BackgroundEvidence shows that mental disorders among adolescents are associated with suicide, drug abuse, acute infectious diseases and low educational performances.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their associations with body mass index (BMI) among high school students in Qazvin, Iran in 2013–2014.MethodsA descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study using cluster-sampling method recruited 1,040 students among high schools in Qazvin, Iran from March 2013 to April 2014. Data were collected using questionnaires including demographic, Beck depression inventory and Beck anxiety inventory, and were analyzed with SPSS-19 by descriptive analyses, t-test, Chi-square and Pearson correlation.ResultsThe prevalence of depression and anxiety was 31.8% and 14.9%, respectively and these amounts were significantly higher in girls than in boys (p<0.05). Respondents showed 23.75% and 11.07% mild to moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively as well as 8.08 and 3.75% severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. There was a positive and significant association between depression and anxiety (r=0.256, p<0.001) and between depression and body mass index (BMI) (r=0.333, p<0.001), however there was an inverse association between anxiety and BMI (r=0.086, p<0.006).ConclusionThe current study made a significant step forward in assessment of mental disorders and BMI to show the significance of depression and anxiety among adolescents in Qazvin. Therefore, effective interventions are necessary to improve this situation as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions.
BACKGROUND: Inadequate physical activity has adverse health consequences among adolescents. Mental health problem can be developed by lack of physical activity however it is controversial. The current study aimed to examine the association between level of physical activity with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among adolescents. METHODS: A representative sample of 1747 adolescents (13-14 years) was randomly selected from 6 schools in a south part of Malaysia. Respondents were asked to fill consent form, and questionnaires including Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. RESULTS: Majority of respondents (71.9%) was Malay and more than half of the adolescents had low physical activity. About 40% had depression symptoms, followed by anxiety symptoms (65.9%) and stress symptoms (38.5%). Level of physical activity was significantly associated with gender, anxiety and stress (P<0.001). There were no associations with race, religion and depression symptom. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides some evidence among school-going adolescents related to anxiety and stress symptoms and low physical activities. Further studies are needed to show the protection effects of higher physical activity for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in adolescents.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.