Sociodemographic Characteristics Research Articles

Prevalence of Current Chronic Pain in Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets

ABSTRACT Background Nearly half of active duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers (i.e. 43%) report experiencing current chronic pain (i.e. pain lasting longer than 3 months). Most RCMP officers (i.e. 91%) who report chronic pain indicate that the pain started after working as RCMP officers. Baseline data on chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets has not been available. Aims The current study was designed to provide cross-sectional estimates of chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program and to assess for sociodemographic differences among participants. Methods The RCMP Study uses a longitudinal prospective sequential experimental cohort design to create a clustered randomized trial that engages individual participants for 5.5 years. The current manuscript provides cross-sectional associations between chronic pain prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were RCMP cadets (n=770) starting the Cadet Training Program. Location, intensity (i.e. on a 0-10 scale, and days per week experienced), and duration (i.e. number of months) of chronic pain was reported. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Results Few RCMP cadets reported experiencing chronic pain (i.e. 10%); lower back pain was rated as the most severe in terms of intensity and duration, and second most frequently reported in number of days experienced per week. Prevalence of chronic pain was lower among RCMP cadets than RCMP officers. Conclusions Chronic pain prevalence among active duty RCMP officers may result from or be moderated by operational duties, as well as routine aging. Future researchers could examine ways to mitigate chronic pain development during RCMP officer careers.

The Mediating Role of Behavioural Intentions on the Relationship between Eco-Friendly Perceptions and Behaviour of Guests in Eco-Rated Camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The study sought to establish the mediating role of behavioural intentions on the relationship between eco-friendly perceptions and behaviour of guests in eco-rated camps at the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. The approach of the study was guided by Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and a pragmatic philosophical position with an embedded mixed methods research design. Based on the visitor arrivals to the MMNR, 208, 620 visitors were targeted for the study from which 399 were selected using clustered, stratified and proportionate random sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaire survey method and analysed with the help of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on the Partial Least Squares technique (PLS). Based on the 272 questionnaires that were returned, the results indicated that, behavioural intentions had partial mediation effect on the relationship between perceived behavioural consequences (40.8%) and perceived behavioural control (30.6%) on eco-friendly behaviour. However behavioural intentions did not have significant mediation effect on perceived subjective norms. The findings underscored the importance of understanding behavioural and control beliefs of hotel guests. Moreover, this study singled out some socio-demographic characteristics of guests which could have an indirectly link to subjective norms and proposed addition of religion, place of origin, travel companionship and monthly expenditure to the TPB. Future researches could deepen understanding of socio-demographic characteristics and their indirect link to subjective norms in different regions as well as investigating eco-friendly behaviour of guests in eco-rated hospitality facilities in Kenyan urban areas

Adolescent Morbidity Pattern in Nigeria: Is the Pattern Changing?

Background: Adolescents make up a large and growing percentage of populations in the world, especially in the developing nations. They have peculiar health needs which are often neglected due to paucity of data from our health institutions and non-implementation of existing adolescent health policies. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the morbidity pattern among adolescents attending the Paediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary health facility. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 10-17 years seen at the Paediatric Outpatient Clinic (POPC) from first of July to 31st of December 2022. Consent was obtained from parents/caregivers and assent from the adolescents. The socio-demographic data obtained from them as well as the clinical details and diagnoses made by attending physicians were recorded in the study proforma. Data was analyzed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 and data presented in tables and charts. Results: A total of 136 adolescents were enrolled in the study with a male: female ratio of 1:1.6. Most 90 (66.2%) were early adolescents, attended private secondary schools and belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. The commonest presenting complaints were body pains 24 (17.6%), convulsion 22 (16.2%) and cough 17 (12.5%). The three commonest diagnoses made were epilepsy 25(18.4%), respiratory tract infections 15 (11%), and sickle cell disease (9.6%). Non-communicable diseases (61%) were more prevalent, but there was no statistical difference in its prevalence among their socio-demographic characteristics. Eleven (8.1%) had surgical diagnoses such as appendicitis, inguino-scrotal hernia and ganglion. Conclusion: The morbidity pattern of adolescents in the study consisted of medical and surgical diagnoses. There appears to be a shift in morbidity pattern from communicable to non-communicable diseases among adolescents in the locality and this may be put into consideration in policy formulation for adolescents.

Physical Activity Fragmentation and Falls in Older Adults: Findings from the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Physical activity (PA) may be an important fall prevention strategy. Current PA guidelines emphasize total PA dose, but daily patterning of PA is underappreciated. With aging, PA bouts become less frequent and shorter in duration (i.e.: more fragmented). PA fragmentation may be an indicator of fall risk, but the relationship is not well understood. This study examined daily PA accumulation and patterns with fall risk in older adults. Participants (n=685, 54.3% female, 61.5% aged 70-79 years) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) with wrist-worn accelerometry PA data from Round 11 (baseline) and sample person interviews with fall data from Round 12 (follow-up) were included. PA variables were categorized into tertiles and incident falls were defined as ≥1 self-reported fall in the year following the PA assessment between baseline and follow-up. A modified Poisson approach was used to estimate the relative risk of both PA accumulation and fragmentation with falls. Overall, 40.0% reported an incident fall. After adjustment for sociodemographic and health characteristics, those in the highest tertile of total PA accumulation had lower fall risk (aRR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.95) and those in the highest tertile of PA fragmentation had increased fall risk (aRR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.73). Models were attenuated after adjustment for physical functioning. PA fragmentation may identify fall risk in older adults. Longitudinal studies are needed to disentangle the temporal sequencing of the complex relationship between PA and physical functioning across the life-course.

Analyzing Strawberry Preferences: Best–Worst Scaling Methodology and Purchase Styles

This research has investigated Italian consumers’ preferences for and purchasing behaviors of strawberries utilizing the Best–Worst Scaling methodology (BWS). This approach enables the key factors that influence strawberry purchasing decisions to be identified and different choice groups to be characterized. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted on a sample of 496 respondents living in the metropolitan area of Milan (North Italy). The declared preferences of the individuals for 12 strawberry characteristics, divided into intrinsic, extrinsic, and credence attributes, were first measured. A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was then performed to identify different clusters of consumers according to the individuals’ preferences. Subsequently, the heterogeneity of the clusters was tested, using the Chi-square test, and sociodemographic characteristics and purchasing habits were considered. The results suggest that the most important attribute in the choice of strawberries was appearance, highlighting the importance of preserving it throughout the supply chain, followed by one of the increasingly important aspects of diets, which is health benefits. The attribute considered the least important was the brand. This study demonstrates, from a holistic point of view, that sociodemographic characteristics, food habits, and perceptions of different strawberry attributes influence consumers’ preferences and behaviors. Practical implications suggest a new prospective for communication marketing strategies for producers, creating a better brand identity and highlighting in their marketing all of the aspects that consumers would like to know about the fruits they choose as quality certifications.

Investigating Relationships Between Phone Use While Driving Behavior and Drivers’ Socio-demographic Characteristics: An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach

Investigating Relationships Between Phone Use While Driving Behavior and Drivers’ Socio-demographic Characteristics: An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach

The effects of pregnancy-related changes in eating attitudes and behaviours on nutritional status.

During pregnancy, the requirements of essential nutrients for the mother and foetus increase. The changes in pregnant women's eating behaviours may vary according to their sociodemographic characteristics. It is important to meet these increased requirements and understand the factors influencing eating habits during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the effects of changes in pregnant women's eating attitudes and behaviours and their sociodemographic characteristics on their meeting status for nutrient recommendations. Sociodemographic information, eating behaviours, and attitudes of 656 pregnant women were obtained in face-to-face interviews between February and June 2020. Food consumption records were taken with a 24-hour recall method and evaluated according to the estimatedaverage requirementvalue. The average age of pregnant women was 29.0 ± 5.2 years, 28.0% were high school graduates, and 69.2% were non-working. The frequency of intakes below the estimated mean requirement value were iron, folic acid, vitamin B6, niacin, and calcium. It was demonstrated that there was a significant difference in snack consumption based on the working status and nutrition information obtained (P < .05). Getting nutrition information, age, education level, working status, and pre-pregnancy body mass index significantly increased food consumption (P < .05). Inadequate nutrient intake is a common public health problem in pregnant women. It is necessary to identify the sociodemographic characteristics that negatively impact pregnant women's nutritional status and to develop nutrition and health education programs based on these features.

Secondary School Students’ Views on Sexuality and Sexual Health Education

Objective This study examined the views of secondary school students on sexuality and sexual health education in Hong Kong, China. Methods A total of 818 secondary school students (mean age = 15.3 years, SD = 1.6) participated in this study by completing a questionnaire consisted of items on sociodemographic characteristics, sexual attitudes, and other measuring scales. Results Students were slightly permissive in sexual attitudes and supported sexual health education. However, students who were male, highly liberal in sexual attitudes, and low in religiosity and spirituality were less supportive. Conclusions Educators may need to address these deterring factors of sexual health education before teaching specific sexual health topics.

Recruitment strategies for reaching adults aged 50 years and older with low socioeconomic status for participation in online physical activity interventions

BackgroundGenerally, the health condition of those with higher socioeconomic status (SES) is better compared to those with lower SES. The application of appropriate strategies to reach low SES populations with electronic health (eHealth) interventions is thus of major importance to reduce health inequalities. eHealth-studies providing detailed information on recruitment strategies are scarce, despite the fact that this information is crucial for comparable research and implementation.ObjectiveTo provide insight into the reach, sample characteristics and costs of three pre-planned strategies for recruiting adults aged 50 years and older with low SES for participation in an online physical activity intervention, as part of a field study.MethodsRecruitment took place via (1) invitation letters via a municipality, (2) gyms and (3) social media advertisements, aiming to include 400 participants. Additional procedures were followed to reach specifically the low SES group. Response rates, sociodemographic characteristics and costs per strategy were assessed.ResultsThe highest response was shown for the municipality approach (N = 281), followed by social media (N = 71) and gyms (N = 45). Ten participants were recruited via family/friends. The most low-educated participants were reached via the municipality (N = 128) followed by social media (N = 9), gyms (N = 8) and family/friends (N = 5). Recruitment costs were with €2,142.37 the highest for the municipality compared to €96.81 for social media and no costs for gyms.ConclusionsRecruitment via invitation letters through a municipality has the highest potential for reaching low SES participants of the three applied strategies, although the higher recruitment costs need to be taken into account.

United States Veterans with comorbid chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic pain: do women differ from men?

ABSTRACT Objective: Examine group differences among women and men United States Veterans with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and chronic pain (CP). Method: Administrative data from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse were derived from a cohort that met criteria for CP in 2018. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbidities, and pain-related healthcare utilization were examined. Analyses included group comparisons (chi-square tests for independence or independent samples t-tests) and effect size differences (Cohen’s d or Cramer’s V). Results: The period prevalence for comorbid CFS and CP was greater among women Veterans (1.20% vs. 0.61%). Women Veterans with CFS and CP were younger (d = 0.80), more likely to be Black, and less likely to be White (V = 0.13). Women Veterans with CFS and CP were more likely to have fibromyalgia (V = 0.23), headache (V = 0.24), or urogenital, pelvic, and menstrual pain (V = 0.14), and less likely to have neuropathy relative to men; they were also more likely to have depression (V = 0.15) or anxiety (V = 0.13). Conclusions: Comorbid CFS and CP are more prevalent among women Veterans relative to men. Group differences in pain clusters and psychiatric comorbidities may have implications for clinical offerings to women Veterans with these conditions.

Uptake and factors associated with HIV self-testing among women in South Africa

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing (ST) is a convenient and discreet practice to know HIV status. It is required to reach the underserved population subgroups. We examined the uptake and factors associated with HIVST among reproductive-aged South African women.Methods: A sample of 8182 women from 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey data were analysed. Percentage and multivariable logistic regression model were conducted. The significance level was set at p 0.05.Results: Approximately 3.1% of women had HIVST uptake. Respondents with primary education had a 75% reduction in the odds of HIVST, compared with women who had no formal education. Women who are employed were 1.44 times as likely to have HIVST uptake compared to those not employed. Women aged 20–24 years, 25–29 years, 30–34 years, and 40–44 years had about two times higher odds of HIVST, when compared with women aged 15–19 years. Women who read newspaper or magazine less than once a week or at least once a week were 1.90 and 2.25 times as likely to have HIVST uptake, respectively, when compared with those who do not read at all.Conclusion: The prevalence of HIVST uptake was low. HIVST was associated with women’s sociodemographic characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of addressing women’s needs to know their HIV status.Contribution: This study adds to the body of literature in understanding the utilisation patterns of HIVST across women in South Africa.

US County-Level Variation in Availability and Prevalence of Black Physicians in 1906

Black physicians are substantially underrepresented in the US health care workforce, with detrimental effects on the health and health care experiences of Black individuals. These contemporary gaps can be traced to the early days of the medical profession using the first edition of the American Medical Directory (AMD). To identify state- and county-level patterns related to the training and availability of Black physicians relative to their White counterparts in the 1906 AMD. For this cross-sectional study, data for 41 828 physician entries in 18 US states in or adjacent to the South as well as the District of Columbia were extracted from the 1906 AMD and aggregated to 1570 counties. Data analysis was performed between September 2023 and January 2024. County-level exposure variables included population density, racial composition, and illiteracy rate among US-born White residents as well as an index of terrain ruggedness and the number of lynchings in the previous decade. Median values of physicians' distance from place of practice to place of medical training (by race of physician) were also used as an exposure variable. There were 4 county-level outcomes: (1) presence of any Black physician, (2) proportion of Black physicians per Black population, (3) proportion of White physicians per White population, and (4) community representativeness (reported as the community representativeness ratio). The cross-sectional analysis used generalized additive mixed models with state-level random effects. Across 1570 counties, Black physicians comprised 746 (1.8%) of the 41 828 physicians in the dataset. Black physicians tended to train further from their place of practice than their White counterparts. The proportion of Black physicians per 1000 Black residents was 0.08 compared with 1.62 for White physicians; these proportions varied substantially by state. At the county level, the presence of any Black physician was associated with percentage Black population (odds ratio [OR], 28.94 [95% CI, 9.77 to 85.76]; P ≤ .001), population density (OR, 2.63 [95% CI, 2.03 to 3.40]; P ≤ .001), and distance to the nearest Black medical school (OR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.92]; P = .02). A variety of structural disadvantages are illustrated in this cross-sectional study of county-level sociodemographic and geographic characteristics associated with the prevalence of Black physicians in the earliest days of the profession. To demonstrate its broader utility for health disparities research, the dataset has been made publicly available with a visualization platform.

Deconstructing subjective unmet healthcare needs: a South Korean case study with policy implications

BackgroundDespite widespread efforts by many countries to reduce the prevalence of unmet healthcare needs within their populations, there remains a scarcity of research systematically exploring the components of these needs.ObjectivesThis study aims to deconstruct subjective unmet healthcare needs into two distinct components: the experience of subjective healthcare needs (the “Needs” component) and the experience of unmet needs contingent on those healthcare needs (the “Unmet” component).MethodsThis analysis utilizes data from 13,359 adults aged 19 or older, collected through the 2018 Korea Health Panel survey, with the aim of minimizing the influence of the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic. The two dependent variables are the experience of subjective healthcare needs and whether these needs have been met. The independent variables include 15 socio-demographic, health, and functional characteristics. The study employs both a population proportion analysis and a multivariable bivariate probit model with sample selection.ResultsIn South Korea, 11.6% (CI [confidence interval] = 11.0–12.3%) of the population experienced subjective unmet healthcare needs. Upon deconstructing these, 96.7% (CI = 96.2–97.1%) of the population exhibited the Needs component, and 12.0% (CI = 11.4–12.7%) displayed the Unmet component. Each independent variable showed different associations between the two components. Furthermore, effective interventions targeting the characteristics associated with each component could reduce the proportion of the population experiencing subjective unmet healthcare needs from 11.6 to 4.0%.ConclusionSouth Korea faces a significant challenge due to the considerable prevalence of subjective unmet healthcare needs. To address this challenge effectively, the universal healthcare coverage system should adapt its approach based on the characteristics associated with both the Needs and Unmet components of subjective unmet healthcare needs. To achieve this goal, it is highly recommended that the government prioritize strengthening community-based primary healthcare, which currently suffers from insufficient resources.

Adolescents’ trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with healthy sleep patterns

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in anxiety and depression among adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between sleep and mental health among a large sample of Australian adolescents and examine whether healthy sleep patterns were protective of mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used three waves of longitudinal control group data from the Health4Life cluster-randomized trial (N = 2781, baseline Mage = 12.6, SD = 0.51; 47% boys and 1.4% ‘prefer not to say’). Latent class growth analyses across the 2 years period identified four trajectories of depressive symptoms: low-stable (64.3%), average-increasing (19.2%), high-decreasing (7.1%), moderate-increasing (9.4%), and three anxiety symptom trajectories: low-stable (74.8%), average-increasing (11.6%), high-decreasing (13.6%). We compared the trajectories on sociodemographic and sleep characteristics. Adolescents in low-risk trajectories were more likely to be boys and to report shorter sleep latency and wake after sleep onset, longer sleep duration, less sleepiness, and earlier chronotype. Where mental health improved or worsened, sleep patterns changed in the same direction. The subgroups analyses uncovered two important findings: (1) the majority of adolescents in the sample maintained good mental health and sleep habits (low-stable trajectories), (2) adolescents with worsening mental health also reported worsening sleep patterns and vice versa in the improving mental health trajectories. These distinct patterns of sleep and mental health would not be seen using mean-centred statistical approaches.

Depression and associated factors among older people in Vietnam: Findings from a National Aging Survey.

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders among older people. Depressive symptoms are often overlooked and untreated in primary care settings. This study aims to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors among older people in Vietnam. The study analyzed data from the Vietnam National Aging Survey (VNAS) conducted in 2022 with a nationally representative sample of 3,006 older people aged 60 and over in 12 provinces. The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between depressive symptoms and other related factors such as sociodemographic and economic characteristics, social support, health status, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) limitations, chronic diseases, cigarette smoking status, alcoholic drinking, and domestic violence. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among older people was 20.2%. The associated factors that increase the odds of having depression among older people were female gender (OR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.34-3.62), living in rural areas (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.15-2.89), the poorest quintile (OR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.39-3.66), self-rated poor health (OR = 11.68, 95% CI 4.96-27.49), ADL limitations (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.51-2.99), IADL limitation (OR = 1.61 95% CI 1.16-2.25), and experiencing domestic violence in the last 12 months (OR = 6.66, 95% CI 4.00-11.05). Depression symptoms were prevalent among older people in Vietnam. Depression screening for older people should be included in primary care settings for early identification and treatment of depression.

First Generations and Gender Survey in Finland

The first Generations and Gender Survey in Finland was collected in 2021/2022 as a web-based survey. In addition to the standard GGS-questionnaire, the Finnish survey included two new modules: the Miller Instrument, which captures childbearing motivations, and Global uncertainties, which enquires about perceptions of future threats. To further advance research on family dynamics, data from GGS Finland is linked to administrative records. This allows researchers to explore employment and family trajectories until 2026. Analyses of core socio-demographic characteristics and well-established fertility indicators reveal that the sample, by and large, represents the target population.

Youth`s psychosocial characteristics in agriculture: The case of Bukidnon, Philippines

The study sought to analyze the youth`s psychosocial characteristics in Agriculture in Bukidnon, Philippines. Specifically, this study aimed to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of the senior high school students; assess the knowledge of the students in agriculture; determine the student’s attitude towards agriculture and to identify the student’s motivation towards agriculture as a degree program. Data were gathered through guided interview/survey that was personally administered to 383 respondents who were in Grade 12 senior high school students in the DepEd, District of Bukidnon. Focus group discussion and key informant interview were also used in the study. Descriptive statistical tools such as mean, rank, percentage, and frequency counts were employed. Findings of the study reveal that the respondents of the study are mostly female, and have experiences in farming. Their parents have moderate level of education. More than half of the respondents’ families do not own a piece of land used in agriculture. They are willing to engage in agriculture but are not willing to enroll in an agriculture degree. These youth have low level of knowledge and skills in agriculture and have favorable attitude and positive motivation towards a degree.

Children and young people's body mass index measures derived from routine data sources: A national data linkage study in Wales.

Routine monitoring of Body Mass Index (BMI) in general practice, and via national surveillance programmes, is essential for the identification, prevention, and management of unhealthy childhood weight. We examined and compared the presence and representativeness of children and young people's (CYPs) BMI recorded in two routinely collected administrative datasets: general practice electronic health records (GP-BMI) and the Child Measurement Programme for Wales (CMP-BMI), which measures height and weight in 4-5-year-old school children. We also assessed the feasibility of combining GP-BMI and CMP-BMI data for longitudinal analyses. We accessed de-identified population-level GP-BMI data for calendar years 2011 to 2019 for 246,817 CYP, and CMP-BMI measures for 222,772 CYP, held within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. We examined the proportion of CYP in Wales with at least one GP-BMI record, its distribution by child socio-demographic characteristics, and trends over time. We compared GP-BMI and CMP-BMI distributions. We quantified the proportion of children with a CMP-BMI measure and a follow-up GP-BMI recorded at an older age and explored the representativeness of these measures. We identified a GP-BMI record in 246,817 (41%) CYP, present in a higher proportion of females (54.2%), infants (20.7%) and adolescents. There was no difference in the deprivation profile of those with a GP-BMI measurement. 31,521 CYP with a CMP-BMI had at least one follow-up GP-BMI; those with a CMP-BMI considered underweight or very overweight were 87% and 70% more likely to have at least one follow-up GP-BMI record respectively compared to those with a healthy weight, as were males and CYP living in the most deprived areas of Wales. Records of childhood weight status extracted from general practice are not representative of the population and are biased with respect to weight status. Linkage of information from the national programme to GP records has the potential to enhance discussions around healthy weight at the point of care but does not provide a representative estimate of population level weight trajectories, essential to provide insights into factors determining a healthy weight gain across the early life course. A second CMP measurement is required in Wales.

An exploratory study on spatiotemporal clustering of suicide in Korean adolescents

BackgroundAdolescent suicides are more likely to form clusters than those of other age groups. However, the definition of a cluster in the space–time dimension has not been established, neither are the factors contributing to it well known. Therefore, this study aimed to identify space–time clusters in adolescent suicides in Korea and to examine the differences between clustered and non-clustered cases using novel statistical methods.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2020, the dates and locations, including specific addresses from which the latitude and longitude of all student suicides (aged 9–18 years) in Korea were obtained through student suicide reports. Sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents who died by suicide were collected, and the individual characteristics of each student who died by suicide were reported by teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) analysis was used to assess the clustering of suicides.ResultsWe identified 23 clusters through the data analysis of 652 adolescent suicides using DBSCAN. By comparing the size of each cluster, we identified 63 (9.7%) spatiotemporally clustered suicides among adolescents, and the temporal range of these clusters was 7–59 days. The suicide cluster group had a lower economic status than the non-clustered group. There were no significant differences in other characteristics between the two groups.ConclusionThis study has defined the space–time cluster of suicides using a novel statistical method. Our findings suggest that when an adolescent suicide occurs, close monitoring and intervention for approximately 2 months are needed to prevent subsequent suicides. Future research using DBSCAN needs to involve a larger sample of adolescents from various countries to further corroborate these findings.

The Role of Parental Health Literacy in Establishing Health-Promoting Habits in Early Childhood

In early childhood, children are extremely susceptible to the acquisition of habits and the establishment of health-promoting habits. Therefore, the patterns, routines, and rules transmitted and expected by the adults surrounding the child are of paramount importance and can correlate with the level of their health literacy. Our cross-sectional, quantitative, exploratory study aimed to examine the relationships between parental health literacy and preschool children’s health-related habits, using simple, non-random sampling (n = 598). In addition to the sociodemographic characteristics, the measuring tool we compiled included the standardized European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16), as well as a set of questions containing 30 statements suitable for exploring children’s habit systems. The health literacy of the parents involved in our study proved to be more favorable than that of the general population. Regarding children’s habit systems, we found significant differences in several areas by age group (p &lt; 0.05) and gender (p &lt; 0.05). The levels of parental health literacy (0.003 ≤ p ≤ 0.048) and parents’ education (p &lt; 0.05) show a correlation with the children’s health-related habit systems: the indicators of children with parents who have a higher level of health literacy and a higher level of education are more favorable in terms of established habits. In the long term, the formation of health-promoting habits may facilitate the internalization of favorable health behavior motives for the future, contributing to the establishment of positive physical, mental, and social health in adulthood.