Educational Attainment Research Articles

The correlation between parents' education attainment and humanistic literacy of eight-year medical students

The correlation between parents' education attainment and humanistic literacy of eight-year medical students

Brief of Amici Curiae economists in support of respondents in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

A pillar of Mississippi's argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health was that there is no evidence of "societal reliance" on abortion, meaning no reason to believe that access to abortion impacts the ability of women to participate in the economic and social life of the nation. Led by economist Caitlin Myers and attorney Anjali Srinivasan, more than 150 economists filed an amicus brief seeking to assist the Court in understanding that this assertion is erroneous. The economists describe developments in causal inference methodologies over the last three decades, and the ways in which these tools have been used to isolate the measure of the effects of abortion legalization in the 1970s and of abortion policies and access over the ensuing decades. The economists argue that there is a substantial body of well-developed and credible research that shows that abortion access has had and continues to have a significant effect on birth rates as well as broad downstream social and economic effects, including on women's educational attainment and job opportunities. What follows is a reprint of this brief.

Correlates of Gambling Behaviours Among Day Traders: Evidence from a National Study.

Although research examining the relationship between participation in financial speculation (e.g., purchasing penny stocks, shorting stocks, cryptocurrency trading, and day trading) is sparse, findings consistently indicate that engaging in speculative activities is associated with problematic gambling behaviour. For the present study, gamblers across Canada who had or had not also engaged in day trading were surveyed. A total of n = 467day traders and n = 9,558 non-day traders were compared in terms of their sociodemographic backgrounds, gambling habits, primary gambling motives, and endorsement of gambling fallacies. Male gender, racial/ethnic minority status, higher educational attainment and income, not working or studying full- or part-time, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, and lower endorsement of coping motives were associated with day trading involvement. Furthermore, lower income, participation in a larger number of gambling activities, greater endorsement of gambling fallacies, and not showing a preference for either skill- or chance-based games predicted moderate-risk-to-problem gambling behaviour among day traders. This research provides insight into factors that may underlie day traders' susceptibility to experiencing gambling problems.

Barriers and misconceptions hindering reduction of intestinal schistosomiasis in Mbita Sub-County, Western Kenya

BackgroundCommunity and individual participation are crucial for the success of schistosomiasis control. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of enhanced sanitation, health education, and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in the fight against schistosomiasis. These approaches rely on the knowledge and practices of the community to be successful; however, where the community knowledge is low and inappropriate, it hinders intervention efforts. Hence, it is essential to identify barriers and misconceptions related to awareness of schistosomiasis, sources of infection, mode of transmission, symptoms, and control measures.MethodsThis was a mixed-method cross-sectional study involving 1200 pre-school children randomly selected and examined for Schistosoma mansoni infection using the Kato-Katz technique. All parents/guardians of selected children were enrolled for a pre-tested questionnaire survey, while 42 were engaged in focus group discussions (FGDs). The level of knowledge and awareness among parents/guardians about schistosomiasis was evaluated in relation to the infection status of their pre-school children.ResultsAmong pre-school children, the prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis was 45.1% (95% CI 41.7–48.5). A majority of parents/guardians (85.5%) had heard about schistosomiasis, and this awareness was associated with the participant’s level of education (OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.08, 0.34). In addition, a positive association was observed between higher educational attainment and knowledge of the causative agent (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.49, 0.96). Low education level was significantly associated with limited knowledge of transmission through lake water contact (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.52, 0.97) and infection from the lake (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.19, 0.57). Notably, parents/guardians who have heard of schistosomiasis could not recognize symptoms of S. mansoni infection, such as abdominal pain (91.8%, 815/888) and blood in the stool (85.1%, 756/888). Surprisingly, 49.8% (442/888) incorrectly identified hematuria (blood in urine), a key sign of S. haematobium, but not S. mansoni, in an endemic area for S. mansoni infection. The majority (82.6%, 734/888) of parents/guardians were unaware that dams are potential infection sites, despite 53.9% (479/888) of their pre-school-aged children testing positive for schistosome infection.ConclusionsDespite the high level of awareness of intestinal schistosomiasis in the study area, we identified a low level of knowledge regarding its causes, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms and potential sites of transmission within the community. This study emphasizes the need for targeted educational interventions to address the misconceptions and knowledge gaps surrounding intestinal schistosomiasis through tailored community-based programs.

Socioeconomic determinants of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in Norway: a registry study

BackgroundPrevious research has shown that socioeconomic status (SES) is a strong predictor of chronic disease. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no studies of how SES affects the risk of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) that has not been based upon self-reporting or retrospectively screening of symptoms. As far as we know, this is therefore the first study that isolate and describe socioeconomic determinants of ME/CFS and calculate how these factors relate to the risk of ME/CFS diagnosis by utilizing individual level registry data. This allows for objective operationalization of the ME/CFS population, and makes it possible to model SES affect the risk of ME/CFS diagnosis, relative to control groups.Data and methodsWe conduct a pooled cross-sectional analysis of registry data from all adult patients diagnosed with ME/CFS from 2016 to 2018 in Norway, coupled with socioeconomic data from statistics Norway from 2011 to 2018. We operationalize SES as household income and educational attainment fixed at the beginning of the study period. We compare the effects of SES on the risk of ME/CFS diagnosis to a population of chronically ill patients with hospital diagnoses that share clinical characteristics of ME/CFS and a healthy random sample of the Norwegian population. Our models are estimated by logistic regression analyses.ResultsWhen comparing the risk of ME/CFS diagnosis with a population consisting of people with four specific chronic diseases, we find that high educational attainment is associated with a 19% increase (OR: 1.19) in the risk of ME/CFS and that high household income is associated with a 17% decrease (OR:0.83) in risk of ME/CFS. In our second model we compare with a healthy population sample, and found that low educational attainment is associated with 69% decrease (OR:0.31) in the risk of ME/CFS and that low household income is associated with a 53% increase (OR: 1.53).ConclusionWe find statistically significant associations between SES and the risk of ME/CFS. However, our more detailed analyses shows that our findings vary according to which population we compare the ME/CFS patients with, and that the effect of SES is larger when comparing with a healthy population sample, as opposed to controls with selected hospital diagnoses.

Mobile phones and Mozambique farmers: Less asymmetric information and more trader competition?

We measure how the introduction of mobile phones in Mozambique affected unit values of household maize sales, maize producer prices and traders’ margins. Our estimations are based on both representative household surveys for the years 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008, and weekly producer and market prices of white maize grain from July 1997 to December 2009 for 15 major producer markets. We find household sales unit values and producer price decreases, and traders’ margin increases between 14% and 22%, indicating benefits for traders. Next, we investigate heterogeneity of impacts in order to explore underlying mechanisms: impacts on margins decrease with population density and network density, and increase with gains from long-distance trade. Impacts on household selling prices are not significantly correlated with educational attainment, but the fall in prices is less with larger household wealth. Impacts on household selling prices and producer prices also become less negative over time, suggesting delayed adoption by farmers. Our results are robust to various threats.

Accounting for the association between socioeconomic status and youth political participation: A twin family study

AbstractPolitical participation (PP) has been found to be associated with socioeconomic status (SES) indicators, most strongly with educational attainment. At the same time, previous research has been inconclusive regarding potentially biasing effects of personality and cognitive characteristics on this association. In the present study, we investigated the association between different forms of youth PP and attained SES, taking youth's and parents' individual characteristics into account. We used data from 983 German twin families with same‐sex twin pairs of emerging adults (aged 21–25) that provided information on electoral, nonelectoral individual and collective political participation as well as on youth's and their parents relevant personality and cognitive characteristics. After adjusting for youth's and parents' individual characteristics, regression analyses showed educational attainment and household income to be solely significantly associated with emerging adults' electoral political participation. Genetically informative analyses revealed confoundedness due to shared environmental factors for electoral PP and due to genetic factors for individual and collective PP. Depending on the form of PP, the covariance between attained SES indicators and youth's PP mostly or fully overlapped with variance in political interest, general cognitive ability, and/or openness to experience. Findings are discussed against the backdrop of genotype‐environment interplay.

Differences in Rural Versus Urban Patients With Prostate Cancer in Diagnosis and Treatment: An Analysis of a Population-Based Cohort.

Patients living in rural communities have greater barriers to cancer care and poorer outcomes. We hypothesized that rural patients with prostate cancer have less access and receive different treatments compared with urban patients. We used a population-based prospective cohort, the North Carolina Prostate Cancer Comparative Effectiveness and Survivorship Study, to compare differences in prostate cancer diagnosis, access to care, and treatment in patients by geographic residence. The 2013 rural-urban continuum code (RUCC) was used to determine urban (RUCC 1-3) versus rural (RUCC 4-9) location of residence. Patients with rural residence comprised 25% of the cohort (364 of 1,444); they were less likely to be White race and had lower income and educational attainment. Rural patients were more likely to have <12 cores on biopsy (47.1% v 35.7%; P < .001) and less likely (40.8% v 47.6%; P = .04) to receive multidisciplinary consultation. We observed significant differences in treatment between urban and rural patients, including rural patients receiving less active surveillance or observation (22.6% v 28.7%), especially in low-risk cancer (33.2% v 40.7%). On multivariable analysis that adjusted for patient and diagnostic factors, rural residence was associated with less use of active surveillance or observation over radical treatment (ie, surgery or radiation therapy; odds ratio, 0.49 v urban; P < .001) in patients with low-risk cancer. Patients with prostate cancer who live in rural versus urban areas experience several differences in care that are likely clinically meaningful, including fewer cores in the diagnostic biopsy, less utilization of multidisciplinary consultation, less use of active surveillance, or observation for low-risk disease. Future studies are needed to assess the efficacy of interventions in mitigating these disparities.

Cognition and Functional Capacity: An Initial Comparison of Veteran and Non-Veteran Older Adults.

The U.S. Military Veterans aged 65 and older comprise an estimated 43% of the 22 million living Veterans in the United States. Veterans have high rates of physical, psychiatric, and social challenges, but it is not known whether Veteran status confers additional risk for cognitive or functional impairments in later life. Thus, this investigation specifically compared older Veterans with their non-Veteran peers in cognitive functioning and performance-based functional capacity. Participants (N = 110; 29 Veterans and 81 non-Veterans) were part of a larger longitudinal study on biopsychosocial functioning in independently living older adult residents of a Continuing Care Senior Housing Community. The University of California San Diego Institutional Review Board approved the study and all participants provided written informed consent. Participants provided demographic and mental health information and were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Functional capacity was assessed using the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B), which uses financial and communication role-plays to assess everyday functioning skills. Neuropsychological scores were appropriately normed prior to analysis. Multivariate Analyses of Variances with post hoc t-tests and an Analysis of Covariance were used to examine neuropsychological and functional capacity differences, respectively, between Veterans and non-Veterans. Veterans did not differ from non-Veterans in educational attainment (16.4 years versus 15.5 years, P = 0.110), but they were significantly older (mean age 86.9 years ± 5.7, versus 81.74 years ± 6.53; P < 0.001) and were more likely to be male (X2 [1, N = 110] = 62.39, P < 0.001). Thus, though neuropsychological norms already accounted for demographic differences in our participants, age and sex were controlled in the Analysis of Covariance predicting UPSA-B score from Veteran status. Results suggested that, compared to non-Veterans, Veterans had significantly worse performance in the list learning portion of a test of verbal memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, Total Recall; t = 2.56, P = 0.012, d = 0.56). Veterans and non-Veterans did not significantly differ in performance on the delayed recall portion of the verbal learning test and did not differ on a cognitive screening test (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) or on measures of premorbid intellectual functioning (Wide Range Achievement Test-4 Reading), language (Boston Naming Test, Verbal Fluency), visual memory (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised), attention/working memory (WAIS-IV Digit Span), processing speed (WAIS-IV Digit Symbol Coding), executive function (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Trails and Color-Word Test), or functional capacity (UPSA-B). Because our examination of multiple outcomes might have inflated Type I error, we performed a post hoc adjustment of P values using Benjamini-Hochberg procedures and the group difference in verbal learning remained significant. Despite largely similar function in most domains, Veterans performed significantly more poorly in verbal list learning than their non-Veteran peers. Additional attention should be given to the understanding, assessment, and possible treatment of learning and memory differences in older Veterans, as this may be an area in which Veteran status confers additional risk or vulnerability to decline. This is the first study to compare objective neuropsychological and functional performance between older (age 65+) US Veterans and non-Veterans.

Royalty, Racism, and Risk

Abstract W. E. B. Du Bois provides a thesis on Black masculinity formation that includes primary traits of this social identity and dynamics that can engender or stymie its development. Yet his framework does not directly reference sexual minorities. This study considers whether and how Du Bois’s framework on masculinity is germane to the experiences of young Black people with diverse sexual identities by assessing whether they recount similar tropes and features. The analysis is theoretically informed by a New Millennium Du Boisian Mode of Inquiry and a qualitative analysis for 168 young Black persons who reside in the South. Three themes emerge that adopt, amplify, and adapt dimensions of Du Bois’s thesis and demonstrate that key aspects of his framework resonate with Black persons excluded from his original work. Despite nuanced sexual identities, it was common for individuals to espouse Du Bosian tenets associated with Black masculinity such as a protector/provider trope, respectability, racial pride, educational attainment, economic mobility, and self-help as well as concerns about racism. These findings inform research on expectations about masculinity into which many men are generally socialized as well as possible hierarchies among intersecting social identities.

Smokers' perception of the comparative health risks of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products: a survey among the German population.

Tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products can pose different health risks (harm continuum). As current tobacco smokers could benefit from switching to less harmful products, we aimed to assess current smokers' perceived comparative health risks of these three products and to explore associations between risk perceptions and specific user characteristics. We analysed data from 11 waves (2019-2021; N=5657 current tobacco smokers) of a representative, cross-sectional household survey conducted in Germany. Associations were assessed with multivariable logistic regression models. 55.2% of smokers (95%CI=53.8-56.5%) ranked cigarettes as the most harmful product. 36.1% of smokers (95%CI=34.8-37.3%) perceived e-cigarettes and 33.8% (95%CI=32.5-35.0%) heated tobacco products as more harmful than cigarettes. Misperceptions that e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products are more harmful to health than cigarettes increased over the 3-year study period and were more common among those with lower educational attainment. Only half of current tobacco smokers in Germany perceive the comparative health risks of cigarettes adequately and such misperceptions have increased recently. As current smokers could benefit most from switching to less harmful products, educational campaigns are needed to inform this group about the health risks of tobacco smoking and the comparative health risks of the various nicotine and tobacco products along the harm continuum.

The Role of Education in Promoting Empowerment as Agency in the Lives of Women and Girls in Somaliland

This article draws on 100 qualitative interviews with young women who participated in a girls’ education programme known as SOMGEP (Somali Girls Education Programme). The underpinning research sought to explore the impact of SOMGEP education on and for the later life outcomes of the participating girls now women. Researchers were able to revisit former SOMGEP students 7 years after the end of the programme. The findings made links between higher levels of educational attendance and attainment and its positive impact on agency. What also emerged was the ways in which the expression of agency is hampered by wider contextual factors that often act as a backlash to the transformative potential of a secular education.

Preparedness of level III nursing students towards first exposure to operating room at selected hospitals in Jolo

The study examined the preparedness level of level lll nursing students for their first exposure to the operating room during the Academic Year 2023-2024. A sample of 100 students was selected through purposive sampling, with various statistical analyses employed, including standard deviation, t-test for independent samples, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s r. The key findings revealed a moderate level of preparedness among level lll nursing students for their initial exposure to the operating room in selected hospitals in Jolo. Interestingly, gender, age, parent’s educational attainment, and parent’s average monthly income did not significantly influence how students assessed the preparedness level of level lll nursing students. Additionally, students who perceived the preparedness level in terms of Maintaining Sterility as moderately prepared were likely to rate other aspects similarly. The study also supports Benner’s Novice to Expert Model, emphasizing the importance of gaining nursing knowledge over time through various experiences and a solid educational foundation.

Measuring water poverty based on SDG 6

AbstractThe United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 refers to ensuring access to water and sanitation for all. This study develops alternatives for calculating a water poverty measure based on SDG 6. We use ENEMDU, which is a quarterly labor market survey that only for March 2019 incorporates a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) module. An innovative feature of this survey is that it includes information about water quality at the point of use as well as information about quality at the point of collection. Water poverty is assessed based on four dimensions: (i) safety, (ii) sanitation, (iii) hygiene, and (iv) quality. We use three different approaches to calculate our water poverty measures; the first is a deprivation approach, and the other two incorporate different weighting methods. The results indicate that our water poverty measures are highly correlated with each other (above 0.95); moreover, they are correlated with other poverty measures and social and health variables. People in water poverty are mostly racial minorities, have lower educational attainment, and are more likely to belong to the lower quintiles of income distribution This indicates that our water poverty measures are signs of poverty and deprivation in a broader sense.

‘Closing the Gap’: How is the Use of Non-Mainstream Schools Related to the Educational Outcomes of Children in Public Care?

Abstract In high-income countries, children ‘in care’ have, on average, much lower educational attainment than their peers. We explore the hypothesis that this gap can be lessened by reducing the use of non-mainstream schools (NMS). We analysed a national longitudinal data-set comprising state-educated children eligible for national examinations in 2013 at the age of sixteen years (n = 642,805), including a sub-sample of 4,847 children looked after continuously in state care for at least a year on 31 March 2013 (CLA12). Nearly four out of ten CLA12 were in NMS at the age of sixteen years: this proportion varied widely between authorities. The academic attainment of those in NMS was very low and lower on average in authorities making high use of NMS. These differences were not explained by differences in child characteristics. We argue that care removes children from stress at home and offers them an opportunity to realise their academic potential. However, concentrating children with very low attainments, behavioural problems or highly specialised needs in long-term settings makes it difficult to realise this potential. Real needs for individualised teaching in a supportive setting should be flexibly met in mainstream schools, special units within these schools or, at the most, short-term placements in NMS.

Obesity-Related Traits Mediate the Effects of Educational Attainment on the Risk of Varicose Veins, Venous Thromboembolism, and Phlebitis.

The extent to which educational attainment (EA) influences the risk of varicose veins (VVs), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and phlebitis occurrence, whether this pathway is mediated by obesity-related traits, and the proportion of their mediation is unknown. A Mendelian randomization (MR) design was used to genetically investigate the causal effects of EA on the risk of VV, VTE, and phlebitis and to assess the mediating effect of obesity-related traits. Causal effects were estimated using primarily the multiplicative random-effects inverse variance-weighted method. This was supplemented by Cochran's Q-statistic, MR-Egger regression, MR funnel plots, and leave-one-out test to evaluate the reliability of the results. For the individual mediation effect, the coefficient product method was mainly utilized to estimate. An increase in genetically predicted EA was associated with a lower risk of VV, VTE, and phlebitis, as well as lower body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference. As genetically predicted body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference increased, the risk of developing VV, VTE, and phlebitis increased, respectively. Body mass index, basal metabolic rate, hip circumference, and waist circumference were identified as mediators of the protective effects of EA on VV, VTE, and phlebitis. The findings support a causal relationship between higher EA and lower risk of VV, VTE, and phlebitis. Obesity-related traits play a significant mediating role in these pathways, and there are interactions between them, with hip circumference mediating these pathways relatively independently from the other three.

On Some Factors Contributing to Entrepreneurial Economic Success in South-West, Nigeria: An Empirical Approach

This essay explores the elements that lead to the financial success of entrepreneurs. In particular, it conducted an empirical investigation into the possibility that factors such as age, religious beliefs, risk-taking, marketing strategies, timely and adequate planning, employees’ commitment, accessibility to working capital, reduced bureaucratic steps on import and export matters, education level, and age and technology infrastructure could influence an entrepreneur’s level of success. The study used a descriptive survey research design. The study’s participants were business owners in the six states that make up Nigeria’s southwest region who operated on a micro, small, and medium scale. The 720 entrepreneurs who made up the study’s sample were chosen through a multi-stage sampling process. A self-structured questionnaire covering all the objectives was used as the data collection tool, and it was administered to a select group of entrepreneurs. In addition to applying non-parametric statistical techniques like the chi-squared test and phi statistic, the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages, and graphics. In the R-Studio (Posit) environment, the data analysis operations were carried out. The findings showed that a successful entrepreneurship is greatly influenced by a number of factors, including the availability of operating capital, the degree of employee commitment, technological and infrastructural capabilities, risk-taking, effective marketing strategies, adequate and appropriate planning, educational attainment, and age. Success in entrepreneurship, however, is unrelated to fewer bureaucratic procedures involved in the import and export of goods. It was determined that the bulk of the previously mentioned elements affect any business’s ability to succeed in today’s world. Thus, it was suggested that all tiers of government be counselled to provide funding, among other things, to serious business owners.

Prevalence and Disparities in Telehealth Use Among US Adults Following the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Cross-Sectional Survey.

Telemedicine expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, though use differed by age, sex, race or ethnicity, educational attainment, income, and location. It is unclear if high telehealth use or inequities persisted late into the pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of, inequities in, and primary reasons for telehealth visits a year after telemedicine expansion. We used cross-sectional data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6), the first cycle with data on telemedicine. In total, 4830 English- and Spanish-speaking US adults (aged ≥18 years) were included in this study. The primary outcomes were telehealth visit attendance in the 12 months before March 7, 2022, to November 8, 2022, and the primary reason for the most recent telehealth visit. We evaluated sociodemographic and clinical predictors of telehealth visit attendance and the primary reason for the most recent telehealth visit through Poisson regression. Analyses were weighted according to HINTS 6 standards. We included 4830 participants (mean age 48.3, SD 17.5 years; 50.28% women; 65.21% White). Among US adults, 38.78% reported having a telehealth visit in the previous year. Telehealth visit attendance rates were similar across age, race or ethnicity, income, and urban versus rural location. However, individuals with a telehealth visit were less likely to live in the Midwest (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 0.65, 95% CI 0.54-0.77), and more likely to be women (aPR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06-1.38), college graduates or postgraduates (aPR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05-1.46), covered by health insurance (aPR 1.56, 95% CI 1.08-2.26), and married or cohabitating (aPR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.32), adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, frequency of health care visits, and comorbidities. Among participants with a telehealth visit in the past year, the primary reasons for their most recent visit were minor or acute illness (32.15%), chronic disease management (21%), mental health or substance abuse (16.94%), and an annual exam (16.22%). Older adults were more likely to report that the primary reason for their most recent telehealth visit was for chronic disease management (aPR 2.08, 95% CI 1.33-3.23), but less likely to report that it was for a mental health or substance abuse issue (aPR 0.19, 95% CI 0.10-0.35), adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and frequency of health care visits. Among US adults, telehealth visit attendance was high more than a year after telemedicine expansion and did not differ by age, race or ethnicity, income, or urban versus rural location. Telehealth could continue to be leveraged following COVID-19 to improve access to care and health equity.

Gender-Based Biopsychosocial Correlates of Truancy in Physical Education: A National Survey among Adolescents in Benin

Truancy among in-school adolescents has long been established as a major issue that negatively impacts educational attainment or goals and mental health-related issues. However, research on subjects such as physical education (PE) truancy and its correlates is somewhat limited. This study estimated the prevalence of PE and assessed the factors associated with PE truancy in Benin among in-school adolescents. The 2016 Benin’s Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) data from a sample of in-school adolescents (n = 2496; 13–17 years) were used for data analysis. The overall prevalence of past 30-day truancy in PE class was 15.4%, with female adolescents reporting a higher prevalence of PE truancy than their male counterparts. Stratified by gender, the regression analyses showed that males in 3rd–6th grade (aOR = 0.69, CI = 0.50–0.96) experiencing hunger (aOR = 0.51, CI = 0.32–0.81) and having suicidal ideations (aOR = 1.64, CI = 1.07–2.53) predisposed adolescents to PE truant behaviour. For female in-school adolescents experiencing hunger (aOR = 1.75, CI = 1.15–2.65), drinking alcohol (aOR = 0.62, CI = 0.44–0.87), having sedentary lifestyles (aOR = 0.62, CI = 0.40–0.96), and being physically attacked (aOR = 0.53, CI = 0.33–0.87) were significantly associated with PE truancy. However, understanding and supportive parents [aOR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.41–0.91] was a protective factor against PE truancy. The present findings suggest the design of gender-sensitive school-based interventions to help minimise or prevent PE truancy among in-school adolescents in Benin based on the predisposing factors while emphasising the protective influences.

Mental Health Among Hypertensive People and its Associated Factors: Findings From RISKESDAS 2018 Data

This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between general mental health issues, specifically depression, and hypertension, and to identify associated factors among individuals affected by these conditions in Indonesia. Using data from the Indonesia National Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS) in 2018, the study included a large sample of 88,590 individuals aged 30−59 with hypertension from various provinces and districts across Indonesia. The findings show that 11.5% of hypertensive individuals in the 30−59 age range in Indonesia experience general mental health problems, including common mental disorders, while 7.0% exhibit symptoms of depression. Importantly, individuals with multiple coexisting health conditions are more susceptible to mental health issues. Furthermore, factors such as female gender, lower educational attainment, unmarried status, unemployment, physician-diagnosed hypertension, and the presence of other concurrent health conditions are identified as contributors to an increased likelihood of experiencing general mental health problems and depression. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health concerns among individuals dealing with hypertension and other non-communicable diseases in Indonesia, with a particular focus on those with lower educational levels, unmarried status, and unemployment.