Education Commons^™

The Influence Of Cultural Orientation, Alcohol Expectancies, And Self-Efficacy On Adolescent Drinking Behavior In China, Duane F. Shell, Ian M. Newman, Xiaoyi Fang

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: We hypothesized that the drinking behavior of adolescents in China is influenced by expectancies and self-efficacy and that adolescents’ cultural orientation towards western versus traditional Chinese values influences expectancies, self-efficacy and drinking behavior, with western values leading to more dysfunctional patterns of beliefs and drinking, and that these beliefs are influenced by students’ gender and school environment. Methods: A total of 1020 high school students from Beijing completed the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy, the Chinese Cultural Orientation and the Chinese Self-regulation Self-efficacy questionnaires. Results: Results generally confirmed our hypotheses. Higher negative expectancies and higher self-efficacy reduced …

The Impact Of Child And Adolescent Obesity Treatment Interventions On Physical Activity: A Systematic Review, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Philip Morgan, Rachel A. Jones, Julie R. Steele

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Efforts to treat obesity in childhood and adolescence would benefit from a greater understanding of evidence-based strategies to modify physical activity behaviour. A systematic review was conducted to examine the impact of child and adolescent obesity treatment interventions on physical activity. Studies included were randomized controlled trials or controlled trials, with overweight and obese youth (aged < 18 years), which reported statistical analysis of free-living physical activity at pretreatment and post-treatment. Two independent reviewers assessed each study for methodological quality. Seventeen child and three adolescent studies were retrieved, half of which were conducted in the USA. Studies were characterized by small samples of limited cultural and economic diversity. Fifteen studies reported an increase in at least one physical activity outcome at post-test or follow-up. Overall, study quality was rated as low (child median score = 3/10, range = 0–9; adolescent median score = 3/10, range = 2–5) with three child studies classified as high quality (6/10). Research evaluating the effect of child and adolescent obesity treatment trials on physical activity is limited in both quantity and quality. Studies testing innovative, theoretically driven treatment approaches that use robust methodologies are required to better understand generalizable approaches for promoting physical activity participation among obese youth.

Influence Of Muscle Fitness Test Performance On Metabolic Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls, Jorge Mota, Susana Vale, Clarice Martins, Anelise Gaya, Carla Moreira, Rute Santos, Jose Ribeiro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between muscular fitness (MF), assessed by 2 components of Fitnessgram test battery, the Curl-Up and Push-Ups tests and the metabolic risk score among adolescent girls. Methods A total of 229 girls (aged 12-15 years old) comprised the sample of this study. Anthropometric data (height, body mass, waist circumference) were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. Muscular strength was assessed taking into account the tests that comprised the FITNESSGRAM test battery, i.e. the curl-up and the push-up. Participants were then categorized in one of 3 categories according the …

Influence Of Racism And Context On Ethnic Differences In Adolescent Mental Health Trajectories: The Determinants Of Adolescent Social Well-Being And Health (Dash) Study, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Maria J. Maynard, Erik Lenguerrand, Seeromanie Harding

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 5th Conference of Epidemiological Longitudinal Studies in Europe (CELSE 2010), 13-15 October 2010, Paphos, Cyprus

The Nutrition And Enjoyable Activity For Teen Girls (Neat Girls) Randomized Controlled Trial For Adolescent Girls From Disadvantaged Secondary Schools: Rationale, Study Protocol And Baseline Results, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Deborah Dewar, Clare E. Collins, Ronald C. Plotnikoff, Anthony D. Okely, Marijka Batterham, Tara Finn, Robin Callister

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Background: Child and adolescent obesity predisposes individuals to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from a range of lifestyle diseases. Although there is some evidence to suggest that rates of pediatric obesity have leveled off in recent years, this has not been the case among youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to report the rationale, study design and baseline findings of a school-based obesity prevention program for low-active adolescent girls from disadvantaged secondary schools.

Methods/Design: The Nutrition and Enjoyable Activity for Teen Girls (NEAT Girls) intervention will be evaluated using a group randomized controlled …