Project description:BackgroundData on adolescents' physical activity and determinants are scarce in Nepal. In this study, we aim to assess the level of physical activity, its correlates and the sedentary behavior of high school students in an urban district of Nepal.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. Participants were selected using two-stage cluster sampling technique. We used Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) to collect information regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior. We also collected information about socio-demographic, academic, environmental and lifestyle-related factors. Data from 945 high school students from 23 randomly selected schools were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of low physical activity separately for male and female students.ResultsBased on GPAQ classification, one out of five respondents reported low physical activity. The prevalence of low physical activity was 8% for males and 31% for females. About 31% of the adolescents and 14% of young adults did not meet the WHO recommendations of physical activity. Forty-seven percent of the total physical activity was borne by recreational activities. Correlates of low physical activity included school type and mode of transport among females, family support and drinking among males, and playground/park around home among both.ConclusionsThe prevalence estimate of low physical activity among adolescents is high, with higher odds among females. Several different factors are associated with physical activity among males and females, therefore, interventions to promote physical activity in school may need to weigh these factors prior to/during implementation.
Project description:ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of cyberbullying and its association with depression, anxiety and stress among female adolescents attending higher secondary schools in Deumai Municipality, Nepal.DesignCross-sectional survey study.SettingThe survey was conducted at all available higher secondary schools of Deumai Municipality, Ilam District, Nepal, from February to April 2022.ParticipantsA total of 501 female adolescents enrolled in grades 11 and 12 were included in the study. All eligible participants available on the day of data collection were approached until the calculated sample size was reached.Outcome measuresThe study assessed the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation, along with the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress and their associated factors. The level of psychological distress was explored using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Pearson's χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied to determine the association between psychological distress and related variables, including cyberbullying victimisation, at 95% CI and 5% level of significance.ResultsNearly a third (32.5%) of the female adolescents included in the study had experienced cyberbullying. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 46.5%, 52.7% and 34.9%, respectively. Cyberbullying victims were observed to have increased odds of experiencing depression (adjusted OR (aOR): 1.64, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.42), anxiety (aOR: 2.49, 95% CI 1.67 to 3.70) and stress (aOR: 2.59, 95% CI 1.74 to 3.86) in comparison with non-victims.ConclusionCyberbullying victims are significantly more likely to experience psychological distress. There is an urgent need to strengthen cybersecurity and to have strong legislative measures to address cyberbullying in order to safeguard the mental health of adolescents in the digital age.
Project description:ObjectiveThis study examined the prevalence and factors associated with depression among adolescents attending higher secondary schools in the Pokhara Metropolitan City of Nepal.DesignA cross-sectional study design was adopted.SettingFour randomly selected higher secondary schools of Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal.Participants312 randomly sampled higher secondary school students.MethodsThe Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to assess the level of depression among students. The data collected through a self-administered questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistical methods such as frequency and percentage. χ2 test and unadjusted OR (UOR) were calculated to assess the statistical relationship between depression and various variables at 95% CI, with level of significance at p<0.05.ResultsThe study found a high prevalence of depression among high school students, with more than two-fifths (44.2%) of students having depression. Furthermore, almost a quarter (25.3%) of the students were noted to have mild depression and 18.9% of the students expressed major depression. Students who had low perceived social support (UOR: 3.604; 95% CI 2.088 to 6.220), did not share their problems with anyone (UOR: 1.931; 95% CI 1.228 to 3.038) and had low self-esteem (UOR: 5.282; 95% CI 2.994 to 9.319) were at higher odds of being depressed.ConclusionA high prevalence of depression was observed among high school students. It was also observed that students' level of perceived social support, self-esteem and help-seeking behaviour are somehow related to their mental well-being. Hence, improving social support and self-esteem may alleviate depression and mental distress among these adolescents.
Project description:The prevalence of non-communicable diseases is increasing in Nepal. Overweight and obesity are the major risk factors of many non-communicable diseases. Adolescence is a critical phase for development of overweight and obesity. Risk factors associated with overweight and obesity are not well understood in Nepal. The objective of the study was to identify the factors associated with overweight and obesity among adolescent students.A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on higher secondary school students in the Lalitpur sub-metropolitan city, Nepal.A random sample of 360 students aged 16-19 years from eight schools was included in the study.The prevalence of overweight among adolescent students was 12.2% (95% CI 8.9 to 15.5). Factors associated with being overweight included being male (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.64, 95% CI 1.18 to 4.88), studying in private school (AOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.28), high socioeconomic status family (AOR 4.77, 95% CI 1.36 to 16.72), watching television for more than 2 h per day (AOR 8.86, 95% CI 3.90 to 20.11), and consuming fruit four times or less per week (AOR 3.13, 95% CI 1.39 to 7.01). There was no statistically significant association between adolescent overweight and age, ethnicity, mother's education level, mother's occupation, number of siblings or family type.Socioeconomic status, watching television for a longer time and consuming less fruit are major risk factors for overweight among adolescents in Nepal. Interventions are needed to increase awareness about the risk factors of adolescent overweight and obesity to decrease prevalence of overweight-associated non-communicable diseases.
Project description:The effect of cyberbullying among adolescents in Malaysia is not much studied. The Cyberbullying Scale (CBS) has been validated to be used among English speaking adolescents to measure cyberbullying but not in Malay language. Therefore, its validity should be established before use in the Malaysian context. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Malay version of the CBS (CBS-M) among secondary school students. The study was cross-sectional and involved a self-administered questionnaire with 16 items from CBS-M, and 21 items from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Participants were recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. The validity of the CBS-M was tested in two phases, namely, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Spearman's correlation was used to examine the strength of the relationship between the CBS and subscales from DASS-21 to further support the validity of CBS-M. A total of 401 respondents from Muar, Johor, participated. The mean age was 14.6 years (SD = 1.25). EFA results indicated a one-factor model of CBS-M with a total variance extracted of 33.9%. Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha reached 0.87. The model was then tested using CFA. The initial model did not fit the data well. Thus, several model re-specifications were conducted on the initial model. The final measurement model of CBS-M fit the data well with acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.932, SRMR = 0.055, RMSEA = 0.049). The composite reliability for CBS-M was satisfactory with a value of 0.832. The CBS-M questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for measuring cyberbullying among young adolescents in Malaysia.
Project description:Cyber victimization is an important problem among adolescents and it can have negative effects on well-being. However, efforts to increase the well-being of cyber victims have been increasing in recent years. It is important to uncover the underlying mechanisms that may affect the well-being of cyber victims. This study used the transactional model of stress and coping theory as a conceptual framework, and proposed that hope and coping strategies are sequential mediators for the effects of cyber-victimization on well-being. A total of 337 students aged between 14 and 19 participated in this research (Mage = 16.56). We used the Cyber Victimization Scale, the Forgiveness Scale for Adolescents, the Scale for Coping with Cyber Bullying, and the Well-Being Scale as data collection tools. Pearson Correlation was used to examine the relationships between cyber victimization, coping with cyberbullying, well-being and forgiveness. Afterward, measurement modeling was done using AMOS 22.0 and the PROCESS macro was used for hypothesis testing. The results show that there is a negative relationship between cyber victimization and forgiveness, coping with cyberbullying, and well-being. In addition, forgiveness and coping with cyberbullying was found to have a sequential mediating effect on the relationship between cyber victimization and well-being. The research results provide information on how to increase the well-being of adolescents experiencing cyber victimization.
Project description:Depression is a rising public health concern affecting adolescents' mental health throughout the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors among adolescents from urban Nepal. The depressive symptoms among 271 randomly selected secondary school adolescents of Britamod Municipality were assessed using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were executed to assess the statistical relationship between potential risk factors and depressive symptoms at 5% level of significance. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 42.8% (95% CI: 37.3-49.1%). Multiple logistic regression revealed that female adolescents (aOR: 2.309, 95% CI: 1.233-4.325), adolescents enrolled in higher grades i.e. 10th grade (aOR: 4.576, 95% CI: 1.482-9.128), studying at private school (aOR: 2.302, 95% CI: 1.184-4.476), not sharing their problems with their friends (aOR: 3.022, 95% CI: 1.477-6.186), presence of perceived academic stress (aOR: 2.388, 95% CI: 1.263-4.518), dissatisfaction with current academic performance (aOR: 2.278, 95% CI: 1.141-4.518), lower perceived family support (aOR: 3.440, 95% CI: 1.276-9.275), and lower self-esteem (aOR: 2.139, 95% CI: 1.061-8.708) had higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms. There is a high prevalence of depression among Nepalese adolescents. The findings highlight the need for health promotion interventions focusing on mental health awareness, enhancing social support systems, and implementing stress reduction strategies within schools to mitigate the burden of depression among Nepalese adolescents.
Project description:AimsPrevious research has found links between cyberbullying victimisation and internalising and externalising problems among adolescents. However, little is known about the factors that might moderate these relationships. Thus, the present study examined the relationships between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress, suicidality, self-rated poor mental health and substance use among adolescents, and tested whether parent-child relationship and child's sex would moderate these relationships.MethodsSelf-report data on experiences of cyberbullying victimisation, self-rated poor mental health, psychological distress, suicidality and substance use were derived from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide school-based survey of students in grades 7 through 12 aged 11-20 years (N = 5478). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, subjective socioeconomic status and involvement in physical fighting, bullying victimisation and perpetration at school.ResultsCyberbullying victimisation was associated with self-rated poor mental health (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64-2.81), psychological distress (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.90-3.06), suicidal ideation (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.83-3.08) and attempts (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.27-3.38), smoking tobacco cigarette (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.45-2.65), cannabis use (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.32-2.51), and binge drinking (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.03-2.02). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was modified by parent-child relationship and child's sex (three-way interaction term p < 0.05). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was much stronger among boys who have a negative relationship with their parents.ConclusionsFindings suggest that cyberbullying victimisation is strongly associated with psychological distress in most adolescents with the exception of males who get along well with their parents. Further research using a longitudinal design is necessary to disentangle the interrelationship among child's sex, parent-child relationship, cyberbullying victimisation and mental health outcomes among adolescents in order to improve ongoing mental health prevention efforts.
Project description:Adolescence is not only characterized by a period of exploration and experimentation but also by vulnerability to risk-behaviors (substance-use, suicidal behavior, and sexual behavior) that can have many negative consequences. Given the lack of studies in Nepal and the variable results from international studies on the association of self-esteem, perceived social support (PSS), and social capital (SC) with risk behaviors, this study aimed to assess the role of these factors by specifying different sources of PSS (family, friends, and others) and SC (family, school, and neighbors), and controlling for demographic, socioeconomic-status (SES), family, and school related factors. A total of 943 adolescents (grades 9-11) in 8 schools from 3 provinces in Nepal participated in the study, and were selected by multi-stage, cluster, random sampling. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire (response rate; 91.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis (<0.05 significance) revealed that family SC (OR = 0.83) and PSS from family (OR = 0.95) were negatively associated with substance-use. Self-esteem (OR = 0.90), family and school SC (OR = 0.80 and 0.91, respectively), and PSS from family and friends (OR = 0.95 and 0.96, respectively) were protective against suicidal risk. None of the independent variables showed a preventive association with sexual behavior, but self-esteem was positively associated (OR = 1.11). Therefore, to improve the likelihood of adolescents becoming healthy adults, family and school level interventions to enhance self-esteem, PSS, and SC are helpful in protecting them against substance use and suicidal behavior. On the other hand, adolescents with high self-esteem are at greater risk for inappropriate sexual behavior and should therefore be monitored.
Project description:BackgroundPoor mental health has increased among adolescents in recent decades. Bullying and sexual harassment, both cyber and in-person, are each associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescents and being victimised by co-occurring types is more common than just one single type of victimisation. The study aimed to investigate the association between co-occurring victimisation and depressive symptoms in adolescents when controlling for screen time, social support, physical activity, and personal relative affluence.MethodCross-sectional survey data from 1211 respondents (50.1% girls) aged 15-16 were used to conduct modified Poisson regression with robust error variance analyses for girls and boys separately. Four scales were used to measure cyber and in-person bullying and sexual harassment, and CESD-R10 was used to measure depressive symptoms.ResultsAbout 47% of girls and 20% of boys experienced all four types of victimisation, and about 12% of girls and 25% of boys experienced none of them. When controlled for all included variables, all number of victimisation types of bullying and/or sexual harassment were associated with depressive symptoms in girls. In comparison, only four types of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms in boys.ConclusionsThe study showed that co-occurring victimisation was associated with depressive symptoms even after controlling for other relevant factors in both genders. However, in girls, all numbers of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms.