A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Counselling Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2017 / This research study aimed to determine the impact of internet use on social relationship among teenagers. The internet is the most widely utilized network tool by children, teenagers and adults. The researcher’s main focus was on teenagers and the internet. The researcher explored the different types of internet activities teenagers engaged in, the amount of time they spent on these activities, the role it plays on teenager’s academic performance and relationships with family and friends. The research study was conducted at various primary schools and high schools in urban and rural areas in Umhlathuze area, North of KwaZulu-Natal. It consisted of a sample of 132 participants who are all exposed to the internet. The research findings showed a null hypothesis between internet use and teenager’s social relationship, that is; internet use among teenagers does not have a negative effect on teenager’s social relationship. However, the alternative hypothesis was proven to be true, that is; the internet has a positive contribution to the teenager’s academics.

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Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Field study. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Phd)-- Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Adolescents are recognised as a nutritionally at-risk group, as they have high nutritional demand for growth and development, poor eating behaviour as well as a propensity for unhealthy behaviours. Heavy alcohol use, particularly in the form of binge drinking, is typical for an alarming proportion of school-going adolescents and is a plausible contributor to the nutritional challenges in adolescents, but this has not yet been fully investigated. Aim: This study investigated the potential influences of alcohol use on the nutritional status of adolescents with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), specifically with regards to their eating behaviour and dietary intake, growth and weight status, iron status, as well as vitamin D and calcium status. Methods: Substance use, physical activity, eating behaviour, dietary intake, growth and weight status, iron status and vitamin D and calcium status were assessed and compared in heavy drinking adolescents (meeting DSM-IV criteria for AUDs) (n=81) and in light/non-drinking adolescents without AUDs (non-AUDs)(n=81), matched for age, gender, language, socio-economic status and education. Observed dietary intake distributions were adjusted statistically to obtain usual nutrient intake distributions. Regression-adjusted differences between the groups were assessed using multi-level mixed effects linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Lifetime alcohol dose in standard drinks of alcohol was orders of magnitude higher in the AUDs group compared to the non-AUDs group. AUDs adolescents had a binge alcohol use pattern and a “weekends-only” style of alcohol consumption. Poor eating patterns (breakfast skipping and frequent snacking), poor food choices (energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods) and low fruit and vegetable intake (non-AUDs 90 [42.4-153.3]; AUDs 88.3 [30.0-153.0] grams per day) in both groups were reflected in the poor nutritional quality of the diet. More than half of adolescents in both groups were at risk of inadequate intakes of folate (non-AUDs 97.5%; AUDs 98.8%), vitamin C (non-AUDs 65%; AUDs 67.5%), vitamin A (non-AUDs 80%; AUDs 82.5%), vitamin E (non-AUDs 78.8%; AUDs 51.3%), magnesium (non-AUDs 98.8%; AUDs 97.5%), and phosphorus (non-AUDs 76.3%; AUDs 73.8%) and all participants were at risk of inadequate calcium and vitamin D intakes. AUDs adolescents had a greater intake of unhealthy foods (energy-dense nutrient-poor) and a significantly greater energy intake than non-AUDs adolescents (p<0.001) that exceeded energy requirements. AUDs adolescents consumed foods high in unhealthy fats significantly more frequently (p=0.037) than the non-AUDs adolescents and had ensuing greater total fat (p<0.001), saturated fat (p<0.001) and cholesterol (p=0.009) intakes. Frequency of intake of sodium-rich foods was significantly higher in AUDs adolescents (p=0.001) and prevalence of risk of excessive sodium intake was significantly greater in the AUDs adolescents (45%) compared to non-AUDs adolescents (18.8%) (p<0.001). Anthropometric indices of growth and weight status were comparable between the groups and in line with that of the South African adolescent population. Female AUDs adolescents had increased odds (OR 2.42) of being overweight/obese compared to non-AUDs females. Physical activity in both groups was well below the WHO global recommendation. Iron store depletion (serum ferritin < 20 μg/L) was evident in a quarter of adolescents in both groups (non-AUDs 23.5%; AUDs 24.7%), with biochemical iron status measures (serum iron and total iron binding capacity) indicating a greater risk of iron store depletion in the AUDs group. Biochemical vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 30 ng/mL) was prevalent in both groups (non-AUDs 70.4%; AUDs 88.8%), although this was significantly greater in the AUDs group (p=0.013), with significantly lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the AUDs group compared to the non-AUDs group (p=0.038). Conclusions: Heavy alcohol use in the form of binge drinking in adolescents may have the following nutrition-related influences: increased intake of energy; unhealthy fats and sodium, increased risk of overweight/obesity in females; increased risk of iron store depletion; and increased risk of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency. Persistence of heavy alcohol use, poor food choices and dietary intake may increase the risk for adverse nutrition-related health outcomes in the AUDs adolescents. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Adolessente het 'n verhoogde risko vir wanvoeding as gevolg van hul hoë voedingbehoeftes vir groei en ontwikkeling, swak eetgedrag, asook 'n geneigdheid tot verdere ongesonde gedrag. Swaar alkohol gebruik in die vorm van “binge” drinkery kom toenemend onder skoolgaande adolessente voor. Hierdie gedrag kan moontlik bydra tot die verhoogde voeding risiko in dié ouderdomsgroep. Hierdie moontlikheid is egter nog nie ten volle ondersoek nie. Doel: Hierdie studie het die potensiële invloed van alkohol gebruik op die voedingstatus van adolessente met alkohol gebruik versteurings (AGVs) ondersoek, spesifiek met betrekking tot hul eetgedrag en dieetinname, groei en gewigstatus asook yster-, vitamien D- en kalsiumstatus. Metodes: Swaar drinkende adolessente wat voldoen aan DSM-IV kriteria vir AGVs (n=81) en lig/nie-drinkende adolessente sonder AGVs (nie-AGVs) (n=81), wat afgepaar is vir ouderdom, geslag, taal, sosio-ekonomiese status en opvoedingsvlak is gewerf vir deelname aan die studie. Middel gebruik, fisiese aktiwiteit, eetgedrag, dieetinname, groei en gewigstatus, ysterstatus en vitamien D- en kalsiumstatus is tussen die twee groepe vergelyk. Waargenome dieetinname verspreidings is statisties aangepas om gewoontelike nutriëntinname te verkry. Regressie-aangepaste verskille tussen die groepe is met behulp van ’n meervoudige gemengde effekte liniêre regressie model getoets, waartydens daar vir moontlike gestrengelde faktore aangepas is. Resultate: Leeftyd alkohol dosis, gemeet in standaard alkohol drankies, was beduidend hoër in die AGVs groep in vergelyking met die nie-AGVs groep. Alkohol gebruik in die AGVs adolessente het ‘n “binge” patroon en ‘n “slegs naweke” styl getoon. Swak eetgewoontes (oorslaan van ontbyt en gereelde peuselgewoontes), swak voedsel keuses (energie-dig en laag in nutriënte) en lae groente en vrugte inname (nie-AGVs 90.0 [42.4-153.3]; AGVs 88.3 [30.0-153.0] gram per dag), in beide groepe, is gereflekteer in die swak voeding kwaliteit van die dieet. ‘n Risiko vir onvoldoende inname van folaat (nie-AGVs 97.5%; AGVs 98.8%), vitamien C (nie-AGVs 65%; AGVs 67.5%), vitamien A (nie-AGVs 80%; AGVs 82.5%), vitamien E (nie-AGVs 78.8%; AGVs 51.3%), magnesium (nie-AGVs 98.8%; AGVs 97.5%), en fosfor (nie-AGVs 76.3%; AGVs 73.8%) was teenwoordig in meer as helfte van adolessente in beide groepe, asook Inleiding: Adolessente het 'n verhoogde risko vir wanvoeding as gevolg van hul hoë voedingbehoeftes vir groei en ontwikkeling, swak eetgedrag, asook 'n geneigdheid tot verdere ongesonde gedrag. Swaar alkohol gebruik in die vorm van “binge” drinkery kom toenemend onder skoolgaande adolessente voor. Hierdie gedrag kan moontlik bydra tot die verhoogde voeding risiko in dié ouderdomsgroep. Hierdie moontlikheid is egter nog nie ten volle ondersoek nie. Doel: Hierdie studie het die potensiële invloed van alkohol gebruik op die voedingstatus van adolessente met alkohol gebruik versteurings (AGVs) ondersoek, spesifiek met betrekking tot hul eetgedrag en dieetinname, groei en gewigstatus asook yster-, vitamien D- en kalsiumstatus. Metodes: Swaar drinkende adolessente wat voldoen aan DSM-IV kriteria vir AGVs (n=81) en lig/nie-drinkende adolessente sonder AGVs (nie-AGVs) (n=81), wat afgepaar is vir ouderdom, geslag, taal, sosio-ekonomiese status en opvoedingsvlak is gewerf vir deelname aan die studie. Middel gebruik, fisiese aktiwiteit, eetgedrag, dieetinname, groei en gewigstatus, ysterstatus en vitamien D- en kalsiumstatus is tussen die twee groepe vergelyk. Waargenome dieetinname verspreidings is statisties aangepas om gewoontelike nutriëntinname te verkry. Regressie-aangepaste verskille tussen die groepe is met behulp van ’n meervoudige gemengde effekte liniêre regressie model getoets, waartydens daar vir moontlike gestrengelde faktore aangepas is. Resultate: Leeftyd alkohol dosis, gemeet in standaard alkohol drankies, was beduidend hoër in die AGVs groep in vergelyking met die nie-AGVs groep. Alkohol gebruik in die AGVs adolessente het ‘n “binge” patroon en ‘n “slegs naweke” styl getoon. Swak eetgewoontes (oorslaan van ontbyt en gereelde peuselgewoontes), swak voedsel keuses (energie-dig en laag in nutriënte) en lae groente en vrugte inname (nie-AGVs 90.0 [42.4-153.3]; AGVs 88.3 [30.0-153.0] gram per dag), in beide groepe, is gereflekteer in die swak voeding kwaliteit van die dieet. ‘n Risiko vir onvoldoende inname van folaat (nie-AGVs 97.5%; AGVs 98.8%), vitamien C (nie-AGVs 65%; AGVs 67.5%), vitamien A (nie-AGVs 80%; AGVs 82.5%), vitamien E (nie-AGVs 78.8%; AGVs 51.3%), magnesium (nie-AGVs 98.8%; AGVs 97.5%), en fosfor (nie-AGVs 76.3%; AGVs 73.8%) was teenwoordig in meer as helfte van adolessente in beide groepe, asook

The focus of this study was to determine if certain personality traits could be detected within a population of substance-abusing adolescents. The Depression (d), Psychopathic Deviant (Pd), Paranoia (Pa), and Hypomania (Ma) scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were utilized as indicators of psychopathological traits for this project. It was found that a significant degree of elevation on these scales was achieved by the subject, when compared to an ideal normative sample. It was concluded that this indicated the presence of certain psychopathological personality traits within this population. The implication that personality differences within this population can be detected could lead to a greater understanding of substance abuse among adolescents, and the potential for more appropriate counseling approaches with such substance abusers.

A RESEARCH THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION STUDIES. October 2013. / The burden of disease and mortality in South Africa is a challenge. In the area of HIV/AIDS, an estimated 316,900 new infections to persons aged 15 and older were reported in 2011. For persons below the age of 15 years, 63,600 new infections were detected in this year (Stats SA, 2011). South Africa is also doing poorly with regard to other development indicators. The infant mortality rate for this year was estimated at 37.9 deaths per 100,000 live births and under- five mortality is 54.3 deaths per 100,000. With adolescents in South Africa constituting approximately 20% of the total population, a substantial percentage of adolescents could then be orphans. Adolescents in contemporary South Africa are affected by HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and other reproductive health issues (Pettifor et al., 2005; Kaufman et al., 2001; King et al., 2004). They are also faced with poverty and unemployment (Ngoma, 2005). Given the overall optimistic forecast for South Africa’s economic and political growth, based on the end of Apartheid, these grave challenges that youth face persist, making South Africa a very interesting study area to examine the determinants of other-health related and mortality risks for adolescents. The main objective of this study is to identify the levels, causes and determinants of adolescent mortality in South Africa. More specifically the study examines a host of natural, unnatural and broad-underlying causes of death. In addition, individual, household and community, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are tested as determinants of adolescent mortality. This study is a cross - sectional study using nationally representative data from the South African Census 2001; the Community Survey 2007 and Death Notification Forms as collated by Statistics SA. The Community Survey is nationally representative and collects the same information as the Census. Thus demographic, socioeconomic and mortality questions are similar in both sources and are suitable for a nationally representative study on mortality trends. Death Notification Forms articulate immediate and broad- underlying causes of death, this is useful in identifying specific risks. Adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old are covered in this study. Both adolescent males and females are studied. A total of 41,261 adolescent deaths were recorded in 2001 and 54,046 adolescent deaths were noted for 2007. Demographic and socioeconomic indicators are included for all adolescents represented in the surveys. This study is a quantitative study of adolescent mortality in South Africa. STATA 11(SE) was for the management and analysis of data in this study. The methods of analysis for this study follow the order of the study objectives. To determine levels of adolescent mortality, frequency distributions, age and sex specific mortality rates and proportional mortality ratios were used. In identifying and evaluating prevalent causes of death age- standardized death rates by cause and cause- specific mortality rates are initially used. Then multiple and associated decrement life tables ( in particular, probability of dying, survival function, life expectancy and cause- deleted life expectancy) and Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) are calculated. To identify determinants of adolescent mortality logistic regression and multilevel logistic regression is applied. Among other results, the main findings of this study are first the levels of adolescent mortality in South Africa increased from 2001 to 2007 by approximately 1.3%. Second among adolescents, the levels of male mortality (21,686) exceed that of their female (19,575) counterparts in 2001, however the reverse is true of 2007, where female adolescent mortality (28,517) exceeds that of males (25,529). This particular finding is unusual since male mortality during youth (15- 24 years) is generally higher among males. This is due to the increased burden of disease on females in the country, which is now affecting adolescent females too. This is shown in results that the see plight of Tuberculosis- related deaths is more concentrated among females than males. In addition, the probability of adolescent females dying from Tuberculosis increased for 1.45 in 2001 to 1.75 in 2007 in South Africa. In addition, this study shows that for specific causes of adolescent mortality the elimination of causes of death such as Tuberculosis and pneumonia could produce substantial gains in life expectancy. Females have consistently lower odds of adolescent mortality from unnatural causes of death compared to males. Finally, having a few household assets, 6 or more people living in a residence, and high ethnic diversity within the community is associated with increased odds of adolescent mortality in South Africa in 2001. A main conclusion of this study is that with adolescent mortality in the country increasing future economic growth is compromised. Adolescents will soon enter the labour force and contribute to the country’s growth. With fewer adolescent’s surviving to adulthood this means the country’s economic growth with be slow. In addition, increasing adolescent mortality compromises the economic support available to dependent populations. With fewer economically active adults, the country’s dependency ratio will be high, thus increasing the burden placed on government to provide for the elderly and children.

by Leung Alice. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-57). / Abstract and questionnaire also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgment --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / List of Tables --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.vii / List of Appendix --- p.viii / Introduction --- p.1 / Method --- p.16 / Results --- p.25 / Discussion --- p.41 / References --- p.51 / Appendix --- p.58

The purpose of this work is to explore the spatial lives of three adolescents in grade nine, between January and May, as they navigated their lives and anticipated their upcoming transition to high school (for students in Grades 10 – 12), with an interest in equitable access to International Baccalaureate programs. Researched in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in a context where access to IB was a student choice, free of cost, and void of consideration regarding academic history, the students involved in this study came from neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized from participation in IB, regardless of this “open access” policy. Methodologically, this study is grounded in spatial theory (hooks 1989; Lefebvre, 1979, 1991; Soja, 1996, 2010) and draws on narrative (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Naraian, 2017) and ethnographic techniques (Emerson, Fretz & Shaw, 1995; LeCompte & Schensul, 1999; Merriam, 2009), using an a/r/tographic stance, that is Artist, Researcher, Teacher positionality (Fendler, 2013; Irwin & Springgay, 2008) as a way to conceptualize the adolescents lives in and outside of school. The research questions address: how adolescents define, describe and map the spaces where they spend time; how they describe their identities, experiences and relationships across space and time; and, what connections they make between engaging in this process and their perceptions about high school. The findings suggest that the spatial stories of adolescents matter, are complex, and provide insight into the ways in which they navigate their worlds and make decisions about their academic futures. Methodologically, using a narrative and ethnographically inspired a/r/tographic approach to exploring the spatial lives of adolescents was useful and generative in terms of eliciting insight and understanding of their complex lives in and out of school. Finally, the findings suggest that for schools seeking to become more inclusive of historically marginalized adolescents, they may need to reconsider an approach that pulls marginalized youth into the “main body” (hooks, 1989), and, instead, travel to the “margin” (hooks, 1989) to re-conceptualize and design programs from there, the “space of radical openness” (hooks, 1989).