Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Research article

Interaction of smoking and being bullied on suicidal behaviors: a school-based cross-sectional survey in China

Authors: Jie Hu, Xianbing Song, Danlin Li, Shuai Zhao, Yuhui Wan, Jun Fang, Shichen Zhang

Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Suicidal behaviors are seriously social issues among adolescents in the world. Exposed to smoking and being bullied are risk factors of suicidal behaviors. The present study was aimed to examine the interaction of smoking and being bullied on suicidal behaviors among Chinese adolescents.

Methods

A total of 18,900 students were involved in the questionnaire study, in four cities of China from November 2017 to January 2018. Suicidal behaviors, smoking, and being bullied were measured by self-reported validated instruments. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to analyze the associations of suicidal ideation (SI)/suicidal plan (SP)/suicidal attempt (SA), smoking, and being bullied.

Results

The prevalence of smoking, being bullied, SI/SP/SA, were 3.1%, 20.6%, 26.4%, 13.2%, and 5.2% respectively. Interaction analysis indicated that being bullied was associated with a greater increase in the likelihood of suicidal behaviors for adolescents with smoking than for those without smoking.

Conclusions

These finding suggest that smoking exacerbates the association between being bullied and suicidal behaviors. Future research should explore how and why smoking appears to more bully-victims than for those without smoking and how to mitigate it.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
2.
go back to reference Benjet C, Menendez D, Albor Y, Borges G, Orozco R, Medina-Mora ME. Adolescent predictors of incidence and persistence of suicide-related outcomes in young adulthood: a longitudinal study of mexican youth. Suicide Life-Threat. 2018;48(6):755–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12397.CrossRef Benjet C, Menendez D, Albor Y, Borges G, Orozco R, Medina-Mora ME. Adolescent predictors of incidence and persistence of suicide-related outcomes in young adulthood: a longitudinal study of mexican youth. Suicide Life-Threat. 2018;48(6):755–66. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​sltb.​12397.CrossRef
19.
Metadata
Title
Interaction of smoking and being bullied on suicidal behaviors: a school-based cross-sectional survey in China
Authors
Jie Hu
Xianbing Song
Danlin Li
Shuai Zhao
Yuhui Wan
Jun Fang
Shichen Zhang
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Issue 1/2021
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Electronic ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-021-00999-1

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 1/2021 Go to the issue