Prediction of psychological, spiritual, and social health with cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents

Children are the most important asset in any country. Since cardiovascular diseases are built up little by little from childhood, this study attempted to detect the relationship between psychological, spiritual, and social health conditions and cardiovascular risk factors in children. 

This study is a cross-sectional study performed on 1035 children aged 6-18 years by multi-stage random cluster sampling in 2016 in Yazd province of Iran. The lifestyle questionnaire (LSQ) was used to collect data. In addition, demographic information (i.e., age and sex) and cardiac risk factors were measured. Logistic regression and t-test were used to analyze the data. 

In this study, by increasing the mean score of psychological and spiritual health, fasting blood sugar (FBS) decreased significantly (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02-0.80, P trend = 0.003 and OR = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.01, -0.28, P trend = 0.013). Also, with increasing the mean score of spiritual health, body mass index (BMI) reduced significantly too. (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18-0.66, P trend = 0.014). However, social health failed to be significantly associated with cardiac risk factors. 

FBS in children aged 6-18 years is affected by psychological and spiritual health. BMI and the level of spiritual health also turned out to be inversely related. As a result, psychological and spiritual health dimensions should be improved to lower the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in children aged 6-18 years.