Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in secondary school children in Dhaka city, Bangladesh
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Accepted Manuscript (AM)
Author(s)
Khan, A
Ahmed, R
Burton, NW
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2020
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Objectives: Depression is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, and often starts at a young age. Depression in young people can increase the risk of unhealthy lifestyle behaviour and can lead to substantial disability, social problems, poor health, and suicide. Other research has examined depressive symptoms among adult populations in Bangladesh, but little is known about other age groups. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of depressive symptoms among secondary school children of Dhaka city, Bangladesh.
Design: A self-completed questionnaire was administered ...
View more >Objectives: Depression is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, and often starts at a young age. Depression in young people can increase the risk of unhealthy lifestyle behaviour and can lead to substantial disability, social problems, poor health, and suicide. Other research has examined depressive symptoms among adult populations in Bangladesh, but little is known about other age groups. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of depressive symptoms among secondary school children of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Design: A self-completed questionnaire was administered to 898 students from eight secondary schools of Dhaka, the capital City of Bangladesh. Of the respondents, 755 (372 males, 383 females; average age 14.26 years; SD 1.15) completed the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). A score of 10 or more was used to indicate depressive symptoms. Parents completed a separate questionnaire to provide individual and household/family-level data. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) was used to assess sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. Results: Among the responding adolescents, 25% reported depressive symptoms with prevalence more common among females than males (30% vs. 19%). Factors significantly associated with symptoms of depression included being female, aged 15–16 years, self-perception of non-normal weight, feeling unsafe at school, sleep disturbance, low life satisfaction, high intake of sugary drinks, and regularly skipping breakfast. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms are prevalent among secondary school children in urban Bangladesh. Interventions for adolescents with depressive symptoms could focus on lifestyle practices such as weight management, personal safety, sleep hygiene and healthy eating.
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View more >Objectives: Depression is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, and often starts at a young age. Depression in young people can increase the risk of unhealthy lifestyle behaviour and can lead to substantial disability, social problems, poor health, and suicide. Other research has examined depressive symptoms among adult populations in Bangladesh, but little is known about other age groups. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of depressive symptoms among secondary school children of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Design: A self-completed questionnaire was administered to 898 students from eight secondary schools of Dhaka, the capital City of Bangladesh. Of the respondents, 755 (372 males, 383 females; average age 14.26 years; SD 1.15) completed the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). A score of 10 or more was used to indicate depressive symptoms. Parents completed a separate questionnaire to provide individual and household/family-level data. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) was used to assess sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. Results: Among the responding adolescents, 25% reported depressive symptoms with prevalence more common among females than males (30% vs. 19%). Factors significantly associated with symptoms of depression included being female, aged 15–16 years, self-perception of non-normal weight, feeling unsafe at school, sleep disturbance, low life satisfaction, high intake of sugary drinks, and regularly skipping breakfast. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms are prevalent among secondary school children in urban Bangladesh. Interventions for adolescents with depressive symptoms could focus on lifestyle practices such as weight management, personal safety, sleep hygiene and healthy eating.
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Journal Title
Ethnicity & Health
Copyright Statement
© 2017 Taylor & Francis (Routledge). This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Ethnicity & Health on 02 Nov 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13557858.2017.1398313
Note
This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version.
Subject
Health services and systems
Public health
Sociology
Cognitive and computational psychology