Search

Objective: This study examines the differential association between sex and depression, and the possible mediating pathways. Methods: We analysed survey data from 296 (age 7–17.1 years) cancer survivors from three centres affiliated with Beijing Children's Hospital. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between sex and depression. Quantile regression analysis was used to estimate the regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals for sex in depression at different quantiles. Mediation analysis with multiple mediators was used to explore the effects of sex on depression. Results: Using linear regression, we found that the age ranged from 8.7 to 10.4 years and the regression coefficient of sex on depression was significant (β = −2.75, p = 0.03). Quantile regression results showed a significant negative association between sex and depression in the 0.30–0.75 quantiles. Mediation analysis revealed that boys were 1.545 times more depressed than girls, with family resilience, self‐perceived burden, and behavioural problems explaining approximately 16.79%, 21.57%, and 43.94% of the sex difference, respectively. The combined effect of family functioning, resilience, social support, self‐perceived burden, and behavioural problems might explain the 89.17% sex difference. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider sex effects when assessing depression in childhood cancer survivors and target sex‐specific interventions for further treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Using the hourly precipitation observations from 118 gauge stations and a weather radar in the Greater Beijing Region ( GBR) during 2008-2012, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of precipitation and discuss the appropriate observational approach for capturing variability of precipitation over this region. In general, the south central and northeastern GBR receives more intense precipitation than other parts. The diurnal cycle of precipitation amount ( PA) peaks in the evening and decreases till noon, whereas precipitation intensity ( PI) and precipitation frequency ( PF) both have two peaks. The stronger peaks of PI and PF occur in the evening whereas the weaker ones appear in the early nighttime and in the afternoon. Remarkable spatial heterogeneity also exists in the diurnal patterns of PA, PI and PF over the GBR. Rainstorms extracted from radar data feature in short duration (11.4 h in average) and highly localized patterns (4.31-20.58/1.85-9.10 km in major/minor radius direction). The estimated diurnal cycles of PA, PI and PF are found to depend on the gauge density in a sensitivity analysis, where a gauge density ratio of 0.6 (corresponding to 30 gauges in total with a representative area of 239.5 km2 per gauge) is identified as adequate to capture the temporal characteristics of precipitation in the plain area of GBR. However, such a gauge density ratio (i.e. 0.6) is incapable for resolving the spatial characteristics of precipitation in GBR. As such, different instruments (e.g. gauge network, weather radar, etc.) and multiple data sources are suggested to be jointly utilized to better capture the characteristics of rainstorms in GBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]