on all stress domains and on SHC. Conversely, boys reported stronger SOC. Results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed a significant association between increasing stress related to each of the stress domains of peer pressure, home life, school attendance, as well as to a higher level of SHC. SOC was inversely related to SHC. However, no moderation effect of SOC was found. The findings in the present study thus show that stress and SOC are separately associated with SHC. The results support the importance of improving coping efficacy with stress during adolescence. The results also give some preliminary support for the view that promoting salutogenic factors has positive implications in relation to subjective health in adolescents. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Subjective health complaints in relation to sickness absence

The Dutch population is healthy in terms of living and working conditions, but the levels of subjective health complaints (SHC) and sickness absence are high in the Dutch workforce. Are SHC related to sickness absence? The study population included the personnel of four companies: a library (n= 185), an administrative office (n=114), a cheese factory (n=201) and a company producing metal constructions (n=65). The employees received the Basic Occupational Health Questionnaire including 22 common SHC. For each employee, the number and type of SHC but not their intensity was linked to the number of sickness absence episodes between January 2003 and December 2004. The questionnaires of 409 employees (72%) were suitable for statistical analysis. The prevalence of SHC in the study population was 78% between January and June 2003. Employees who reported > or = 5 SHC had higher rates of both short (1-7 days) and medium (8-42 days) sickness absence episodes. Long (> 42 days) episodes were strongly related to SHC amounting to a rate ratio (RR) of 4.2 with a 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7 to 10.4 in workers reporting multiple SHC relative to those without complaints. Fatigue was associated with medium duration sickness absence (RR=1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.2) and musculoskeletal complaints, particularly low back pain (RR= 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.8), with long episodes. The number of SHC was related to sickness absence. The 20% of participants reporting most SHC were responsible for about 40% of work days lost in the two-year period of study.

Subjective Health Complaints, Stress, and Coping in Orchestra Musicians

The job of an orchestra musician is characterized by high demands and low control, which is a combination known to predispose to ill health. Research also indicates that musicians have high levels of subjective health complaints, complaints with limited or no objective findings. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between subjective health complaints, stress, and coping in musicians. Thirty-five musicians in the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra filled in questionnaires about work, subjective health complaints, and coping. Saliva samples were collected to measure cortisol levels. The levels of subjective health complaints compared well with normative data from a representative sample of Norwegians, except for an unusually high level of “pseudoneurological” complaints (fatigue, mood changes). High levels of cortisol were positively related to the total number of subjective health complaints, gastrointestinal complaints, and “pseudoneurology” but not to musculoskeletal complaints. A high level of “emotion-focused coping” was associated with higher cortisol levels. Samples obtained during a concert showed a moderate but significant rise in cortisol levels.

Subjective health complaints and health related quality of life in a population of health care workers

The aim of this study was to assess whether Subjective Health Complaints (SHC), demands and coping are associated with health-related quality of life in a population of health care workers. One hundred and nineteen employees in two nursing homes for the elderly filled in a questionnaire on health, exercise, psychological factors, and work conditions. Main outcome measures were SHC and quality of life measured by SF-36. High level of SHC was associated to low health-related quality of life. Low coping and high demands were related to low scores (low quality of life), and high coping and low demands to high scores on mental health. Pseudoneurological complaints (e.g. tiredness, sadness), high demands and low coping were associated with low mental health. The expected negative association between SHC and health-related quality of life was found. There was a positive association between coping and quality of life.

Physical exercise in women with intractable epilepsy.

Fifteen women with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy were given physical exercise (aerobic dancing with strength training and stretching) for 60 min, twice weekly, for 15 weeks. Seizure frequency was recorded by the patients for 3-7 months before the intervention, during the intervention period, and for 3 months after the intervention. Medication and other known seizure-influencing factors were kept as constant as possible. Self-reported seizure frequency was significantly reduced during the intervention period. The exercise also led to reduced level of subjective health complaints, such as muscle pains, sleep problems, and fatigue. The exercise reduced plasma cholesterol ratio and increased maximum O2 uptake. Because most of the patients were unable to continue the exercise on their own after the intervention period, the exercise effects were not maintained during the follow-up period. The patients were not unwilling to continue the exercise, but it was not sufficient to offer them the possibility of continuing similar types of exercise. We believe that 15 weeks is too short a time to establish a life-style change and that continued physical exercise for these patients requires a well-organized and supportive program, requiring experienced and dedicated instructors.

Health, job stress and psychological defense in physically active and inactive subjects

The relationships between levels of physical activity and self‐reports of health complaints, job stress and psychological defense were investigated in a broad screening on clerical workers in an insurance company (n= 171). The workers were divided into 4 groups, based on self‐reports of self‐administered leisure physical activity or sports. The highly physically active group (n= 43) had 3 or more sessions of at least 45 min regular physical exercise per week. The moderately active group (n= 31) had 1–2 sessions, the seldom active group (n= 31) less than 1 session per week and the totally inactive group (n= 66). The moderately active subjects reported significantly lower levels of subjective health complaints, including anxiety and depression, and higher job satisfaction than the seldom active and inactive subjects. There did not seem to be any additional benefits related to subjectively reported health or job stress in the group having 3 or more exercise sessions per week. The activity groups also differed with regard to psychological defense mechanisms. The highly active group showed more compensation than less active groups, and the inactive had more projection than the other groups. Projection was related to subjective health complaints.