title: A higher baseline somatization score at sea level as an independent predictor of acute mountain sickness.
abstract: The current study aimed to identify the predictive values of psychological factors that are evaluated by the Symptoms Checklist-90 (SCL-90) for acute mountain sickness (AMS).
  
  
  
  The subjects (n=285, non-acclimatized young Chinese men), who were recruited in July 2013, completed a case report questionnaire. In addition, their vital signs (heart rate [HR], blood pressure and pulse oxygen saturation) were measured, and their psychological factors were examined using the SCL-90 at sea level. AMS was diagnosed using the Lake Louise self-assessment scoring system in the morning of the second day after their arrival at 3450m.
  
  
  
  Of the nine factors of the SCL-90, the AMS patients (AMS score≥3) were characterized by significantly higher scores for baseline somatization [14.0 (5.0) vs. 13.0 (3.0), p<0.001], obsession-compulsion, depression, anxiety and hostility compared with the non-AMS group (all p values<0.05). Spearman's correlation analyses revealed associations between AMS scores and somatization (r=0.316, p<0.001), depression, anxiety, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism scores (all p values<0.001). Although all nine factors were associated with AMS in a univariate regression (all p<0.05), a further adjusted logistic regression analysis indicated that only baseline somatization score (odds ratio=1.129, p=0.001) was an independent predictor of AMS. Furthermore, some non-AMS often-occurred symptoms (paresthesia, shortness of breath, reduced activity and tinnitus) were also found to be associated with the baseline SCL-90 scores.
  
  
  
  AMS is correlated with the baseline somatization score at sea level, which was measured using the SCL-90. A higher baseline somatization score is also an independent predictor of AMS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: bianshizhu@163.com.
authors.forename: Shi-Zhu
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: jjxqyy@163.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: 1044836428@qq.com.
authors.forename: Jun-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: LLQQNN@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Qian-Ning
authors.initials: QN
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: simpls@163.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: tangcaifaxinqiao@163.com.
authors.forename: Cai-Fa
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: doctoryushiyong@126.com.
authors.forename: Shi-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: zxhwn@tmmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: qinjunxq@126.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of PLA, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China; Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: huanglan260@126.com.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D044466:Asian People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acute mountain sickness; Predictor; Somatization symptoms; Symptoms Checklist-90