Research on the association between unhealthy lifestyle and psychological distress among Chinese children and adolescents aged 9-18 years
10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20230508-00286
- VernacularTitle:中国9~18岁儿童青少年不健康生活方式与心理困扰的关联研究
- Author:
Jianuo JIANG
1
;
Yi ZHANG
;
Li CHEN
;
Jieyu LIU
;
Shan CAI
;
Ziyue CHEN
;
Ruolin WANG
;
Yihang ZHANG
;
Yi SONG
;
Jun MA
;
Yanhui DONG
Author Information
1. 北京大学公共卫生学院/北京大学儿童青少年卫生研究所，北京 100191
- Keywords:
Psychological distress;
Lifestyle;
Physical activity;
Diet;
Sleep;
Children;
Adolescents
- From:
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology
2023;44(10):1567-1574
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To evaluate the level of psychological distress among Chinese children and adolescents and analyze its lifestyle influencing factors.Methods:Data were obtained from the 2019 Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. A lotal of 120 285 Han Chinese children and adolescents aged 9-18 years with complete information on the psychological distress scale and lifestyle factors were selected, including 58 432 boys and 61 853 girls. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) measured psychological distress, and lifestyles such as physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, and sleep were also investigated. K10 scores of different genders were compared using the t-test, and the levels of psychological distress were compared using the χ2 test. Logistic regression was used to analyze lifestyle risk factors associated with high psychological distress, and multiple linear regression was used to find the relationship between K10 scores and lifestyle scores. Results:The average K10 score for Han Chinese children and adolescents aged 9-18 years was 21.25±7.35, with girls (21.43±7.35) scoring higher than boys (21.06±7.36), the difference was statistically significant ( t=8.72, P<0.001). The rate of high psychological distress was 29.81%, with girls (31.08%) reporting higher rates than boys (28.46%), the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=98.54, P<0.001). 56.10% of children and adolescents have unhealthy lifestyles, with girls (58.77%) reporting higher rates than boys (53.27%), the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=368.53, P<0.001). Except for insufficient outdoor activities for girls ( P=0.128), lifestyles such as insufficient physical activity, insufficient muscle-and-bone exercises, long screen time, not eating breakfast, eggs and dairy products every day, drinking sugary beverages once or more per day, and not having enough sleep are all risk factors for high psychological distress (all P<0.001). For every additional healthy lifestyle score, the K10 score decreased by 0.98 [ β=-0.98 (95% CI: -1.01- -0.95)] points ( P<0.001). K10 scores in each region negatively correlate with lifestyle scores (all P<0.001). Among them, the K10 score in the eastern region showed the slightest decrease as the lifestyle score increased, while the western region showed the most decrease. Conclusions:The prevalence of psychological distress and unhealthy lifestyle in Chinese children and adolescents are high and interrelated. Compared those with healthy lifestyles, children and adolescents with unhealthy lifestyles are at greater risk of high psychological distress. Therefore, promoting healthy lifestyles for children and adolescents may be one of the important ways to improve their mental health.
