Browsing by Author "Bajracharya, Shanti"
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Publication Anxiety and Depression and their Predictors among School Adolescents of Kathmandu, Nepal(Nepal Paediatric Society (JNPS), 2022) Bajracharya, Shanti; Shakya, Sujata; Nagarkoti, Liza; Ban, Rita Kumari; Regmi, KalpanaAbstract: Introduction: Adolescence is a vulnerable period in which different physical, psychological and behavioral changes occur contributing to mental health issues. Depression and anxiety occur more commonly than would be expected by chance in children and adolescents. Undetected and untreated mental disorders can impair one’s ability to perform at school or work place, cope with daily life activities and can lead to severe mental disorders and related consequences. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of anxiety and depression and their predictors among the adolescents of Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in different higher secondary schools of Kathmandu. Cluster random sampling method was used to select 482 students of Grade XI and XII. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II were used to assess the levels of anxiety and depression. Results: Among 482 students, 230 (47.7%) were females and 252 (52.3%) were males with mean age of 17.25 (± 1.01) years. Majority (38.6%) had minimal anxiety and 11.6% had severe anxiety. On the other side, 45.9% had no depression and 16.4% had severe depression. Grade, sex, health problem, use of gadget and academic performance are found to be the predictors of anxiety, while, the predictors of depression are age, sex, health problem and academic performance. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression are found prevalent among the adolescents, which need to be explored and addressed immediately through appropriate measures. Psychological counseling and support services should be available to vulnerable students.Publication Hypertension and its Determinants Among School Going Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Study in Nepal(Nepal Paediatric Society (JNPS), 2019) Shakya, Sujata; Bajracharya, ShantiAbstract: Introduction: Hypertension is a chronic life threatening non- communicable disease. It increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases even leading to premature death. Almost half of the adults with hypertension had elevated blood pressure during childhood. With globalisation and lifestyle changes, adolescents are exposed to various risk factors. However, diagnosis in this population is difficult due to absence of symptoms. Thus, regular blood pressure screening is essential in these groups. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of hypertension and its determinants among the school going adolescents of Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: This was a descriptive cross sectional study which included five private secondary schools of Kathmandu, Nepal. The adolescent students studying in classes VIII, IX and X were the study subjects. Two stage cluster random sampling technique was used to select 356 participants. Data collection was done by doing anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurement and through self administered questionnaire. Results: The study depicted that the prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 12.4%, stage 1 hypertension 32.3% and stage 2 hypertension 9.8%. Similarly, 13.8% were overweight and 1.4% were obese. Bivariate analysis depicted significant association of prevalence of hypertension with gender, religion and obesity (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis shows that the significant predictors of elevated blood pressure and/or hypertension were gender and obesity. Males were six times more likely to have elevated blood pressure (AOR = 6.058, CI = 2.571 - 14.274) and 2.8 times more likely to be hypertensive (AOR = 2.838, CI = 1.688 - 4.773) compared to females. Similarly, compared to obese/ overweight students, thin and normally built ones have less likelihood of having elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Conclusions: Hypertension has been prevalent among adolescents, due to various behavioural risk factors. This is really challenging and of public health significance. Regular screening of adolescents is essential for early detection and management of hypertension.