Adolescence means an increased risk for eating disorders (ED) and the female gender is the most important risk factor. Empirical studies of the perceptions of gender ideals—as potential mediating factors between the socio-cultural context and ED—were this thesis’ primary goals. Further aims implied evaluating the psychometric properties of the Eating Disorders Inventory for Children (EDI-C) and providing normative data for boys and girls concerning self-assessed ED symptoms and related psychological traits. The EDI-C has satisfying psychometric properties, and normative data are now provided. The vast majority of preadolescent and adolescent boys and girls (n=4725) are not preoccupied with weight concerns, but 1–3% of the boys and 9–20% of the girls here indicate feelings of anxiety and problematic attitudes. An increase of self-reported ED symptoms occurs during female preadolescence and early adolescence. Responses to three open-ended questions—addressing perceived and personal gender ideals of adolescent boys (n=347) and girls with (n=204) and without (n=417) an ED—indicate that girls are, compared to boys, more involved in images of ideals. The perceived ideal man and ideal woman differ in body size and strength. This corresponds with different health risk behaviours reported in boys (body building) and girls (dieting). Awareness of media ideals and an ability to discriminate them from individual values was common in the normal groups and in girls who had recovered from an ED. A poor outcome was associated with thinness stated as ideals of the media, without mentioning good looks. Factors that could predict outcome at the 3-year follow-up of an ED in adolescent girls were: good looks (media ideal), maturity fears, profession (individual ideal), sexual debut, and vomiting. The addition of a gender perspective would add a dimension to programmes aiming at preventing and treating ED in adolescence.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1993.

Introdução: O consumo alimentar de adolescentes pode ser influenciado por diversos fatores, como por exemplo, o ambiente familiar, o acesso e a disponibilidade dos alimentos. Objetivos: Verificar as associações entre fatores com o consumo alimentar dos oito grupos da pirâmide dos alimentos. Materiais e métodos: A amostra foi constituída por adolescentes de 14 escolas técnicas da cidade de São Paulo, que responderam questões sobre percepção de alimentos e de alimentação saudável, acesso e disponibilidade, refeições em família, frequencia das refeições, influência dos pais, da mídia, da escola e dos amigos. Avaliou-se associação destas variáveis com o consumo alimentar dos oito grupos da pirâmide dos alimentos por meio dos testes Qui-Quadrado e t-Student, com nível de significância de 5 por cento . Foi realizada análise de regressão logística para identificar os fatores que influenciaram o consumo alimentar dos grupos de alimentos. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 1167 adolescentes, 51,1 por cento do sexo masculino. Foram observadas as associações: percepção de alimentação saudável com os grupos dos açúcares, das carnes, dos feijões, das frutas e do arroz; acesso e disponibilidade com os açúcares, óleos, leite, carnes, feijões, frutas e arroz; estado nutricional com os açúcares e feijões; frequencia das refeições com os óleos, leite, carnes e feijões; lazer sedentário com os óleos; sexo com leite, carne, feijões e arroz; refeição em família e influência dos amigos com as carnes; e, idade com os feijões. O risco de consumir acima recomendado foi observado no grupo dos açúcares, dos óleos e das carnes. Os grupos do leite, dos feijões, das frutas e do arroz tiveram maior risco de consumir abaixo da recomendação. Conclusões: O presente estudo confirma a importância de conhecer essas associações a fim de contribuir para o planejamento de estratégias de intervenção com ações educativas e de prevenção mais abrangentes e efetivas para os adolescentes. / Introduction: Food intake of adolescents can be influenced by several factors, such as, family environment, food access and availability. Purpose: To identify the associations between factors and food intake of the food pyramid groups. Methods: The sample consisted of adolescents from 14 technical schools in the city of São Paulo, who answered questions about food perception and eating health perception, access and availability, family meals, meals, parental, media, school and friends influences. We evaluated the associations between variables with food intake of food pyramid groups using Chi-Square and t-student tests with significance level 5 per cent . Logistic regression was performed to identify the factors influencing food intake of the pyramid food groups. Results: The study include 1167 adolescents, 51,1 per cent male. Observed associations: eating health perception with sugar, meat, beans, fruits and rice; access and availability with sugars, oils, milk, meat, beans, fruits and rice; nutritional status with sugar and beans, meals patterns with oils, milk, meat and beans; sedentary leisure with oils; sex with milk, meat, beans and rice; family meals and friends influence with meats; and age with beans. The risk of dietary intake excess was observed in the sugars, oils and meat. The milk, beans, fruits and rice groups had higher risk of dietary intake below of recommendation. Conclusion: Were found associations between several factors with food groups. This study confirms the importance of knowing the associations to contribute in the planning intervention strategies with educational and preventive action for adolescents

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In rendering child care protection services to adolescents in the Marshite area as a social worker in the Department of Social Development, the researcher recognised that an increased number of adolescents are sexually abused also by persons known to them. The sexual abuses are not reported because adolescents and caregivers lacked adequate knowledge of what is sexual abuse and services provided by social workers available for them. This became evident from the intervention programme statistics which indicated that adolescents and caregivers were not aware of other sexually abusive behaviours than penetration. The aim of the research was to identify circumstances that contribute to adolescents’ vulnerability towards sexual abuse in a rural area in order to enable social workers to empower adolescents and caregivers on how to prevent sexual abuse. Also to develop and evaluate programmes and services rendered to sexually abused adolescents and their families. Purposive voluntary sampling was used to select adolescents participating in empowerment programmes of social workers in the Marshite area. The research reveals that children in the Marshite area lack sufficient knowledge on child sexual abuse. The circumstances within which the adolescents live in the Marshite area make the adolescents victims of sexual abuse. Looking at the services that social workers render to the sexually abused adolescents and their caregivers in te Marshite area, there is a need for skilled and knowledgeable forensic social workers who can develop empowerment programmes and render relevant services to sexually abused adolescents and their families in the Marshite community. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In rendering child care protection services to adolescents in the Marshite area as a social worker in the Department of Social Development, the researcher recognised that an increased number of adolescents are sexually abused also by persons known to them. The sexual abuses are not reported because adolescents and caregivers lacked adequate knowledge of what is sexual abuse and services provided by social workers available for them. This became evident from the intervention programme statistics which indicated that adolescents and caregivers were not aware of other sexually abusive behaviours than penetration. The aim of the research was to identify circumstances that contribute to adolescents’ vulnerability towards sexual abuse in a rural area in order to enable social workers to empower adolescents and caregivers on how to prevent sexual abuse. Also to develop and evaluate programmes and services rendered to sexually abused adolescents and their families. Purposive voluntary sampling was used to select adolescents participating in empowerment programmes of social workers in the Marshite area. The research reveals that children in the Marshite area lack sufficient knowledge on child sexual abuse. The circumstances within which the adolescents live in the Marshite area make the adolescents victims of sexual abuse. Looking at the services that social workers render to the sexually abused adolescents and their caregivers in te Marshite area, there is a need for skilled and knowledgeable forensic social workers who can develop empowerment programmes and render relevant services to sexually abused adolescents and their families in the Marshite community. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Published Article / This paper explores comparatively the voices of the orphaned adolescents living in an orphanage and foster homes. Currently the emphasis is on children's rights; it is believed that children have rights to have their opinions heard, to refuse a demand, to voice their dissatisfaction and, in the case of orphans, to question the reasons for their status. This study is qualitative in nature and utilises the discourse analysis approach (analogue and dialogical method). A sample of ten orphaned adolescents (OAs) was randomly selected in an informal settlement in Inanda. Semi-structured interviews and diaries were used to collect data. Critical consciousness is explored in addressing silences using the adolescents' lenses as a platform for meaning-making. Through in-depth interpretation of their problems, self-awareness of the OAs was also attained, which is best for a person to develop and thrive (or not) despite challenges.

Aims: Friendship plays an important and central role in adolescent life. This thesis was conducted in two parts to address two broad aims relating to friendship in adolescence. The first aim was to establish what is currently known about the impact of perfectionism on adolescent interpersonal relationships. Specifically, it was of interest to determine whether perfectionism exerts a negative influence on adolescent friendships. The second aim was to explore the friendship experiences of adolescents diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED) in order to address a significant gap in the current literature. Method: A systematic review of the literature relating to perfectionism and interpersonal functioning in adolescence was carried out with a view to addressing the first aim. With regards to the second aim a grounded theory study was conducted with adolescents currently in treatment for an eating disorder. The young people were asked about their experiences of friendship and emerging concepts were followed up in a concurrent process of data collection and analysis. Results: The systematic review highlighted an absence of research on interpersonal functioning and perfectionism in adolescence, with only seven studies identified that met inclusion criteria. The results were further complicated by inconsistencies in the conceptualisation of perfectionism in the identified studies. The empirical study uncovered the efforts that adolescents go to to achieve acceptance in their friendships. It also revealed that the development of an ED is experienced as creating distance in adolescent friendships. This affects both the actual amount of time that young people spend with their friends as well as the emotional connection that they are able to feel in their friendships. Conclusions: There is a need to reconsider the conceptualisation of perfectionism in future research with a consistent acknowledgement of the interpersonal dimensions of the concept. It is important to acknowledge the significant impact that ED development can have on adolescent relationships. Young people may require support to address these difficulties and preserve their friendships to avoid long term negative consequences.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka skolsköterskors inställning till gymnasieungdomars övervikt. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av två fokusgruppsintervjuer. Den första gruppen bestod av tre skolsköterskor och den andra av fem. Data har analyserats med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. De tre kategorier som kom fram var övervikt som hälsoproblem, bedömning och diagnostik och hälsofrämjande åtgärder vilket visade att många skolsköterskor uppfattade sig ha större problem med anorexia bland eleverna jämfört med övervikt. Ofta hade ungdomarna fått fetma innan skolsköterskorna ansåg sig reagera på övervikten. Skolsköterskorna uppfattade en skillnad i övervikt hos ungdomarna mellan olika gymnasieprogram. De ansåg också att övervikt kan vara svårt att tala om och att problemet kunde vara svårt att åtgärda på grund av att tiden inte räcker till. Skolsköterskorna menade att de hade en god förståelse för hur övervikt uppstår och hur problemet kan åtgärdas. Slutsatsen är att skolsköterskorna inte uppfattade övervikt som ett stort problem bland skolungdomar. De menade att problemet är litet i jämförelse med andra hälsoproblem. När övervikten betraktas i relation till andra problem kan det finnas en risk att problemet underskattas. För att klargöra detta behövs dock ytterligare undersökningar. / The aim of the study was to investigate the school nurses' attitudes towards overweight among teenagers. The study was conducted using two focus group interviews. The first group consisted of three school nurses and the other of five. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three categories appeared: overweight as a health problem; assessment and diagnosis; and health promotion. It showed that many nurses perceived the greater problem was anorexia among students compared to obesity. Often the young people had become obese before school nurses reacted to their overweight condition. The school nurses perceived that there is a difference between high school programs in percentage of adolescents who are overweight. They also found that overweight can be difficult to talk about. The problem could be difficult to deal with because of insufficient time. The school nurses felt that they had a good understanding of how obesity occurs and the measures to be taken. The conclusion is that school nurses did not perceive obesity as a major problem among schoolchildren. They argued that the problem is small in comparison to other health problems. When weight is considered in relation to other problems, there may be a risk that the overweight is underestimated. However, to clarify this, further studies are needed.