Statistical Data Book of Asian Child Survey 2019 -Sri Lanka and Myanmar-

金沢大学人間社会学域人間科学系This databook focuses on school children in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, whose people\u27s lives are enriched by political stability and economic development. In Sri Lanka, the civil war ended in May 2009, and the process of ethnic reconciliation is progressing. In Myanmar, the parliamentary election was held in 2010 under the new constitution, and the first president took office in 2011. Democratic governments are reforming the economy, and people\u27s lives are gradually developing. At this time when the socio-economic situation is improving the lives of children, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive survey to understand the situation of school children in order to obtain effective information on educational policy

Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Illegal Substance Abuse among Adolescents in Sri Lanka: Results from Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey 2016

Background. Adolescence is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “the transition period from childhood to adulthood”. Increases in autonomy during this period, willingness to experiment, and peer influence create an environment of taking high-risk decisions influencing adolescent health, such as substance abuse and smoking. The current study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, and illegal substance abuse and their determinants on in-school adolescents using data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey, Sri Lanka in 2016. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3,650 students using a self-administered questionnaire in government schools. Weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the correlates. Results. The prevalence of current alcohol, smoking, smokeless tobacco consumption, and substance abuse, 30 days before the survey, was 3.4% (95% CI 2.6 - 4.3), 3.6% (95% CI 2.5-5.0), 2.3% (95% CI 1.5-3.7), and 2.7% (95% CI - 1.7-4.2%). Male sex and involvement in physical fighting were independently associated with increased risk in all four substance categories assessed. Multivariate analysis using multiple logistic regression revealed that only the male sex and involvement in physical fighting were correlates for four substance categories assessed when confounding effects of other variables were accounted for. Being in the 16-17 age category, parents’ tobacco use and seeing actors consuming alcohol on TV increased the risk of alcohol consumption, smoking, and smokeless tobacco. Having ever attempted suicide was positively associated with increased risk for alcohol consumption, smoking, and illegal substance abuse. Conclusion. Alcohol use, smoking, smokeless tobacco use, and illegal substance abuse by students remain a concern in Sri Lanka and implementing life skills-based interventions at schools is recommended

Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan global school-based health survey

Background: Unintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem the world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; it is also the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13–17 years using data from the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected using probabilities proportional to school enrollment size, from all schools in the country that have classes in grades 8–12. Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. The weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates. Results: During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among the two different age groups (13–15 age group vs 16–17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wounds (5.5%), followed by broken bones/dislocated joints (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as being of the male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration when designing school-based interventions to prevent adolescent injuries.</p

Prevalence and correlates of interpersonal violence among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: Results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

Interpersonal violence among adolescents is an issue of global public health concern, leading to adverse physical and psychological outcomes among children and young people under the age of 18 years. This article discusses the prevalence of interpersonal violence and identifies their associated factors among school-going adolescents of ages 13 to 17 years using the data from the Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey conducted in 2016. Of the 3262 students who participated, 35.1% (95% confidence interval = 31.0% to 39.5%) were physically attacked and 44.2% (95% confidence interval = 39.2% to 49.4%) were in a fight with peers, one or more times during the 12 months prior to the survey. Being bullied by peers, male sex, 13 to 15 years age group, smoking and alcohol use, considering or attempting suicide, missing classes without permission, and parents not being aware of students’ activities were associated with violence. The study highlights the need for violence prevention programs to address the risk factors among school-going adolescents.</p