Association between psychosocial distress with cardio metabolic risk factors and liver enzymes in a nationally-representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-III study

Abstract

BackgroundThe present study was designed to evaluate association of psychosocial distress with cardio metabolic risk factors and liver enzymes in Iranian children and adolescents.MethodThis nationwide study was conducted as the third survey of the school-based surveillance system that was conducted among 5593 school students, 10–18 years in Iran. High triglyceride (TG), high fasting blood sugar (FBS), high total cholesterol (TC), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hypertension (HTN), generalized obesity and abdominal obesity were considered as cardio metabolic risk factors and alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were considered as liver enzymes. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression (MLR) analysis.ResultPsychosocial distress was detected in2027 (71.2%) of boys and 1759 (63.3%) of girls. Among boys, the mean of LDL, AST and DBP were higher and the mean FBS and HDL were lowering those with psychiatric distress than their other counterparts. Girls with psychosocial distress had significantly higher mean of HDL and FBS than those without psychiatric distress. Psychosocial distress significantly increased the odds of high LDL (OR = 2.36, 95%CI 1.53, 3.64), high FBS (OR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.02, 1.49) and low HDL (OR = 1.65, 95%CI 1.41, 1.95).ConclusionPsychosocial distress in adolescents is associated with increased risk of some cardio metabolic risk factors.

Prevalence and Correlates for Psychosocial Distress Among In-School Adolescents in Zambia

“…The prevalence of 15.7% in the present study was lower than the 67.7% (71.2% of males and 63.3% of girls) observed in Iran ( 8 ). However, the rate in the current study was higher than the one reported in Thailand ( 9 ) of 2.5% overall (2.0% among boys and 3.0% among girls).…”

“…Lawrence et al ( 18 ) observed that males tend to detach themselves from emotions of situations and be emotionally inhibited than females. Although in Iran, boys had a higher rate of distress than girls ( 8 ), the finding in the current study suggests that females had a higher risk for distress than males. Results from another study conducted in Iran ( 19 ) accord the findings from the current study that girls are more likely to have distress than boys.…”

“…Stevenson et al ( 7 ) calculated the score for psychosocial distress by summing each respondent’s answers to the 29 SRQF questions. In a school-based survey in Iran, psychosocial distress was detected in 71.2% of boys and 63.3% of girls ( 8 ). Meanwhile, rates of 2.0% among boys and 3.0% among girls have been reported in Thailand ( 9 ).…”

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Psychosocial Distress Among Adolescents in Beninese Schools in 2016

“…Other authors, on the other hand, found higher prevalences than ours in school adolescents. These are Pengpid & al in Thailand in 2013 [9], Siziya & al in Zambia in 2015 [10] and Qorbani & al in Iran in 2014 [13] who reported prevalences of 16.9%, 33.5%, 15.7% and 67.7% respectively. The difference between the Iranian study and ours is that, in the former, seven questions were used to define the psychosocial distress among schooled adolescents assessing: uselessness, anger, anxiety, insomnia, confusion and sadness problems.…”

“…Other authors such as Qorbani & al. and Siziya & al. found that adolescents of 15 years and older were at higher risk [10,13]. Younger adolescents may still be considered as children, so that the community may not be as strict towards them as it is with older adolescents who are considered as adults.…”