Examining mediators of associations of food insecurity and being bullied with suicide among in-school adolescents in Eswatini: a cross-sectional study.

We examined the potential mediating roles of anxiety and loneliness on the association of concurrent food insecurity (FI) and being bullied (BB) with suicidal behavior (SB) in Eswatini, a lower-middle-income country. We used data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS; N = 3264), which employed a two-stage cluster sampling: first, 25 schools were selected based on the proportionate probability of enrollment; second, classes were randomly selected. A self-reported 84-item GSHS questionnaire was used to collect data for students aged 13-17 years. FI was measured by requesting students to recall how often they went hungry because of a lack of food at home in the 30 days before the study. Multiple logistic regressions and binary mediation function was applied to examine mediating factors of SB. The prevalence of SB, FI, and BB among adolescents was 27.5%, 7.7%, and 30.2%, respectively. Moreover, the relationship between FI and BB with SB was partly (approximately 24%) mediated by anxiety and loneliness. Our results highlight the mediating roles of anxiety and loneliness in suicidal adolescents who experience FI and BB. In conclusion, interventions for alleviating SB in high-risk adolescents experiencing FI and BB should also be aimed at ameliorating anxiety and loneliness.

Individual-level determinants of depressive symptoms and associated diseases history in Turkish persons aged 15 years and older: A population-based study.

Background: Depressive symptoms are associated with both long-lasting and short-term repetitive mood disorders and affect a person's ability to function and lead a rewarding life. In addition to predisposing genetic causes, other factors such as socioeconomic and demographic factors, and chronic diseases have also been reported to associate with depression. In this study, we analyzed the association between history of chronic diseases and presentation of depressive symptoms amongst Turkish individuals. Methods: We employed the 2019 Turkey health survey to analyze data of 11,993 individuals aged 15+ years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) coded with a binary measure, a score of <10 as less depressed and >10 as moderate-severely depressed. A number of sociodemographic characteristics were adjusted for in the analyses. Logistic regression models were used to test the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms in the study sample. Results: Our analysis revealed that 6.24% of the 11,993 participants had reported an episode of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in men was 1.85% and in women, it was 2.34 times higher. Participants who had previously reported experiencing coronary heart diseases (AOR = 7.79, 95% CI [4.96-12.23]), urinary incontinences (AOR = 7.90, 95% CI [4.93-12.66]), and liver cirrhosis (AOR = 7.50, 95% CI [4.90-10.42]) were approximately eight times likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, participants with Alzheimer's disease (AOR = 6.83, 95% CI [5.11-8.42]), kidney problems (AOR = 6.63, 95% CI [4.05-10.85]), and history of allergies (AOR = 6.35, 95% CI [4.28-9.23]) had approximately seven-fold odds of reporting episodes of depressive symptoms. The odds of presenting with depressive symptoms amongst participants aged ≥ 50 were higher than in individuals aged ≤ 49 years. Conclusion: At individual level, gender and general health status were associated with increased odds of depression. Furthermore, a history of any of the chronic diseases, irrespective of age, was a positive predictor of depression in our study population. Our findings could help to serve as a reference for monitoring depression amongst individuals with chronic conditions, planning health resources and developing preventive and screening strategies targeting those exposed to predisposing factors.

Determinants of self-reported hypertension among women in South Africa: evidence from the population-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN), characterized by an elevation of blood pressure, is a serious public health chronic condition that significantly raises the risks of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. In South Africa, the prevalence of HTN (measured objectively) was reported at 46.0% in females, nonetheless little is known regarding the prevalence and risks factors of self-reported HTN among the same population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine determinants of self-reported HTN among women in South Africa. METHODS: The study used data obtained from the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey. In total, 6,027 women aged ≥ 20 years were analyzed in this study. Self-reported HTN was defined as a case in which an individual has not been clinically diagnosed with this chronic condition by a medical doctor, nurse, or health worker. Multiple logistic regression models were employed to examine the independent factors of self-reported HTN while considering the complex survey design. RESULTS: Overall, self-reported HTN was reported in 23.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.1-24.1) of South African women. Being younger (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.04; 95% CI, 0.03-0.06), never married (aOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.85), and not covered by health insurance (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58-0.95) reduced the odds of self-reported HTN. On the other hand, being black/African (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.17-2.54), perception of being overweight (aOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.40-2.11), and perception of having poor health status (aOR, 3.53; 95% CI, 2.53-5.21) and the presence of other comorbidities (aOR, 7.92; 95% CI, 3.63-17.29) increased the odds of self-reported HTN. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported HTN was largely associated with multiple sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle factors and the presence of other chronic conditions. Health promotion and services aiming at reducing the burden of HTN in South Africa should consider the associated factors reported in this study to ensure healthy aging and quality of life among women.

Association of chronic diseases and lifestyle factors with suicidal ideation among adults aged 18-69 years in Eswatini: evidence from a population-based survey.

BACKGROUND: How chronic diseases and lifestyle affect suicidal ideation in the sub-Saharan region remains unclear. We investigated the association of chronic diseases and lifestyle with suicidal ideation in the past year and the potential modifying role of sociodemographic status on this association. The findings can guide suicide prevention interventions. METHODS: We analyzed 3026 respondents from the World Health Organization STEPwise approach to noncommunicable disease risk factor surveillance conducted in Eswatini in 2014. The outcome was past-year suicidal ideation, and the main predictors were chronic diseases and lifestyle. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate predictors, and subgroup analysis was performed to assess effect modification. RESULTS: The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation was 9.9%. After adjustment for covariates, including sex, marital status, employment status, and education level, individuals aged 18-30 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-4.22) were more likely to have had past-year suicidal ideation than those aged 45-69 years. After adjustment for covariates among employed individuals, having high blood pressure (aOR: 3.38, 95% CI: 1.54-7.40), not exercising (aOR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.09-6.39), drinking alcohol (aOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.14-5.05), being aged 18-30 years (aOR: 3.50, 95% CI: 1.01-12.1), and being exposed to threats (aOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.01-5.53) were significantly associated with past-year suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Among currently employed individuals, having high blood pressure, not exercising, and drinking alcohol were associated with past-year suicidal ideation. The findings highlight the importance of developing and strengthening systems for early identification of suicidal ideation risk.

Predictors of uptake of newly introduced vaccines in Malawi - monovalent human rotavirus and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: Evidence from the 2015-16 Malawi demographic and health survey.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the uptake and predictors of monovalent human rotavirus and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines among children of age 12-35 months in Malawi. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data obtained from the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the factors related to uptake of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination. RESULTS: The uptake of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines was 90.96% and 88.84%, respectively. The multivariate logistic results showed that children whose mothers had no formal education, who did not attend postnatal care for the baby within 2 months and had no vaccination card or had lost it were less likely to achieve vaccination uptake. Furthermore, children from northern region had increased odds of achieving vaccination uptake. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies aimed at increasing further uptake of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines should target uneducation women to improve health knowledge on vaccination.