Peer Smoking, Other Peer Attributes, and Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: A Social Network Analysis

Peer attributes other than smoking have received little attention in the research on adolescent smoking, even though the developmental literature suggests the importance of multiple dimensions of adolescent friendships and peer relations. Social network analysis was used to measure the structure of peer relations (i.e., indicators of having friends, friendship quality, and status among peers) and peer smoking (i.e., friend and school smoking). We used three-level hierarchical growth models to examine the contribution of each time-varying peer variable to individual trajectories of smoking from age 11 to 17 while controlling for the other variables, and we tested interactions between the peer structure and peer smoking variables. Data were collected over five waves of assessment from a longitudinal sample of 6,579 students in three school districts. Findings suggest a greater complexity in the peer context of smoking than previously recognized.     

Obesity Prevention in Early Adolescence: Student,Parent, and Teacher Views

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a significant health problem among today's youth; however, most school-based prevention programs in this area have had limited success. Focus groups were conducted with seventh- to eighth-grade students, parents, and teachers to provide insight into the development of a comprehensive program for the prevention of adolescent obesity: the Teen Eating and Activity Mentoring in Schools project (TEAMS). METHODS: Questions addressed (1) beliefs about the relationship between early adolescent behavior and health; (2) early adolescents' physical activity habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; (3) early adolescents' dietary habits, preferences, influences, and barriers; and (4) recommendations for interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating in early adolescence. RESULTS: Qualitative analyses revealed that early adolescents had a good understanding of the relationship between their behavior and their health, although they had a limited understanding of what constitutes healthy eating. Youth participants reported preferences for a number of healthy foods and physical activities, but identified numerous barriers preventing their engagement. The major difference between students, parents, and teachers reflected the operation of the fundamental attribution error with early adolescents attributing their unhealthy behaviors to situational factors, teachers blaming parents, and parents blaming their children. CONCLUSIONS: Implications of these findings for the development of school-based, integrated strategies for obesity prevention among early adolescents are discussed.     

Prospective Associations Between Peer Victimization and Dispositional Mindfulness in Early Adolescence

Peer victimization is associated with several mental health and behavioral problems during childhood and adolescence. Identifying prospective associations between victimization and factors known to protect against these problems may ultimately contribute to more precise developmental models for victimization’s role in behavioral and mental health. This study tested prospective associations between peer victimization and dispositional mindfulness, defined by non-judgmental and accepting awareness of the constant stream of lived experience, during early adolescence. It was hypothesized that victimization would predict lower levels of mindfulness over a 4-month period. Study participants were 152 seventh and eighth grade students (female?=?51%, Caucasian?=?35%, Hispanic/Latino?=?34%, African-American?=?13%, and multi-ethnic or other?=?18%) participating in a social-emotional learning intervention feasibility trial. A structural equation model tested associations between mindfulness, victimization, and covariates at baseline, and mindfulness and victimization at 4-month posttest. As hypothesized, baseline victimization predicted significantly lower levels of mindfulness at 4-month posttest. Baseline mindfulness did not predict victimization. Results may reflect victimized youths’ mindful awareness being recurrently diverted away from the present moment due to thoughts of prior and/or impending victimization. Study implications may include implementing mindful awareness practices as an intervention strategy for victimized youth to enhance and/or restore this promotive factor.     

Heavy Alcohol Use and Dating Violence Perpetration During Adolescence: Family, Peer and Neighborhood Violence as Moderators

We examined the hypothesis that family, peer and neighborhood violence would moderate relations between heavy alcohol use and adolescent dating violence perpetration such that relations would be stronger for teens in violent contexts. Random coefficients growth models were used to examine the main and interaction effects of heavy alcohol use and four measures of violence (family violence, friend dating violence, friend peer violence and neighborhood violence) on levels of physical dating violence perpetration across grades 8 through 12. The effects of heavy alcohol use on dating violence tended to diminish over time and were stronger in the spring than in the fall semesters. Consistent with hypotheses, across all grades, relations between heavy alcohol use and dating violence were stronger for teens exposed to higher levels of family violence and friend dating violence. However, neither friend peer violence nor neighborhood violence moderated relations between alcohol use and dating violence. Taken together, findings suggest that as adolescents grow older, individual and contextual moderators may play an increasingly important role in explaining individual differences in relations between alcohol use and dating violence. Implications for the design and evaluation of dating abuse prevention programs are discussed.     

Health Status in Immigrants and Native Early Adolescents in Italy

The aim of the study was to compare health status between native and immigrant early adolescents in Italy and to analyze related psychosocial factors. Data were taken from “Health Behavior in School Aged Children”, a cross-sectional survey investigating health behaviors among early adolescents in selected European countries. A representative sample of 6,744 (50.4% males) Italian students (11, 13 and 15-years-old) completed a questionnaire. Students were assessed for demographics characteristics, socio-economic conditions, social support and bullying victimization, and, as dependent variables, for health complaints, self-reported health, life satisfaction and happiness. It turned out that immigrant adolescents, as compared to natives, are more often affected by psychosomatic symptoms, less satisfied about their health and about life, and less happy. A multiple regression model showed that migration itself is related to life satisfaction and happiness. Socio-economic inequalities, lack of social integration and victimization determine the differences between immigrants and natives in terms of health symptoms and self-reported health. Immigrant adolescents demonstrated worse health status then their native classmates. However, the differences in terms of subjective well-being are not explained by socio-economic differences, lack of social integration and discrimination.     

From Early Childhood to Adolescence: Linking Family Functioning and School Behavior

The present study uses observational assessment of 66 two-parent families working and playing together when their eldest child is in kindergarten and again in 9(th) grade to identify distinct patterns of family functioning derived from structural family systems theory. Whereas concurrent assessment of the relationship between family type and adolescents' school behavior were not significant, significant prospective longitudinal relationships between family type assessed in early childhood and 9(th) grade school behavior were indicated. Kindergarteners whose families were primarily characterized by a strong mother-child alliance were less academically competent, more aggressive/inattentive, and more anxious/depressed/withdrawn at school nine years later when they were in 9(th) grade, than their peers in more cohesive or father-child allied families.     

Dating violence among gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents: results from a community survey

PURPOSE: To characterize the prevalence of dating violence experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual (GLB), and heterosexual adolescents. METHODS: Self-report surveys were collected and analyzed from 521 adolescents at a GLB youth rally. Respondents were asked about dating violence, including types of abuse, threats of "outing," and gender of abuser. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test group differences. RESULTS: Reports of dating violence were prevalent in all sexual orientation groups, and there were few statistically significant differences. Compared with heterosexuals and controlling for age, bisexual males had greater odds of reporting any type of abuse, and bisexual females had greater odds of experiencing sexual abuse. Controlling for age, lesbians had greater odds of being scared about their safety, compared with heterosexual females, and bisexuals were more likely to be threatened with outing, compared with gay males/lesbians. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the prevalence of dating violence among GLB adolescents is similar to that of heterosexuals. Dating violence outreach and prevention efforts should be targeted to reach GLB adolescents.     

Neighborhood-Level Factors Associated with Physical Dating Violence Perpetration: Results of a Representative Survey Conducted in Boston, MA

Neighborhood-level characteristics have been found to be associated with different forms of interpersonal violence, but studies of the relationship between these characteristics and adolescent dating violence are limited. We examined 6 neighborhood-level factors in relation to adolescent physical dating violence perpetration using both adolescent and adult assessments of neighborhood characteristics, each of which was aggregated across respondents to the neighborhood level. Data came from an in-school survey of 1,530 public high school students and a random-digit-dial telephone survey of 1,710 adult residents of 38 neighborhoods in Boston. Approximately 14.3% of the youth sample reported one or more acts of physical aggression toward a dating partner in the month preceding the survey. We calculated the odds of past-month physical dating violence by each neighborhood-level factor, adjusting for school clustering, gender, race, and nativity. In our first 6 models, we used the adolescent assessment of neighborhood factors and then repeated our procedures using the adult assessment data. Using the adolescent assessment data, lower collective efficacy (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.09–3.52), lower social control (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.07–3.43), and neighborhood disorder (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05–1.35) were each associated with increased likelihood of physical dating violence perpetration. However, when we used the adult version of the neighborhood assessment data, no neighborhood factor predicted dating violence. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

Prospective Analysis of Peer and Parent Influences on Smoking Initiation Among Early Adolescents

The nature and relative importance of psychosocial influences on smoking initiation among early adolescents are topics of substantial research interest. Students (N = 1081) from four middle schools were surveyed at the beginning and end of the sixth grade. Baseline predictors were regressed on smoking initiation at end of sixth grade. In bivariate, logistic regression analyses association with problem behaving peers, perceived prevalence, and depression were positively associated and adjustment to school, perceived social competence, parent expectations, parental monitoring, and parental involvement were negatively associated with smoking initiation. In multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for sex, race, and school, peer affiliation and perceived prevalence were positively associated, whereas social competence and parental monitoring were negatively associated with smoking initiation. A significant interaction between parental involvement and peer affiliation indicated that among teens with problem behaving friends only those with parents who were relatively uninvolved were are at increased risk for smoking initiation. This finding held for boys, girls, Whites, Blacks, and teens living in single parent families. These findings provide evidence that antecedent parenting behaviors may protect early adolescents against smoking even in the context of negative peer affiliation.     

Associations Between Parental Depression and Early Childhood Development in Indonesia: A Cross-sectional Study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the associations between parental depression and early childhood development among children aged 36 months to 59 months in Indonesia.MethodsFrom Indonesia’s Basic Health Survey (RISKESDAS) 2018, this study included 6433 children aged 36 months to 59 months and their parents. Maternal and paternal depression was examined using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview survey instrument, which was previously translated into Indonesian. The study also used the Early Child Development Index to measure child development and its 4 domains (cognitive, physical, socio-emotional, and learning). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between parental depression and early childhood development.ResultsOverall, 10.3% of children aged 36 months to 59 months were off-track for development. After adjusting for biological, parental, and social characteristics, children born to parents with depression were found to be 4.72 times more likely to be off-track for development (95% confidence interval, 1.83 to 12.15).ConclusionsChildren of depressed parents were more likely to be off-track for development. The findings highlight the need for early diagnosis and timely intervention for parental depression to promote early childhood development.     

早期生物和环境因素对早产儿智力发育的影响研究

为了探讨早期生物和环境因素对早产儿智力发育的影响.方法 对283名3～8岁的早产儿进行智力发育追踪调查,随机选择283名足月正常体重儿做对照.结果 早产儿组智商(IQ)值明显低于足月儿组,统计学存在显著差异(P<0.0001).在孕周<30周早产儿中IQ<70者占80%,孕周30～32周中占43.7%;出生体重<1500g的早产儿IQ<70者占40.7%.影响早产儿智力发育的因素作多元逐步回归表明:出生孕周、体重、早期教育、新生儿疾病、孕期营养等为主要危险因素.结论 (1)尽量延长孕期、使其达34周、体重达1800g.(2)根据情况,对极低孕周,极低体重的早产儿抢救方案提出讨论.(3)注意早期干预和特殊教育,使早产儿发有潜力得到充分发挥.     

Interaction effects of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and lifestyle factors on obesity indices in early adolescence

BackgroundThe rs9939609 SNP in fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene influence obesity, whose effects might be mediated by lifestyle factors. However, evidence was lacked in early adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the interactions effects of FTO rs9939609 and lifestyle factors on obesity indices in early adolescence.MethodsThe study included 1149 children aged 10–12 years. Their body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BF%) were measured, and lifestyle factors were surveyed through questionnaires. The rs9939609 SNP in the FTO gene was genotyped.ResultsSignificant associations were found between FTO rs9939609 and obesity indices after adjusting for confounding factors. An interaction effect between rs9939609 and soft drinks was observed with p = 0.019 for BMI after adjustment for confounding factors. The children carrying risk allele A had a significantly higher mean BMI (mean=19.67kg/m²) than those carrying only the wild allele T (mean = 17.987 kg/m²) when they reported a higher intake of soft drinks (≥3 times/week), but the association was not observed among children with a lower intake of soft drinks. No significant interactions were established between appetite, weekday TV viewing, sleep, exclusive breast feeding in the first four months and FTO rs9939609 on BMI or BF%. Bioinformatics revealed that rs9939609 and its linkage disequilibrium (LD) SNPs are potentially implicated in the regulation of gene expression in blood, pancreatic and brain tissue cells.ConclusionFTO rs9939609 had an obvious and independent effect on obesity-related indices in early adolescents. Soft drinks may exert a modifying effect on the relationship between FTO rs9939609 and BMI.     

Relationship between Birth Weight and Blood Pressure in Adolescence

Background. Several studies have found a relation ship between small size at birth and high blood pressure (HBP). However, this association has not been fully evaluated in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relation of birth weight (BW) to BP in adolescence, controlling for factors related to BP, to extrauterine environment, and to maternal risk of fetal distress.Methods. In 1310 adolescents (ages 12–14 years), randomly selected from Turin school children, we evaluated BP, heart rate (HR), weight, height, familial risk of hypertension, parental cultural level, BW, and maternal history of diseases during pregnancy. The BW–BP association was tested by using multiple regression analysis and adjusting for the other variables men tioned above. The same analysis was done for the subgroup at high risk of fetal distress.Results. The association between BW and BP was negative but weak when we adjusted for all confounders (= −0.07 in males; = −0.27 in females). The association was negative and became stronger after the inclusion of all confounders, particularly HR (= −3.92), in the group of children at high risk of fetal distress.Conclusions. Intrauterine environment, as reflected by BW, has little effect on BP in early adolescence without concomitant maternal diseases or environmental conditions leading to severe placental hypoperfusion.     

Sibling Conversations About Dating and Sexuality: Sisters as Confidants,Sources of Support,and Mentors

Using an observational methodology to examine sibling communication, sisters (N = 28 dyads) were videotaped discussing their ideas about dating and sexuality. Social provision theory was used as a framework for the examination of roles enacted by sisters during these conversations. Inductive thematic analytic procedures were conducted, and three roles were identified: sisters as confidants, sources of support, and mentors. Older and younger sisters served as confidants and sources of support for one another, whereas older sisters were more likely to be mentors for their younger sisters than vice versa. Findings indicate the potential importance of sisters in the formation of adolescent girls' ideas about romantic relationships and sexuality, sibling communication as a socialization mechanism of sisters' similarities in romantic experiences and sexual behaviors/attitudes, and the inclusion of older sisters in prevention intervention programs focused on reducing adolescent sexual risk behaviors and promoting healthy romantic relationships and sexuality development.     

Emotional Eating in Adolescence: Effects of Emotion Regulation,Weight Status and Negative Body Image

Emotional eating is associated with an increased risk of binge eating, eating in the absence of hunger and obesity risk. While previous studies with children and adolescents suggest that emotion regulation may be a key predictor of this dysregulated eating behavior, little is known about what other factors may be influencing the link between emotional regulation and emotional eating in adolescence. This multi-method longitudinal study (n = 138) utilized linear regression models to examine associations between childhood emotion regulation, adolescent weight status and negative body image, and emotional eating at age 17. Emotion regulation predicted adolescent emotional eating and this link was moderated by weight status (β = 1.19, p < 0.01) and negative body image (β = −0.34, p < 0.01). Higher engagement in emotional eating was predicted by lower emotional regulation scores among normal-weight teens (β = −0.46, p < 0.001) but not among overweight/obese teens (β = 0.32, p > 0.10). Higher scores on emotion regulation were significantly associated with lower emotional eating at high (β = −1.59, p < 0.001) and low (β = −1.00, p < 0.01) levels of negative body image. Engagement in emotional eating was predicted by higher negative body image among overweight/obese teens only (β = 0.70, p < 0.001). Our findings show that while better childhood emotion regulation skills are associated with lower emotional eating, weight status and negative body image influence this link and should be considered as important foci in future interventions that aim to reduce emotional eating in adolescence.     

The Effect of School‐Specific Parenting Processes on Academic Achievement in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

There is inconsistency in the current literature regarding the association between dimensions of parenting processes and academic achievement for adolescents. Further, few studies have extended such an association into young adulthood. In this study, we examined the effect of three dimensions of parenting processes, including school‐specific involvement, general parental support, and parental expectations, on academic achievement in adolescence and in young adulthood. Using a large, nationally representative, and longitudinal sample, we found that results from regression analyses suggested that all three dimensions of parenting processes had a significant effect on adolescents' academic success. In particular, school‐specific involvement had a stronger effect than general parental support and parental expectations. Further, parenting processes were indirectly associated with academic achievement later in young adulthood, partially through academic achievement in adolescence. Implications of the findings are also discussed.     

Self-concept and Dating Violence in 220 Adolescent Girls in the Child Protective System

The aim of this study was to describe the dating violence experiences in a cohort of adolescent girls in the Child Protective System (CPS), and to assess how these experiences relate to their self-concept. A total of 220 adolescent Canadian girls under care of the CPS completed the Offer self-image questionnaire and the revised conflict tactic scales. Results showed that the majority of these girls have experienced some types of victimization in their dating relationships, the least prevalent form being severe injury (24.4%) and the most being minor psychological aggression (81.5%). Data provided here show that the self-concept of teenagers involved in severe violence that includes injury is especially negative. Girls who sustained severe violence with injuries reported more negative overall views of themselves, more problems regulating their emotional tone, more psychopathological symptoms, and lower vocational and educational goals. Implications for prevention initiatives and treatment interventions are discussed.     

Family and Peer Influences on Sexual Behavior Among Female College Students in Wuhan,China

The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in China has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, and heterosexual transmission is rapidly becoming the primary route of HIV transmission. Despite this growing epidemic, little is known about the correlates of sexual behavior in young Chinese women. The objective of this study was to assess family and peer factors related to sexual behavior in Chinese female college students. Anonymously completed questionnaires were received from 4,769 unmarried female college students, recruited using randomized cluster sampling by type of university and students' major and grade. Items captured socio-demographic, family, and peer factors. To examine factors associated with sexual behavior, multiple logistic regression was used, yielding odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Over 18% of female students participating reported ever having sexual intercourse, of whom 31.52% had their first sexual intercourse at the age of 18 or younger with more than 50% at an age less than 20 years. Several socio-demographic, family, and peer factors were associated with ever having intercourse. Those more likely to engage in premarital sex were older; majored in art; were from one-child, richer and/or divorced families; had a mother with university or above education; had parents with a strict disciplinary style;, had middle-school close friends falling in love; and had current close friends living with boyfriends. Interventions to protect young women from sexually transmitted diseases need to target early sex education and address peer and parents influences.