A study published in Frontiers in Public Health (2021) examined the prevalence of lifestyle behaviors and suicide-related behaviors and the association between them using a nationally representative sample of adolescents from the USA.
A total of 13,677 high school students aged 14-18 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The research data were retrieved from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey in 2019.
Results indicated that students who played video/computer games for ≥2 h had higher risk of suicide attempt. Daily sleep duration of ≤8 h was positively associated with considering a suicide attempt. In addition, participants who did not engage in any sport team were more likely to report considering a suicide attempt.
Conclusion
The authors concluded that some lifestyle behaviors (e.g., more time for video or computer use, less sleep duration, less sports team participation, less regular breakfast intake, and substance use) are associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior and ideation in high school students.
This study suggests that preventing risky behaviors such as substance use and promoting healthy lifestyle habits such as adequate sleep, participating in sports, and regularly breakfast consumption may help prevent suicide among adolescents.
Programs that integrate multiple risk behaviors for suicide, such as substance use prevention along with promoting adequate sleep, sports and physical activities, and healthy breakfast and eating hold the greatest potential not only for preventing suicide but improving the mental and physical wellbeing of young people.
Read the entire research article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8678606/