Principal component regression of academic performance, substance use and sleep quality in relation to risk of anxiety and depression in young adults

Investigating the linkages between food insecurity, psychological distress, and poor sleep outcomes among U.S. college students

OBJECTIVE

Research overwhelmingly demonstrates that sleep is key to human health and wellbeing. Several factors likely contribute to sleep quality, including factors, such as food security and low income. In addition, exposure to structural inequalities early in life likely have downstream effects upon multiple dimensions of health. The objective of this study is to fill gaps in literature by specifically examining the associations between childhood food insecurity, current food insecurity, psychological distress, and sleep among college students.

METHODS

QR codes were randomly distributed to students, linking them to an online quantitative survey. The survey measured sociodemographic variables, food security (current and childhood), diet, mental distress, and sleep quality. A total of n = 134 completed the entire survey. Data were analyzed using binary and multiple linear regressions, as well as cross-tabulations.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that psychological distress was the primary factor influencing sleep health (𝛽 = 1.51, p < .01). Students reporting higher childhood food insecurity were more likely to experience extreme psychological distress (OR = 4.61), food insecurity in college (OR = 8.41), and lack of stable housing (OR = 5.86).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that potential linkages exist between childhood food insecurity, poor sleep, and greater psychological distress. While acknowledging the contribution of other factors, the study highlights the importance of addressing food insecurity in relation to sleep health, considering the significant impact of sleep to overall health and wellbeing.

Single use of psychoactive substances and its association with sleep disorders and sleep health in a large US college sample

OBJECTIVE

Estimate the association between single (i.e., exclusive) use of a range of substances and sleep outcomes.

PARTICIPANTS

College students participated in the 2015-2019 American College-Health Association-National College-Health Assessment survey.

METHODS

Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were used.

RESULTS

Single users of sedative, opioid, tobacco, and stimulant drugs were more likely to report a diagnosis of insomnia and other sleep disorder and indicated more days per week of negative sleep health outcomes compared not only to non-users of these substances but also polysubstance users. Single users of alcohol were significantly less likely to report a diagnosis of sleep disorder and indicated having had more days per week of positive sleep health outcomes compared to non-alcohol users and polysubstance users. However, those results are reversed for binge drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

Support of programs addressing behaviors to reduce the high prevalence of psychoactive substance use and sleep disturbances in college youth is needed.

Effects of lifestyle behaviours and depressed mood on sleep quality in young adults. A machine learning approach

BACKGROUND

Modern lifestyles may lead to high stress levels, frequently associated with mood disorders (e.g. depressed mood) and sleep disturbance. The objective of this study was to develop a machine learning model aimed at identifying risk factors for developing poor sleep quality in young adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 383 college-aged students (mean age ± SD: 21 ± 1 years; 61% males). Sleep quality, mood state, physical activity, number of sitting hours, and smartphone use were measured.

RESULTS

A decision tree algorithm distinguished participants' sleep quality with 74% accuracy using a combination of four features: depressed mood, physical activity, sitting time, and vigour. Together with depressed mood, both physical activity (>6432 metabolic equivalent tasks -METs- per week) and sedentary behaviour (sitting time greater than 7 h/day) were the primary features that could differentiate those with poor sleep quality from those with good sleep quality.

CONCLUSIONS

We provided a decision tree model with a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 54.3%, with an AUC of 0.725. These findings could promote improvements in prevention strategies and contribute to the development of meaningful and evidence-based intervention programs.

A model-based approach to multivariate principal component regression: Selecting principal components and estimating standard errors for unstandardized regression coefficients

Principal component regression (PCR) is a popular technique in data analysis and machine learning. However, the technique has two limitations. First, the principal components (PCs) with the largest variances may not be relevant to the outcome variables. Second, the lack of standard error estimates for the unstandardized regression coefficients makes it hard to interpret the results. To address these two limitations, we propose a model-based approach that includes two mean and covariance structure models defined for multivariate PCR. By estimating the defined models, we can obtain inferential information that will allow us to test the explanatory power of individual PCs and compute the standard error estimates for the unstandardized regression coefficients. A real example is used to illustrate our approach, and simulation studies under normality and nonnormality conditions are presented to validate the standard error estimates for the unstandardized regression coefficients. Finally, future research topics are discussed.

Burnout Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Basic Education Teachers in Mexico

Burnout syndrome (BS) is the result of chronic stress in the workplace. Moreover, chronic stress can affect sleep. A unidirectional relationship has been established between burnout and sleep, and it is known that white-collar workers with burnout syndrome have sleep fragmentation and marked daytime sleepiness.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between burnout and sleep quality in elementary school teachers in Mexico.

METHODS

We collected data from more than 400 teachers who completed tests. Correlation analyses controlled for anxiety and depression, and Poisson logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships of burnout with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between burnout syndrome (mainly in the dimension of emotional exhaustion) and sleep disturbances; significant correlations were also observed with other burnout, depression, and anxiety dimensions. The strength of the correlations decreased after controlling for depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

The symptoms of burnout syndrome in teachers can overlap with sleep disorders, so it is necessary to make a differential diagnosis to differentiate burnout syndrome from depression and anxiety, among others.

Sociodemographic and academic factors associated with unhealthy lifestyle among Brazilian nursing students

This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and academic factors associated with unhealthy lifestyles among Brazilian undergraduate nursing students. A cross-sectional study was completed by 286 nursing students in Brazil. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between sociodemographic and academic variables with the latent lifestyle indicator. The model fit's validity was assessed using Akaike information coefficient estimation, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and the ROC curve. A high health risk lifestyle was 2.7 times more likely among students aged 18-24 years than students aged 25 years or older (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = [1.18, 6.54] p = 0.02); 2.3 times more likely among students with ≥400 h of semester time (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = [0.93, 5.90], p = 0.07); and 3.8 times more likely among female students (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = [0.82, 8.12], p = 0.09). A moderate health risk lifestyle was 1.8 times more likely among students from the 6th to 10th semesters (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = [-0.95, 3.75], p = 0.07). Sociodemographic and academic factors were associated with unhealthy lifestyles. Health promotion efforts are necessary to improve nursing students' health behaviors.

Impact of fear of COVID-19 on students' performance, moderating role of mindfulness: HSK students' perception-based view

COVID-19 created difficulties and problems in almost everyone's daily life routine. Educational institutions too had to reschedule their academic activities. This shift caused attitudinal and behavioral changes in students' learning patterns. Using stress theory, the present study tries to determine the association of fear of COVID-19 with students' performance. In addition, the present study also attempts to check the impact of fear of COVID-19 on anxiety. Further, this study tries to find the association of anxiety with students' performance. This study also attempts to determine the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of mindfulness. For empirical investigation, the current study collected data from 320 HSK students from different colleges and universities in China. The present study applied partial least square structural equation modeling for the empirical investigation of hypotheses by using Smart-PLS software. The present study's findings confirmed that fear of COVID-19 negatively affects students' performance, and it positively correlates with anxiety. The study's outcomes revealed that anxiety negatively affects students' performance. The outcomes also confirmed that anxiety negatively mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and students' performance. The present study's findings acknowledged that mindfulness does not moderate the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and student performance and has a positive moderation between anxiety and student performance. The present study offers important practical, theoretical, and managerial implications.

Promoting Favorable Attitudes Toward Seeking Counseling Among People With Depressive Symptomatology: A Masspersonal Communication Approach

The Internet widely display interactions between various parties, calling for research to understand how message- and source-related factors in these easily observed interactions influence observers' attitudes in health contexts. From a masspersonal communication perspective, we investigated how reading a conversation about seeking counseling between two members of an online support group affects individuals' attitudes toward counseling-seeking behavior. In the conversation, one group member asked for advice about depressive symptoms, and in our online experiment with adults living in the United States (N = 250), we manipulated the responding source's expert status and framing of the message that recommended seeking counseling. Guided by an overarching theoretical framework-dual-process theory of supportive communication outcomes, we found a significant three-way interaction among severity of depressive symptomatology (low vs. high), message framing (gain vs. loss), and source expertise (peer vs. peer counselor vs. professional counselor). When a peer counselor provided the message, loss framing reduced self-stigma toward seeking counseling to a greater degree than gain framing and, in turn, induced more favorable attitudes toward the behavior among people with a high severity of depressive symptomatology. Those findings provide theoretical insights into the masspersonal communication approach to health promotion and inform promising communication strategies to promote counseling-seeking behavior among people with depressive symptomatology.

Insights from system dynamics applications in addiction research: A scoping review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Substance misuse and use disorders are dynamic and complex problems, situated within systems of interacting social, environmental, and neurobiological factors. System dynamics (SD) methods broaden, test, and improve understanding of complex systems and can help inform effective action. We sought to systematically review the use of SD tools in addiction-related research.

METHODS

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched several databases from 1958 to 2019. We included studies focused on addiction-related screening and diagnosis, treatment, and return to use, as well as studies focused on earlier stages that may begin a path to addiction (e.g., experimentation, misuse onset).

RESULTS

We extracted information from 59 articles with a median publication year of 2014. In addition to using SD to understand the underlying complexity driving addiction-related trends, other commonly cited reasons for use of SD included assessing impacts of potential actions (n = 35), predicting future trends (n = 28), and supporting strategic planning processes (n = 22). Most studies included simulation models (n = 43); however, some presented insights from qualitative SD diagrams (n = 9) and concept models (n = 6). The majority of studies focused on stages leading to potential addiction: initiation/ experimentation (n = 42) and misuse onset (n = 38). One-third (n = 20) engaged persons with lived experience or other stakeholders during the modeling process.

CONCLUSIONS

Addiction-related SD research has increased over the last few decades with applications varying in several ways, from model purpose and types of data used to stakeholder involvement. Future applications should consider the benefits of stakeholder engagement throughout the modeling process and expanding models to include concomitant substance use.

Association Between Socio-Affective Symptoms and Glutathione and CD4 and CD8 Lymphocytes in College Students

Background: The prevalence of anxiety and depression in young students is associated with biosocial factors and scholastic stress. However, few studies have evaluated emotional-affective symptoms that are related to the immune system and antioxidant parameters in young individuals without diagnoses of affective disorders. Aim: This study aims to assess the relationship between emotional-affective symptoms and glutathione concentrations and CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte counts in college students. Methods: College students (n = 177) completed standardized psychometric instruments, including the Perceived Stress Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Familiar Social and Friends Support Scale, and Rosenberg Scale. Blood samples were biochemically analyzed. Analyses of variance were conducted between four groups according to symptom severity. Results: A considerable prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms was observed and negatively correlated with self-esteem and socio-familiar support. Perceived stress was sexually dimorphic. Although biochemical parameters were within reference ranges, glutathione, CD4, and CD8 tended to be lower in participants with anxiety and depression symptoms, which may be of predictive value. Conclusion: The relationship between antioxidant/immune parameters and socio-affective scores is latent in undiagnosed college students who might develop affective disorders. The findings suggest that during the initial development of affective disorders, stress management strategies should be implemented to help college students cope with the academic load and monitor negative changes in their physiological state.

Academic Performance during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship with Demographic Factors and Alcohol Consumption in College Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes in the education sector worldwide, and school curricula have had to adapt to a non-face-to-face modality. However, international studies have concluded that this modality has affected the academic performance of students. The present study aimed to compare the academic performance of a sample of college students from before the start of quarantine with their current performance, and to test whether various demographic factors influenced these changes in conjunction with alcohol consumption. With a non-experimental, comparative and longitudinal design, we applied an ad hoc questionnaire, in conjunction with the AUDIT questionnaire, in a sample of college students (n = 341), and we also obtained data of academic average and failed subjects. The demographic factors that influenced academic performance were sex (p < 0.01), age (p < 0.01) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.001). Most students showed an improvement in their academic average during the quarantine period. Women without failed subjects and low-risk alcohol consumption obtained a better average in this period. In conclusion sex, age and alcohol consumption level were factors associated with academic performance during the quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and women had a higher academic average than men did.

Relationship between sleep habits and academic performance in university Nursing students

Background

Sleep disorders are composed of a group of diseases of increasing prevalence and with social-health implications to be considered a public health problem. Sleep habits and specific sleep behaviors have an influence on the academic success of students. However, the characteristics of sleep and sleep habits of university students as predictors of poor academic performance have been scarcely analyzed. In the present study, we aimed to investigate sleep habits and their influence on academic performance in a cohort of Nursing Degree students.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional and observational study. An anonymous and self-administered questionnaire was used, including different scales such as the ‘Morningness and Eveningness scale’, an author-generated sleep habit questionnaire, and certain variables aimed at studying the socio-familial and academic aspects of the Nursing students. The association of sleep habits and other variables with poor academic performance was investigated by logistic regression. The internal consistency and homogeneity of the ‘sleep habits questionnaire’ was assessed with the Cronbach’s alpha test.

Results

Overall, 401 students (mean age of 22.1 ± 4.9 years, 74.8 % females) from the Nursing Degree were included. The homogeneity of the ‘sleep habits questionnaire’ was appropriate (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.710). Nursing students were characterized by an evening chronotype (20.2 %) and a short sleep pattern. 30.4 % of the Nursing students had bad sleep habits. Regarding the academic performance, 47.9 % of the students showed a poor one. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, a short sleep pattern (adjusted OR = 1.53, 95 % CI 1.01–2.34), bad sleep habits (aOR = 1.76, 95 % CI 1.11–2.79), and age < 25 years (aOR = 2.27, 95 % CI 1.30–3.98) were independently associated with a higher probability of poor academic performance.

Conclusions

Almost 1/3 of the Nursing students were identified as having bad sleep habits, and these students were characterized by an evening chronotype and a short sleep pattern. A short sleep pattern, bad sleep habits, and age < 25 years, were independently associated with a higher risk of poor academic performance. This requires multifactorial approaches and the involvement of all the associated actors: teachers, academic institutions, health institutions, and the people in charge in university residences, among others.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-021-00635-x.

Depressive Symptoms in Swiss University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Correlates

Background: COVID-19 containment measures and the uncertainties associated with the pandemic may have contributed to changes in mental health risks and mental health problems in university students. Due to the high burden of the disease, depression is of particular concern. However, knowledge about the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Swiss university students during the pandemic is limited. We therefore assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their change during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large sample of Swiss university students. Methods: We assessed depressive symptoms in two cross-sectional cohorts of university students (n = 3571) in spring and autumn 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared them with a matched sample of the Swiss national population (n = 2328). Binary logistic regression models estimated prevalence with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Adjusted prevalence of depressive symptoms in female (30.8% (95% CI: 28.6–33.0)) and male students (24.8% (95% CI: 21.7–28.1)) was substantially higher than in the matching female (10.9% (95% CI: 8.9–13.2)) and male (8.5% (6.6–11.0)) pre-pandemic national population. Depressive symptoms in the two consecutive student cohorts did not significantly differ. Conclusions: More than a quarter of Swiss university students reported depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was substantially higher as compared to the matched general population. Universities should introduce measures to support students in such times of crisis and gain an understanding of the factors impacting mental health positively or negatively and related to university structures and procedures.

Food forensics on gelatine source via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography diode-array detector and principal component analysis

This study provided a step-by-step procedure to investigate the distribution of 17 amino acids (AAs) in 50 fish, 50 bovine and 54 porcine gelatines using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Diode-Array Detector (UHPLC–DAD) with the incorporation of principal component analysis (PCA). Dataset pre-processing step, including outlier removal, analysis of variance (ANOVA), dataset adequacy test, dataset transformation and correlation test was performed before the PCA. The method rendered linearity range of 37.5–1000 pmol/µL and accuracy of 85–111% recovery. The bovine and porcine gelatines showed a similar ranking while the l-Alanine (Ala), l-Arginine (Arg) and l-Glutamic acid (Glu) concentrations had differed the fish gelatine from the bovine and porcine gelatines. The PCA, which explained 77.013% cumulative variability at eigenvalue of 5.436, showed AAs with strong FL in PC1 had polar and nonpolar side chains while AAs with strong FL in PC2 had polar side chain. The AAs with moderate and weak FL in PC1 had a nonpolar side chain. The AAs with strong FL of in PC1 were also the same AAs with 7, 6 and 5 strong CMs as determined in the correlation test. The second PCA showed that the l-Serine (Ser), Arg, Glycine (Gly), l-Threonine (Thr), l-Methionine (Met), l-Histidine (His) and L-Hydroxyproline (Hyp) were significant in fish gelatine; Hyp, Met, Thr, Ser, His, Gly, and Arg in bovine gelatine; and l-Proline (Pro), l-Tyrosine (Tyr), l-Valine (Val), l-Leucine (Leu), and l-Phenylalanine (Phe) in porcine gelatine. The 100% fish, bovine and porcine gelatines accommodated grouping 1, 2 and 3, respectively, which proved that AAs with strong FL (Hyp, His, Ser, Arg, Gly, Thr, Pro, Tyr, Met, Val, Leu and Phe) were the significant AAs and becomes the biomarkers to identify the gelatine source. From this study, the PCA was a useful tool to analyse a multivariate dataset that could provide an in-depth understanding of AA distributions as compared to ANOVA and correlation test.

A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence of E-cigarette Use Among College Students

E-cigarette use among young adults is a major public health concern. Approximately 17.7–40% of college students have tried or are currently using e-cigarettes. While a few studies have examined e-cigarette use among youth, opportunity exists to understand psychosocial factors that influence college students’ e-cigarette behavior. The main purpose of this study is to examine the associations between the constructs of self-efficacy, knowledge, depression and anxiety symptoms, and e-cigarette use among college students. A retrospective cross-sectional survey (20-items) design was used for data collection. Bivariate analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate associations between the independent variables and the dependent variable. A total of 872 college students between the ages of 18 and 25 completed the survey in Qualtrics. A significant association between gender and frequency of e-cigarette use was found (χ² = 22.94, p < .001). ANOVA results showed significant relationships between knowledge [F (3, 808) = 9.01, p < 0.001], self-efficacy [F (3, 808) = 4.85, p < 0.01], depression [F (3,808) = 8.31, p < .05], and e-cigarette use. Post hoc analysis revealed students who never used e-cigarettes scored higher on knowledge and self-efficacy than students who used every day, somedays or rarely, indicating never-users have higher knowledge of negative effects associated with e-cigarette use and have higher self-confidence than e-cigarette users. The study’s findings highlight that modifiable factors such as knowledge about harmful effects of e-cigarettes and self-confidence are associated with low e-cigarette use. Interventions could be designed to target these modifiable factors.

A Latent Profile Analysis of Anxiety among Junior High School Students in Less Developed Rural Regions of China

The purpose of this study is to understand the potential types of anxiety among middle school students by analyzing the current situation of middle school students’ anxiety and its influencing factor. This study used a multistage stratified cluster random sampling to investigate students in grades 9 to 12. Mplus 7.4 was used for latent profile analysis. A total of 900 junior high school students were investigated. The junior high school students were divided into three subgroups by latent profile analysis. A total of 223 junior high school students experienced severe anxiety, accounting for 24.78%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that males are more likely to develop moderate and severe anxiety. The development of severe anxiety (OR = 0.562, p < 0.05) is less likely for students in schools with adequate mental health support. Students who were confident with their academic performances were less likely to develop moderate anxiety (OR = 0.377, p < 0.05). Students with extreme academic pressure are more likely to develop moderate anxiety (OR = 6.523, p < 0.05) and severe anxiety (OR = 11.579, p < 0.05). It is recommended that mental health counseling be set up in schools and to provide professional counselors to prevent serious anxiety for students. This paper also demonstrates a need to reduce students’ academic pressure.

Common and differential associations between levels of alcohol drinking, gender-specific neurobehaviors and mental distress in college students

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking is associated with poor academic behaviors and performance. Excessive alcohol drinking induces molecular changes and neurobehaviors that support use of other substances and alter cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to compare neurobehaviors and academic effort among college students with low alcohol use with those of high alcohol consumption and build conceptual models that represent the integration of the different variables.

METHOD

College students from several U.S colleges were assessed through an anonymous online survey for alcohol use, academic performance, lifestyle factors and mental distress.

RESULTS

Our results depicted common neurobehaviors and differential responses to high alcohol use.

CONCLUSION

The common responses in young men and women with high alcohol use are reflective of a hyperactive limbic system. The different responses involve cognitive aptitudes, typically controlled by cortical regions and affected by levels of brain connectivity known to be dissimilar between men and women.

Sleep Predicts Collegiate Academic Performance: Implications for Equity in Student Retention and Success

College students show high levels of insufficient sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep schedule irregularity, poor sleep quality, and inadequate sleep hygiene. This article describes the evidence linking poor sleep with impaired academic performance; discusses mediating environmental, behavioral, and demographic factors that correlate with sleep; and highlights examples of successful health promotion initiatives on college campuses. Given that students who are traditionally minoritized on college campuses tend to have worse sleep, improving sleep health emerges as an important issue for retention, equity, and inclusion.