Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Feasibility Of A Parent-Focused, Stress Management Intervention To Decrease Adolescent Bmi, Reduce Stress, And Increase Well-Being Among African American Families, Colby J. Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents in the United States experience a higher prevalence of obesity as compared to their White counterparts. This health inequity presents a public health concern as consequences of weight-related chronic diseases often persist into adulthood and are increasingly problematic. As chronic stress has been found to be higher among African American youth compared to White adolescents, it presents as a potential barrier to participation for African American families in health promotion interventions. Additionally, it may be beneficial to target stress in health promotion programs as a modifiable factor in conjunction with health behaviors that may improve outcomes related …

Gratitude Buffers The Effects Of Stressful Life Events On Early Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction And Externalizing Behaviors But Not Internalizing Behaviors, Mimi Scott Webb

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying psychological strengths that foster healthy development in youth has become a topic of exploration in the field of positive psychology (e.g., Suldo & Huebner, 2004; Valle et al., 2006). Gratitude is a promising trait-like characteristic with qualities indicative of a potential psychological strength that may serve as a protective factor for early adolescents in the face of stressful life events. This study utilized data from a sample of 1,880 middle school students from the Southeastern United States. Hierarchical regression analyses investigated gratitude’s role as a moderator in the relationship between stressful life events and adolescent well-being. Specifically, gratitude’s ability …

Intrapersonal And Interpersonal Predictors Of Hope In Adolescents, Megan M. B. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Hope is a variable that is defined in research as a positive outlook on one's future and a plan to achieve that future. Hope has been found to be positively correlated with self-esteem, optimism, and life satisfaction, and negatively correlated with suicide ideation and suicidality. However, there is a lack of research on predictors of hope in adolescents. Adolescents compose the age group that could arguably use the goal-oriented and positive outlook that hope provides the most. This study identified predictors of hope (i.e., depression, maternal and paternal support) in adolescents so as to know how society can give adolescents …

Trends And Outcomes Of A School-Based Campaign To Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse Students In Middle School, Roya Amirniroumand

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been identified as a chronic disease prevention strategy in children and adolescents (Muth et al., 2019; USDA & HSS, 2015) and promoting healthier alternative beverage options has become an important focus for public health policy and educational efforts. Community-driven school-based health initiatives targeting SSB consumption have shown promising outcomes however, few studies have explored these strategies for middle school students and less is known about the potential benefits of these efforts with racial/ethnic minority youth.

The present study examined whether racial/ethnic differences in SSB consumption existed in a sample of 419 students at one …

Interpersonal Psychotherapy For Depressed Adolescents: A Systematic Review Of Quantitative Studies Exploring Effectiveness, Concomitant Findings, And Mediating And Moderating Variables, Luke Rex

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2022), almost one-fifth of adolescents ages 12 to 17 years in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in 2020, representing 4.1 million people, and over half did not receive any treatment. An interpersonal approach to therapy for adolescents known as Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), developed by Dr. Laura Mufson, has been regarded as having well-established efficacy in treating depressed adolescents. This systematic review of quantitative studies (without meta-analysis) was conducted to (a) examine …

Warning! Explicit Material: The Effects Of Adolescent Pornography Use On Risky Sexual Behavior Over Time, Emily Jensen-Schvaneveldt

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the longitudinal effects of adolescent pornography trajectories on risky sexual behavior, as well as predictors of pornography trajectories. Data was taken from Waves V-X of the Flourishing Families Project, which included a sample of 463 families. A zero-inflated Poisson growth mixture model was run to determine class participation and growth trajectories. Findings revealed that gender and religiosity significantly predicted class participation, and class participation significantly predicted risky sexual behavior. While this study did have limitations, this study adds to the previous literature by examining adolescent pornography trajectories over an extended period of time.

Parent Anxiety, Parental Psychological Control, And Adolescent Anxiety: Mediation And Bidirectional Relationships, Iesha R. Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis for adolescents. Among important etiological factors are parent anxiety and parenting behavior, which can increase anxiety in adolescents. Adolescent anxiety can also act as a source of stress for parents that then increases parent anxiety and negative parenting behaviors. Using the Family Stress Model, this study aims to examine the longitudinal and bidirectional relationship between parent and adolescent anxiety with parental psychological control acting as a mediator. Structural equation modeling was used to examine these relationships across five waves of data for 457 families. Adolescents (51.86% female, mean age 13.34 at wave …

The Impact Of Exercise On Adolescents With Depression: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Matthew P. Kloeris

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to summarize and synthesize the research that pertains to the impact of aerobic exercise on adolescents with depression. This review addressed aerobic exercise as a mental health treatment, such as differences between (a) post-intervention and follow-up response and remission rates; (b) exercise in lieu of psychotherapy or exercise as an adjunct to psychotherapy; and (c) response and remission rates amongst minority gender and racial and ethnic groups. The search results produced a total of 2,122 articles. Of which, eight articles were eligible for the present systematic review. Based on the results, it appears …

E-Cigarette Use And Perceptions Among Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Role Of Parental Messages About Tobacco, Mayra S. Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of using e-cigarettes compared to their neurotypical peers. Parent-adolescent communication about tobacco use and number of ADHD symptoms can influence adolescents’ perceptions of e-cigarettes and their e-cigarette use. Adolescents with ADHD (n = 80) completed questionnaires assessing parental messages about tobacco use; e-cigarette harm perceptions; susceptibility to use e-cigarettes; and e-cigarette use. Parents reported on messages about tobacco use, adolescent’s ADHD symptomatology, and completed demographic questionnaires. Twenty-percent of adolescents reported e-cigarette ever use. Adolescent girls were significantly more likely to report higher e-cigarette harm perceptions than boys. Parents reported providing messages …

Alcohol Use Subgroups Among Rural Middle School Students: The Impact Of Community Violence Exposure, Courtney B. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

A substantial portion of early adolescents initiate alcohol use. This represents a significant public health concern due to its association with a variety of adverse consequences. Although person-centered analytic approaches such as latent class analysis have been used to describe heterogeneity in adolescents’ alcohol use, most prior studies have focused on high school or older samples. This may obscure patterns of alcohol use that emerge during early adolescence. The current study identified and described subgroups of adolescents based on their alcohol use in a racially diverse sample of rural middle school students. Because research and theory indicate that exposure to …

Treatment Predictors Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Among Adolescent Females In Residential Care, Taylor Davine

Theses and Dissertations

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive intervention for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by significant emotion dysregulation and associated parasuicidal behaviors. Findings from 21 randomized-controlled trials indicated that DBT is effective in the treatment of BPD symptoms. While effective, some individuals do not obtain symptoms reductions after completing DBT. The aim of the current study was to identify factors that predict treatment response among adolescent females (N = 107) receiving DBT in a residential setting. It was hypothesized that residents with elevated scores of emotion regulation difficulties, intolerance of uncertainty, experiential avoidance, social anxiety …

The Influence Of Peers On Adolescents' Physical Aggression: The Moderating Roles Of Parental Messages Supporting Fighting And Nonviolence, Jasmine Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

There is substantial support for the link between peer factors and adolescents’ aggression. Less is known about protective factors that may mitigate the relation between peer factors and aggression. Parental influences, such as parental messaging supporting fighting, have been directly associated with aggression. What remains unclear is the extent to which parental messages supporting fighting and nonviolence might serve as protective factors in relations between negative peer interactions and aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinal effects of peerson adolescents’ physical aggression and to examine the extent to which parental messages supporting fighting and nonviolence moderated …

Bold Responses To Inhibition In Cannabis Using Adolescents And Emerging Adults, Alexander L. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis use has been associated with increased blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses absent of behavioral deficits during a response inhibition task compared to controls. We investigated whether gender and cannabis use result in differences in BOLD responses and behavioral performance during a Go-NoGo task. Participants included eighty-three 16-26 year olds (MJ=36, Controls=46). An emotion based Go-NoGo task required participants to inhibit their response during a “neutral” face. A whole-brain analysis looked at differences between cannabis group, gender, and their interaction. Significant increased BOLD responses were observed in cannabis users compared to controls in the left frontal cortex, left cingulate …

Bold Responses To Inhibition In Cannabis Using Adolescents And Emerging Adults, Alexander L. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis use has been associated with increased blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses absent of behavioral deficits during a response inhibition task compared to controls. We investigated whether gender and cannabis use result in differences in BOLD responses and behavioral performance during a Go-NoGo task. Participants included eighty-three 16-26 year olds (MJ=36, Controls=46). An emotion based Go-NoGo task required participants to inhibit their response during a “neutral” face. A whole-brain analysis looked at differences between cannabis group, gender, and their interaction. Significant increased BOLD responses were observed in cannabis users compared to controls in the left frontal cortex, left cingulate …

Meta-Analysis Of Behavior Problems In Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children, Marta Maria Tobenas

Theses and Dissertations

Recent data regarding social-emotional challenges indicate elevations in behavior problems (BPs) in deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children (Austen, 2010; Stevenson et al., 2010; van Eldik et al., 2004). Factors affecting this include family and social contexts, language development (LD), and cochlear implantation (CIs). The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze findings across studies for trends in BPs in DHH children. Specifically, a model of the effect of deafness, CI use, and LD on the emergence of BPs in DHH children as compared to hearing children was examined. Studies were collected through systematic searches of psychology databases supplemented …

The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On The Efficacy Of School-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Adhd, Cathrin D. Green

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience impairment in academic functioning in the school and home environment. Because of this, many school- and clinic-based interventions have been developed to target these problems. Initially, clinic-based interventions were mainly used; however, these interventions were associated with many barriers to care, such as lack of transportation, financial resources, and time. Therefore, school-based interventions were developed to address these barriers. However, there has been minimal research evaluating the role of social determinants of health on the efficacy of school-based interventions. In a sample of 222 adolescents with ADHD randomly assigned to receive either a …

Social Outcome Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Meta-Analysis, Jonathan James Mietchen

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Children and adolescents with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at increased risk for developing social incompetence and impairment in broad psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of TBI, social competence, and broad psychosocial functioning using meta-analytic methods. Methods: Studies relating to social outcome following pediatric TBI were searched for using scientific, academic databases. Sixteen studies (N=2,005) met inclusion criteria, and relevant data relating to social functioning was extracted. Meta-analytic methods were used in order to obtain Hedges's g effect size data for mild, moderate, and severe TBI groups. …

The Relationship Between Adolescent Suicidality And Engagement In Risky Behaviors, Elissa Rebecca Golden

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent suicide is a serious and growing problem among adolescents. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to try and identify predictors of suicidal ideation. The first objective was to examine whether the level of engagement in risky behavior predicts an increase in total suicidal ideation above and beyond other well-known risk factors (i.e., family functioning, gender, and problem-solving skills). The second objective was to investigate whether different types of risky behaviors (i.e., internalizing versus externalizing) predict different forms of suicidal ideation (i.e., passive versus active) above and beyond perceived family functioning, gender, and problem-solving skills. The pre-test archival …

Life Satisfaction In Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kathleen Blackburn Franke

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was informed by the Emerging Disability Paradigm, which emphasizes the importance of research regarding positive experiences, personality, and social relationships for individuals with disabilities (Schalock, 2004). The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary evidence regarding the reliability and validity of measures of self-reported psychosocial assets and life satisfaction (LS) for adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA). Additional purposes included identifying the overall levels of general and domain-specific LS within adolescents with HFA, comparing these levels to those of a sample of typically developing adolescents, and describing the relation between psychosocial assets and LS for …

Hopelessness And Youth Violent Behavior: A Longitudinal Study, Janie Demetropoulos

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how hopelessness impacts youth engagement in violent behavior over time. The data are from waves I and II of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Poisson regression was used to analyze contributors to violence in just wave I, and then again across time in wave II using explanatory and control variables from wave I. Results indicate that hopelessness is positively associated with violent behavior. Furthermore, while hopelessness and most of the other explanatory variables predicted violent behavior in wave I, almost all the variables became non-significant or negative except hopelessness and a measure of …

Unemployment, Does It Really Hurt?, Claudia Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes the consequences of changes in the unemployment rate in Colombia on the level of education attained for adolescents. Increases in the unemployment rate are associated with an increase in the average number of years of education. No significant effect was found for men of the same age.

Building A Bond: Longitudinal Relations Between Interpersonal School Climate, Student Awareness And Reporting Of Violence, And Peer Victimization And Aggression In Adolescents, Kathryn Behrhorst

Theses and Dissertations

High prevalence rates and negative outcomes of peer-based aggression and victimization during early adolescence underscore the need to identify causes and consequences of these outcomes. Limited research has examined the impact of environmental and contextual factors, such as school climate, on peer aggression and victimization. Few studies have addressed relations between school climate and specific subtypes of physical and relational aggression and victimization. Although school climate has been assessed via interpersonal subsystems (i.e., student-student and student-teacher relationships), little research has incorporated the role of student awareness and reporting of violence and safety concerns. Further, studies are needed that consider the …

Effects Of Cumulative Risk On Asthma Outcomes In Urban Children And Adolescents, Samantha A. Miadich

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric asthma disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minority children and children living in low-income, urban areas. Many families living in low-income, urban areas experience a number of stressors that can place children/adolescents at risk for worse asthma outcomes. This study examined the impact of a cumulative risk model of stressors (e.g., ED visits, quick-relief medication use, lung function, asthma control, QOL) in urban children (7-12 years) with persistent asthma. This study further aimed to examine both the original cumulative risk model and an adolescent-specific cumulative risk model as predictors of asthma outcomes in a sample of 60 adolescents (13-17 years). Asthma-related caregiver …

Antecedents Of Adolescents’ Gratitude: Personality, Social Support, And Stressful Life Events, Hannah Reckart

Theses and Dissertations

An increase in the emphasis of positive aspects of functioning has led to expanded attention paid to the field of positive psychology. Within in this arena, the construct of gratitude has emerged as a factor of interest, specifically in adults; however, while a basis for research of gratitude in children exists, it is lacking in breadth. Support for gratitude’s significant relations with psychosocial, psychological, and academic factors has been shown in prior research, and presumed personal and environmental antecedents of gratitude have been indicated. The present study was exploratory in nature and included a sample of 1506 students from four …

Parental Experience-Based Change: Positive And Negative Changes In Monitoring, Expectations, Nurturing, And Discipline, Joseph S. Rand

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to create a measure of parent's perceptions of parental experience-based change (PEBC), or parents' perceptions of the changes they make to their parenting of secondborn children as a result of experiences with firstborn children. The measure assessed PEBC in the domains of monitoring, expectations, nurturing and discipline. Participants were 401 mothers or fathers of 2 or 3 adolescent children. Factor analyses revealed an 8 factor solution that assessed increasing and decreasing in each of the 4 domains. Criterion validity was evaluated using regression analyses to examine the relationships between each factor and parenting outcomes thought to be …

Marginalized Sexuality And Masculinity: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Adolescent Homophobic Language In A Rural High School, Benjamin M. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have examined homophobic language (HL) with both qualitative and quantitative methods and have studied HL's relationship to multiple factors such as sexual prejudice, masculinity, and religiosity. However, our understanding of this language, while expanding, is still limited because the meaning of this evolving language varies depending on the context in which the language is used. In order to get a more in-depth and current understanding of this language, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 males who were high school seniors. I also conducted 102 hours of observations in their high school. I analyzed the interviews and observations with a …

Parent-Reported Deficits In Executive Function And Sleep-Disordered Breathing In Adolescent Behavioral Weight Loss Program Participants, Jonathan James Mietchen

Theses and Dissertations

Children and adolescents with obesity and overweight are at increased risk for developing sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and SDB has been associated with cognitive deficits and executive dysfunction. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between executive functioning and SDB among adolescents participating in a behavioral weight loss intervention. Adolescents (n = 37) and their caregivers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and caregivers completed the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ). Using the Sleep Related Breathing Disorder scale on the PSQ adolescents were classified as at risk or not at risk for SDB. Correlations were …

Resilience And Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls In Residential Treatment: An Evaluation Of Strong Teens, Luke Andrew Marvin

Theses and Dissertations

Strong Teens is an evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed to target internalizing disorders by promoting emotional resilience and social competence. In this study, Strong Teens was implemented among 36 adolescent girls during group therapy in a residential treatment center (RTC). A non-equivalent, quasi-experimental wait-list control group design was used. The curriculum was evaluated by tracking the girls' social and emotional knowledge, internalizing symptoms, and resilience from the perspectives of the girls, group therapists, and a supervisor who was blind to the study. Although the results indicated that exposure to Strong Teens was not effective in increasing the …

An Examination Of The Technical And Relational Hypotheses Of Motivational Interviewing In A Sample Of African American Adolescent Girls Seeking Obesity Treatment, Rachel L. Boutte

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent obesity has increased exponentially over the past three decades in the United States. In response, behavioral interventions have been developed and implemented to address this epidemic; however, treatment adherence is often suboptimal. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a directive, person centered approach to reducing patient ambivalence about change, which has been shown to increase engagement in obesity interventions. The current study investigated the underlying process of MI by exploring two different, but related pathways that explain how change happens (e.g., the technical and relational hypotheses) in the context of a multidisciplinary obesity intervention with African American adolescent girls (N …

Identifying Profiles Of Resilience Among A High-Risk Adolescent Population, Anna W. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether distinct patterns of adolescent adjustment existed when four domains of functioning were considered. The study included a sample of 299 high-risk urban adolescents, predominantly African American, ages 9-16 and their maternal caregivers. Cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of adjustment. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore whether variations in levels of five theoretically and empirically supported protective factors predicted cluster membership. A four-cluster model was determined to best fit the data. Higher rates of goal directedness and anger regulation coping predicted membership within the highest functioning cluster over …