Prosociality describes the tendency to engage in behaviours that aim to enhance or maintain the well-being of others, for example, sharing and co-operating. In children and adolescents this trait is often viewed as a core aspect of social competence and an important developmental outcome. Prosociality may also play an important role in how young people navigate their increasingly complex social world. This raises the question of whether individual differences in prosociality are related to young peoples’ well-being, such as their risk of developing psychological problems. The goal of the current series of research was to explore this question. A series of four studies was designed to answer this question. This research made use of pre-existing survey data, including the “mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004” survey (Papers 3 & 4) and the “Understanding Society” survey (Paper 2), enabling access to large sample sizes. In Paper 1, a meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the nature of the relationship between prosociality and two important clinical outcomes, internalizing disorder and low self-esteem. This review identified a significant but small relationship between greater prosociality and reduced internalizing disorder or low self-esteem. In Paper 2, a longitudinal study explored the relationship between prosociality and well-being over a 1-year-period in children and adolescents. This study did not identify any prospective effect of prosociality upon subsequent changes in well-being. Two further studies explored the factors that may influence whether prosociality is linked to well-being. In Paper 3 the possibility that existing measures of prosociality may partly account for the small or null relationships observed so far (Papers 1 & 2) was explored by developing and validating a new measure of prosociality. This new measure appeared psychometrically robust and demonstrated advantages over pre-existing scales of prosociality. In Paper 4, a cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore whether the discrepancy in young peoples’ self-ratings and parental ratings of prosociality has a relationship with emotional problems (i.e., depression and anxiety). A moderator analysis found that self-rated and parent-rated prosociality may interact to determine risk of psychological problems in young people. This study suggested that the discrepancy in ratings of prosociality may be more important in predicting psychological problems than overall ratings by individual informants. Results support the relevance of prosociality to well-being in young people and highlight how factors such as the measurement of prosociality and the interpersonal context within which it occurs impact upon this relationship.

My study is a sub-study of the Resilient Youth in Stressed Environments (RYSE) Project (ethics clearance, UP17/05/01). The RYSE project focuses on gaining a more thorough understanding of the resilience of youth living in communities that are dependent on the petrochemical industry, as well as the associated risks. The purpose of my qualitative sub-study was to explore how older adolescents from the eMbalenhle community explain resilience in the face of unemployment. The current literature tends to be reliant on academic understandings of resilience. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of resilience, it is important to recognise the perspectives of resilience of adolescents who live in a highly stressed environment that is confronted by multiple risks. In order to achieve the purpose of my study, I assumed an interpretivist approach. This approach is appropriate for developing an understanding of adolescents’ individual experiences and perceptions of resilience in a petrochemical community and in the face of unemployment. To guarantee that my question was answered, I utilised a phenomenological research design. The RYSE Project has established a Community Advisory Panel (CAP), and the CAP purposively sampled the participants involved in my study. Seven adolescents (all male) between the ages of 18 and 24 were recruited from eMbalenhle in the Govan Mbeki municipality in Mpumalanga. An Arts-based activity (draw and talk) and an informal group discussion were used to generate data. An inductive, thematic analysis of the data was conducted in order to identify themes. Ungar’s (2011) Social Ecology of Resilience Theory (SERT) provided the theoretical framework for my study. The main themes that emerged from the data, regarding resilience enablers among adolescents in the face of unemployment, were: Having a vision, appropriating opportunities, and drawing on social support. The themes that arose from the adolescents’ explanations of resilience support the SERT. I think these themes are important for educational psychologists who work with adolescents challenged by unemployment in eMbalenhle because they highlight the importance of social support and community in interventions. In addition, these themes provide possible individual strategies, from the perspective of adolescents, that could allow for positive adaptation despite adversity. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

<div> <div> <div> <p>Incidence rates of adolescents with type 2 diabetes are increasing rapidly; there was an increase of 30% between 2019 and 2009. Even more alarming is that studies show that the most effective treatment, metformin monotherapy, is only effective at maintaining glycemic control in approximately 50% of individuals. Additionally, adolescents with diabetes may experience serious microvascular and macrovascular complications sooner than adults, which can impact the quality of life of young adults across the globe. Therefore, diabetes in adolescents is a public health concern, and there is very little research to guide treatment and prevention. It is widely known that adolescents have a very poor dietary pattern, characterized by increased intakes of added sugars from refined grains, and minimal amounts of fruits, vegetables, and fiber. There is conflicting evidence in the literature connecting increased added sugar intake to insulin resistance and diabetes development. Considering the very poor diets consumed by adolescents, and that nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for diabetes, we aimed to examine the associations between added sugar consumption, glycemic values, and measures of insulin resistance and beta-cell function. This pilot study analyzed dietary and glycemic data from participants that were screened for an ongoing randomized control trial which is an adolescent diabetes prevention program that uses health coaching to improve diet and physical activity behaviors called the Dietary Intervention for Glucose Tolerance in Teens (Dig It) Study. Fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and 2-hour glucose concentrations were collected during an oral glucose tolerance test that was used to screen adolescents with obesity for diabetes. Consumption of added sugar and other dietary intake data were collected from food records created by the Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) application. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated from glucose and insulin concentrations in the fasting state (1) obtained from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Whole-body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI), and the oral disposition index (DI) were calculated from measures obtained during oral glucose tolerance testing(2, 3)</p></div></div></div><div><div><div><p> Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and included independent t-tests and Pearson correlations. Of the 48 participants included in this analysis, 59.2% were female, 32% were African American, 57% were white, and 8.2% were more than one race. The mean age was 16.20 ± 2.7 years, and 42% had prediabetes. Those with normoglycemia consumed 11.0 ± 5.1% of energy from added sugars, compared to 9.4±5.1% energy from added sugars for individuals with prediabetes. There was no significant correlation between HbA1c and percent calories coming from added sugar (R= -0.237, P=0.063), percent calories coming from added sugar and fasting blood glucose (R= 0.208, P= 0.090), or percent calories from added sugar and 2-hour glucose (R= 0.017, P= 0.457). There were no significant correlations found between percent calories from added sugar and HOMA-IR (R= 0.129, P= 0.234), percent calories from added sugar and WBISI (R= -0.069, P= 0.350), or percent calories from added sugar and DI (R= -0.118, P= 0.253). There were also no significant differences between the mean values of HbA1c, fasting glucose, or 2-hour glucose between individuals that consumed high vs. low amounts of added sugar, as measured by an independent t-test. The p-values were 0.634, 0.434, and 0.234 respectively. To examine the extent to which % calories from added sugar predicted variances in glycemic values, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. Once energy, physical activity, BMI Z-Score, and age were entered into the model, % energy from added sugar accounted for an additional 9.6% variance in HbA1c. In conclusion, we did not find significant associations between consumption of added sugar and glycemic and insulin resistance or beta-cell function outcomes in adolescents who are obese, however our study lacked sufficient power. While our findings were not definitive, studies to identify dietary factors that promote or prevent hyperglycemia and insulin resistance are needed to inform dietary intervention strategies that may be effective at decreasing T2D in adolescents. </p> <p>12 </p> </div> </div> </div>

No description available.

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of D. LITT in Communication Science University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / In this dissertation I present the results of a literature survey on the reasons for demotivation among adolescents, and the role of communication in remotrvating demotivated adolescents, and a subsequent empirical survey of how adolescents feel about themselves and others of a group of grade 10 and 11 learners in the eThekwini region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. I report results on the respondents' self-conceptualisation, their family, how they feel about school, homework, school relationships, peer and finally regarding their health matters.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are battery-powered handheld devices designed to aerosolize a solution of nicotine and other chemicals for inhalation. The specific mechanical and chemical features of different ENDS affect the systemic exposure and bioavailability of the different chemicals in e-juices. E-cigarettes can come with different cartridge sizes, power outputs, e-liquid constituents, and nicotine delivery. User puff topography also contributes to varying toxicant exposure. ENDS have demonstrated potential as a cessation tool or alternative cigarette product due to its safety profile relative to the combustible cigarette. E-cigarettes have significantly lower concentrations of biomarkers of tobacco-related toxicant exposure and produce less and less harmful second-hand smoke compared to CC. However, ENDS users have significantly greater concentrations of those same biomarkers, highlighting that e-cigarettes do pose a harm to users’ health, even if that may be lower than CC. The same is observed in e-cigarette second-hand smoke as nicotine and aerosol particles were detected in statistically significant amounts. Its toxicity is only amplified by the misconception that they are safer than CC and thus pose no absolute risk, misleading users to use without caution. Therefore, although ENDS do have the potential in reducing smoking in adults who are already addicted to nicotine, it comes with the risk of dual use of conventional and electronic cigarettes and of attracting non-smokers, especially as seen in the youth. The rise in adolescent e-cigarette use can be attributed to its appeal, of both its flavored e-liquids and its image amongst youth that is perpetuated through the intentional marketing of e-cigarette manufacturers. The latent consequences of e-cigarettes are compounded in adolescents, who are in critical stages of brain development, habit formation, and social development. Youth report having experienced short-term clinical symptoms such as cough, lightheadedness, headache, and shortness of breath. Physiologically, vaping has been found to affect the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Vaping alters the equilibrium of the mucociliary clearance system in the pulmonary system and increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, cough, and phlegm. There is increased in pro-inflammatory cytokine secretions, increased alveolar macrophage apoptosis, impairment of phagocytosis, decreased ciliary beating, inhibition of the CFTR channel, and increased mucin expression. In the cardiovascular system, e-cigarette aerosol extract alters angiogenesis, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, sympathetic nerve system activation, platelet activation and anticoagulation inhibition, and cardiac remodeling. E-cigarettes and e-cigarette smoke have also been associated with carcinogenesis in lung epithelium and possibly urothelium. Although e-cigarettes have, on average, less nicotine compared to CC, the significant risk for adolescents to graduate to combustible cigarettes renders this moot. The factors influencing this graduation is modeled through the catalyst model, which details the transition from ‘no use’ to ‘e-cigarette use’ and the transition from ‘e-cigarette use’ to ‘tobacco use.’ Schneider and Diehl hypothesized that the first transition is facilitated through a variety of factors, including flavor, health, price, role models, concealment, and acceptance. The subsequent transition can be attributed to the addiction hypothesis, accessibility hypothesis, and the experience hypothesis. It is clear from the numerous studies conducted, which show students who used e-cigarettes were 4-7 times more likely to report CC use, that e-cigarettes play a catalytic role in enabling the transition to conventional cigarettes. And with increased nicotine exposure, adolescents are subject to impairments in working and verbal memory during abstinence, changes in drug sensitivity and reward-related manifestations in adulthood, more severe dependence during adolescence, and deficits in attentional performance, impaired serial pattern learning, impaired context conditioning and increased anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in adults. They also have reduced control of motivation, reward, and pleasure. This culminates to the gateway hypothesis which states that nicotine can serve as a gateway drug that lowers the youths’ threshold for addiction to opioids, alcohol, and other agents. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in cases of EVALI or e-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury, particularly in the adolescent population that is more likely to use illicit e-cigarettes than their adult counterparts. EVALI presents with a wide range of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and constitutional symptoms and is characterized as a sterile exogenous pneumonitis-like reaction with variable degrees of diffuse alveolar damage. Vitamin E acetate, common in illicit products, is strongly linked to this outbreak due to its presence in a vast majority of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of confirmed EVALI cases. As ENDS use has increased amongst adolescents, so have its latent consequences. A coordinated effort from policy makers, public health agencies, healthcare providers, researchers, and especially parents and educators is essential for successful protection of this vulnerable population.

The current study examines the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms in incarcerated youth. A random sample of youth ages 13-17 who were referred for mental health services (n = 120) and not referred for services (n = 120) at a juvenile detention facility were studied. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and the Child Behavior Checklist. Ninety-six percent of referred youth and 69% of non-referred youth had one or more psychiatric diagnoses. Co-morbidity was common in both groups. The findings suggest that youths in the juvenile justice system have noteworthy psychopathology that often remains unidentified.

Preliminary normative data for the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) total score were collected from 2,987 South Carolina middle school students in Grades 6 though 8. Tests for gender and ethnicity (African-American vs. Caucasian) effects were non-significant. Statistically significant differences between grade levels were discovered, but the magnitude of these differences was quite small. Thus, a single set of norms is appropriate for use when interpreting middle school students' responses to the BMSLSS.

Global research on psychosocial factors related to food allergies and youth have increased significantly over the last decade. A plethora of countries provide literature indicating adolescents with food allergies experience social isolation, depression, anxiety, and fear. Most of the literature however favors parental perspectives with limited studies exploring adolescent subjective perspectives. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of adolescents living with food allergies; the goal was to bring awareness to the ascribed meaning of food allergies from the perspective of adolescents and the impact of living with food allergies from day-to-day. Watson’s caring science and Erikson’s psychosocial theory were guiding frameworks for the study with story theory used to guide individual semi-structured interviews (n=14) (11-14 years). Analysis of data entailed various steps congruent with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) Living with Restraints: A Way of Life, (2) Managing Exposure, (3) Experiencing Stigma, and (4) Experiencing Lack of Knowledge. Results indicated adolescents living with food allergies have unique experiences that contribute to psychosocial upheavals and that traditional biological management may be too simplistic for promoting whole adolescent well-being and healthy development. Study findings may contribute to evidence-based interventions that nurture care for the whole adolescent. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Facebook provides adolescents with multiple opportunities to self-disclose information about themselves, one of the most prominent ones being a status update. This qualitative study expanded on existing research related to adolescent self-disclosure on Facebook by exploring ten adolescents\' experiences of self-disclosing on a Facebook status when upset or distressed. Using thematic analysis, prominent themes emerged which included the decision making process in making such a post, concerns of privacy, impacts on peer relationships, perceptions and feelings of others, sense of community and support systems. Limitations of the study, clinical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. / Master of Science