Secular trends in suicidal ideation and associated factors among adolescents

Objectives: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescence, and the second most common cause of death among young people. The objective of this study was to identify trends in suicidal ideation by sex and ascertain factors associated with this outcome. Methods: Secular trend study with statewide coverage conducted at 5-year intervals, with 4,207 adolescents (2006), 6,264 adolescents (2011) and 6,026 adolescents (2016). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the secular trend of suicidal ideation. Multilevel logistic regressions evaluated the factors associated with suicidal ideation in the survey conducted in 2016. Results: There was a positive trend in suicidal ideation prevalence in 2016 compared to the prevalence in 2006 and 2011, in both boys and girls. Low social support, poor sleep quality, and low parental supervision were associated with suicidal ideation in boys and girls. Exposure to violence and bullying was associated with suicidal ideation only in girls. TV time and computer and videogame time were not associated with suicidal ideation in boys or girls. Conclusion: There is an alarming trend of increased suicidal ideation in adolescents. Several dimensions were associated with suicidal ideation in adolescents, especially social support, sleep quality, and parental supervision.

Secular trends in suicidal ideation and associated factors among adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescence, and the second most common cause of death among young people. The objective of this study was to identify trends in suicidal ideation by sex and ascertain factors associated with this outcome. METHODS: Secular trend study with statewide coverage conducted at 5-year intervals, with 4,207 adolescents (2006), 6,264 adolescents (2011) and 6,026 adolescents (2016). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the secular trend of suicidal ideation. Multilevel logistic regressions evaluated the factors associated with suicidal ideation in the survey conducted in 2016. RESULTS: There was a positive trend in suicidal ideation prevalence in 2016 compared to the prevalence in 2006 and 2011, in both boys and girls. Low social support, poor sleep quality, and low parental supervision were associated with suicidal ideation in boys and girls. Exposure to violence and bullying was associated with suicidal ideation only in girls. TV time and computer and videogame time were not associated with suicidal ideation in boys or girls. CONCLUSION: There is an alarming trend of increased suicidal ideation in adolescents. Several dimensions were associated with suicidal ideation in adolescents, especially social support, sleep quality, and parental supervision.

Development of dental anxiety in schoolchildren: A 2-year prospective study.

AIM: To assess the development of high dental anxiety and the factors that are associated with it over a 2-year period. DESIGN: This longitudinal study focused on 416 Brazilian children aged 5-7 years over 2 years. Interviews were conducted with the children's parents to investigate the children's health-related behaviours. Additionally, the children's dental caries experience was clinically evaluated to obtain information about DMFT/dmft (decayed, filled and missing teeth) indices. Using the Dental Anxiety Question, children whose parents responded "yes" to the prompt "Is he/she very afraid of going to the dentist?" were classified as having high dental anxiety. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was used to analyse factors to determine the extent to which they were associated with high dental anxiety longitudinally. RESULTS: The prevalence of high dental anxiety in children at baseline was 16.2%, whereas it was 19.8% at follow-up. Additionally, 38% of the children with high dental anxiety at baseline still had the condition after two years, although 62% of them no longer had high dental anxiety. The incidence of high dental anxiety at 2-year follow-up was 15.0%. Children who used medication chronically had a 2.1 times greater likelihood of having high dental anxiety. Furthermore, children whose parents reported high dental anxiety had a 2.6 times greater likelihood of having high dental anxiety themselves. A one-unit increase in a child's dmft score increased the risk of high dental anxiety by 1.1 times at follow-up. CONCLUSION: After two years, the incidence of high dental anxiety was 15.0%. Poor oral health, unstable general health and parents with high dental anxiety were factors that were associated with this type of anxiety in schoolchildren. It is important that dentists are aware of children's high dental anxiety and the associated factors so that they can appropriately intervene. Dentists fulfil an important role and should stimulate and promote good general hygiene habits that may prevent future problems.

Methods and participant characteristics of a randomized intervention to promote physical activity and healthy eating among brazilian high school students: the Saude na Boa project.

BACKGROUND: A cross-cultural, randomized study was proposed to observe the effects of a school-based intervention designed to promote physical activity and healthy eating among high school students in 2 cities from different regions in Brazil: Recife and Florianopolis. The objective of this article is to describe the methodology and subjects enrolled in the project. METHODS: Ten schools from each region were matched and randomized into intervention and control conditions. A questionnaire and anthropometry were used to collect data in the first and last month of the 2006 school year. The sample (n=2155 at baseline; 55.7% females; 49.1% in the experimental group) included students 15 to 24 years, attending nighttime classes. The intervention focused on simple environmental/organizational changes, diet and physical activity education, and personnel training. RESULTS: The central aspects of the intervention have been implemented in all 10 intervention schools. Problems during the intervention included teachers' strikes in both sites and lack of involvement of the canteen owners in schools. CONCLUSIONS: The Saude na Boa study provides evidence that public high schools in Brazil represent an important environment for health promotion. Its design and simple measurements increase the chances of it being sustained and disseminated to similar schools in Brazil.