Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37014188›Full record

ArticleMaternal & child nutrition2025

Correlates of internalizing and externalizing problems among school-going young adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sachin Shinde, Nandita Perumal, Alain Vandormael, Amare W Tadesse, Mary Mwanyika-Sando, Till Baernighausen, Deepika Sharma, Wafaie W Fawzi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Maternal & child nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 7 institutions in 7 countries.

Sachin ShindeDepartment of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6369-4212
Nandita PerumalDepartment of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Alain VandormaelHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Amare W TadesseDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Mary Mwanyika-SandoAfrica Academy of Public Health, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Till BaernighausenHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Deepika SharmaUnited Nations Children's Funds, New York, New York, USA.
Wafaie W FawziDepartment of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Heidelberg University · DEAddis Continental Institute of Public Health · ETAfrica Academy for Public Health · TZAnusandhan Trust · INHarvard Global Health Institute · USHarvard University · USUnited Nations Children's Fund · US

Funding

UNICEF
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mental health in adolescence is important for health and well-being throughout the life course, but evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa is sparse. This study aimed to assess the correlates of internalizing, externalizing and cumulative problems among early adolescents. This study used cross-sectional survey data from 3516 school-going adolescents in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We used a 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to measure internalizing, externalizing and cumulative problems. We carried out multi-variable linear regression analyses with the estimation of adjusted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals, to determine the factors associated with internalizing, externalizing and cumulative problems. Overall, 1 in 8 adolescents had internalizing problems, while 1 in 10 had externalizing problems. In two sites, having friends was related to lower internalizing problems, while repeating a grade, physical fights and household food insecurity were related to greater internalizing problems. Household food insecurity and involvement in physical fights were associated with greater externalizing problems across sites, while repeating a grade was linked with greater externalizing problems in two sites. Having a caring adult in school was associated with fewer externalizing problems across sites, while having friends was associated with fewer externalizing problems in two sites. Overall, having friends was related to fewer cumulative problems, while physical fights and household food insecurity were related to higher cumulative problems. School-based mental health and food programs may be useful in addressing social-emotional problems among school-aged adolescents in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorMental HealthStudentsAdolescentAfrica South of the SaharaBurkina FasoCross-Sectional StudiesEthiopiaFemaleFood InsecurityHumansMaleSchoolsSurveys and QuestionnairesTanzaniaadolescentsexternalizing problemsinternalizing problemsmental healthschoolsSub‐Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID37014188
PMCPMC12208886
OpenAlexW4362523494

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.