Cyberbullying and Delinquency in Adolescence: The Potential Mediating Effects of Social Attachment and Delinquent Peer Association

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110408
Author(s):  
Siying Guo

Adopting the integrated model of General Strain Theory (GST), the current study tested the relations between cyberbullying roles (i.e., cyberbully, cybervictim, and cyberbully-victim) and delinquent behaviors (i.e., physical fighting and substance use), as well as the potential mediating effects of delinquent peer association and perceived social attachment from parents, friends, and teachers. This was conducted in a cross-sectional sample of 12,642 American adolescents via the use of structural equation models. The results indicated that being involved in cyberbullying might be not only directly associated with an increase in delinquent behaviors, but also indirectly via delinquent peer associations and perceived social attachment from parents, friends, and teachers. Furthermore, both direct and indirect (mediating) relationships between cyberbullying and delinquency might depend upon specific cyberbullying roles and the types of delinquency. Potential implications for prevention and intervention strategies were discussed.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Prinzing ◽  
Jieni Zhou ◽  
Taylor Nicole West ◽  
Khoa Dang Le Nguyen ◽  
Jenna C. Wells ◽  
...  

Shared positive emotions involving caring and synchrony—termed “positivity resonance”—are associated with mental health (Major et al., 2018). We hypothesized that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, individual differences in trait resilience would be linked with better overall mental health in part because those higher in trait resilience experience more positivity resonance. We surveyed respondents nationally in April and May of 2020 (total N = 1,059), during pervasive stay-at-home orders. Participants completed self-reports of trait resilience and mental health and used the Day Reconstruction Method to describe their social and emotional experiences. Structural equation models showed positivity resonance to mediate the links between trait resilience and mental health outcomes. Subsequent analyses showed these mediating effects to be independent of overall positive emotion and social interaction quantity (amongst nationwide adults). These results indicate that high-quality social connection played a uniquely important role in maintaining mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1782
Author(s):  
Ignacio Ricci-Cabello ◽  
Aina María Yañez-Juan ◽  
Maria A. Fiol-deRoque ◽  
Alfonso Leiva ◽  
Joan Llobera Canaves ◽  
...  

We aimed to examine the complex relationships between patient safety processes and outcomes and multimorbidity using a comprehensive set of constructs: multimorbidity, polypharmacy, discordant comorbidity (diseases not sharing either pathogenesis nor management), morbidity burden and patient complexity. We used cross-sectional data from 4782 patients in 69 primary care centres in Spain. We constructed generalized structural equation models to examine the associations between multimorbidity constructs and patient-reported patient safety (PREOS-PC questionnaire). These associations were modelled through direct and indirect (mediated by increased interactions with healthcare) pathways. For women, a consistent association between higher levels of the multimorbidity constructs and lower levels of patient safety was observed via either pathway. The findings for men replicated these observations for polypharmacy, morbidity burden and patient complexity via indirect pathways. However, direct pathways showed unexpected associations between higher levels of multimorbidity and better safety. The consistent association between multimorbidity constructs and worse patient safety among women makes it advisable to target this group for the development of interventions, with particular attention to the role of comorbidity discordance. Further research, particularly qualitative research, is needed for clarifying the complex associations among men.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tia Palermo ◽  
◽  
Yekaterina Chzhen ◽  
Nikola Balvin ◽  
Lusajo Kajula

Abstract Background The shaping of gender beliefs and attitudes in early adolescence affects the way young people internalize and self-enforce prevalent notions of masculinity and femininity, with lifelong consequences for sexual and reproductive health. This cross-sectional study examines determinants of gender attitudes among some of the poorest and most vulnerable adolescents in Tanzania using an ecological model. Methods Data come from baseline interviews with 2458 males and females aged 14–19 years conducted as part of a larger impact evaluation. Structural equation models are used to examine how factors at the community-, household-, and individual-levels influence gender attitudes in the four domains measured by the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale (i.e. violence, sexual relationships, reproductive health and disease prevention, and domestic chores and daily life). Results A structural equation model of the four latent domains of the GEM scale regressed on individual, social-interactional and structural level characteristics indicated that secondary school attendance was associated with more equitable gender attitudes, while females held less equitable attitudes than males in the sample. Having had sexual intercourse was associated with more gender equitable attitudes among females, but the reverse was true among males. Conclusions Addressing gender inequity requires understanding gender socialisation at the socio-interactional level. As females had more inequitable gender attitudes than males in the study, a special emphasis on highlighting the rights of women to girls should be considered. This study will inform future analysis of programme impacts on gender attitudes and sexual and reproductive health.


Author(s):  
Martin Senkbeil

AbstractThis study examined the incremental validity of different information and communication technologies (ICT)-related person characteristics over and above intelligence and and prior achievement when predicting ICT literacy across a period of three years. Relative weights analyses were performed to determine the relative contribution of each predictor towards explaining variance in ICT literacy. We used data from German NEPS that tracks representative samples of German students across their school careers. The sample consisted of 14,436 fifteen-year-old German students who provided self-reports on several ICT-related variables: self-confidence, usage motives, breadth of usage, access, experience, usage at home and at school. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally and longitudinally with structural equation models and path analyses, respectively. Cross-sectionally, all ICT-related variables incrementally predicted ICT literacy after controlling for intelligenc (explained variance: 0.4%–14.1%). Longitudinally, ICT self-confidence, ICT-related usage motives, breadth of ICT usage, ICT usage at school, and ICT experience incrementally predict ICT literacy after controlling for intelligence and prior achievement.three years later (explained variance: 0.3%–8.1%). Relative weights providing estimates of relative importance of each predictor showed that intelligence (cross-sectional) and prior achievement and intelligence, respectively (longitudinal) explained the largest portion of variance in ICT literacy, followed by ICT self-confidence, and ICT usage motives as the strongest ICT-related variables. These results emphasize that ICT-related motivational constructs play an important role in the development of ICT literacy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 107699862110565
Author(s):  
Steffen Nestler ◽  
Oliver Lüdtke ◽  
Alexander Robitzsch

The social relations model (SRM) is very often used in psychology to examine the components, determinants, and consequences of interpersonal judgments and behaviors that arise in social groups. The standard SRM was developed to analyze cross-sectional data. Based on a recently suggested integration of the SRM with structural equation models (SEM) framework, we show here how longitudinal SRM data can be analyzed using the SR-SEM. Two examples are presented to illustrate the model, and we also present the results of a small simulation study comparing the SR-SEM approach to a two-step approach. Altogether, the SR-SEM has a number of advantages compared to earlier suggestions for analyzing longitudinal SRM data, making it extremely useful for applied research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Alexandre Faisal-Cury ◽  
Maria Alvim Leite ◽  
Maria Mercedes Loureiro Escuder ◽  
Renata Bertazzi Levy ◽  
Maria Fernanda Tourinho Peres

Abstract Objective: To investigate the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and Internalizing Symptoms (IS) among adolescents. Design: It is a cross-sectional study. Paper-pencil survey was completed in classroom with information on UPF consumption, IS and selected covariates. IS were assessed with the Internalizing Symptoms sub-scale from the Social Behaviour Questionnaire (ISs-SBQ). UPF was evaluated with a food frequency questionnaire extracted from the Brazilian National School Health Survey. Crude and adjusted association between UPF and IS was investigated with Structural Equation Models. Setting: São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Participants: n= 2,680 students, Mage= 14.85; CI95% 14.81-14.88. Results: UPF consumption was associated with higher scores in IS in the crude (ß=0.14; p<0.001) and adjusted (ß=0.12; p<0.001) models. The higher the consumption of UPF, the higher the IS score. The following variables were associated with a lower risk of UPF consumption: male gender, public school and having more meals with parents. The change in the magnitude of the standardized score was almost negligible, but the model was significantly improved with the inclusion of covariates. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence about the positive association between UPF consumption and IS among adolescents. The association, despite its low magnitude, remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. These results are relevant considering the increase in UPF consumption worldwide and in low- and middle-income countries. Also, our study emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet with a reduction in UPF consumption among adolescents.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e022712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lishuo Shi ◽  
Wen Chen ◽  
Jennifer Huang Bouey ◽  
Yanwei Lin ◽  
Li Ling

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the pathway and associations among acculturation (ie, language, social interaction and lifestyle), psychological adjustment and mental health of internal migrant adolescents in China.DesignCross-sectional questionnaire study.SettingSix private migrant junior high schools located in Tianhe and Baiyun districts in Guangzhou were chosen as the study sites.ParticipantsA total of 1122 migrant adolescents aged 11–17 years old completed the study.Main outcome measuresMental health was measured by using the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) and major depression disorder (MDD) in a Brief Child and Family Phone Interview. Acculturation and psychological adjustment were measured by a self-designed and verified questionnaire. Multiple regression models and structural equation models were performed to analyse the association among acculturation, psychological adjustment and mental health while controlling for participant demographic characteristics.ResultsThe average MDD score for boys was 8.78 (SD=2.17) and for girls was 8.56 (SD=2.22), while the average SASC score for boys was 14.67 (SD=3.72) and for girls was 13.41 (SD=4.01). Psychological adjustment had a direct positive effect on MDD (p<0.001, β=0.30) and SASC (p<0.001, β=0.28), and it was the key variable fully mediating the impact of acculturation components on MDD and partly mediating the impact of acculturation on SASC, whereas lifestyle showed a direct negative effect (p=0.003, β=−0.17) on SASC. Of the three acculturation components, lifestyle had the strongest influence on psychological adjustment (p<0.001, β=0.37 and 0.51), followed by social interaction (p<0.001, β=0.24 and 0.13) and language (p<0.001, β=0.17 and 0.11).ConclusionsThe association between acculturation and the mental health of internal migrant adolescents was complex and could be mediated by psychological adjustment. Interventions such as promoting local language and social interaction are needed to enhance psychological adjustment and further improve the mental health of migrant adolescents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 2311-2322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhong Yu ◽  
◽  
Tatia M. C. Lee

Abstract While strong cross-sectional evidence supported the use of fornix microstructure as a marker for detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD), longitudinal data remains inconclusive on the sequential nature of fornix microstructure abnormalities and AD progression. An unequivocal longitudinal relationship between fornix microstructure and markers of AD progression –memory impairment and hippocampal atrophy, must be established to validate fornix microstructure as a marker of AD progression. We included 115 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative across the non-demented AD spectrum— defined as those who had at least one AD risk marker at baseline (e.g., mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD diagnosis, amyloid or ApoE4 positivity) and/or ‘cognitively normal individuals who converted to MCI due to AD or AD, with structural and diffusion tensor imaging scans at baseline and two years follow-up. Hippocampal volumes (HV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the fornix were extracted. Memory was indexed via composite scores of verbal memory tests. Structural equation models tested the bidirectional cross-lagged effects of fornix microstructure, memory, and HV. Impaired memory and smaller HV at baseline significantly predicted worse fornix microstructure (decreased FA and increased MD) two years later. Baseline fornix microstructure was not associated with subsequent changes in memory and HV. Fornix microstructure is compromised likely at a later stage, where significant decline in memory and hippocampal atrophy have occurred. This limits the utility of fornix microstructure in the early detection of AD. Our findings inform the possible pathophysiology and refined the use of AD neural markers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 1590-1596
Author(s):  
Xu Chen ◽  
Istiak Bhuiyan ◽  
Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽  
Patrik K. E. Magnusson ◽  
Per Svensson

Background and objectivesMetabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors associated with CKD. By studying the genetic and environmental influences on how traits of metabolic syndrome correlate with CKD, the understanding of the etiological relationships can be improved.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsFrom the population-based TwinGene project within the Swedish Twin Registry, 4721 complete twin pairs (9442 European ancestry participants) were included in this cross-sectional twin study. Metabolic syndrome-related continuous traits were measured, and the binary components as well as the status of metabolic syndrome were defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III. The eGFR was calculated by cystatin C-based equations from the CKD epidemiology collaboration group, and CKD was defined by eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Genetic and environmental contributions to the correlations between traits of metabolic syndrome and CKD were estimated by using twin-based bivariate structural equation models.ResultsThe correlation between metabolic syndrome and eGFR-defined CKD was 0.16 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.12 to 0.20), out of which 51% (95% CI, 12% to 90%) was explained by genes, whereas 15% (95% CI, 0% to 42%) and 34% (95% CI, 16% to 52%) was explained by the shared and nonshared environment, respectively. The genetic and environmental correlations between metabolic syndrome and CKD were 0.29 (95% CI, 0.07 to 0.51) and 0.27 (95% CI, 0.13 to 0.41), respectively. For the correlation between abdominal obesity and eGFR, 69% (95% CI, 10% to 100%) was explained by genes and 23% (95% CI, 5% to 41%) was explained by environment. The genetic correlation between abdominal obesity and eGFR was −0.30 (95% CI, −0.54 to −0.06), whereas the environmental correlation was −0.14 (95% CI, −0.22 to −0.06).ConclusionsBoth genes and environment contribute to the correlation between metabolic syndrome and eGFR-defined CKD. The genetic contribution is particularly important to the correlation between abdominal obesity and eGFR.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-318
Author(s):  
Ayat Ahmadi ◽  
Leila Doshmangir ◽  
Vladimir Sergeevich Gordeev ◽  
Bahareh Yazdizadeh ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh

PurposeUnderreporting of new tuberculosis (TB) cases is one of the main problems in TB control, particularly in countries with high incidence and dominating role of a private sector in TB cases diagnosing. The purpose of this paper was to explore behavioral determinants of underreporting of new TB cases among private sector physicians in Iran.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of physicians working in private clinics. The data collection tool was designed using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The authors used structural equation models with maximum likelihood estimation to examine attitude toward the notification behavior.FindingsOf 519 physicians, 433 physicians completed the questionnaire. Attitude toward notification had the highest score (mean score = 87.65; sd = 6.79; range: 0–100). The effect of perceived behavioral controls on the notification behavior ((β^) = 0.13; CI: 0.01–0.25) was stronger than the total effect of attitude ((β^) = 0.06; CI: 0.00–0.12) and subjective norms ((β^) = 0.01; CI: −0.00–0.03) on the behavior. However, the attitude was the main predictor of intention and justified 46% of the intention variance. Intention had a significant effect on the behavior ((ß^) = 0.09; CI: 0.1–0.16).Practical implicationsConsidering stronger effect of perceived behavioral control on the behavior, interventions aiming at facilitating notification process would be more effective than those aiming at changing the attitude or enhancing intention among physicians.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, no other study previously explored determinants of underreporting from the behavioral and cognitive perspective. Specifically, the authors explored the role of the TPB constructs in predicting intention to notify new TB cases.


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