Digital Commons Network^™

Less Computer Access: Is It A Risk Or A Protective Factor For Cyberbullying And Face-To-Face Bullying Victimization Among Adolescents In The United States?, Jun Sung Hong, Miao Wang, Rekha Negi, Dexter R. Voisin, Lois M. Takahashi, Andre Iadipaolo

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study investigates whether less computer access is associated with an increase or decrease in cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying victimization. Data were derived from the 2009–2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children U.S. Study, consisting of 12,642 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years (Mage = 12.95). We found that less computer usage was negatively associated with cyberbullying victimization and face-to-face bullying victimization. The findings from the study have implications for research and practice.

Identification Of Structural Brain Alterations In Adolescents With Depressive Symptomatology, J. Bashford‑Largo, R. James R. Blair, Karina S. Blair, Matthew Dobbertin, Ahria Dominguez, Melissa Hatch, Sahil Bajaj

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Introduction: Depressive symptoms can emerge as early as childhood and may lead to adverse situations in adulthood. Studies have examined structural brain alternations in individuals with depressive symptoms, but findings remain inconclusive. Furthermore, previous studies have focused on adults or used a categorical approach to assess depression. The current study looks to identify grey matter volumes (GMV) that predict depressive symptomatology across a clinically concerning sample of adolescents.

Methods: Structural MRI data were collected from 338 clinically concerning adolescents (mean age = 15.30 SD=2.07; mean IQ = 101.01 SD=12.43; 132 F). Depression symptoms were indexed via the Mood …

Advertising Sports Nutrition Practices To Adolescent Athletes: A Poster Series, Emma Hansen

Honors Theses

Sports nutrition is an important aspect of an athlete’s training and improvement, yet it is often overlooked when it comes to younger competitors. Four posters were created with the intent of providing adolescent athletes, their parents, and their coaches with information about important topics in sports nutrition including a general overview of nutrition goals, hydration strategies, recovery nutrition, and nutritional considerations for vegetarian and vegan youth athletes. The posters were designed to appeal to adolescents from the ages of 13 to 18, and each poster covers its designated topic in detail appropriate for middle and high school-aged athletes. The accompanying …

Decline Is Not Inevitable: Changes In Science Identity During The Progression Through A U.S. Middle School Among Boys And Girls, Julia Mcquillan, Patricia Wonch Hill, Joseph C. Jochman, Grace Kelly

Worlds of Connections Resources

In the United States, science capital is important for navigating many aspects of life. Yet during middle school, science interest declines more for girls than boys. It is unclear, however, whether science identity also declines during the middle school years and if there are differences by gender. The authors advance prior research by modeling changes in science identity and associations with changes in identity-relevant characteristics using growth curve analyses on four waves of data from 760 middle school youth. For girls and boys, science identity changes over time; about 40 percent of the variance is within-person change, with the remainder …

Misinformation, Indigenous Health Information And Hiv Prevention Among In- School Adolescents, Uganda, Olivia Nina Rugambwa Lecturer, Ruth Nalumaga Deputy Librarian -Associate Professor, J.R Ikoja-Odongo Professor -Information Science, Maxwell Otim Onapa Director Of Science, Research And Innovation

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

HIV/AIDS is still a major killer disease among adolescents in sub- Saharan Africa and Uganda in particular. There are many factors attributed to high HIV infections among young people in Uganda such as, multiple sexual partners, low condom use, those born with HIV and poverty. High level misinformation in the indigenous knowledge related to sexuality and HIV prevention remains an under investigated and under documented factor escalating the disease. Yet, the indigenous knowledge health information system is a major critical information source adolescents depend on for health information on HIV prevention in Uganda. Indigenous knowledge informs health interventions for HIV …

Impact Of Social Networking Sites On School-Going Adolescent Boys In Kashmir, India, Aadil Bashir, Sarafaraz Ahmed, Unjum Bashir, Sumeer Gul, Fayaz Ahmad Loan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The adolescent age group is one of the most vulnerable periods of life span. It is the period that develops identity and integrity among individuals. The environmental influx to this group includes the SNS’s as one of the major components, having a direct impact on the transition of adolescents to adults. It is in this backdrop, the need is to critically study the impact of SNS’s on adolescent’s life and identifying the key consequences that are emerging out of either using or misusing of same. Ranging from initial exposure of SNS’s to disturbed social life a detailed assessment has been …

Contextualizing Wilson’S Information Behavior Model In Seeking Indigenous Information For Hiv Prevention Among Adolescents In Secondary Schools, Uganda, Nina Olivia Rugambwa, Martha Lyaka, Lois Nankya Mutibwa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Effective communication of quality health information in emergency situations is critical in curbing the spread of diseases. Health programs promoting both biomedical and indigenous representations in HIV prevention have been found to be more effective than those that ignore lay representations. Nonetheless, there is still limited documentation on indigenous information supporting health choices among adolescents in secondary schools in Uganda. Besides, the information sources from where adolescents seek this information are not clear. This paper presents Wilson’s Information Behavior model as the theoretical anchor used to understand how utilization of Indigenous information can be enhanced among adolescents for improved health …

Adolescent- Parent Communication And Information Sharing, Shantha Kumar M.V.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

The study is conducted among 100 adolescents in Kerala State in India to know the sharing of information by the adolescents with their parents. The matters they communicate with their parents and the matters they are reluctant to communicate are studied. The data was collected using questionnaire. The analysis of the data was done based on the responses received from 92 adolescents. The analysis reveals that the adolescents communicate with their parent most frequently. The females are more communicative in many respects. They share with their parents the method of teaching, behavior of their teachers, marks obtained in the …

Health Beliefs As A Key Determinant Of Intent To Use Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (Aas) Among High-School Football Players: Implications For Prevention, Amanda E. Halliburton, Matthew S. Fritz

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) is problematic for youth because of negative effects such as reduced fertility, increased aggression and exposure to toxic chemicals. An effective programme for addressing this problem is Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS). This secondary analysis expands prior research by identifying prominent mechanisms of change and highlighting key longitudinal processes that contributed to the success of ATLAS. The current sample consists of highschool football players (N = 1.068; M_age = 15.25) who began ATLAS in grades nine through eleven and participated in booster sessions for two years post-baseline. Knowledge of AAS …

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception In Adolescents: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Justin T. Diedrich, David A. Klein, Jeffrey F. Peipert

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

BACKGROUND: Among adolescent pregnancies, 75% are unintended. Greater use of highly-effective contraception can reduce unintended pregnancy. Although multiple studies discuss adolescent contraceptive use, there is no consensus regarding the use of long-acting reversible contraception as a first-line contraception option.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a systematic review of the medical literature to assess the continuation of long-acting reversible contraceptives among adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN: Ovid-MEDLINE, Cochrane databases, and Embase databases were searched using key words relevant to the provision of long-acting contraception to adolescents. Articles published from January 2002 through August 2016 were selected for inclusion based on specific key word searches and …

The Relationships Between The Home Food Environment And Weight Status Among Children And Adolescents, Ages 6-17 Years, Martha J. Nepper

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The home food environment is an important setting in regard to a child’s dietary intake and the development of obesity, since 65% to 72% of daily calories are consumed in the home. Research is beginning to explore how the home food environment may influence children’s weight status. It is suggested that homes with healthy weight children are more likely to have healthier food options available and limit access to unhealthy foods. Prior research on the influence of the home food environment on children and adolescent’s weight status is not clear, as some researchers have found that the home food environment …

Estimate Of Adolescent Alcohol Use In China: A Meta-Analysis, Yonghua Feng, Ian Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: A profile of adolescent alcohol use for China that specified gender, school type and a consistent definition of alcohol use.

Method: A total of 1,646 papers were identified in the Chinese- and English-language literature published 2007–2015 that reported Chinese adolescent drinking rates. Selection criteria were established a priori. Thirty-two papers met all the selection criteria. Five papers were eliminated because they were found to be duplicate reports of the same data.

Result: The resulting sample included 26 papers—24 in Chinese and two in English, 20 describing middle school students, 12 describing high school students, and six describing vocational …

The Enculturation Experience Of Three Chinese American Adolescents: A Multiple Case Study, Sherry C. Wang, Vicki Plano-Clark, Michael J. Scheel

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The authors designed a qualitative, multiple case study that employed the photovoice method to explore how enculturation is experienced by three Chinese adolescents living with their families in a nonethnically dense cultural community. A total of 18 one-on-one interviews were conducted with three youth and their parents. Photos were also used as elicitation tools to understand the meaning of enculturation for each individual. Case descriptions of each adolescent are presented, followed by five cross-case themes: (a) Self- Identifying as Chinese, (b) Parental Strictness, (c) Multiple Groups of Comparison, (d) (Not) Having a Chinese Community, and (e) Messages to Excel. The …

Ethnic And Gender Differences In Strategies Used By Adolescents When Attempting To Quit Or Reduce Smoking, Ali M. Yurasek, Leslie A. Robinson, Gilbert R. Parra

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Few adolescent smoking cessation programs have been able to match the success rate found in adult programs. The current study identified smoking cessation strategies used by adolescents and whether strategies differed as a function of ethnic, gender, or individual smoking-level. Participants were 136 high school students who made an attempt to quit or reduce their smoking. Logistic regressions revealed that individuals making an actual quit attempt and African American adolescents used cessation strategies presumed to be more effective. Adolescents are more likely to use informal cessation methods and may need to be provided with more information on effective quit strategies.

Exploring Deployment And Resilience Through The Experiences Of Army National Guard Youth, Kerrie Joy Rosheim

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Global War on Terror utilized Army National Guard soldiers at unprecedented rates, drastically changing their reserve role and the lifestyle of their families. This qualitative study explored what the adolescent children of Army National Guard soldiers experienced during the deployment of a parent and how they conceptualized and demonstrated resilience. Through individual interviews with nine participants, who collectively have experienced over 17 years of deployment during adolescence, and email survey results of their primary caregivers, the following three themes emerged to capture the essence of deployment for Army National Guard youth. Deployment can be viewed as “a mixed bag” …

All In The Family: A Retrospective Study Comparing Sibling Bullying And Peer Bullying, Lori A. Hoetger, Katherine P. Hazen, Eve M. Brank

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

Extensive bullying research has primarily focused on activities between peers in school settings, but some evidence suggests bullying may occur in other situations. If so, other contexts could potentially benefit from the wealth of peer bullying research. A sample of 392 young adults answered questions about their experiences with sibling and peer bullying behaviors. Participants also provided responses concerning a sibling or peer vignette that focused on reporting bullying behaviors. Results indicated that participants view bullying behaviors between peers and siblings as somewhat similar, but sibling bullying behaviors compared to peer bullying behaviors are reported to be perpetrated and experienced …

Bullying And Peer Victimization: An Examination Of Cognitive And Psychosocial Constructs, Kisha M. Radliff, Cixin Wang, Susan M. Swearer

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research has demonstrated a link between internalizing factors and bullying perpetration and peer victimization; however, few studies have examined predictors of cognitive and psychosocial factors, such as locus of control and hopelessness. The current study examined cognitive and psychosocial factors in bullying perpetration and peer victimization in a sample of 469 middle school students. A mediator model of hopelessness was also investigated. Students involved in bullying reported a greater external locus of control compared with peers who were not involved in bullying. Bully victims endorsed the highest externality. Results showed that hopelessness fully mediated the relationship between verbal/relational victimization and …

The Utility Of The Prototype/Willingness Model In Predicting Alcohol Use Among North American Indigenous Adolescents, Brian E. Armenta, Dane S. Hautala, Les B. Whitbeck

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In the present study, we considered the utility of the prototype/willingness model in predicting alcohol use among North-American Indigenous adolescents. Specifically, using longitudinal data, we examined the associations among subjective drinking norms, positive drinker prototypes, drinking expectations (as a proxy of drinking willingness), and drinking behavior among a sample of Indigenous adolescents from ages 12 to 14 years. Using an autoregressive cross-lagged analysis, our results showed that subjective drinking norms and positive drinker prototypes at 12 years of age were associated with increased drinking expectations at 13 years of age, and that greater drinking expectations at 13 years of age …

Parenting Behaviors, Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, And Problem Behavior: The Role Of Self-Esteem And School Adjustment Difficulties Among Chinese Adolescents, Cixin Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Wenzhen Li, Stephan M. Wilson, Kevin Bush, Gary Peterson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Cross-sectional data from 589 Chinese adolescents were used to investigate whether parenting behaviors are directly or indirectly (through self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties) associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Structural equation modeling results showed that school adjustment difficulties fully mediated the relations between two parenting behaviors (parental punitiveness and paternal monitoring) and adolescent problem behavior and partially mediated the relation between maternal monitoring and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent self-esteem partially mediated the relations between maternal punitiveness and adolescent depressive symptoms and fully mediated the relations between parental support and adolescent depressive symptoms. Parental love withdrawal was not significantly …

How Adolescents Perceive Their Parents' Communication About Sex: Toward Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk, Amanda J. Holman

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The “sex talk” is often one of the most challenging conversations for parents and children during adolescence. Research has established that parent-adolescent communication about sex can greatly reduce adolescents’ sexual risk (Guilamo-Ramos et al., 2012; Miller, Benson, & Galbraith, 2001). However, many parents still avoid these conversations due to uncertainty or lack of confidence in how to best educate their children on topics such as sexual health and relationships. Plus, little is known about family communication about sex from the adolescent perspective. In order to develop more comprehensive strategies for parents to engage in these challenging conversations, the present dissertation …

Rural Latino Adolescent Health: Preliminary Examination Of Health Risks And Cultural Correlates, Timothy D. Nelson, Katherine M. Kidwell, Brian E. Armenta, Lisa J. Crockett, Gustavo Carlo, Les B. Whitbeck

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Latino adolescents living in rural settings may be at increased risk of health problems; however, data describing the health status of this population are limited. This study examined 60 rural Latino adolescents and found high rates of health risk, including at-risk/clinical results for hemoglobin A1C (23.3%), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (55%), systolic blood pressure (21.7%), and overweight/obesity (55%). Time in sedentary behaviors was high and physical activity was limited. Adolescent language use was associated with health risk status, with greater use of English associated with lower risk. Health psychologists could promote improved health by providing health behavior interventions to this underserved …

Witnessing Inter-Parental Violence At Home: Adolescents And School Achievement, Renita Dawn Robinson-Tyrance

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Children’s exposure to violence is a serious social problem, but little is known about the educational implications for adolescents witnessing violence between parents. This study uses social learning theory (SLT) to examine the relationship between high school-aged adolescent students who witness parental intimate partner violence (IPV) and academic performance demonstrated by their grade point averages (GPA). A secondary analysis of data collected from the survey of 1,132 adolescent students in a medium sized, suburban/rural city was conducted. Of the respondents, 83% of the students did not witness parental IPV between parents. Students witnessing the most parental IPV had the lowest …

A Pilot Mixed Methods Evaluation Study Of The Effectiveness Of An After-School Cooking Club Curriculum For Middle School Students, Elisha M. Hall

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Introduction: Obesity has exponentially increased each decade, with approximately one third of the adult American population obese and another one third overweight. More startling is that these trends are rising in children as well. With economic, health, social, mental, and emotional consequences, childhood obesity has quickly risen as a significant issue to tackle. Increases in fast food consumption have been linked with overweight status, and home cooked meals are slowly becoming part of the past. The adolescent time period, in which children are slowly gaining more autonomy and conducting their activities independent from their parents, is an optimal time …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Evaluate Kidquest, A Traditional Classroom Obesity Prevention Intervention, In An Afterschool Program: A Pilot Study, Amy M. Wehbe

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Over 1.4 million middle school adolescents participate in afterschool programs each year. While most of the obesity prevention interventions focus on the traditional school day, the afterschool setting should not be overlooked. A pilot study was conducted using KidQuest, a traditional classroom nutrition and physical activity intervention for early adolescents ages 10 to 12 based on the social cognitive theory, in an afterschool setting. The purpose of the pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a nutrition and physical activity intervention developed for the traditional school day in an afterschool setting. The desired outcome of this mixed-methods study …

Access To Media Resources As Predictor Of Adolescents’ Attitude To Sexual And Reproductive Health Practices In Selected Non-Governmental Organisations In Nigeria, Sunday Olusola Ladipo, Adewale Adeduntan Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated the influence of adolescents’ access to media resources on attitude to sexual and reproductive health. The survey research design was adopted while the questionnaire was used as the major instrument of data collection. Sixty copies of questionnaire were administered on the adolescents that were purposively selected from the three organisations chosen for the study while only 52 copies were returned with useful responses. The findings of the study revealed that the adolescents make use of electronic media resources more than other categories of media resources such as print and oral media resources.The study established a significant relationship …

Randomized Trial Of A Broad Preventive Intervention For Mexican American Adolescents, Nancy A. Gonzales, L. E. Dumka, R. E. Millsap, A. Gottschall, D. B. Mcclain, J. J. Wong, M. German, A. M. Mauricio, Lorey A. Wheeler, F. D. Carpentier, S. Y. Kim

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Objective—This randomized trial of a family-focused preventive intervention for Mexican American (MA) adolescents evaluated intervention effects on adolescent substance use, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and school discipline and grade records in 8th grade, one year after completion of the intervention. The study also examined hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effects. Method—Stratified by language of program delivery (English vs. Spanish), the trial included a sample of 516 MA adolescents (50.8% female; M =12.3 years, SD=.54) and at least one caregiver that were randomized to receive a low dosage control group workshop or the 9-week group intervention that included …

Exploring The Relationships Of Perceived Discrimination, Anger, And Aggression Among North American Indigenous Adolescents, Kelley J. Sittner Hartshorn, Les B. Whitbeck, Dan R. Hoyt

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

A growing body of research has documented associations between discrimination, anger, and delinquency, but the exact nature of these associations remains unclear. Specifically, do aggressive behaviors emerge over time as a consequence of perceived discrimination and anger? Or do adolescents who engage in aggressive behavior perceive that they are being discriminated against and become angry? We use autoregressive cross-lagged path analysis on a sample of 692 Indigenous adolescents (mean age = 12 years) from the Northern Midwest and Canada to answer these research questions. Results showed that the direction of effects went only one way; both perceived discrimination and anger …

The Small-School Friendship Dynamics Of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Jacob E. Cheadle, Bridget J. Goosby

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Adolescence is a time when depressive symptoms and friendships both intensify. The authors ask whether friendships change in response to depressive symptoms, whether individual distress is influenced by friends’ distress, and whether these processes vary by gender. To answer these questions, the authors use longitudinal Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis models to study how changes in friendships and depressive symptoms intertwine with each other among all adolescents as well as boy-only and girl-only networks in seven smaller K-12 Add Health schools. The findings indicate that distressed youth are more likely to be socially excluded, though depressive symptoms are also …

The ‘Friendship Dynamics Of Religion,’ Or The ‘Religious Dynamics Of Friendship’? A Social Network Analysis Of Adolescents Who Attend Small Schools, Jacob Cheadle, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Longitudinal social network data on adolescents in seven schools are analyzed to reach a new understanding about how the personal and interpersonal social dimensions of adolescent religion intertwine together in small school settings. We primarily address two issues relevant to the sociology of religion and sociology in general: (1) social selection as a source of religious homophily and (2) friend socialization of religion. Analysis results are consistent with Collins’ interaction ritual chain theory, which stresses the social dimensions of religion, since network–religion autocorrelations are relatively substantial in magnitude and both selection and socialization mechanisms play key roles in generating them. …

Exploring Student Perceptions To Explain The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Academic Achievement In Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study, Megan J. Hylok

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A nationwide survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control in 2007 reported 65% of high school students did not meet the recommendation that youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week (CDC, 2008). While research has focused its attention primarily on bodily health, growing evidence supports the benefits of physical activity on brain health (Ratey & Hagerman, 2008). Physical activity is important and many adolescents are not meeting the recommendation, therefore, it is important to explore the adolescent perceptions to understand which factors influence physical activity participation. The significance of this study …