Staff reports of psychosocial climate at school and adolescents' health, truancy and health education in Finland

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial climate at school reported by school personnel may be related to pupils' reports of being heard at school, depression, physical and psychological symptoms, truancy and received health education. METHODS: Cross-sectional study combining data from two independent surveys conducted between 2004 and 2005 in 136 public schools in Finland. The pupil sample comprised 11 583 boys and 12 706 girls from the eighth and ninth grades of lower secondary school and first and second grades of upper secondary school. A personnel survey (n = 1946) was used to measure psychosocial climate indexed by trust and opportunity for participation, support for innovation, orientation towards high-quality work and accepted and clear goals. RESULTS: After adjustment for individual and school-level covariates, multilevel analyses revealed odds for pupils' opinion of not being heard were higher in schools where personnel reported poor trust and opportunity for participation (OR = 1.33) and low support for innovation (OR = 1.37). Poor trust and opportunity for participation and unclear work goals among staff were associated with high truancy among pupils (ORs = 1.54 and 1.39). Poor trust and opportunity for participation among staff were also related to pupils' depression [cumulative odds ratio (COR = 1.14)], and physical and psychological symptoms (COR = 1.17). Unclear goals among staff were associated with pupils' opinions that health education was insufficient (OR = 1.40). CONCLUSIONS: school climate is associated with adolescents' health, wellbeing and received health education.