Identifying the Relationship between Different Factors Affecting 13 to 18-Year-Old Students Mental Health in Different Regions of Iran Using Random Forest Technique

Considering the students’ importance in the construction and development of society, analyzing data on students' mental health is essential. However, the growing volume of data requires analysis and management, and at a higher level, the discovery of knowledge, and the use of techniques such as data mining in the health field becomes more apparent.

The research conducted in 1399 is based on the data cleansing of the Caspian 5 questionnaire conducted in Iran from 1393 to 1394. Using purposive sampling, the authors extracted 23 characteristics affecting the mental health of students aged 13 to 18 years in 4 regions: North, South, West, and East Central.  A set of characteristics affecting mental health were extracted for the provined included in each region.

In the southern regions, the consumption of sweets and in the northern regions, the consumption of sausages, hot dogs, pizzas, and hamburgers had the greatest impact on students’ mental health. In the western regions, tea, and coffee, and in the central regions, the average sleep per week had the greatest impact on mental health.

it can be concluded that nutrition is the most important factor affecting mental health although the results showed that in some parts of the country, physical activity and sleep quality can also affect mental health, so direct impact of these parameters should not be ignored.