Predictive effects of psychological stress in early and middle puberty on adolescent health risk behaviors / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To explore whether psychological stress in early and mid puberty is predictive of adolescent healthrisk behaviors.@*Methods@#In April 2018, a total of 1 046 primary and secondary school students from grade 5 to 8 were recruited through purposive sampling. The basic information and psychological stress of the respondents were collected by questionnaire and physical examination. In addition, self reports of health risk behaviors were collected in October 2018. Logistic multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between psychological stress and health risk behaviors of adolescents.@*Results@#The reported health risk behaviors of the surveyed adolescents ranking from high to low were unreasonable physical activity (62.05%), food preferences (24.76%), fighting (21.03%), suicidal ideation (17.02%), ideation of running away from home (9.85%), low mood (8.80%), smoking (4.21%), drinking (3.73%), gambling (3.63%) and internet addiction (3.06%). Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the high level of psychological stress was a risk factor for fighting ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.01-1.03), suicidal ideation ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.01-1.03), low mood ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.01-1.03), ideation of running away from home ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.01-1.03), unreasonable physical activity ( OR =1.01, 95% CI =1.00-1.02), smoking ( OR =1.02, 95% CI = 1.00-1.03), internet addiction ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.00-1.03), food preferences ( OR =1.01, 95% CI = 1.00-1.02) and gambling ( OR =1.02, 95% CI =1.01-1.04)( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Unreasonable physical activity and food preferences are most common health risk behaviors among adolescents. Psychological stress during early to middle puberty is predictive of adolescent health risk behaviors.