Depressive symptoms among adolescents in six sub-Saharan African countries: A pooled analysis of associated factors
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Abstract
There is a need to identify risk factors, including nutrition-related factors, for depressive disorders among sub-
Saharan African (SSA) adolescents. We examined the association of multiple measures with depressive symptoms
among adolescents living across six SSA countries. Building on previous analyses, we used data from a
cross-sectional study conducted from 2015 to 2017 among adolescents aged 10–19 years in six SSA countries (N
= 7512). Depressive symptoms were defined as highest tertile of the 6-item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale
score. Using mixed-effects Poisson regression models, we pooled data across sites and examined the association
of sociodemographic, nutrition, and other indices with depressive symptoms. We additionally assessed effect
modification by sex, age, and school-going status. We observed higher risk of depressive symptoms among girls
(adjusted risk ratio [RR]: 1.29, 95 % confidence interval [95 % CI]: 1.05–1.58, P = 0.016), older adolescents (RR
for 18–19 years: 1.59, 95 % CI: 1.44–1.76, P < 0.001), and adolescents experiencing bullying (RR: 1.43, 95 % CI:
1.26–1.62, P < 0.001) or violence (RR: 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.24–1.45, P < 0.001). Adolescents experiencing food
insecurity also had a higher risk of depressive symptoms (RR: 1.90, 95 % CI: 1.64–2.19, P < 0.001) along with
those consuming ≥ 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day (RR: 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.03–1.34, P = 0.015);
conversely, those who consumed grains, roots and tubers in the past day were at decreased risk (RR: 0.73, 95 %
CI: 0.69–0.77, P < 0.001). There was no strong evidence of effect modification of associations. This study reinforces
the potential role of multiple sociodemographic and nutrition-related measures on risk of depressive
symptoms in these populations.
Description
Full text. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102499
Keywords
Sub-Saharan Africa, Depressive disorders, Risk factors, Sociodemographic
Citation
Partap, U., Nyundo, A., Manu, A., Regan, M., Ismail, A., Chukwu, A., ... & Fawzi, W. W. (2023). Depressive symptoms among adolescents in six sub-Saharan African countries: A pooled analysis of associated factors. Preventive Medicine Reports, 36, 102499.