Socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with mental health problems among Mongolian elementary school children

Abstract

Purpose Lifestyle factors of children and adolescents’ mental health problems are an emerging health issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is a lack of studies on lifestyle factors in LMICs. This study examined the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with mental health problems among school-age children in Mongolia. Methods A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4th-year students at public elementary schools in one district in Ulaanbaatar. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a self-administrated socioeconomic and lifestyle questionnaire were completed by participants’ guardians. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results Of the 2301 children surveyed, 1694 without missing responses were included in the analysis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.64 (1.29–2.10)], low maternal education [AOR 1.89 (1.16–3.05)], short sleep [AOR 1.41 (1.10–1.80)], no physical activity [AOR 1.31 (1.03–1.67)], and long screen time (AOR 1.53 (1.20–1.94)) were associated with high risk of mental health problems. Low maternal education, low household income, no physical activity habit, and long screen time were associated with internalising problems. Meanwhile, male gender, low maternal education, and long screen time were associated with externalising problems. Conclusion The results are consistent with previous studies in high-income countries, indicating that there are globally common socioeconomic and lifestyle risk factors. The findings of this study may help develop a targeted preventive intervention for high-risk groups, such as socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, as well as a universal preventive intervention to foster a healthy lifestyle in Mongolia. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00127-021-02178-7.

The Mediating Role of the Muscle Quality Index in the Relation of Screen Time and Abdominal Obesity with Health-Related Quality of Life in Chilean Schoolchildren

“…In this sense, a previous study showed that high ST and bad food habits were related with poorer mental health; likewise, this study reported that physical fitness dimensions were positively linked with the absence of body image dissatisfaction [ 14 ]. Likewise, a cross-sectional study conducted in children indicated that excessive ST was linked with a high risk of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems; therefore, the authors concluded that it is fundamental to develop healthy lifestyle interventions [ 44 ]. In addition, a systematic review which examined the longitudinal relation between ST and mental health reported that recreational ST was negatively linked with psychological wellbeing [ 45 ].…”

Significance Statistical Test Analysis on Classification Models of Adolescent’s Emotional Problems

“…The explanatory variables in the logistic regression analysis included gender, living area, family structure, maternal education, household income, sleep, physical activity, and screen time. Additionally, our study was conducted in the Gobi-Altai province, whereas this study focused on the 4th grade students in one district of Ulaanbaatar city [15].…”

Postpartum Depression in Young Mothers in Urban and Rural Indonesia

“…The associations between PPD and all independent variables were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model, after which the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was calculated. The statistical significance threshold was set at a p-value of <0.05 (i.e., 5% alpha) [ 21 ]. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), considering the applicable RISKESDAS weights, strata, and primary sample units following the RISKESDAS survey design, as previously reported [ 18 ].…”