School Satisfaction and School Pressure in the WHO European Region and North America: An Analysis of Time Trends (2002–2018) and Patterns of Co-occurrence in 32 Countries

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the trends between 2002 and 2018 in school pressure and school satisfaction among 15-year-old students, across countries and by gender, in the WHO European region and North America, and explore whether there are variations between countries and by gender in the co-occurrence of school pressure and school satisfaction. Methods: Data from the 32 countries that participated in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) study between 2002 and 2018 were used. Statistical analyses included ttests, binary logistic regression analyses, and chi-square tests, as required by each of the study aims.Results: School satisfaction tended to increase over the period 2002e2018 among boys, whereas school pressure increased among girls. Also, gender differences tended to dissipate in school satisfaction and generally increase in school pressure. The co-occurrence of school satisfaction and school pressure in 2017/2018 shows that the majority of students are found in the "not pressured enot highly satisfied" and "pressuredenot highly satisfied" groups. There were more boys in the former group and more girls in the latter group. Conclusion: Few students in the 32 countries belonged to the "not pressuredehighly satisfied" group, which from a public health perspective may be seen as the most desirable group. The IMPLICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONThis study revealed two predominant trends: school satisfaction tended to increase among boys, and school pressure increased among girls. Few students belonged to the "not pressured-highly satisfied" group in 2017/ 18. There was variability across countries, but no clear patterns associated to geographical location or differences in educational systems were apparent. Conflicts of interest:The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose. There are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information. Disclosure: This supplement was supported by the World Health Organization European Office and the University of Glasgow. The articles have been peer-reviewed and edited by the editorial staff of the Journal of Adolescent Health. The opinions or views expressed in this supplement are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the funder.

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