Ida Marie Opdal

• Opdal, Ida Marie; Bonsaksen, Tore; Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Steigen, Anne Mari & Stea, Tonje Holte (2026). Screen socialising and depressive symptoms among Norwegian adolescents and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. p. 1–8. doi: 10.1177/14034948261459775. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aims: This study aimed to assess associations between online gaming with others, online socialising and depressive symptoms among adolescents, and whether these associations changed before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2018, 2021 and 2023). Methods: Cross-sectional data among Norwegian adolescents aged 13–19 years in 2018, 2021 and 2023, comprising a total sample of 83,453 adolescents (Oslo: n=69,164; Møre og Romsdal: n=14,289), were used in the analyses. Multivariable binary logistic regression models, stratified by sex, were used to examine associations between online gaming with others, online socialising and depressive symptoms separately for each study year. The models were adjusted for school level, having trusted friends and perceived family economy. Results: Among girls, the results showed slightly higher odds of depressive symptoms during the pandemic than before the pandemic (odds ratio (OR)=1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–1.2). Frequent online gaming with others and online socialising were associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms among boys (OR=1.2; 95% CI 1.1–1.4 and OR=1.5; 95% CI 1.3–1.6) and girls (OR=1.8; 95% CI 1.6–2.0 and OR=1.7; 95% CI 1.5–1.8). Among girls, weekly online gaming with others was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms in 2021 (OR=1.4; 95% CI 1.2–1.6). Among boys with no online socialising, frequent online gaming with others was associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms (OR=1.8; 95% CI 1.3–2.3). Conclusions: Frequent online gaming with others and online socialising were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms among both boys and girls, with stronger associations observed among girls, particularly during the pandemic.

• Rognmo, Kamilla; Opdal, Ida Marie; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Horsch, Alexander; Lillevoll, Kjersti & Furberg, Anne-Sofie [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). The relationship between self-reported and device-based measurements of physical activity and mental distress among adolescents: results from the fit futures study. BMC Public Health. 25. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-23902-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The potential for physical activity to prevent or alleviate mental distress among adolescents is unclear, partially due to a lack of studies using objective measurements of physical activity. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between self-reported and device-based measurements of physical activity and mental distress among adolescents. A second aim is to explore the degree to which the relationship differs according to physical activity measurement method. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Norwegian population-based Fit Futures study in 2010-11 and 2012-13 were used. Mean age of the participants was 16.2 years at baseline. Physical activity was measured by self-report and by accelerometer. Mental distress was self-reported. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze the association between physical activity and mental distress, adjusted by demographic, health and life-style variables and peer acceptance. Using cross-sectional data, self-reported physical activity and objectively measured minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity were negatively associated with mental distress, up until inclusion of peer acceptance as a covariate in the fully adjusted model. After adjusting for peer acceptance, all but three effects were non-significant. Neither self-reported nor objectively measured physical activity at baseline was significantly related to mental distress at follow-up, after adjusting for baseline mental distress. Cross-sectionally, both self-reported and objectively measured moderate to vigorous physical activity were significantly related to lower mental distress, but adjusting for peer acceptance rendered the associations mainly non-significant. This finding highlights the important role played by social factors among adolescents, possibly impacting both depressive symptoms and physical activity levels. Physical activity at baseline was not related to mental distress at follow-up, adjusted for baseline mental distress, neither for device-based nor self-reported physical activity.

• Lorem, Geir F; Opdal, Ida Marie; Wilsgaard, Tom; Schirmer, Henrik; Løchen, Maja-Lisa & Olsen, Ingrid Petrikke [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Assessment of mental health trajectories before and after myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation or stroke: analysis of a cohort study in Tromsø, Norway (Tromsø Study, 1994-2016). BMJ Open. 12(4). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052948. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives - The increased survival rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) implies a higher proportion of individuals who live with CVD. Using data from the Tromsø Study, we aimed to investigate mental health symptom trajectories before and after myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation or stroke in a general population and to explore factors that contribute to the association.<p> <p>Design - Cohort study.<p> <p>Setting - Sample drawn from inhabitants of the municipality of Tromsø, Norway, who participated in the Tromsø Study (1994–2016).<p> <p>Participants - A total of 18 719 participants (52.3% women) were included, and of these 2098 (32.9% women) were diagnosed with myocardial infarction, 1896 (41.9% women) with atrial fibrillation and 1263 (42.9% women) with stroke.<p> <p>Primary outcome measures - Mental health symptoms were assessed using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 and the Conor Mental Health Index.<p> <p>Results - The participants who were diagnosed with either myocardial infarction or stroke had a significant monotonous increase in mental health symptoms before myocardial infarction (p=0.029) and stroke (p=0.029) that intensified at the time of diagnosis. After the event, the study found a higher prevalence of mental health symptoms with a decline in symptom levels over time for myocardial infarction (p<0.001) and stroke (p=0.004), but not for atrial fibrillation (before: p=0.180, after: p=0.410). The risk of elevated mental health symptoms with myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and stroke was associated with sex (p<0.001), age (p<0.01), physical activity (p<0.001), diabetes (p<0.05) and other comorbidities (p<0.001).<p> <p>Conclusion - The study indicates that mental health problems among individuals with myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and stroke may have started to develop several years before the cardiovascular event and suggests that successful CVD rehabilitation may need to consider previous life factors. Future research is recommended to examine whether health promotion measures in a general population also create mental health resilience after a CVD event.

• Opdal, Ida Marie; Larsen, Lill Sverresdatter; Hopstock, Laila Arnesdatter; Schirmer, Henrik & Lorem, Geir F (2020). A prospective study on the effect of selfreported health and leisure time physical activity on mortality among an ageing population: results from the Tromsø study. BMC Public Health. 20:575, p. 1–15. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08681-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  <i>Background</i> - The prevailing Western ideal of ageing in place, with the option to stay at home as one ages, has led to the development of physical activity guidelines for people of advanced age to increase their quality of life and promote their functional abilities. This study investigates the effect of self-reported health and physical activity on mortality and examines how levels of age-specific physical activity affect self-reported health trajectories in an ageing cohort.<p><p> <i>Methods</i> - The sample cohort of the population-based Tromsø Study consists of 24,309 participants aged 25–97 years at baseline. This study involved a survival analysis from 1994 to 2015 and included those who completed two or more surveys (<i>n</i> = 12,241) between 1994 and 2008. The purpose was to examine the relationship between physical activity and self-reported health throughout life using a random coefficient model analysis.<p><p> <i>Results</i> - Being sedentary was associated with an increased risk of mortality in the ageing cohort. Subjects who reported neither light physical activity nor hard physical activity had a 57% (OR 1.57, 1.07–2.31) increased risk of all-cause death. Both hard (OR 2.77, 2.35–3.26) and light (OR 1.52, 1.32–1.76) physical activity were positively associated with self-reported health. The effect was age dependent. Vigorous physical activity was most beneficial for individuals younger than 40 years old, while moderate physical activity levels prolonged the period in which good self-reported health was likely.<p><p> Conclusions Poor self-reported health and being sedentary were independently associated with an increased risk of mortality in the participants. Furthermore, physical activity prolonged the period of good self-reported health among older adults in two ways: physical activity habits from early adulthood and onwards were beneficial to self-reported health at an advanced age, and self-reported health was dependent on engagement in moderate intensity physical activity after approximately 65 years of age.

• Opdal, Ida Marie; Morseth, Bente; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Lillevoll, Kjersti; Nilsen, Wendy & Nielsen, Christopher Sivert [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). Is change in mental distress among adolescents predicted by sedentary behavior or screen time? Results from the longitudinal population study The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures. BMJ Open. 10(2). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035549. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  <i>Objective</i> - There is growing interest in the relationship between sedentary behaviour and mental distress among adolescents, but the majority of studies to date have relied on self-reported measures with poor validity. Consequently, current knowledge may be affected by various biases. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between (1) objectively measured sedentary time and (2) self-reported screen time with mental distress among adolescents participating in The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures, in order to see if the association is dependent on mode of measurement of sedentary behaviour.<p><p> <i>Design</i> - Prospective study.<p><p> <i>Setting</i> - Sample drawn from upper secondary school students (mean age 16.3 years at baseline) from two municipalities in Northern Norway participating in The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures 1 and 2.<p><p> <i>Participants</i> - 686 adolescents (54.5% female), with complete self-reported and accelerometer data after multiple imputation.<p><p> <i>Primary outcome measures</i> - Mental distress assessed via the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 (HSCL-10).<p><p> <i>Results</i> - Minutes in sedentary behaviour measured by accelerometer showed no significant relationship with mental distress in neither crude, partly adjusted nor multiple adjusted hierarchic linear regression analyses. Self-reported screen time was positively associated with mental distress in all analyses (multiple adjusted, B=0.038, p=0.008, 95% CI 0.010 to 0.066). However, the effect was small.<p><p> <i>Conclusions</i> - Self-reported screen time was associated with slightly elevated mental distress 2 years later, whereas objectively measured minutes in sedentary behaviour was not, indicating a discrepancy in the results depending on measurement methods.

• Opdal, Ida Marie; Morseth, Bente; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Lillevoll, Kjersti; Ask, Helga & Nielsen, Christopher Sivert [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Change in physical activity is not associated with change in mental distress among adolescents: The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures. BMC Public Health. 19:916. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7271-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  <i>Background</i>: Previous research shows that physical activity has a protective effect on mental distress in adults, but the relationship is less researched and seems more ambiguous for adolescents. Studies in this field have typically been cross-sectional by design and based on self-reported physical activity measures, which are known to be vulnerable to response bias. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between change in objectively assessed physical activity as measured by accelerometer and change in mental distress among adolescents using longitudinal data from The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures.<p> <p><i>Method</i>: This study was based on data from 676 upper-secondary school students (mean age 16.23 years at baseline, 45.26% boys) from The Tromsø Study: Fit Futures. Physical activity, mental distress and covariates were measured at baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2) 2 years later. Physical activity was objectively measured with an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer over 7 days. Mental distress was measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 (HSCL-10). Change score variables were computed as the difference between T1 and T2 in number of steps, number of minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and mental distress between T1 and T2, and analyzed using linear regression analysis.<p> <p><i>Results</i>: Changes in steps per day were not associated with changes in mental distress in neither the crude, partially, nor fully adjusted model. Neither was changes in minutes of MVPA per day. Interaction effects between change in both steps per day and minutes of MVPA and gender were also not statistically significant, nor was the interaction effects between baseline levels of mental distress and physical activity.<p> <p><i>Conclusion</i>: The results of our study indicate that for adolescents in the sample, change in physical activity is unrelated to change in mental distress over a two-year period.<p>

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• Steigen, Anne Mari; Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Stea, Tonje Holte; Opdal, Ida Marie & Bonsaksen, Tore (2025). In-person and online socialization among Norwegian adolescents in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Full text in Research Archive
• Opdal, Ida Marie; Larsen, Lill Sverresdatter; Hopstock, Laila Arnesdatter; Schirmer, Henrik & Lorem, Geir F (2021). Correction to: A prospective study on the effect of self-reported health and leisure time physical activity on mortality among an ageing population: results from the Tromsø study. BMC Public Health. 21. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10840-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Rognmo, Kamilla & Opdal, Ida Marie (2017). Change in physical activity is not associated with change in mental distress among adolescents: The Tromsø study: Fit Futures. Full text in Research Archive

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