Factors Associated with Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Levels in High School Students.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between anxiety, depression, and stress levels with physical activity level and academic performance in high school students; secondly, this study aims to relate and compare anxiety, depression, and stress levels with physical activity level and academic performance. This is a quantitative, descriptive, and comparative cross-sectional study, which evaluated 443 high school students (48% female; 15.13 ± 1.59 years) belonging to the Maule region, Chile. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Questionnaire (DASS-21) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were applied. Academic performance was consulted on language, mathematics, and overall grade point average. The results indicate that vigorous physical activity (OR = 0.504; p = 0.017) and high academic performance in mathematics (OR = 0.597; p = 0.027) are associated with a reduced risk of depression. In turn, there is a significant inverse correlation between physical activity with anxiety (r = -0.224; p = 0.000), depression (r = -0.224; p = 0.000) and stress (r = -0.108; p = 0.032), while the performance of mathematics is inversely correlated with depression (r = -0.176; p = 0.000). On the other hand, significant differences (p < 0.05) between anxiety, depression, stress levels, and grade point average were found, with females exhibiting higher scores than males. In conclusion, greater vigorous physical activity and scoring above average in mathematics performance are protective factors against depression.

Short-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic on academic achievement among Colombian adolescents / Efectos a corto plazo de la pandemia de COVID-19 en el rendimiento académico de los adolescentes colombianos

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effect of health-related determinants and COVID-19 pandemic on the academic achievement of Colombian youth. Methods Nationwide study based on the results of official exams of more than two million students during the period 2017-2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, dietary, ethnicity, child labour factor, and region-level rurality were considered as independent variables. A two-level structural equation model was used to assess the effect of individual- and state-level variables. Analyses were stratified by academic domains and global score. Results Health-related determinants, including belonging to an ethnic minority and child labour were associated with a reduction in global scores (20.07, 95 % CI 19.81-20.33 and 10.62, 95 % CI 10.49-10.76 points, respectively), whereas the youth from higher socioeconomic status achieved a 2.21 points increase. COVID-19 pandemic and rurality did not implied significant changes in the scores, however, rurality was associated with a reduction of 0.01 points in foreign language score (English). Conclusions Health determinants not only affect the common outcomes in health but also explain educational inequalities in Colombian youth. Beyond an increased risk of morbidity or mortality, as reported elsewhere, belonging to a minority, coming from a lower socioeconomic stratum and be in need to work, put in risk the personal fulfilment of youth, which entail poor future health performance. A more comprehensive analysis of health determinants and its consequences is needed in young people.

RESUMEN Objetivo El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de los determinantes relacionados con la salud y la pandemia de COVID-19 en el rendimiento académico de los jóvenes colombianos. Métodos Estudio a nivel nacional basado en los resultados de exámenes oficiales de más de dos millones de estudiantes durante el período 2017-2020. Las características sociodemográficas, la dieta, el origen étnico, el factor de trabajo infantil y la ruralidad a nivel regional se consideraron variables independientes. Se utilizó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales de dos niveles para evaluar el efecto de las variables a nivel individual y estatal. Los análisis se estratificaron por dominios académicos y puntuación global. Resultados Los determinantes relacionados con la salud, incluida la pertenencia a una minoría étnica y el trabajo infantil, se asociaron con una reducción en las puntuaciones globales (20,07, IC 95 % 19,81-20,33 y 10,62, IC 95 % 10,49-10,76 puntos, respectivamente), mientras que los jóvenes de mayor nivel socioeconómico lograron un aumento de 2,21 puntos. La pandemia de COVID-19 y la ruralidad no implicaron cambios significativos en los puntajes, sin embargo, la ruralidad se asoció con una reducción de 0,01 puntos en el puntaje de lengua extranjera (inglés). Conclusiones Los determinantes de la salud no solo afectan a los resultados comunes en salud, sino que explican las desigualdades educativas en la juventud colombiana. Más allá de un mayor riesgo de morbilidad o mortalidad, como se informó en otros lugares, pertenecer a una minoría, provenir de un estrato socioeconómico más bajo y estar en necesidad de trabajar, pone en riesgo la realización personal de los jóvenes, lo que implica un bajo desempeño futuro en salud. Se necesita un análisis más exhaustivo de los determinantes de la salud y sus consecuencias en los jóvenes.

Caracterización de resultados de posturografía en adolescentes con pérdida auditiva severa a profunda / Characterization of posturography results in adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss

Contexto: Las pérdidas auditivas en adolescentes se acompañan de desórdenes vestibulares desapercibidos que impactan el desarrollo motor e influyen en el aprendizaje. La identificación temprana y el conocimiento sobre la neuromaduración vestibular arroja alternativas para mejorar el rendimiento académico. Objetivos: caracterizar los resultados de la posturografía en adolescentes con pérdida auditiva severa a profunda. Método: estudio cuantitativo, con técnica descriptiva, buscando relaciones entre variables estudiadas. Población: 38 adolescentes con pérdida auditiva neurosensorial severa a profunda, en grupos de 12 ­ 15 y 16 - 19 años. Resultados: los adolescentes mayores presentaron un menor movimiento oscilatorio. Con antecedentes del desarrollo evidenciaron desempeño inferior en la posturografía y mayores dificultades en pensamiento cuantitativo, lenguaje y comunicación. Discusión: Los antecedentes neuromadurativos son importantes para el desarrollo del balance y el equilibrio. No se registraron relaciones directas entre la posturografía con bajo rendimiento académico, sin embargo, fue de utilidad clínica aportando datos del desempeño sensorial, motor y vestibular, para la intervención. Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren efecto indirecto sobre el rendimiento académico verbal. La integración de los sistemas sensoriomotor, visual, vestibular y cognitivo, es clave para el desarrollo de habilidades de aprendizaje. La maduración es un proceso activo en el paso de la adolescencia a la edad adulta. La relación entre el déficit vestibular y los antecedentes del desarrollo, como nacimiento prematuro o edad de inicio de marcha, amerita identificar factores de riesgo del sistema vestibular en la primera infancia. El entorno socioafectivo, la familia y la convivencia con compañeros son importantes para el desempeño académico.

Context: Hearing loss in adolescents is accompanied by unnoticed vestibular disorders that impact motor development and influence learning. Early identification and knowledge about vestibular neuromaturation provides alternatives to improve academic performance. Objectives: to characterize the results of posturography in adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss. Method: quantitative study, with descriptive technique, searching for relationships between studied variables. Population: 38 adolescents with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, in groups of 12 - 15 and 16 - 19 years old. Results: older adolescents presented less oscillatory movement. With a developmental history, they showed lower performance in posturography and greater difficulties in quantitative thinking, language and communication. Discussion: neuromadurative antecedents are important for the development of balance and equilibrium. No direct relationships were recorded between posturography with low academic performance, however, it was clinically useful providing sensory, motor and vestibular performance data, for intervention. Conclusions: The results suggest indirect effect on verbal academic performance. The integration of the sensorimotor, visual, vestibular and cognitive systems is key to the development of learning skills. Maturation is an active process in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The relationship between vestibular deficit and developmental history, such as premature birth or age of onset of walking, merits identifying risk factors of the vestibular system in early childhood. The socio-affective environment, the family and living with peers are important for academic performance.

Frequency of physical inactivity and insufficient sleep, and their mixed effects on academic achievement in ethnic minority students: A matched case-control study in a dental school.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic minorities are underrepresented in health sciences programs in various nations. Furthermore, there is no known research studying the occurrence of physical inactivity (PI) and insufficient sleep (IS), and their effects on academic achievement (AA) in ethnic minority students (EMS) in higher education. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to explore the occurrence of PI and IS, and their independent and mixed effects on AA in EMS of a dental school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty EMS and sixty non-EMSs were matched (1:2) in this case-control study. It was utilized as an administrative dataset that stores register related to the students. Moreover, the grade point average was considered an indicator of AA. Logistic regressions models were run, expressed in odds ratios, complemented by confidence intervals (CIs) of 95%. RESULTS: A total of 73% and 60% EMS were PI and slept insufficiently, respectively. The groups presented statistically significant differences (P < 0.0001) in physical activity, sleep, and AA, with inferior values for EMS. All unadjusted models showed that PS, IS, and low AA were strongly associated with EMS, demonstrating their independent effect. After controlling for PI and IS, the multivariate model for AA and EMS increased odds by 6.5 times (95%CI: 1.8-23;), indicating that EMS is strongly associated with low AA. Besides, PI and IS were also statistically significant higher (< 0.0001) in the model, demonstrating their mixed effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a higher occurrence of PI and IS in EMS. Besides, independent and mixed effects of these variables on low AA in EMS were very significant.

Lifestyle habits and academy performance amongst forcibly displaced students: A cross-sectional survey in a school of dentistry.

INTRODUCTION: There is no recognised investigation examining the influence of some lifestyle comportments on academic performance (AP) in forcibly displaced students in higher education. Thus, the frequency of physical inactivity (PI), insufficient sleep (IS), alcohol consumption (AC), drug consumption (DC) and cigarette smoking (CS) and the independent and combined consequences of these habits on AP in forcibly displaced dental students were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 185 students was studied (thirty-seven forcibly displaced and 148 non-displaced students). This cross-sectional study used an institutional administrative database that included students' demographic features and lifestyle behaviours. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the independent and combined effects of lifestyle behaviours on AP. RESULTS: PI, IS, AC, DC and CS were observed in 51%, 43%, 83%, 27% and 16% of forcibly displaced students, respectively. Compared with non-displaced students, forcibly displaced students presented higher frequencies for all of these behaviours (P < .05), lower AP (P < .0001) and lower socio-economic status (P = .003). Unadjusted regression models showed independent and significant associations between forcibly displaced students and PI (P = .01), IS (P = .01), AC (P = .01), DC (P < .0001), CS (P = .02) and low AP (P = .006). The multivariate model for AP and forcibly displaced students increased odds by 4.6 times (1.5-11; 95% CI). Moreover, the lifestyle comportments studied were also statistically significant, showing combined effects. The variables of gender and age were not statistically significant in the adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: This research observed high frequencies of the behaviours analysed in forcibly displaced students. Furthermore, independent and combined effects of them on AP were detected.

Social Determinants of Polypharmacy in First Generation Mexican Immigrants in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Socioeconomic status (SES) indicators are among the main social determinants of health and illness. Less, however, is known about the role of SES in the epidemiology of polypharmacy in immigrant Latino Americans living in the United States. This research studied the association between three SES indicators, education, income, and employment, and polypharmacy in older first generation Latino American immigrant adults. METHODS: Data was obtained from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA, 1996-2008). A total of 632 older first generation Mexican-American immigrants to the U.S. entered this analysis. The independent variables were education, income, and employment. Polypharmacy was the outcome. Age, gender, physical health, smoking, and drinking were the covariates. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Employment was associated with lower odds of polypharmacy. The association between education and polypharmacy was above and beyond demographic factors, physical health, health behaviors, and health insurance. Neither education nor income were associated with polypharmacy. Other determinants of polypharmacy were poor self-rated health (SRH) and a higher number of chronic medical conditions (CMCs). CONCLUSION: Employment appears to be the major SES determinant of polypharmacy in older foreign-born Mexican Americans. Unemployed older Mexican American immigrants with multiple chronic diseases and those who have poor SRH have the highest need for an evaluation of polypharmacy. Given the age group of this population, most of them have health insurance, which provides an opportunity for reducing their polypharmacy.

Avaliação dos subtestes de leitura e escrita do teste de desempenho escolar através da Teoria de Resposta ao Item / Assessment of the reading and writing subtests of the school achievement test through Item Response Theory

O Teste de Desempenho Escolar (TDE) avalia a aprendizagem escolar através de três subtestes: leitura, escrita e aritmética. O objetivo deste estudo foi conhecer quais partes do continuum de habilidades são medidas pelos subtestes de leitura e escrita e a quantidade de informação fornecida, utilizando a Teoria de Resposta ao Item (TRI). A amostra foi composta de 1850 crianças. Os resultados indicaram que o subteste escrita mensura precisamente níveis médios de habilidade e menos satisfatoriamente níveis baixos e altos. O subteste leitura revelou ter discriminação apropriada para níveis baixos e médios de habilidade. As partes do continuum de habilidade que estão sendo medidas adequadamente estão fornecendo alta quantidade de informação, demonstrando que os subtestes leitura e escrita estão funcionando bem. (AU)

The School Achievement Test (SAT) assesses learning through three subtests: reading, writing and arithmetic. The goal of this study was to know which parts of the ability continuum are measured by the subtests as well as the amount of information provided in the reading and writing subtests using the Item Response Theory (IRT). The sample consisted of 1850 children. Results indicated that the writing subtest precisely measures average levels of ability and less satisfactorily low and high levels. The reading subtest revealed to have adequate discrimination for low and average levels of ability. The parts of the ability continuum which are adequately measured provide high amounts of information, indicating that reading and writing subtests are doing well. (AU)

Efectos auditivos y neuropsicológicos por exposición a ruido ambiental en escolares, en una localidad de Bogotá, 2010 / The auditory and neuropsychological effects of school children's exposure to environmental noise in a locality in Bogotá, 2010

Objetivo Evaluar el efecto que ejerce el ruido ambiental en la salud auditiva, la aparición de síntomas neuropsicológicos, el desarrollo de actividades educativas y el descanso en estudiantes de una localidad en Bogotá. Metodología Estudio transversal de prevalencia en niños y adolescentes (n=581) de 10-17 años en dos instituciones educativas distritales definidas como de mayor exposición (>65dB) y de menor exposición (<65dB) según el mapa de ruido ambiental de la localidad, clasificación verificada posteriormente. Se aplicó una encuesta de antecedentes de salud, percepción de la exposición a ruido, hábitos relacionados con salud auditiva y una audiometría tonal liminal de la vía aérea, usando criterios recomendados en la guía GATI-HNIR. Resultados El colegio más expuesto excedía la normatividad para la zona de tranquilidad (7/8 mediciones), los niveles de las dos instituciones sobrepasan la recomendación de la OMS (15/16 mediciones). El 14,8 % de los estudiantes presentaban algún grado de Hipoacusia, no se identificaron diferencias según exposición, sin embargo, al comparar los promedios de umbral auditivo, fueron mayores en el grupo de mayor exposición. Se encontró más prevalencia de hipoacusia y síntomas neuropsicológicos en la jornada mañana, y del reporte de síntomas otológicos y dificultad para dormir en estudiantes con mayor exposición. Conclusión Existe diferencia entre los umbrales auditivos de los estudiantes según la exposición, lo cual podría sugerir alguna asociación con los niveles de ruido a los que se encuentran expuestos.

Objective Evaluating the effect of environmental noise on the auditory health of a group of students from a locality in Bogotá, their educational development and leisure activities and the appearance of neuropsychological symptoms. Methods This was an observational cross-sectional prevalence study in a sample of 581, 10-17 year-old children and adolescents in two district educational institutions, defined as higher (>65 dB) and lower exposure (<65 dB) according to an environmental noise map of the locality, such ranking being subsequently verified. A survey was made regarding their health-related background, perception of being exposed to noise and auditory health-related habits; a liminal tone audiometry of the airway was taken using the criteria recommended in the Infrastructure Technical Advisory Group'snoise-induced hearing loss (ITAG-NIHL) guidelines. Results The more exposed school exceeded the regulations concerning comfortable environmental noise levels (7/8 measurements). Both institutions' levels exceeded WHO recommendations (15/16 measurements); 14.8 % of students had some degree of hearing loss. No significant differences were identified regarding exposure; however, higher thresholds were found in the more exposed group when comparing mean hearing threshold. Students attending morning sessions had a greater prevalence of hearing loss and neuropsychological symptoms and neuro-otological symptoms and difficulty in sleeping was reported amongst the more exposed students. Conclusion A difference was found between students' hearing thresholds, depending on their exposure, suggesting an association with the levels of noise to which they are exposed.