Participation in Bullying and Associated Health Characteristics, Risk Factors and Leisure Activities

A Profile of School-Age Children in Serbia

Bibliographic Data

ID15469887
AuthorsMilena M Santric-Milicevic (0000-0002-0684-359X, University of Belgrade), Aleksandar Stevanović (0000-0003-1091-3340, University of Belgrade), Nevena Popovac (University of Belgrade), Filip Milanović (0000-0002-4530-998X, University Children's Hospital, Belgrade), Suncica Dedovic (IQVIA, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia), Marija Zdravković (0000-0003-4059-0263, University of Belgrade), Nenad Bjelica (Primary Health Care Centre “Dr Simo Milosevic”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia), Ratko Tomašević (0000-0002-9691-3167, University of Belgrade), Jovana Todorović (0000-0001-9741-6317, University of Belgrade), Zorica Terzić-Šupić (0000-0002-9878-8021, University of Belgrade), Biljana Obradovic-Tomasevic (Zemun Hospital), Vladimir Milovanovic (0000-0001-9415-0314, University of Belgrade), Natasa Radosavljevic (0000-0001-6454-390X, State University of Novi Pazar), Dejan Nikolic (0009-0007-8233-9647, University of Belgrade, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume19
Issue15
Pages9159-9159
Publication date2022-07-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph19159159
PMID35954513
OpenAlexW4288067908
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited35

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and association of school-age children's participation in bullying, focusing on their health characteristics, risk factors, and leisure activities. We performed a secondary analysis of the original data of the 2017 HBSC study to examine participation in bullying once and multiple times among school-age children in Serbia. For this purpose, a nationally representative sample of 3267 children from 64 primary and high schools in the Republic of Serbia was evaluated. The outcome variable of interest in our study was participation in bullying. Further groups of individual variables such as health characteristics, risk factors, and leisure activities were assessed. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that children who felt everyday stomach pain, irritability or bad mood, and nervousness were more likely to participate in bullying at least once compared with those who rarely or never had such symptoms by 1.46, 1.58, and 1.58 times, respectively. School-age children who reported being drunk two to three times, and four or more times in life were more likely to participate in bullying than those who reported never being drunk by 1.53 and 1.74 times, respectively. Children who reported to watch TV or other media for five or more hours per day were 2.34 times more likely to be involved in bullying at least once. Multiple regression analysis showed that students with daily stomach pain, back pain, nervousness, and dizziness were more likely to be involved in multiple bullying by 1.16, 1.62, 1.82, and 1.70 times, respectively. Students who had nightly meetings or reported being drunk four or more times in the last 30 days were more likely to be involved in multiple bullying by 2.54 and 3.47, respectively. Students who reported playing games five or more times per day were 2.70 times more likely to be involved in this multiple bullying. This study highlights the importance of professional and family education programmes for early identification of specific health symptoms in the pediatric population, as well as integration with interventions aimed at reducing alcohol abuse among school-age children

Environmental health · Injury prevention · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Suicide prevention · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Child Development and Digital Technology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support · Gerontology

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