scholarly journals Prevalences of mental distress and its associated factors in unaccompanied refugee minors in Germany

Author(s):  
E. Höhne ◽  
T. Banaschewski. ◽  
M. Bajbouj ◽  
K. Böge ◽  
T. Sukale ◽  
...  

AbstractPrevalences for mental disorders within minor refugees are comparatively high and heterogeneous. To reduce heterogeneity and identify high-risk subgroups, we compared unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) to accompanied refugee minors (ARM) regarding depressive symptoms and mental distress. Furthermore, we examined associative factors of mental distress in URM on a broad scale. We conducted a survey with a cross-sectional design in four German University hospitals. The sample consisted of n = 172 URM and n = 52 ARM aged 14–21. Depressive symptoms were assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Mental distress was assessed by the Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15). Mann–Whitney test was used to examine differences between URM and ARM. Associated factors of mental distress were evaluated via a stepwise multiple regression analysis. URM showed significantly higher mean scores for PHQ-9 (p < .001) and RHS-15 (p < .001) compared to ARM indicating medium effect sizes. Furthermore, URM were significantly more likely to surpass the cut-off for depression (61.6% vs. 30.8%) and overall mental distress (81.4% vs. 53.8%) compared to ARM. The factors Number of stressful life events (SLE), Female gender, and Fear of deportation were found to be associated with an increased mental distress in URM, whereas Weekly contact to a family member, School attendance, and German language skills were accompanied with lower distress scores. All six factors accounted for 32% of the variance of mental distress in URM (p < .001). Within minor refugees, URM are a highly vulnerable subgroup, which should receive particular attention and more targeted measures by health authorities. Our results indicate that these measures should comprise a rapid promotion of family contact, school attendance, language acquisition, and the fast processing of asylum applications. However, the cross-sectional design limits the interpretability of the results.

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 2217-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Gustavo Bergmann ◽  
Mauren Lúcia de Araújo Bergmann ◽  
Alexandre Carriconde Marques ◽  
Pedro Curi Hallal

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of physical inactivity and associated factors in adolescents, using a cross-sectional design with a sample of 1,455 adolescents (741 females). Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic, perceptual, and behavioral variables. Physical activity was estimated with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children and Adolescents. Prevalence of physical inactivity was 68% (95%CI: 65.6%-70.4%). The following variables remained associated with physical inactivity in the adjusted analysis (p < 0.05): living in an apartment, female gender, older adolescents, lower self-rated physical activity compared to peers, low perception of maternal physical activity, passive commuting to school, non-participation in physical education at school, non-enjoyment of physical education classes, and limited involvement in other types of physical exercise besides physical education at school. There were a high proportion of inactive adolescents. Strategies to prevent physical inactivity in adolescents should be elaborated with a central role for the school and family.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueming Hu ◽  
Zechuan Yang ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
Yong Xu ◽  
Mengge Tian ◽  
...  

Background: Few studies have focused on depressive symptoms among patients with chronic low back pain in China. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain.Methods: From May to August 2021, 1,172 patients with chronic low back pain were recruited in China. Depressive symptoms were assessed through the Patient Health Questionnaire. Associations of demographic characteristics, clinical characters and social-psychological factors with depressive symptoms were investigated among patients with chronic low back pain.Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 25.00%. Logistic regression analysis found that duration of pain in 1-5 years (1-3 years: OR = 2.91, 95%CI: 1.65-5.14, 3-5 years: OR = 3.09, 95%CI: 1.55-6.15) and more severe pain (OR = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.10-1.17) were associated with higher risks of depressive symptoms. Better family function (good family function: OR = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.15-0.41, moderate family dysfunction: OR = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.29-0.77) and higher pain self-efficacy (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.93-0.95) were associated with lower risks of depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Patients with chronic low back pain have a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in China. Duration of pain, pain severity, family function and pain self-efficacy were predictors of depressive symptoms among chronic low back pain patients in China. Early identification of the associated factors may be helpful for the timely management of depressive symptoms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-138
Author(s):  
Patricie Mujawimana ◽  
Fauste Uwingabire ◽  
Felicite Kankindi ◽  
Ruth Dusabe ◽  
Pamela Meharry

Background Globally, nearly half of all under-five deaths occur during the neonatal period. About two million dies within the first week, of which 75% come from low-resource countries, such as Rwanda. Many neonatal deaths are preventable or avoidable if parents are knowledgeable of Neonatal Danger Signs (NDS), and do not delay seeking care at a health facility. Objective To assess the parents’ knowledge of NDS and associated factors within the neonatal period at four health centers in Kigali. Method This study was a descriptive cross-sectional design. A proportionate stratified probability sampling strategy was used to select 209 parents who attended selected health centers in Kigali. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The findings showed that 67% of participants had some information on NDS. Logistic regression showed that educational level, parity, number of antenatal visits, and information from healthcare providers was significantly associated with parents' knowledge of NDS. Conclusion Our findings indicate the need to enhance education of parents’ knowledge of NDS in the study population. Educational efforts also should target NDS in health centers where most Rwandan women attend antenatal care. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2020;3(2):128-138


Nutrients ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Bruna Leal Lima Maciel ◽  
Clélia de Oliveira Lyra ◽  
Jéssica Raissa Carlos Gomes ◽  
Priscilla Moura Rolim ◽  
Bartira Mendes Gorgulho ◽  
...  

Undergraduates may face challenges to assure food security, related to economic and mental distress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess food insecurity and its associated factors in undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 with 4775 undergraduates from all Brazilian regions. The questionnaire contained socio-economic variables, the validated Brazilian food insecurity scale, and the ESQUADA scale to assess diet quality. The median age of the students was 22.0 years, and 48.0% reported income decreasing with the pandemic. Food insecurity was present in 38.6% of the students, 4.5% with severe food insecurity and 7.7% moderate. Logistic regressions showed students with brown and black skin color/race presented the highest OR for food insecurity; both income and weight increase or reduction during the pandemic was also associated with a higher OR for food insecurity, and better diet quality was associated with decreased OR for food insecurity. Our study showed a considerable presence of food insecurity in undergraduates. Policy for this population must be directed to the most vulnerable: those with brown and black skin color/race, who changed income during the pandemic, and those presented with difficulties maintaining weight and with poor diet quality.


PLoS Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. e1003076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ales Janda ◽  
Kristin Eder ◽  
Roland Fressle ◽  
Anne Geweniger ◽  
Natalie Diffloth ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songxu Peng ◽  
Xin Lai ◽  
Yukai Du ◽  
Yuting Li ◽  
Kunming Tian ◽  
...  

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been rapidly transmitted worldwide, which contributed to various psychological problems (such as fear, depression, and anxiety) among the general population in China. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among Chinese adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study of Chinese adults was conducted during 17–29 February 2020. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D).Results: A total of 3,399 respondents were included in the analysis. It was observed that 14.2% (481/3,399) of the participants were screened positive for depressive symptoms. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age (OR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97–0.99), smoking (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.10–2.26), self-rated health (good: OR = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.37–0.66; fairly: OR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45–0.80), having greater support scores (OR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.94–0.96), knowledge about the main symptom of COVID-19 (very clearly: OR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42–0.79; relatively clearly: OR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44–0.79), and staying in Wuhan within 3 months before the outbreak of epidemic (OR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.34–2.38) were associated with depressive symptoms.Conclusion: A considerable proportion of the general population in China had depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic. Routine screening and targeted interventions for depression are needed among high-risk depressed individuals during the COVID-19 epidemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane Göbel ◽  
Petra Arck ◽  
Kurt Hecher ◽  
Michael Schulte-Markwort ◽  
Anke Diemert ◽  
...  

Background: During the last decades, fathers have increasingly participated in prenatal care, birth preparation classes, and childbirth. However, comparably little is known about the prenatal emotional well-being of fathers, particularly content and extent of broader paternal concerns that may arise during pregnancy beyond those focusing on childbirth. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate the manifestation of paternal pregnancy-related worries in a population-based sample and to identify relevant associated factors.Materials and Methods: As part of a longitudinal pregnancy cohort at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, N = 129 expectant fathers were assessed once during pregnancy. Pregnancy-related worries centering around medical procedures, childbirth, health of the baby, as well as socioeconomic aspects were assessed with the Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS). Additionally, paternal socioeconomic background and maternal obstetrical history, symptoms of generalized anxiety and depression, and level of hostility were investigated, as well as perceived social support. The cross-sectional data were analyzed based on multiple regression analyses.Results: The level of reported worries was overall low. Some fathers reported major worries for individual aspects like the health of a significant other (10.9%) and the baby (10.1%), as well as the current financial (6.2%) and employment situation (8.5%). Pregnancy-related worries were negatively associated with household income and positively associated with anxious and depressive symptoms and low perceived social support. Associations varied for specific pregnancy-related worries.Limitations: Due to the cross-sectional data examined in this study, a causal interpretation of the results is not possible. The sample was rather homogeneous regarding its socioeconomic background. More research needs to be done in larger, more heterogeneous samples.Conclusion: Though overall worries were rather low in this sample, specific major worries could be identified. Hence, addressing those fathers reporting major worries regarding specific aspects already in prenatal care might support their psychosocial adjustment. Fathers with little income, those with elevated levels of general anxious and depressive symptoms, and those with less social support reported higher pregnancy-related worries. Our results indicate the relevance of concerns beyond health- and birth-related aspects that could be relevant for fathers. Measurements developed specifically for expectant fathers are needed to properly capture their perspective already during pregnancy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Samreen ◽  
Nasir A. Siddiqui ◽  
Ramzi A. Mothana

Background and Objective. Anxiety is an emotional and behavioral disorder that may disturb the student’s quality of learning and its outcome. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence and associated factors among pharmacy students at a university in Saudi Arabia. Methods. We used a cross-sectional design, and data collection was carried out over a period of two months from September 2018 to November 2018 using paper-based self-administered questionnaires. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale was used to measure and classify anxiety among the study participants. Results. The prevalence of anxiety among pharmacy students was 49% (83 students); 44 students (25.9%) had mild anxiety, while 24 (14.1%) students had moderate anxiety, and 15 (8.8%) severe anxiety. There were statistically significant differences in anxiety scores according to faculty type ( p = 0.2 ) and nutritional status ( p = 0.4 ). Conclusion. The findings of this study revealed that half of the pharmacy students suffered from anxiety incidence during their studies at the university. However, the majority of them are experiencing mild to moderate. This may have a significant impact on academic performance and necessitates special attention.


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