scholarly journals Which Risk Factors Matter More for Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Application Approach of Gradient Boosting Decision Trees

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5879
Author(s):  
Yiyi Chen ◽  
Ye Liu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Gradient Boosting ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Objective Risk ◽  
Direct Distance

Background: A growing body of scientific literature indicates that risk factors for COVID-19 contribute to a high level of psychological distress. However, there is no consensus on which factors contribute more to predicting psychological health. Objectives: The present study quantifies the importance of related risk factors on the level of psychological distress and further explores the threshold effect of each rick factor on the level of psychological distress. Both subjective and objective measures of risk factors are considered in the model. Methods: We sampled 937 individual items of data obtained from an online questionnaire between 20 January and 13 February 2020 in China. Objective risk factors were measured in terms of direct distance from respondents’ housing to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, direct distance from respondents’ housing to the nearest park, and the air quality index (AQI). Perceived risk factors were measured in regard to perceived distance to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, perceived air quality, and perceived environmental quality. Psychological distress was measured with the Kessler psychological distress scale K6 score. The following health risk factors and sociodemographic factors were considered: self-rated health level, physical health status, physical activity, current smoker or drinker, age, gender, marital status, educational attainment level, residence location, and household income level. A gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) was used to analyse the data. Results: Health risk factors were the greatest contributors to predicting the level of psychological distress, with a relative importance of 42.32% among all influential factors. Objective risk factors had a stronger predictive power than perceived risk factors (23.49% vs. 16.26%). Furthermore, it was found that there was a dramatic rise in the moderate level of psychological distress regarding the threshold of AQI between 40 and 50, and 110 and 130, respectively. Gender-sensitive analysis revealed that women and men responded differently to psychological distress based on different risk factors. Conclusion: We found evidence that perceived indoor air quality played a more important role in predicting psychological distress compared to ambient air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumption of carbonated soft drinks among Ghanaian adolescents: associations with socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress

2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602199693
Author(s):  
Prince Atorkey ◽  
Mariam Akwei ◽  
Winifred Asare-Doku
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Carbonated Soft Drinks ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors

Background: Carbonated soft drinks consumption is associated with weight gain and other chronic diseases. Aim: To examine whether socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress are associated with carbonated soft drink consumption among adolescents in selected senior high schools in Ghana. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2012 Ghana Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Participants consisted of 1756 school-going adolescents sampled using a two-stage cluster sampling method. Binomial logistic regression was used to determine whether socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress were associated with consumption of soft drinks. Results: The prevalence of carbonated soft drinks consumption was 34.9%. Males (odds ratio (OR) = 0.73 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59–0.92); p = 0.007), and participants with high socio-economic status (OR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.48–0.97); p = 0.033) had smaller odds for consumption of soft drinks. Also, adolescents in Senior High School (SHS) 3 (OR = 0.72 (95% CI 0.53–0.97); p = 0.034) and SHS 4 (OR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.43–0.91); p = 0.014) had smaller odds for soft drinks intake compared to those in SHS 1. Health risk factors associated with greater odds of high soft drink consumption were tobacco use (OR = 1.68, (95% CI 1.07–2.65); p = 0.025), fast food consumption (OR = 1.88, (95% CI 1.47–2.41); p = 0.011) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.43, (95% CI 1.02–1.99); p = 0.039). Consuming adequate fruit (OR = 0.19 (95% CI 0.15–0.24); p = 0.000) and adequate vegetable (OR = 0.55 (95% CI 0.34–0.87); p = 0.011) were associated with lower odds for soft drink consumption. Adolescents who reported feeling anxious had smaller odds for soft drink intake (OR = 0.65, (95% CI 0.47–0.91); p = 0.011). Conclusions: The findings from this study show that socio-demographic characteristics, health risk factors and psychological distress are associated with the soft drink consumption among adolescents in Ghana. Interventions aimed at reducing soft drink consumption and other health risk factors are needed.

scholarly journals Climate Characteristics as Potential Risk Factors for the Population Health of the Krasnoyarsk Region. Part 1

2021 ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
DA Chernykh ◽  
EN Bel’skaya ◽  
OV Taseiko
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Potential Health Risk ◽  
Krasnoyarsk Region ◽  
Average Maximum

Summary. Introduction: A human health risk assessment is the process to estimate the nature and probability of adverse health effects in humans who may be exposed to various environmental factors. The purpose of the study was to analyze climatic parameters as potential health risk factors for the population of some municipalities of the Krasnoyarsk Region. Methods: We processed meteorological data of the state monitoring network in the Krasnoyarsk Region including the average, maximum, and minimum air temperatures measured every three hours in an automatic mode in accordance with a generally accepted international protocol. Climate characteristics were identified using the method of long-term distribution of average daily temperatures. To assess the climatic features of the Krasnoyarsk Region, we considered such parameters as the average seasonal temperature, dates of air temperature stable transition through zero, temperature waves, extreme daily temperature changes, and bioclimatic indices. Results: We analyzed climate characteristics as potential health risk factors for the population of six cities of the Krasnoyarsk Region (Achinsk, Kansk, Krasnoyarsk, Lesosibirsk, Minusinsk, and Norilsk) for the period from 1919 to 2019. Conclusion: Our findings may be used to establish the relationship between a combination of climatic factors and ambient air quality indices and morbidity and mortality of the local population; they can also contribute to predicting death rates in the region.

A Study of the Effects of Exercise on Stress, Depression Levels, and Health Risk Factors

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Thomas ◽  
Jen Hanley ◽  
Christy Tomczak ◽  
Jennifer Wuchteil ◽  
Nathan Underwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Health Risk Factors

Behavioral Health Risk Factors for Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids in Adolescence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhan Cho ◽  
Lorraine I. Kelley-Quon ◽  
Jessica L. Barrington-Trimis ◽  
Afton Kechter ◽  
Sarah Axeen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Prescription Opioids ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Nonmedical Use

Cannabis use among early adolescents and transdiagnostic mental health risk factors

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452199463
Author(s):  
Sara Moreno-Mansilla ◽  
Jorge J Ricarte ◽  
David J Hallford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
Wide Range

Introduction: Cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive substance among adolescents worldwide, and the age at which consumption begins to decrease. Cannabis use in adolescents is associated with a wide range of adverse consequences in adulthood including increased vulnerability to psychosis and other mental disorders, as well as suicidal ideation and attempt. The aim of this study is to extend understanding of the link between cannabis use and mental illness by examining whether cannabis use at early ages predicts transdiagnostic variables that are precursors to severe clinical diagnoses. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample was made up of 605 adolescents from 7th to 9th grades, with a mean age of 13.2 years ( SD = 1.0, 47% girls). The variables evaluated were: anomalous perception of reality, intolerance of uncertainty, rumination, suicide attempt, hopelessness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The administration of the questionnaires was carried out in groups of 20 participants under the supervision of a researcher in a unique session of 1 hour. Results: Adolescent cannabis users scored higher on all variables assessed: anomalous perception of reality (Cohen’s d = .60), rumination ( d = .48), intolerance of uncertainty ( d = .11), suicidal attempt (affirmative answer: 25.9% of users vs 7.7% of non-users), hopelessness ( d = .85), symptoms of depression ( d = .80), and anxiety ( d = .39). A binary logistic regression showed that the only variable uniquely related to cannabis use was hopelessness (Wald = 4.560, OR: 1.159, p = .033). Conclusions: Among some mental health risk factors, hopelessness appears uniquely related to cannabis use. Adolescents may use cannabis as a coping strategy for negative thoughts and emotions, or it may be a consequence of cannabis use. Future prevention programs should focus on preventing/treating modifiable factors such as hopelessness, and delaying cannabis use in specific subgroups of adolescents who experience pathologies such as depression or suicide attempts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document