Table 2. Global School-Based Health Survey19 questions used in the analysis of adolescent suicidal behaviours in low- and middle-income countries.
| Variable | Question | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Suicidal ideation | During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide? | 0 = no 1 = yes |
| Suicidal planning | During the past 12 months, did you ever make a plan about how you would attempt suicide? | 0 = no 1 = yes |
| Physical attacka | During the past 12 months, how many times were you physically attacked? | 1 = 0 times 2 = 1 time 3 = 2 or more times |
| Bullyingb | During the past 30 days, on how many days were you bullied? | 1 = 0 days 2 = 1 or 2 days 3 = 3 or more days |
| Food insecurity | During the past 30 days, how often did you go hungry because there was not enough food in your home? | 1 = never 2 = sometimes/rarely 3 = most of the time/always |
| Loneliness | During the past 12 months, how often have you felt lonely? | 1 = never/rarely 2 = sometimes 3 = most of the time/always |
| Lack of parental support | During the past 30 days, how often did your parents or guardians understand your problems and worries? | 1 = most of the time/always 2 = sometimes 3 = never/rarely |
| Few close friends | How many close friends do you have? | 1 = 3 or more 2 = 1 or 2 3 = none |
| Alcohol usec | During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have at least one drink containing alcohol? | 1 = 0 days 2 = 1–2 days 3 = 3 or more days |
| Cigarette smoking | During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke cigarettes? | 1 = 0 days 2 = 1–5 days 3 = 6 or more days |
a In the survey questionnaire physical attack is defined as “when one or more people hit or strike someone, or when one or more people hurt another person with a weapon (such as a stick, knife, or gun)”. The survey questionnaire specifies that “it is not a physical attack when two students of about the same strength or power choose to fight each other”.
b Bullying is defined as “when a student or group of students say or do bad and unpleasant things to another student” or “when a student is teased a lot in an unpleasant way” or “when a student is left out of things on purpose”. The survey questionnaire specifies that “it is not bullying when two students of about the same strength or power argue or fight or when teasing is done in a friendly and fun way”.
c Drinking alcohol also includes consuming locally produced alcoholic drinks. The survey questionnaire specifies that “drinking alcohol does not include drinking a few sips of wine for religious purposes. A drink is defined as a glass of wine, a bottle of beer, a small glass of liquor, or a mixed drink”.