Which healthy lifestyle factors are associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation among adolescents faced with cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is associated with negative mental health outcomes including adolescent suicidal ideation. This requires effective and accessible preventive efforts. Healthy lifestyles are factors adolescents themselves can modify that may lower their risk of suicidal ideation. The aim of this study was to examine associations between physical activity, (outdoor) sport participation, a healthy diet, higher sleep duration and low levels of smoking and alcohol use, and suicidal ideation when faced with cyberbullying. A cross-sectional survey was administered in 2014-2015 to 1037 adolescents (12-18 years, M age = 15; 50% girls) in Flanders, Belgium. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess direct effects of cyberbullying involvement (victim, perpetrator, bystander) on suicidal ideation, and interaction effects between cyberbullying involvement, healthy lifestyles and suicidal ideation. Results showed that cyberbullying victimization, perpetration and bystanding were associated with higher suicidal ideation, but that the association with cyberbullying perpetration disappeared when corrected for other cyberbullying involvement forms. More physical activity, sleeping longer, more often taking a healthy diet and lower levels of smoking were associated with lower suicidal ideation. Some associations of healthy lifestyles with suicidal ideation disappeared at higher levels of cyberbullying involvement. Low alcohol consumption and (outdoor) sport participation were not associated with suicidal ideation, and sport participation was even associated with higher suicidal ideation at low levels of cyberbullying involvement. These findings suggest a novel approach to suicide prevention may be warranted, by strengthening healthy lifestyles as factors that adolescents themselves can modify to increase their resilience and reduce suicidal ideation.

Stable isotope ratio as a tracer of mangrove carbon in Malaysian ecosystems.

The ratio of stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) in plants and animals from Malaysian mangrove swamps, coastal inlets, and offshore waters was determined. Vascular plants of the swamps were isotopically distinct ( x±s.d.=-27.1±1.2‰) from plankton (-21.0±0.3‰) and other algae (-18.7±2.2‰). Animals from the swamps (-20.9±4.1‰) and inlets (-19.8±2.5‰) had a wide range of isotope ratios (-28.6 to-15.4‰), indicating consumption of both mangrove and algal carbon. Several commercially important species of bivalves, shrimp, crabs, and fish obtained carbon from mangrove trees. Mangrove carbon was carried offshore as detritus and was isotopically distinguishable in suspended particulate matter and sediments. Animals collected from 2 to 18 km offshore, however, showed no isotopic evidence of mangrove carbon assimilation, with ratios (-16.5±1.1‰, range-19.1 to-13.1‰) virtually identical to those reported for similar animals from other plankton-based ecosystems. Within groups of animals, isotope ratios reflected intergencric and interspecific differences in feeding and trophic position. In particular, there was a trend to less negative ratios with increasing trophic level.