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Background: Gratitude is an orientation towards the positive in life that increasingly is shown to have relevance for physical health. Less is known about how gratitude relates to health behaviours. The self-regulation resource model (SRRM) posits that future-orientation is a resource that promotes selfregulation of health behaviours. Accordingly, we meta-analytically tested whether gratitude was associated with the practice of health-promoting behaviours, and if future-orientation explained the association. Methods: Data from 14 samples (N = 4,111) from our labs were included in the meta-analysis as there was no published data. All samples completed measures of state or trait gratitude, and a measure of health behaviour frequency; six samples completed a measure of future orientation/self-continuity. Random effects metaanalysis was conducted on the correlations of gratitude with health behaviours, with subgroup analyses. Indirect effects through FO were tested and meta-analysed. Findings: Across all 14 samples, gratitude was significantly associated with more frequent health behaviours, avg. r = .261, [.22, .31]. The effects did not vary significantly across sample type (student/community), or gratitude measure (state/trait). Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of gratitude on health behaviours through future-orientation in the six samples tested (N = 2,828), with an average index of mediation of beta = .068 [.05, .08]. The direct effects remained significant. Discussion: Findings are consistent with the SRRM and demonstrate that gratitude is associated with the practice of health-promoting behaviours, due in part to future-orientation. Further research is warranted to more fully investigate the potential of gratitude for promoting health behaviours.

Background: The psychosocial benefits of participating in physical activity (PA) are well known; less is known about the relationship between suicidal behaviors and PA among adolescents, especially among middle school-aged youth. This study seeks to fill that gap by assessing the cross-sectional relationship between these variables. Methods: A secondary analysis of the 2010 Tennessee Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data was conducted among 65,182 middle school students. Items examined were PA, sports team engagement, physical education (PE) class, screen time, suicidal behaviors, drug/substance use, extreme weight control behaviors, weight status and weight misperceptions, and selected personal characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between PA, sports team engagement, and PE class attendance on suicidal behaviors. Results: Sports team engagement was significantly associated with suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts even after controlling for other important variables. There was no relationship, however, between total PA or PE class attendance in univariate or multivariate models, respectively. Conclusions: Findings suggest that sports team engagement is associated with reduced risk for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, whereas, no relationships were found for PA or PE class attendance. Asking adolescents questions about sports team engagement may help clinicians screen for risk of suicidal behaviors.

Emerging evidence indicates self-compassion can be beneficial for medical populations and for medical adherence; yet, research to date has not fully examined the reasons for this association. This study examined the association of dispositional self-compassion to adherence across five medical samples and tested the extent to which perceived stress accounted for this association. Five medical samples (total N = 709), including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer patients, recruited from various sources, completed online surveys. Self-compassion was positively associated with adherence in all five samples. A meta-analysis of the associations revealed a small average effect size (average r = .22, [0.15, 0.29]) of self-compassion and adherence and non-significant heterogeneity among the effects (Q (4) = 3.15, p = .532). A meta-analysis of the kappa2 values from the indirect effects of self-compassion on adherence revealed that, on average, 11% of the variance in medical adherence that was explained by self-compassion could be attributed to lower perceived stress. Overall, findings demonstrate that dispositional self-compassion is associated with better medical adherence among people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cancer, due in part to lower stress. This research contributes to a growing evidence base indicating the value of self-compassion for health-related behaviours in a variety of medical populations.

Breast self-examinations (BSE) and skin self-examinations (SSE) provide people with a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to the detection of cancer. Given the utility of these self-examination behaviors, it is important to determine who is likely to perform them regularly and why. Prior research has demonstrated a relationship of attitudes and self-efficacy with performance of and intention to practice the exams. Body image, although not previously studied, can be hypothesized to influence performance of these behaviors as well. To address these issues, the current study sought to determine if there are relationships between attitudes, self-efficacy, and body image and the practice of BSE and SSE. One hundred and six women completed measures assessing attitudes, self-efficacy, body image, past performance of BSE and SSE, and future intention to perform BSE and SSE. Results indicated that attitude was positively related to past performance of BSE and SSE and future intention to perform SSE. Self-efficacy was positively related to past performance and future intention to perform BSE and SSE. Body image was positively related only to past performance of SSE. Future research should further examine the relationship between body image and SSE utilizing longitudinal designs and a more diverse population.

In this study, the use of human character strengths was evaluated as a component of mental and physical health. The majority of previous character strengths research has been limited to monotonic use of character strengths. This study evaluated subjective outcomes based on a new measure of how much adults reported underusing, optimally using, and overusing their character strengths. This exploratory study was theoretically grounded in the upward spiral model of lifestyle change. The underuse, optimal use, and overuse of character strengths were evaluated as predictors of physical and mental health status, health behaviors, and emotions. Using a convenience sample of 100 participants and a correlational design with regression analyses, as well as mediation with bootstrapping methods, the study determined that the optimal use of character strengths was predictive of better physical health, better mental health, more frequent health behaviors, and more frequent positive emotions. The underuse of character strengths was predictive of worse physical health, worse mental health, less frequent health behaviors, and more frequent negative emotions. Additionally, the overuse of character strengths was predictive of worse physical health, less frequent health behaviors, and more frequent negative emotions. Overuse of character strengths was not found to be predictive of worse mental health. Positive emotions mediated 53% of the relationship between optimal use of character strengths and health behaviors. Motivating individuals to engage in healthier lifestyles, although critical, can be challenging at times. This study is socially significant because it may offer increased knowledge on promoting positive emotions, the upward spiral of healthy behavioral choices, and better physical and mental health.

Many college students are in a developmental period in which they are transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. This time period can be challenging for all college students and especially for students with a chronic condition. The current study investigated the association between various health-related factors (health locus of control [HLOC], health literacy, health self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) and health behaviors in college students, as well as the moderating effect of having a chronic condition on those associations. These health behaviors were further operationalized as healthy lifestyle behaviors (preventative and wellness behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity) and risky behaviors (substance use and risky sexual behaviors). A total of 393 undergraduate students (66.1% female, 24.8% White, 26% chronic condition) completed electronic questionnaire packets. Findings suggested HLOC, health literacy, and HRQOL were significant predictors of engagement in healthy lifestyle and risky behaviors. Chronic condition status moderated a number of associations between HLOC, health literacy, health self-efficacy and both healthy lifestyle behaviors and risky behaviors. Based on these findings, researchers and practitioners should focus on improving and managing these health-related factors, especially among college students with chronic conditions, in order to help students achieve better health outcomes.

Race- and gender-related contextual factors influence Black women’s sexual behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes. Contextual factors of Black women’s sexual behaviors include stereotypes, microaggressions, ethnic identity, and self-concept. Little to no research has examined race- and gender-specific microaggressions (i.e., gendered racial microaggressions; GRM) impact on Black women's sexual health. Responsively, using an intersectional approach, this study hypothesized that ethnic identity’s influence on the relationship between GRM and sexual behavior (i.e., condom use, lifetime sexual partners) is conditional on self-conceptualization moderated effect on ethnic identity and sexual behavior. Participants included 124 unmarried Black women, recruited from mTurk, a southeastern university and community. Moderated moderation analyses revealed the relationship between GRM and number of lifetime sexual partners is conditionally based on one's level of ethnic identity and self-conceptualization. Findings could potentially enhance existing HIV interventions by increasing awareness of GRM and implementing coping strategies to combat GRM’s effect on sexual behaviors.

Paralleling recent increased public awareness of transgender issues, gender nonconforming youth are coming out at increasingly earlier ages. It is important to understand the impact that family acceptance or family rejection has on the health outcomes of transgender young people, who are at increased risk of discrimination, prejudice, harassment, victimization, violence, and possible mental health issues and who are understudied. This understanding can be framed within the minority stress model and Carl Rogers' theory of self, which provide insight into how minority groups experience negative reactions from both society and an internalized sense of congruence. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study was to measure the levels of negative health behaviors between transgender young adults who felt they had the support of their parents for their gender identity and those who did not. Data from 96 young transgender adults, between 18 and 25 years of age recruited through LGBT and transgender community organizations, were analyzed using correlation and logistic regression. Results showed significant relationships between the perception of parental support and suicidal ideation, number of suicide attempts, and illicit drug use. Findings from this study could contribute to positive social change by informing families, schools, health care providers, mental health practitioners, and policy makers about the significance of affirmative support for transgender youth. Quantifiable data regarding the impact of parental responses to a young person's gender identity could lead to the development of programs and policies leading to improved health outcomes for transgender youth.

Vicarious trauma can impact anyone working with a traumatized person. The constructivist self-development theory asserts that vicarious trauma can negatively distort how the helper thinks about the world and can cause increased stress. Researchers have explored stress and coping models and have studied how increased stress can negatively impact coping and health behaviors. However, researchers have not explored how vicarious trauma, coping, and health behaviors are related. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships among vicarious trauma, health behaviors (healthy eating, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and risky drinking), and maladaptive coping. The study sample consisted of 102 Texas Children's Advocacy Center (TX CAC) and Texas Child Protective Services (TX CPS) employees with direct exposure to a client's trauma. Participants completed a self-administered online survey designed to measure vicarious trauma, health behaviors, and maladaptive coping. Linear and logistic regression analyses indicated vicarious trauma was significantly related to healthy eating and maladaptive coping. Maladaptive coping was significantly related to physical activity. However, maladaptive coping was not a significant mediating factor in the relationship between vicarious trauma and health behavior. The data indicated TX CPS and TX CAC employees continue to experience cognitive distortions associated with vicarious trauma, have some decreased health behaviors, and are using maladaptive coping strategies. Results of the study may be used to reduce the risk of vicarious trauma to TX CAC and TX CPS employees so they can continue to help children and families heal from trauma.