Social influences, social norms, social support, and smoking behavior among adolescent workers

PURPOSE: To examine the relationships between worksite interpersonal influences and smoking and quitting behavior among adolescent workers. DESIGN: The cross-sectional survey assessed factors influencing tobacco use behavior. SETTING: During the fall of 1998, data were collected from 10 grocery stores in Massachusetts that were owned and managed by the same company. SUBJECTS: Eligible participants included 474 working adolescents ages 15 to 18. Eighty-three percent of workers (n = 379) completed the survey. MEASURES: The self-report questionnaire assessed social influences, social norms, social support, friendship networks, stage of smoking and quitting behavior, employment patterns, and demographic factors. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of respondents were never smokers, 21% experimental, 5% occasional, 18% regular, and 23% former smokers. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), results indicate that regular smokers were 30% more likely than experimental or occasional smokers to report coworker encouragement to quit (p = .0002). Compared with regular smokers, never smokers were 15% more likely to report greater nonacceptability of smoking (p = .01). chi 2 tests of association revealed no differences in friendship networks by stage of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence for the need to further explore social factors inside and outside the work environment that influence smoking and quitting behavior among working teens. Interpretations of the data are limited because of cross-sectional and self-report data collection methods used in one segment of the retail sector.     

Is healthy behavior contagious: associations of social norms with physical activity and healthy eating

Background  

Social norms are theoretically hypothesized to influence health-related behaviors such as physical activity and eating behaviors. However, empirical evidence relating social norms to these behaviors, independently of other more commonly-investigated social constructs such as social support, is scarce and findings equivocal, perhaps due to limitations in the ways in which social norms have been conceptualized and assessed. This study investigated associations between clearly-defined social norms and a range of physical activity and eating behaviors amongst women, adjusting for the effects of social support.     

教育、饮食及运动干预对社区单纯性肥胖儿童健康行为及体重控制的影响

目的 探讨教育、饮食以及运动干预对社区单纯性肥胖儿童健康行为及体重控制的影响。方法 采取便利抽样法抽取龙华区中心医院新澜社区健康服务中心各社区服务站收治的60例单纯性肥胖儿童作为研究对象,并按照儿童所在社区分配到每个社区卫生服务站,同时给予教育、饮食以及运动干预,干预时间为6个月。比较干预前、干预后健康行为、体质量与BMI、肥胖相关知识知晓率与态度变化、血脂水平。结果 干预后儿童及家长的健康行为与干预前比较均有明显提高(P<0.05);干预后肥胖儿童的体质量、BMI分别减少3.13kg、2.07 kg/m²,与干预前比较均明显降低(P<0.05);干预后儿童、家长对肥胖相关知识的知晓率与干预前比较明显提高,且减肥态度也发生明显改善(P<0.05);干预后肥胖儿童的总胆固醇、三酰甘油、低密度蛋白水平与干预前比较均下降(P<0.05),高密度蛋白水平明显升高(P<0.05)。结论 对社区单纯性肥胖儿童应用教育、饮食以及运动综合干预能够有效改善肥胖儿童、家长健康行为,控制肥胖儿童体重,提高对肥胖相关知识的知晓率与态度,且可有效改善儿童血脂水平,具有一定的临床价值,值得推广。     

Social norms, social behaviours and health: an empirical examination of a model of social capital

OBJECTIVE: To explore a model of social capital, specifically the association between socially oriented norms and behaviours and the effect that these factors have on the gradient between income and self-rated health across three different welfare states. METHOD: We used data from the 1995-97 World Values Survey, a cross-sectional study conducted in a variety of countries including Australia, United States, Sweden and Norway (n = 5,096). RESULTS: We found variation in the level of social capital measures across the three different welfare states. Socially oriented norms are not strongly correlated with each other, or with socially oriented behaviours. The presence of socially oriented norms or behaviours did not reduce the likelihood of lower income groups reporting poor self-rated health, relative to the highest income groups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Many questions still exist regarding the relationship between social capital and health, including how to measure the social capital concept and whether and how social capital affects health, independent of material and economic conditions.     

Poor social comparison and the tendency to submissive behavior in anorexia nervosa

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to confirm an association between low social rank (SR) and anorexia nervosa (AN), and to test the hypotheses that low SR is (a) present after recovery from the illness, (b) mediates an association between increased childhood interpersonal adversity (CIA) and AN. METHOD: Participants were 18 women with active AN, 13 recovered women, and 16 healthy controls. General and specific psychopathology, childhood adversity, and indices of SR were assessed using self-report measures. RESULTS: Low SR was observed in both the active and the recovered AN groups and was a significant mediator in the relationship between CIA and AN status. CONCLUSION: CIA may contribute to the risk of developing AN via its impact on the development of low SR. The latter may be a shared risk factor for AN and affective disorder, and could be a useful therapeutic target.     

The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors

The purpose of this study was to develop measures of perceived social support specific to health-related eating and exercise behaviors. In Study I, specific supportive and nonsupportive behaviors were identified through interviews with 40 individuals making health-behavior changes. In Study II, items derived from the interviews were administered to 171 subjects. Support from family and friends was assessed separately for both diet and exercise habits. Meaningful factors were identified for each of the four scales, and some factors were similar for family and friend scales. Both test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities were acceptable, and six factors can be used as subscales. Social support scales were correlated with respective self-reported dietary and exercise habits, providing evidence of concurrent criterion-related validity. A measure of general social support was not related to the specific social support scales or to reported health habits. These scales are among the first measures of social support behaviors specific to dietary- and exercise-habit change.     

Impact of social norms and social support on diet,physical activity and sedentary behaviour of adolescents: a scoping review

The prevalence of non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood is rapidly increasing, and it is essential that risk factors for NCDs be addressed in adolescence, both for the health of individuals during adolescence and for their health in later life. These risk factors include diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. No literature has been published that comprehensively summarizes the impact of social norms and social support on these behaviours among adolescents. Therefore, a scoping review was conducted to determine the extent of recent (since 2000) literature available on this topic. A comprehensive search strategy was used to search PubMed and EMBASE for eligible reviews. Review papers (narrative reviews, systematic and non‐systematic reviews) published in English in peer‐reviewed journals from 2000 to February 2013 were included in the overview. Two of the authors screened the titles and abstracts of the search results independently. Thirty reviews were included in the scoping review. This scoping review has shown sufficient evidence for parental influences, and especially the positive impact of an authoritative parenting style, on healthy behaviours of adolescents, although the evidence is somewhat more compelling for diet than for physical activity and sedentary behaviour. More research is needed to investigate parental and family influences on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. And the effect of peer influences on diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour of adolescents requires further investigation. The evidence presented affirms the consideration of social norms and social support in the development of interventions to address these behaviours in adolescents. The evidence regarding parenting style provides some concrete guidance for such interventions.     

Impact of moods and social context on eating behavior

The relationship of moods and social context to energy and nutrient intakes was examined to ascertain if these variables interact or function independently. The subjects were 78 predominantly white, obese women participating in weight-loss studies. Mean age was 36.7 (SD=7.6) and mean Body Mass Index was 32.1 (SD=3.6). Subjects completed 2-week baseline food diaries recording everything they ate, including moods and people present during the meals. Meals eaten in positive and negative moods were significantly larger than meals eaten in a neutral mood. Meals eaten with other people were significantly larger than meals eaten alone. There were no significant moods by social context interactions for total energy intake. Moods and social context functioned additively to increase the risk of over-eating. Macro nutrient analysis revealed only a main effect for social context. Percentage of calories from fat and protein were greater, whereas the percentage of carbohydrate was less in social context meals compared to meals eaten alone. Clinicians should conduct a functional analysis to assess exposure to the frequency and types of risky situations. Teaching people to cope more effectively with social situations and moods may increase the efficacy of weight loss and maintenance programs.     

Social influences, social context, and health behaviors among working-class, multi-ethnic adults.

Little research has explored the relationship between social influences (e.g., social networks, social support, social norms) and health as related to modifying factors that may contribute to health disparities. This is a cross-sectional analysis of fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity, using baseline data from two cancer prevention studies with working-class, multi-ethnic adults. Several social influence and social contextual variables were associated with fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity in both samples. Fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with social norms and social networks, although different contextual variables also were related to intake across the two samples. Physical activity was associated with social networks, social norms, and competing demands. By examining how key social influence and contextual mediating variables relate to health behaviors, we can learn more about the types of interventions that might be needed to promote sustained health behavior change in this population.     

非酒精性脂肪肝患者运动行为与饮食干预效果分析

目的探讨对非酒精性脂肪肝患者运动行为与饮食干预的效果，为指导患者建立良好的运动行为与饮食习惯、提高生活质量提供依据。方法对来北京大学深圳医院体检中心接受体检的120名非酒精性脂肪肝确诊病人实施为期4个月的运动行为与饮食干预，对干预效果进行评估。120名患者中，男性71人，女性49人，单纯性肥胖性脂肪肝31人，糖尿病脂肪肝38人，高脂血症脂肪肝50人，其他1人。结果干预前患者饮食控制合格与运动达标率分别为7．50％和10．83％，干预后分别升高到92．50％和90．OHD％（P〈0．01）。干预前患者高热量与高脂肪的摄人率分别为100．0％与93．75％，干预后分别降低为8．93％与17．10％（P〈0．01）。患者的自我保健知识、健康饮食与行为知识、疾病预防与治疗知识知晓率干预后显著高于干预前（P〈0．05）。干预后38名糖尿病脂肪肝患者的血糖平均值为7．2±2．2mmol／L，低于干预前的11．9±3．5mmol／L（P〈0．01）；50名高脂血症患者干预后的甘油三酯为2．28±1．19mmol／L，低于干预前的2．91±1．30mmol／L（P〈0．01）。结论行为干预有利于非酒精性脂肪肝患者建立健康的生活方式，提高生活质量。     

女大学生体质指数与饮食和锻炼行为调查

目的了解在校女大学生体质指数（BMI）及其饮食、锻炼行为习惯，为进一步促进在校学生树立健康意识，养成健康行为，提高健康水平提供依据。方法采用集中自填匿名问卷的方式，随机调查在校女大学生，对627份有效问卷进行分析。结果调查结果显示被调查女大学生体型偏瘦的占26．0％，标准范围内占68．9％，体质量超标或者偏胖的占5．1％。自我评价对体型不满意者占76％，有42．5％采取过减肥措施。不能够每天坚持吃早餐的学生和每天吃零食的女大学生分别占33．3％和23．6％。半数以上的女生缺乏体育锻炼。结论应进一步加强引导女大学生树立健康意识，养成健康饮食、锻炼行为习惯。     

Efficacy of a community-based weight reduction program to improve exercise and diet behavior in overweight adults

OBJECTIVE: The study was a non-randomized, parallel-group comparison to evaluate the efficacy of a community-based weight reduction program with exercise and diet modification for overweight adults using existing community health services. METHODS: The study population consisted of 1,115 community-dwelling people who underwent annual health checkups in 2002 and were screened by exclusion criteria (age> 65, body mass index (BMI) < 24.2). They received a mail request to select one of two courses; a usual single-session health instruction course (control group) or a 9-month weight management course (intervention group). Forty six patients registered in the intervention group, and fifty patients in the control group. The analyzed sample consisted of 76 participants (9 males and 67 females) excluding dropouts from November 2002 to July 2003. Intervention included monthly classes (2 hours per class, 9 classes) consisting of an individual support program for behavioral change and a community support program for continuation after the class. The control group participants received conventional instructions based on their health status. RESULTS: No significant inter-group differences were observed at baseline, except in age and height of females. The mean BMI decreased from 27.2 (SD = 2.8) kg m(-2) to 25.3(3.1) kg m(-2) in the intervention group, and 26.4 (1.7) kg m(-2) to 26.1(1.7) kg m(-2) in the control group. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant time and group interaction adjusted for gender and age. The proportion showing maintenance and action in stage of exercise behavior increased in the intervention group (31% to 60%), but remained stable in the control group (45% to 48%) . The proportion showing maintenance and action in stage of diet behavior increased in the intervention group (24% to 80%), but remained stable in the control group (29% to 26%). CONCLUSION: Community-based weight reduction programs may be effective to facilitate change in exercise and diet behavior for body weight reduction in overweight adults.     

The relationships among self-identity,self-esteem and attitude towards sexual behavior in university students

PURPOSE: It has been reported that the young people of today tend to engage in sexual behavior at an early age and the abortion rate is high. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of post-adolescents with regard to sexual behaviors and the relationship to self-identity and self-esteem. METHODS: The subjects were 234 males (mean +/- SD 20.2 +/- 1.1 years) and 460 females (mean +/- SD 19.5 +/- 1.1 years) 4-year university students aged 18 to 23 years in Aichi Prefecture. An anonymous, self-report questionnaire was used to survey the subjects with regard to self-identity ("Establishment of Self" scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), and sexual attitude and behavior. The scores on both scales and subscales of the "Establishment of Self" scale, "Foundation of Identity (Foundation)" and "Establishment of Identity (Establishment)", were calculated and intercompared, along with sexual attitude and behavior, controlled for age and school type. RESULTS: The mean total score of the "Establishment of Self" scale for males was 55.3 (SD9.2) and for females 52.2 (SD9.3), while those for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were 27.2 (SD5.5) and 25.7 (SD5.2), respectively. There was significant positive correlation all scales in both sexes. Both male and female students had positive attitude towards sex and a negative view of "traditional gender roles" particularly females. Of the subjects, 82.4% of males and 69.5% of females were thinking of accepting a request for sexual intercourse from their partners. Many students understood the "need for contraception", that is a component of contraceptive behavior. Most of them, however, didn't acquire the other components. A total of 68.3% of males and 48.2% of females had experienced sexual intercourse during the last year. Of these, 50.6% of males and 58.2% of females consistently used contraception. The score on the "Establishment of Self" scale was higher among both the male and female students who responded positively to having "communication ability," "learning ability," and "acquisition ability." Significant differences were found in total and "Establishment" scales among males, and all scales among females. The score on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was significantly higher with "learning ability" among males, and with "communication ability" and "learning ability" among females. However, no significant relationship was found between actual contraceptive behavior and any of the scales. CONCLUSION: In dealing with contraception, a gap exists between university students' attitudes and actual behavior. The scores on the "Establishment of Self" scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were found to be significantly higher for those who exhibited higher values for components of contraceptive behavior.     

Gender norms and social norms: differences,similarities and why they matter in prevention science

Two streams of theory and practice on gender equity have begun to elide. The first is work conducted to change social norms, particularly using theory that emerged from studies in social psychology. The second is work done on gender norms, emerging historically from feminist scholars working to counter gender inequality. As these two streams of work intersect, conceptual clarity is needed to understand differences and similarities between these two traditions. Increased clarity will improve efforts to address harmful norms and practices. In this article, we review similarities and differences between social and gender norms, reviewing the history of the concepts and identifying key tension points of contrast. We identified six areas of comparison that might be helpful for practitioners working for the promotion of global health as they make sense of social and gender norms. We then offer a definition of gender norms for practitioners and researchers working at the intersection between these two theories. Our definition draws from the two different streams of thought of how norms influence people's actions, acknowledging the double nature of gender norms: beliefs nested in people's minds and embedded in institutions that profoundly affect health-related behaviours and shape differential access to health services.     

Correlation between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sugar consumption, quality of diet, and dietary behavior in school children

This study investigated the correlation between consumption of sugar intake by fifth grade students in primary schools and development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 107 students participated, and eight boys and one girl (8.4% of the total) categorized as high risk for ADHD according to diagnostic criteria. There were significant differences in the occupations and drinking habits of the respondents'' fathers between the normal group and risk group. In a comparison of students'' nutrition intake status with daily nutrition intake standards for Koreans, students consumed twice as much protein as the recommended level, whereas their calcium intake was only 60% of the recommended DRI (dietary reference intake). Regarding intake volume of vitamin C, the normal group posted 143.9% of the recommended DRI, whereas the risk group showed only 65.5% of the recommended DRI. In terms of simple sugar intake from snacks, students in the normal group consumed 58.4 g while the risk group consumed 50.2 g. These levels constituted 12.5% of their total daily volume of sugar intake from snacks, which is higher than the 10% standard recommended by the WHO. In conclusion, children who consumed less sugar from fruit snacks or whose vitamin C intake was less than RI was at increased risks for ADHD (P < 0.05). However, no significant association was observed between total volume of simple sugar intake from snacks and ADHD development.