Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health最新文献

The prevalence of mental health problems among youth worldwide is alarming and a public health concern. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among youth at two time points, ages 15 and 20 years, and to identify groups that are particularly vulnerable to PD. Utilizing data from the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team study, we analyzed a cohort of 416 participants who underwent mental health assessments in 2014 and 2019/2020. The prevalence of PD increased significantly between the ages of 15 (15.9%) and 20 (34.6%) years. Factors such as parental mental health problems, Indian and other ethnicity, lower maternal education attainment, and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with PD in youth. This study underscores the importance of increasing access to mental health care while improving surveillance and prevention programs to protect youth's psychosocial well-being.

This study aimed to identify the rates of cigarette sales to underage youth and the factors associated with these sales using a mystery shopping technique. Of the convenience stores selling cigarettes in Seoul, South Korea, 2600 were sampled in 2019 and 2020. Personal and environmental factors were independent variables. Cigarette sales to underage youth were the outcome variable, defined as cases where a seller sold cigarettes to a youth shopper. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Rates of cigarette sales to underage youth were 17.9% in 2019 and 16.3% in 2020, significantly higher when the seller was younger and the store was located in a central area. Administrative actions are needed to enforce strong warnings and training guidelines for convenience store sellers. Differentiation in surveillance intensity based on the location of convenience stores in Seoul is also recommended.

This longitudinal study aimed to identify the role of psychosocial factors affecting smartphone addiction (SA) among Korean adolescents and predict the trajectory of SA based on the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) 2018 to 2020. The dependent variable was SA score as measured by the Korean Smartphone Addiction Propensity Scale (SAPS), and the independent variables were psychosocial factors (attention, grit, life satisfaction, self-esteem, aggression, depression, social withdrawal and physical symptom). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis (adjusted for covariates) results indicated that attention (B = -0.346, P < .001), grit (B = -0.402, P < .001), life satisfaction (B = -0.150, P < .001), and self-esteem (B = -0.099, P < .001) were protective factors for reducing SA score. Conversely, aggression (B = 0.222, P < .001) and depression (B = 0.067, P = .005) were predicted to be risk factors for increasing SA score. A better understanding of the relationship between behavioral addiction and psychosocial development factors in adolescence will assist in the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a participatory training program for mitigating the risk of slips, trips, and falls (STFs) in agriculture. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial of corn farmers over six months in Thailand. The participatory training intervention comprised lectures, group discussions, and presentation sessions centered around a specifically developed action checklist for occupational fall prevention. Sixty-two individuals were included in the intervention group, with 169 included in the control group. The results revealed a reduction in the incidence of STFs in the intervention group from 42% to 23%; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The study highlights the potential of participatory training for enhancing occupational safety for farmers. However, the absence of statistical significance necessitates cautious interpretation of the results. Future research should examine larger sample sizes, involve employers in the training process, and implement repetitive training interventions.

This study aimed to assess the diagnosis of diabetes after detecting high blood glucose levels through screening among insured individuals in Gunma, Japan. Data for men and women 35 to 74 years of age were provided by Japan Health Insurance Association, and 4133 individuals with high blood glucose levels while not currently being treated for diabetes were included in the study. About 13% received a diagnosis of diabetes at a subsequent physician visit, and individuals who were under treatment for hypertension were less likely to receive the added diagnosis of diabetes compared with those not being treated for hypertension (odds ratio = 0.42 from a logistic regression model). Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly improved in the next year only among individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well as related social costs and efforts is increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between age at menarche and the risk of MetS, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women over 30 years, using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2020). The analysis of 30 916 participants showed that early menarche (before 11 years) significantly increased the risk of obesity, diabetes, and MetS compared with the median age of 14 years. Late menarche (after 17 years) was also linked to MetS and related disorders. The relationship between age at menarche (at <10 years and >19 years) and the risk of MetS and related disorders exhibited a reversed J-shaped (し) pattern characterized by a pronounced increased risk among those who experience early menarche, whereas the increased risk associated with late menarche was less consistent. These results will help to decrease the risk of MetS and related disorders by enabling early intervention in early and late menarche age groups.