Development of a computer-assisted instructional package for life skills to prevent risky sexual behaviors in early adolescents, Bangkok, Thailand

Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a newly developed computer-assisted instructional package for life skills (CAIFLS) specifically designed to raise awareness of risky sexual behaviors among Thai early adolescents in Bangkok. Methods: The research process included two phases: (1) the development and (2) the use and evaluation of the newly developed CAIFLS package. First, 5 teachers and 5 Grade 7 students of a Bangkok school were interviewed to collect information needed for the development of CAIFLS. The second phase was to implement learning activities through CAIFLS with a total of 87 Bangkok school students, consisting of 44 students for the experimental group who received CAIFLS for 4 sessions, and 43 students for the control group who received routine class lecture. CAIFLS instructions, lesson plans and worksheets were designed as the experiment methods. Then questionnaires of life skills assessments and student satisfaction were used to investigate the effects and the student satisfaction of CAIFLS. Results: The findings revealed that the efficiency values of the CAIFLS package were 80.2/82.5, higher than the set criteria of 80/80. Mean scores on life skills for the experimental group significant increased (p < .05), which was higher than the control group. The students also showed their satisfaction of CAIFLS at a high level (M = 4.20, S.D. = 0.29) Conclusions: CAIFLS can be used as an effective learning tool to enhance life skills to prevent risky sexual behaviors among Thai early adolescents.

Early Adolescents’ Social Goals in Peer Conflict Situations: A Mixed Methods Study

Identification of goals is a key social-cognitive process that guides whether adolescents engage in aggressive or nonviolent behavior during social conflicts. This study investigated early adolescents’ goals in response to hypothetical social conflict situations involving close friends and peers. Participants ( n = 160; Mage = 12.7, 53% female) were 7th graders from two urban and one rural middle school. On average, participants identified 2.5 goals for each situation. Qualitative analysis using a grounded theory approach identified nine themes representing the goals generated by participants: instrumental-control, relationship maintenance, maintain image and reputation/self-defense, conflict avoidance, seek more information, revenge, tension reduction, moral, and stay out of trouble. Quantitative analysis indicated that female participants identified more goals than male participants, but there were few differences in their types of goals. There were few differences across school sites. The findings highlight the variety of social goals specific to the developmental period of early adolescence.

Relationship between Anxiety Levels and Smoking Behavior in Early Adolescents in Nias Ciranjang Junior High School

Background: Adolescence is a period in which a child experiences a transition from childhood to adulthood both physically and psychologically. In 2018 the prevalence of smokers in the population aged >10 years in Indonesia, especially West Java, was ranked first at 32.0%, while the smoking prevalence in the population aged 10-18 years was 9.1% in 2018, this number increased from 2013 which was only 7.2%. Mental health is important in determining the quality of a nation. The phenomenon when the incidence of health problems in adolescents increases, the underlying cause comes from internal and external factors, this problem is still a threat if not treated immediately. Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between anxiety levels and smoking behavior in early adolescents. Methods: The research design used is a correlation study with a cross sectional design. The number of samples was 55 male students in grades 7 and 8 in Nias Ciranjang junior high school which were selected through purposive sampling technique. Data collection filled out the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 42 (DASS 42) questionnaire, rcount > rtable 0,514 and ralpha value = 0,952. Data analysis was carried out univariate (frequency distribution) and bivariate with chi square test. Result: The results showed that some respondents had moderate anxiety levels as much as 54.5%, most respondents had bad smoking behavior as much as 54.5%, and there was a relationship between anxiety levels and smoking behavior in early adolescents in Nias Ciranjang junior high school with p -value=0.001. Conclusion: It is hoped that nursing science and schools will continue to improve students' understanding of the dangers of smoking through counseling or other activities so that there are no more teenagers smoking.

Literature Review : Gambaran Tingkat Nyeri Pada Remaja yang Menstruasi

The period of growth in adolescents is characterized by physical and psychological changes. Girls will experience menstruation and the impact that often occurs is dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain). Dysmenorrhea causes mood disorders in adolescents which will reduce learning motivation. In early adolescents who need adaption, their mental is needed to be ready for the changes which physically and psychologically related to dysmenorrhea. His study aimed to determine the level of pain in adolescents who menstruate. He method used in this research was descriptive with a litetarute review approach. The articles were published in 2011-2021 on Garba Garuda or PubMed. The result obtained according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were then analyzed using the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) instrument. The result of study of the 5 articles with a total of 1,807 respondents showed that the level of menstrual pain was 27,6% mild pain, 37,2% moderate pain, and 35,2% severe pain. The number of adolescents who have moderate pain levels is more that those with mild and severe pain levelsKeywords: adolescents, dysmenorrhea, menstrual pain AbstrakMasa pertumbuhan pada anak remaja ditandai dengan perubahan fisik dan psikologis. Pada anak perempuan akan mengalami menstruasi dan dampak yang sering terjadi yaitu dismenorea (nyeri haid). Dismenorea menyebabkan gangguan mood pada remaja yang akan menurunkan motivasi belajar. Pada remaja awal yang membutuhkan adaptasi sehingga perlu kesiapan mental mengenai perubahan yang dialami secara fisik dan psikologis terkait dismenorea. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran tingkat nyeri pada remaja yang menstruasi. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah deskriptif dengan pendekatan literature review, pencarian artikel pada rentang waktu 10 tahun yaitu dari 2011-2021 melalui penelusuran didapatkan 4 artikel melalui Garba Garuda dan 1 artikel melalui PubMed. Hasil pencarian sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi kemudian dianalisa menggunakan instrument JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute), kemudian diolah menggunakan uji Chi-Square dan tidak memenuhi syarat sehingga dilanjutkan menggunakan uji Mann-Whitney. Hasil penelitian dari ke-5 artikel dengan total responden 1.807 menunjukkan bahwa tingkat nyeri haid yaitu 27,6% nyeri ringan, 37,2% nyeri sedang, dan 35,2% nyeri berat. Dari ke-5 artikel yang telah dianalisa menunjukkan bahwa remaja putri yang berada pada tingkat nyeri sedang lebih banyak dibanding dengan tingkat nyeri ringan dan beratKata kunci: dismenore, nyeri menstruasi, remaja

Childhood adversity and co-occurring post-traumatic stress and externalizing symptoms among a predominantly low-income, African American sample of early adolescents

Although there is strong evidence supporting the association between childhood adversity and symptomatology during adolescence, the extent to which adolescents present with distinct patterns of co-occurring post-traumatic stress (PTS) and externalizing symptoms remains unclear. Additionally, prior research suggests that experiencing nonviolent, negative life events may be more salient risk factors for developing some forms of psychopathology than exposure to violence. The current study used latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of early adolescents with distinct patterns of PTS, physical aggression, delinquency, and substance use, and examined subgroup differences in exposure to three forms of violent and nonviolent childhood adversity. Participants were a predominantly low-income, African American sample of 2,722 urban middle school students (M age = 12.9, 51% female). We identified four symptom profiles: low symptoms (83%), some externalizing (8%), high PTS (6%), and co-occurring PTS and externalizing symptoms (3%). A higher frequency of witnessing violence was associated with increased odds of membership in subgroups with externalizing symptoms, whereas a higher frequency of nonviolent, negative life events was associated with increased odds of membership in subgroups with PTS symptoms. Interventions aimed to address childhood adversity may be most effective when modules addressing both PTS and externalizing symptoms are incorporated.