METHODS: Data were derived from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Data from 71176 adolescents aged 12-15 years residing in 23 countries were analyzed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 growth charts were used to identify underweight, normal weight, and overweight/ obesity. Weighted age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of weight categories and tobacco use was calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between weight categories and tobacco use for each country, controlling for covariates. Pooled odds ratios and confidence intervals were computed using random- or fixed-effects meta-analyses.
RESULTS: A significant association between weight categories and tobacco use was evident in only a few countries. Adolescents reporting tobacco use in French Polynesia, Suriname, and Indonesia, had 72% (95% CI: 0.15-0.56), 55% (95% CI: 0.24-0.84), and 24% (95% CI: 0.61-0.94) lower odds of being underweight, respectively. Adolescents reporting tobacco use in Uganda, Algeria, and Namibia, had 2.30 (95% CI: 1.04-5.09), 1.71 (95% CI: 1.25-2.34), and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.00-2.12) times greater odds of being overweight/obese, but those in Indonesia and Malaysia had 33% (95% CI: 0.50-0.91) and 16% (95% CI: 0.73-0.98) lower odds of being overweight/obese.
CONCLUSIONS: The association between tobacco use and BMI categories is likely to be different among adolescents versus adults. Associating tobacco use with being thin may be more myth than fact and should be emphasized in tobacco prevention programs targeting adolescents.
AIM: This study aims to analyze the role of coping strategies, family support, and social support in improving the mental health of the students by collecting evidence from post COVID-19.
METHODS: Data was collected from deaf students studying in Chinese universities of Henan Province, China. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data from 210 students. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS 21 while hypothesis testing was carried out using Mplus 7.
RESULTS: The results demonstrated that family support was strongly positively linked to mental health and predicted coping strategies. The direct relationship analysis showed that coping strategy strongly predicted mental health. Furthermore, coping strategies significantly mediated the relationship between family support and mental health. Additionally, the results highlighted that PSS significantly moderated the path of family support and coping strategies only.
CONCLUSION: Family support and coping strategies positively predicted mental health, whereas, family support was also found to be positively associated with coping strategies. Coping strategies mediated the positive association between family support and mental health. However, perceived family and other support only moderated the relationship between family support and coping strategies.