Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Koushik Adhikari / Obesity in adolescence is associated with a complex web of ecological, psychosocial, and physiological factors, and many of these factors relate to nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Before interventions are developed, researchers need to know what factors specifically influence an adolescent’s food choices and physical activity within the community context. Cultural norms, school environment, and neighborhood attributes are examples of factors that may vary across different communities, and accounting for this variation can be quite challenging, unless community perspectives are acknowledged. The use of qualitative data from focus groups has shown to be an effective way of gathering community perspectives about the diversity of their views and experiences. The current study used focus groups to reveal facilitators and barriers to healthy eating behavior and physical activity engagement in 6th to 8th grade youth in a low-income community in South-Western Kansas. This methodology enabled community members (adolescents, parents, and teachers) to discuss and articulate their perceptions in relation to 6th to 8th grade youth’s eating habits and physical activity, and assessed available resources, needs, and opportunities for developing effective and sustainable intervention approaches in the community. Using the socio-ecological model, individual influences (e.g., taste preferences), social influences (e.g., parent and peer influences), and larger contextual influences (e.g., school) on early adolescent health were assessed. This information will be used to develop interventions addressing factors at these different levels of influence that are needed to improve eating habits and physical activity of youth in the community.

L’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser l’adaptation socio-affective et la satisfaction de vie des enfants âgés de 9 à 12 ans en lien avec les différents usages des Technologies Numériques de l’Information et de la Communication, tout en prenant en compte la qualité des relations amicales dans les contextes hors-ligne, en ligne et en mode mixte. À partir de l’approche écosystémique (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), le modèle opérationnel « P.P.C.T.» (Bronfenbrenner, 1996) a permis de procéder à l’analyse spécifique de l’impact des caractéristiques individuelles, contextuelles et temporelles sur le développement socio-affectif des enfants. Notre échantillon se compose de 508 enfants âgés de 9 à 12 ans, soit 248 garçons et 260 filles. Ils sont 87% à utiliser les TNIC à des fins communicationnelles. Le développement socio-affectif a été appréhendé à travers le Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ ; Goodman, 1997) et la version française de la Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS ; Huebner, 1994 ; Fenouillet & al., 2015). Les enfants, tout comme les parents, ont répondu à divers questionnaires, tels que le Network of Relationships Social Provision Version (NRI-SPV ; Furman & al., 1985) et des échelles que nous avons adaptées. Nos principaux résultats indiquent que quelle que soit l’utilisation des TNIC, la majorité des enfants présente une adaptation socio-affective satisfaisante ainsi qu’une satisfaction de vie harmonieuse. Toutefois, à l’intérieur des différentes plateformes utilisées, sur les Réseaux SocioNuméiques, nous retrouvons un effet significatif du genre, les garçons présentant plus de troubles aussi bien intériorisés qu’extériorisés que les filles. Il en est de même sur les troubles extériorisés lorsque les garçons communiquent sur les jeux en réseau. Le support social au travers de l’ami hors-ligne et/ou mixte est un facteur de protection tout comme le fait de partager un lien d’amitié sur le RSN avec des membres de la famille. À l’inverse, le support social de l’ami en ligne et un lien d’amitié sur le RSN avec des inconnus ou des célébrités sera un facteur de risque. De plus, le bien-être des enfants sera impacté lorsqu’ils utilisent les TNIC dans une pièce isolée. Cette recherche, à caractère exploratoire, du fait des rares travaux francophones dans ce domaine est néanmoins prometteuse et encourage à proposer des pistes de recherche ainsi que des pistes d’intervention. Dans un souci de prévention, il est nécessaire d’accompagner les enfants à risque de développer des troubles psychologiques afin de pouvoir réduire ou, mieux, éviter les impacts négatifs qui sont associés à ces usages. / The purpose of this study is to analyze the social emotional adjustment and the life satisfaction level of children between 9 to 12 years old related to their use of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICT) taking into account the quality of their friendships in different contexts: online, offline and in a mixed mode. Following the ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1996), the PPCT operational model (Process, Person, Context, Time) allowed to specifically analyze the impact of individual, contextual and temporal characteristics on children's social emotional adjustment. Our sample consists of 508 children (248 boys and 260 girls). A vast majority of them (87%) use DICT for communication purposes. Social emotional adjustment is measured with the Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997) and with the French version of the Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS; Huebner, 1994; Fenouillet & al., 2015). Children, as well as their parents responded to several other measures like the Network of Relationships Social Provision Version (NRI-SPV; Furman & al., 1985) and other adapted scales. Our main results show that, whatever the use of DICT, the majority of children show a satisfactory level of social and emotional adjustment as well a good life satisfaction. However, relating to the use of DICT, we found a significant difference between boys and girls. That is, compared to girls, boys show more externalized and internalized symptoms than girls. The situation is the same with online videogames: boys show more externalized symptoms than girls. Social support offered by offline friends or mixed friends (online and offline) represents a protecting factor. This is also true for online friendships with family members. Conversely, exclusively online friendships with strangers or with celebrities is a risk factor for social emotional adjustment. The well-being of children is negatively affected by connecting online in an isolated space. Lastly, because there are only a few francophone studies in this field, this exploratory study is promising in terms of research and intervention projects in the future. In a prevention perspective, it is necessary to support at risk children in order to prevent the psychological problems that can be related to the use of DICT.

Physical inactivity is one of the major public health problems of the 21st Century. In England it is reported that two thirds of adults ( > 16 yr) and one third of children ( < 16 yr) do not do sufficient physical activity to gain the health benefits that leading a physically active lifestyle has to offer. The benefits of physical activity and dangers of a sedentary lifestyle to health outcomes are well documented and numerous studies have investigated physical activity participation. Indeed, many interventions have been trialled to increase engagement in physical activity; however results are weak and generally do not correlate to sustained physical activity participation. Furthermore, much debate exists on how best to encourage both children and adults alike to engage in sufficient physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this research was to address this important research gap and to assess the physical activity levels and other factors for promoting engagement in physical activity of school aged children in Devon aged 7-15 years in order to assess the feasibility of using social marketing within the school setting to increase sustained physical activity participation. A mixed methods approach was adopted to gather data and consisted of both quantitative and qualitative methods, in two phases. The initial phase was quantitative in nature and utilised a self-report survey based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Azjen, 1991) and social cognitive theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1977) to measure the participants’ physical activity levels; it also measured their beliefs and attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and self-efficacy pertaining to physical activity participation. The second phase utilised qualitative methods adopting the socio-ecological model (McLeroy et al., 1988) to identify opportunities to promote participation in physical activity in recognising the multiple factors (individual, social environment, physical environment and policy) that influence an individual’s behaviour. This phase consisted of a series of interviews with the students, teachers and head-teachers to enable the researcher to gain in depth information into physical activity patterns and beliefs. During phase two, ethnographic research was also conducted across a number of schools in Devon to complement and enhance the data collected in the survey. The results revealed that of the 1124 participants (‘students’) surveyed, 48% were not sufficiently active to meet the government guidelines. Males were 30% more active than females. Physical activity decreased with age (e.g. 15 yr olds on average taking part in 3 hours less activity than 7 yr olds). Lifestyle/recreational activities were the most regularly participated activities (e.g. walking – 52%, running – 31%, football – 29%, outdoor play – 28%). Moreover, attitudes, subjective norms and perceptions of behavioural control affected physical activity participation both in and out of the school setting. Self-efficacy also played a role in physical activity participation. The results of the thesis show that interview and ethnographic data produced a rich source of evidence. Physical activity provision within schools played a major role in students’ physical activity. Overwhelmingly the qualitative data revealed that students want greater choice in the physical activities they participate in and suggest that the focus of PE lessons should be on having fun and enjoyment rather than skills and rules. Transition from primary to secondary school affected physical activity participation and therefore experiences in schools, may affect children’s general views on physical activity which it is suggested may impact on physical activity participation beyond the school gates and also in adulthood. This thesis provides substantial evidence to support the link between the school environment and participation in physical activity in children and adolescents. More specifically it highlights a need to incorporate a ‘whole school approach’ to physical activity participation. This research has demonstrated that there is an urgent need to combine theory based physical activity research in schools with that of social marketing. Physical activity researchers and social marketers should combine their knowledge to bring together social marketing campaigns within schools to enhance the health and wellbeing of the whole school environment for both staff and students. An innovative school based social marketing campaign should encourage physical activity both within and outside the school environment and lead to sustained levels of physical activity participation across the life stages.

Mental illness affects more women than men in the United States. Poor mental health in reproductive-age women has negative implications on population health. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between household structure and frequency of mental distress, with consideration of the mediation social-emotional support provides for reproductive-age women. The social ecological model was the theoretical framework for this research, in which frequency of mental distress related to the individual-level of the human-environment interaction construct. Household structure and social-emotional support were examined at the relationship-level. Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data set with a total sample size of 65,269 women, 18-44 years old. The confounding variables, health care access, race, income, marital status, number of children in the household, and pregnancy status, were included in the analysis. Although social-emotional support significantly influenced both household structure and frequency of mental distress, significance was not found between household structure and frequency of mental distress indicating that mediation does not exist. This study provides researchers and practitioners information about household structure that should be considered when designing innovative, nonprofessional support programs at the community-level. Positive social change implications include an understanding of the relationship between complex variables associated with social-emotional support, which could improve community support programs focused on mental health wellness of reproductive-age women.

A lack of adequately built environments can negatively affect obesity rates among adolescents. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to determine if there is a relationship between the presence of built environments and childhood obesity among the immigrant population living in Cobb County Georgia. The social ecological model was used to explain how environmental factors may influence behavior. The research questions addressed whether walkability and elements of built environments such as to healthy foods and access to parks and recreational areas of census tracts affect childhood obesity when adjusting for race/ethnicity and immigrant population in Cobb County. Data was collected from government websites. Student enrollment, school ethnicity, and free/reduced lunch data were retrieved from the website, School Digger, which gathered their information from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Georgia Department of Education data sources. Average BMI data were gathered from the Georgia Department of Education 2016-2017 Georgia fitness assessment report. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson correlation and 1-way ANCOVA. Findings showed a statistical significance with the existence of farmer's markets and child obesity but no significance among the other built environment variables. The results from this study can help community leaders develop an inclusive plan to reduce the occurrence of obesity in adolescents within the target area.

Women with breast cancer commonly experience depression. However, this condition often goes unrecognized, undertreated, and understudied, especially in ethnic minorities. If left untreated, co-existing depression in women with cancer can complicate cancer treatment, lead to poor treatment adherence for both conditions, and decrease survival. These negative consequences are considerably higher among Latinas. With the growing number of Latinos and diversity within the Latino community, the literature has identified the need to disaggregate Latinos by region of origin. Unfortunately, few studies account for these differences and no study to date has examined risk factors of depression among Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years or by region of origin. To begin exploring predictors of depression among Latina breast cancer survivors, a theory-driven mixed-methods approach was used to identify potential risk factors for depression as a group and by region of origin (e.g., South and Central America, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries). This study also sought to contextualize Latina breast cancer survivors' perceptions of risk factors of depression, necessary to shape culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and programs. The guiding theoretical framework for this study was Lazarus and Folkman's Cognitive Stress Theory and McLeroy and colleagues' Ecological Model for Health Promotion. Sixty-eight Latinas meeting eligibility criteria were recruited from Latino cancer support groups and other community organizations in the West Central Florida area. Both purposive and snowball-sampling procedures were used to recruit participants. A researcher-administered closed-ended questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview addressed research aims and the primary outcome variable. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations, frequency, percent), bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were completed using IBM SPSS V20. Thematic and content analyses were completed for qualitative data using Atlas.ti 6.2. Findings revealed the need for easily accessible, culturally and linguistically appropriate psychosocial services to help women adjust to cancer diagnosis and emphasized the need to disaggregate Latinos in future studies as findings may differ by Latino region of origin. Multivariate analyses showed appraisal variables (more perceived harm, more perceived threat, less perceived challenge - overcoming cancer), coping variables (less active coping and more self-blame), and poor body image to be significantly associated with an increased risk for the likelihood of depression. Appraisal variables accounted for greatest explained variance (36%). Risk factor differences by region of origin were observed in sub-group multivariate analyses, but this study was unable to conclude if risk factors play a different role by region of origin in a combined model. Twenty-two salient themes emerged from the thematic analyses of the qualitative data on all levels of the ecological model (e.g., acceptance of illness, lack of family and peer support, lack of access to care, language barriers). Content analyses demonstrated agreement on a majority of salient themes amongst groups (presence of depression symptoms and by region of origin) about the perceptions of risk factors for depression. "Helping oneself" and "discrimination" demonstrated significant difference in terms of the frequency these themes were discussed by presence of depression symptoms and "poor body-image" by region of origin. In conclusion, data from this study provided quantitative and qualitative data of potential risk factors of depression, which in turn can be used to conduct additional epidemiological studies to examine prognostic factors longitudinally. Study findings may also contribute to the existing literature of risk factors for depression to encourage future intervention and programs to reduce mental health disparities, to raise the awareness of the need for mental health services, and to inform mental health screening guidelines.

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze how adults who grew up in an exposed habitat experienced their upbringing and society's efforts and how it affected them in adult life. The method that we used was qualitative interviews. This method has given us a rich material, we believe. The results were analyzed by means of the theory we used and past research in the field. All of our respondents have in common that they were insecure in childhood.  And everyone has had negative consequences of their childhood into adulthood. All respondents noted that what has been significant in touch with society´s effords has been to feel seen and listen to. The results of our study and past research in this area shows that it is important to pay attention to children in distress early to avoid negative outcomes in adulthood and that preventative measures are important. Other result from our study was that children and their experiences need to be taken seriously and to strive for continuity in the work.

No description available.

Cyberbullying, defined as any behavior performed through electronic or digital media by individuals or groups that repeatedly communicates hostile or aggressive messages intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others, is a widespread problem. Bystanders play an integral role in the initiation, maintenance, and prolonged presence of such aggressive behaviors, but have thus far been overlooked in cyberbullying literature. Cyberbullying bystanders are defined in this study as those who witness cyberbullying, either within or outside their personal social network(s) and whose available responses range from inaction to intervention. Operating from a social-ecological perspective and guided by multiple goals theories, this study used focus group methodology and found that cyberbullying bystanders have an impact on perpetration and victimization by way of multiple, distinct goals, which impact their choice of behavioral response. Bystanders’ goals and behaviors served to inform the creation of a cyberbullying bystander typology inclusive of five types: the oblivious/distant bystander, the entertained bystander, the conspiring bystander, the unintentional instigating bystander, and the active/empowered bystander. By allowing a thorough, nuanced understanding of bystanders’ role in cyberbullying, the study has significant implications for communication theory and practical application in the development of prevention and intervention efforts.

The environmental impacts of genetically modified (GM) crop plants such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize have not yet been fully assessed in South Africa. Bt maize designed to express Bt endotoxin for control of Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is planted on approximately 1.103 million hectares in South Africa. The monitoring of GM crops after release is important in order to assess and evaluate possible environmental effects. No risk assessment for Bt maize was done in South Africa before its release in 1998 and no targeted post-release monitoring of possible resistance development or impact on non-target species have been done. Awareness has risen in South Africa through research highlighting the possible effects GM crops may have. The aim of this study was to determine, through feeding experiments, the effects of Bt maize on selected non-target Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera species that occur in maize agro-ecosystems in South Africa. Results provide information for use in future risk assessment studies on Bt maize and indicate which species could possibly be of importance in post-release monitoring of Bt maize. Priority insect species were identified and laboratory- and semifield experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of Bt maize on these species. In the light of the reportedly lower toxicity of Bt maize to certain noctuid borers, the effect of Bt maize was evaluated on Sesamia calamistis (Hampson), Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermüller), and Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). Feeding studies were also conducted to determine the effect of Bt maize on non-target Coleoptera, i.e. Heteronychus arator Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and Somaticus angulatus (Fahraeus) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). The effect of indirect exposure of the stem borer parasitoid Sturmiopsis parasitica (Curran) (Diptera: Tachinidae) to Bt toxin was evaluated to determine if there is any effect when it parasitizes Bt-resistant B. fusca larvae that have fed on Bt maize. Results from the study conducted with S. calamistis indicated that Bt maize of both events (Bt11 and MON810) were highly toxic to S. calamistis. The behavioural characteristic of S. calamistis to feed behind leaf sheaths and to enter stems directly did not result in escape of exposure to the toxin. Larval feeding on leaf sheaths therefore resulted in the ingestion of sufficient toxin to kill larvae before they entered maize stems. Results showed that the effect of Cry1Ab toxin on the biology of A. segetum larvae and moths were largely insignificant. Whorl leaves were observed to be an unsuitable food source for H. armigera larvae and larval growth was poor. No larvae survived to the pupal stage on any of the Bt maize treatments. When feeding on maize ears H. armigera larval mass increased on non-Bt maize whereas no increase occurred on Bt maize. The feeding study conducted with Coleoptera showed that the effect of Bt maize on H. arator and S. angulatus was insignificant and no differences were observed in any of the parameters measured for the two species. Although not always significant, the percentage parasitism of Bt-consuming host larvae by S. parasitica was always higher compared to host larvae that fed on non-Bt maize. It could be that Bt toxin affects B. fusca fitness to such an extent that the immune systems of host larvae were less effective. The different parameters tested for S. parasitica indicated only one case where fly maggots originating from diapause host larvae feeding on non-Bt maize had a greater mass compared to host larvae that fed on Bt maize. The same applied to S. parasitica pupal length. For other parameters tested there were no significant differences. Sesamia calamistis is stenophagous and occurs in mixed populations with other borer species. It was therefore concluded that the ecological impact of local extinctions of S. calamistis caused by Bt maize is not expected to be great. Bt maize will most likely not have any significant effect on the control of A. segetum under field conditions. The feeding study conducted with H. armigera quantified the effects of Bt maize on this species and provided important information on the potential of Bt maize as protection against this polyphagous pest. However, the likelihood of H. armigera becoming an important secondary pest is high. It can be concluded that the Cry1Ab toxin targeting lepidopteran pests will not have adverse effects on H. arator or S. angulatus. Although some adverse effects were observed on S. parasitica mass and pupal length it is most likely that this will not contribute to adverse effects in the field, but that there rather be synergism between Bt maize and S. parasitica. An ecological approach was followed in which the potential effects of exposure of priority species to Bt toxin in maize was investigated. A series of selection matrixes were developed in which each of the above mentioned species was ranked for its maximum potential exposure to Bt toxin by assessing it occurrence, abundance, presence and linkage in the maize ecosystem. Through the use of these selection matrixes, knowledge gaps were identified for future research and to guide the design of ecologically realistic experiments. This study contributes to knowledge regarding the possible effects of Bt maize on the most economically important non-target pests in South Africa. There is, however, a need to evaluate other non-target species in feeding studies, as well as in field studies. From this study it can be concluded that some species can be eliminated from further testing since Bt maize had no adverse effect while more research have to be conducted on other species. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.