Using Latent Class Analysis to Identify Health Lifestyle Profiles and Their Association with Suicidality among Adolescents in Benin

Fanny Hoogstoel; Lucresse Corine Fassinou; Sékou Samadoulougou; Céline Mahieu; Yves Coppieters; Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168602

Using Latent Class Analysis to Identify Health Lifestyle Profiles and Their Association with Suicidality among Adolescents in Benin

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 15;18(16):8602. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168602.

Authors

Fanny Hoogstoel¹, Lucresse Corine Fassinou¹, Sékou Samadoulougou^{2

3}, Céline Mahieu⁴, Yves Coppieters^{1

5}, Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistique et Recherche Clinique, Ecole de Santé Publique, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
² Evaluation Platform on Obesity Prevention, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada.
³ Centre for Research on Planning and Development (CRAD), Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
⁴ Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Approches Sociales de la Santé, Ecole de Santé Publique, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
⁵ Centre de Recherche Politiques et Systèmes de Santé, Ecole de Santé Publique, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

Abstract

Youth suicidality is considerably prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Benin. Factors such as psychosocial distress, socio-environmental factors, and health risk behaviors are associated with suicidality. However, little is known about how these factors co-occur in these countries. An analysis of these factors taken together would help to identify the profiles most at risk and better target prevention policies. Our study aimed to identify profiles related to these factors and their association with suicidality among adolescents in Benin. Data from the 2016 Global School-Based Student Health Survey were used, and factors related to lifestyle (tobacco and alcohol consumption and physical activity), physical violence, parental support, and psychological distress were studied. Latent class analysis was used to identify the profiles, and a modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, was performed to assess the association between these profiles and suicidality. The survey results show that globally, 13.8% of the adolescents (n = 2536) aged 11 to 18 had thought about suicide, 15.6% had planned suicide, and 15.6% had attempted suicide. Four profiles were identified: a low-risk group, one with psychological distress problems, a group with violence problems, and one with alcohol, tobacco, and violence problems. The risk of suicidality, in terms of ideation, planning, or attempting, was higher for adolescents in Profiles 2, 3, and 4 than those in Profile 1 (p < 0.05). Adolescents in Profile 2 were particularly affected by this increased risk (prevalence ratio (PR) for ideation = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03-1.23; PR for planning = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04-1.22; PR for attempting = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.01-1.17). This study highlights the typical profiles that may be linked with suicidality among adolescents in Benin. A holistic consideration of these factors could help in planning better preventive measures to reduce suicidality among adolescents in Benin.

Keywords: Benin; adolescents; latent class analysis; profiles; suicidality.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Benin / epidemiology
Healthy Lifestyle
Humans
Latent Class Analysis
Risk Factors
Suicidal Ideation*
Suicide*