Gender differences in the prevalence and impact factors of hysterical tendencies in adolescents from three eastern Chinese provinces

Qinglin Cheng,Li Xie,Jinfeng Hu,Wei Gao,Yong Xu,Yunkai Hu,Yongxiang Lv

doi:10.1186/s12199-018-0695-2

Abstract

BackgroundFew studies have attempted to compare the differences in the prevalence and impact factors of hysterical tendencies (HTs) in adolescents. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine gender differences in the prevalence and impact factors of adolescents’ HTs across three eastern Chinese provinces (Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang).MethodsA multicenter, school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in three provinces (Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) in China in 2014. The sample included 10,131 middle-school students aged 13–18 years who were randomly selected using a multiphase, stratified, cluster sampling technique. A two-stage appraisal procedure was used to determine the adolescents’ HTs. We also designed a multicenter, school-based, case control (1329 cases with 2661 control individuals) study to collect data on the common factors affecting this population using a common protocol and questionnaire.ResultsAn overall positive rate of HTs among adolescents across the three eastern Chinese provinces studied was found at 13.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.5–13.8%), at 14.5% (95% CI 13.3–15.7%) for females, and at 12.2% (95% CI 11.1–13.4%) for males. Gender-stratified, multiple conditional regression analyses revealed that superstitious beliefs pertaining to life, somatotype, teacher–student satisfaction, and family achievement orientation were significantly linked to HTs only in males, while left-behind adolescents, emotional and social adaptation, teacher–student support, family cohesion, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - depression scores were significantly associated with female HTs only. The models indicated that of all the independent variables studied, family medical history was the strongest impact factor for both male HTs (adjusted matched odds ratio (amOR) = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.84–4.86) and female HTs (amOR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.59–4.98).ConclusionsHTs are prevalent among adolescents in the three eastern Chinese provinces studied. Gender differences in the prevalence and impact factors of HTs are significant in adolescents, and HTs seem to affect more females than males. Therefore, sex-specific intervention programs against HTs in adolescents should be considered to reduce HT prevalence in adolescents by modifying influential social, school, and family factors.

Highlights

Few studies have attempted to compare the differences in the prevalence and impact factors of hysterical tendencies (HTs) in adolescents
We found that youngers, the female gender, rural settings, low education levels, low socioeconomic statuses, marital status, having a family member with the disease, and childhood sexual abuse are associated with an increased risk of hysteria [13,14,15]
The present study mainly focuses on the genderspecific prevalence and impact factors of HTs in adolescents

Summary

Introduction

Few studies have attempted to compare the differences in the prevalence and impact factors of hysterical tendencies (HTs) in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in the prevalence and impact factors of adolescents’ HTs across three eastern Chinese provinces (Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang). Hysteria is one of the most prevalent diseases globally. Hysteria has a comparable prevalence among different countries (England, Switzerland, Finland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the USA, and China) [4,5,6], at 1–4% in the general population and 10% or more within psychiatric settings. Studies demonstrate that hysteria has major impacts on functioning and quality of life and often occurs in early life and for sustained periods, thereby resulting in many disease years [3]. Hysteria largely affects public health and results in high societal costs

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