Are physical activity and breakfast skipping habit associated with stress among adolescents of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu?

Abstract

The estimated prevalence of stress ranges from 13% to 45%, among adolescents in India. There is a strong association between stress and mental health. Globally, 20% of children and adolescent suffer from disabling mental disorders, and 50% of the mental health issues among adult have been found to be rooted in the adolescent period. Suicide is one of the serious consequences of stress, while depression is an intermediate stage between them. Suicide is the third driving reason for death among students in India and globally, and it has gained huge importance in India. There are various sources and risk factors for adolescent stress. Schools, family, friends, and relatives are sources of stress, while factors such as sleep disorders, low selfesteem, high demands and low social support are risk factors for adolescent stress. Other factors associated with stress are number of siblings, socio-economic status of the family, parent quarrels, parent educational status, and gender. Physical activity is negatively associated with stress. The period between 12 years of age to 17 years of age was when the physical activity decreases among adolescents. Change in frequency of physical activity from least active to even moderately active or almost every day a week showed a significant decrease in stress scores as well as the negative impacts of stress on health. The association was relatively stronger among female adolescents when compared to their male counterparts. Skipping meals is a habit that increase with age. Breakfast frequency has a significant inverse relationship with mental distress among adolescents. The proposed study aims to estimate the prevalence of stress among the students from 9th – 12th grade and to examine the association between stress and physical activity, and between stress and breakfast skipping. The study will require a sample size of 582 to answer the research questions. The study instrument will include: Socio-demographic questions, Perceived Stress Scale, breakfast frequency question, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, General Self-efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Modified Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. The data entry will be done in SPSS software and imported to STATA software for analysis. The analytical methods include descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression analysis. The study has been approved by Institutional Review Board of Gerald and Patricia Turpanjian School of Public Health at the American University of Armenia. The total budget for the project will be 243,000Indian Rupees equivalent to 1,803,000 Armenian Drams. The study will provide the basis for future research in this field and can be used to plan interventions to improve the psychological health of adolescents.