Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of and investigate the association between mental health problems, asthma, allergy and eczema in Norwegian and immigrant youths. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed of all 10th-grade students in Oslo, Norway, in two school years; 1999—2000 and 2000—2001. Of the 8316 eligible students, 7345 (88.3%) participated. Internalized mental problems were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Check List 10-version, and two subscales of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to study externalizing mental health problems. All questions are based on self-report, and 25% of the sample had an immigrant background. Results: Immigrant boys had higher scores on internalizing problems than Norwegian boys. First-generation immigrants reported less asthma and eczema than Norwegians. The strongest association between mental health problems and inflammatory conditions was for allergy and internalizing problems for boys (odds ratio (OR)=2.5 for immigrants and OR=1.8 for Norwegians). For girls, it was allergy in Norwegians (OR=1.6) and asthma for immigrants (OR=2.2). For externalizing problems, the association was strongest for asthma in boys and eczema in girls. Immigrant boys had stronger associations between number of inflammatory conditions and internalizing mental health problems than Norwegians (OR=3.2 vs. OR=2.4). Among girls, the figures were 1.7 for Norwegians and 1.8 for immigrants. Conclusions: There is a strong association between number of inflammatory conditions and internalizing mental health problems, especially among boys with an immigrant background. The association with externalizing mental health problems was less prominent. © 2008, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

Immigrant Mental health Adolescent Eczema Asthma Allergy

rating scale immigrant Norway Hopkins Symptom Checklist 10 mental health human risk assessment Self Report inflammatory disease Cohort Studies priority journal Family Characteristics Hypersensitivity Mental Disorders Cross-Sectional Studies mental disease Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants asthma female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor internalization eczema questionnaire Article allergy Adolescent Behavior Questionnaires major clinical study Sex Factors Strength and Difficulties questionnaire disease association