Social Connectedness,Self-Esteem,and Depression Symptomatology Among Collegiate Athletes Versus Nonathletes

Objective: The authors compared collegiate athletes and nonathletes to see whether there were significant differences in the perceived levels of social connectedness, self-esteem, and depression and if an interaction among the variables of athlete status, gender, GPA, BMI, and levels of weekly exercise and sleep were associated with depression symptomatology. Participants: Participants were 227 college students. Method: The authors surveyed students using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised. Results: Athletes had significantly greater levels of self-esteem and social connectedness, as well as significantly lower levels of depression, than did nonathletes. However, the statistically strongest predictors of depression in this cohort were the variables of gender, self-esteem, social connectedness, and sleep. Conclusion: This study adds to the limited and inconsistent research in the empirical knowledge base regarding depression among collegiate athletes.     

Communication With Parents and Body Satisfaction in College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study examined how communication with parents is related to college students’ body satisfaction. Participants and Methods: Participants (N = 134; 58 males and 76 females) completed a survey in March 2011 assessing body satisfaction and perceptions of communication with mothers and fathers. Results: Daughters’ body satisfaction was negatively correlated with perceptions of problematic communication with mothers and fathers. Sons’ body satisfaction was positively correlated with open communication with their mothers and negatively correlated with problematic communication with their mothers. Conclusions: Findings indicated problematic communication with mothers was the most powerful predictor of daughters’ body satisfaction, whereas open communication with mothers was the best predictor of sons’ body satisfaction.     

Classroom Approach for Managing Dietary Restraint,Negative Eating Styles,and Body Image Concerns Among College Women

Objective: In this exploratory study, the authors evaluated the impact of an elective college course on dieting levels, eating styles, and body image among college women. Participants: Participants were a convenience sample of 29 self-selected female students at a western university who were mostly white, normal-weight seniors with significant dieting experience. Methods: The authors used valid and reliable instruments to collect data both before and after testing. An instructor conducted the program in an undergraduate course that met twice weekly for 15 weeks. Theory-based lessons focused on resisting media pressure, modifying dietary restraint, eating in response to hunger (intrinsic eating), and achieving healthy body image. Dependent variables included intrinsic eating, dieting involvement, emotional eating, body image, and self-esteem. Results: A comparison of pretest and posttest scores identified significant improvements for most measures. Conclusions: A theory-driven elective course implemented within a college setting may improve women's eating styles and body image.     

Body image,self-esteem,and behavioral risk for chronic disease among college students: Additional evidence for integrated prevention

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between two body image constructs (body appreciation and body satisfaction) and five health behaviors (diet, physical activity, weight management, tobacco exposure, and alcohol intake) associated with risk for chronic disease, controlling for self-esteem. Participants: Three hundred and forty-four college students enrolled at a large, public university in the southeastern US. Methods: Students completed an online survey composed of measures of body appreciation, body satisfaction, self-esteem, and frequency of engagement in preventive health behaviors. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to assess relationships between constructs. Results: Body appreciation, but not body satisfaction or self-esteem, significantly and positively predicted engagement in diet-, physical activity-, and weight-related health behaviors. No associations were found for substance use outcomes. Conclusions: Results illuminate health risks among college students and provide additional evidence to support the development of holistic preventive interventions that simultaneously address aspects of mental and physical health among college students.     

Factors that Influence Body Dissatisfaction: Comparisons across Culture and Gender

This study examined the relationship between attachment style, differentiation of self, and body dissatisfaction across culture and gender. The sample consisted of 115 Caucasians (85 females, 29 males) with a mean age of 22.2 years (SD = 5.81) and 119 Chinese individuals (93 females, 26 males) with a mean age of 22.8 years (SD = 2.35). Participants completed online self-report measures of body satisfaction, attachment style, and differentiation of self. Results indicated that high attachment anxiety and less differentiation of self were associated with lower body satisfaction for women but not for men of either cultural group. There were no significant cultural or gender differences in terms of overall body satisfaction; however, there were differences with regard to preoccupation with weight and self-perceived weight. It was concluded that culture had little impact on body dissatisfaction in the present sample but that the factors that shape body dissatisfaction differed by gender.     

Motivational Style,Length of Residence,Voluntariness, and Gender as Influences on Adjustment to Long Term Care

Abstract

Seventy-five institutionalized older adults (Mage = 79.08, SD=9.73, 25 males, 50 females) varying by length of residence, gender, and motivational style (self determined vs. motivational) were queried to explore the impact of these variables on indicators of adjustment, i.e., health, life satisfaction, desired and expected control, self-esteem, ADLs, and positive/negative affect. MANCOVAs (controlling for social desirability) indicated self-determined motivational style to positively impact adjustment, as well as to interact (p <.05) with gender in this respect. Length of residence and gender each impacted ADLs, and motivational style also affected both desired/expected control and self-esteem, where those with higher self determined motivational styles had expectations for and desirability of control. Voluntariness of the decision to move generally positively impacted adjustment, but its impact was moderated by motivational style. Thus, persons who vary along motivational style, gender, voluntariness, and length of residence are likely to function in distinct ways in adjusting to being institutionalized.     

Alternative Medicine and Herbal Use Among University Students

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to (1) examine perceived stress and resources to cope with stress as predictors of emotional eating during the transition to college and (2) determine whether body mass index (BMI) moderated the emotional eating-stress relationship. Participants: Participants were 97 college freshmen (73% female; BMI: M = 25.3 kg/m², SD = 5.7 kg/m²). Research was conducted in September 2012. Methods: Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Emotional Eating Scale, and Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire during the first month of college. Height and weight were measured objectively. Results: BMI moderated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating. Higher stress predicted greater emotional eating for the lower BMI groups, but not the highest group. Greater resources to cope with stress predicted lower emotional eating. Conclusions: Greater perceived stress and poorer resources to cope with stress may contribute to emotional eating during the transition to college. The relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating may vary by BMI.     

Psychiatric Symptoms and Perceived Need for Psychiatric Care After Divorce

Abstract

The study investigated level of psychiatric symptoms and perceived need for psychiatric care among recently divorced males and females. Furthermore, various demographic factors and characteristics of the marriage and divorce related to psychiatric symptoms and perceived need for psychiatric care, were identified. Six hundred fifty eight recently divorced males and females living in five different counties in Norway participated. Their level of psychiatric symptoms was compared with the general Norwegian population. Divorced individuals had substantially higher level of psychiatric symptoms as compared to the general population. No consistent gender differences were observed. For both males and females, level of conflict with the ex-spouse and being leaver or being left, were the variables being most strongly related to psychiatric symptoms and need of psychiatric care. However, the variables accounted for only a modest proportion of the variance in the mental health outcome.     

Loving Oneself: The Associations Among Sexually Explicit Media,Body Image,and Perceived Realism

Online sexually explicit material (SEM) is a popular media source, but little is known about its association with body image. This study explored whether perceived realism of SEM mediated the direct association of SEM use on body image while accounting for gender differences. Young adults (N = 393; ages 19 to 30; 53.4% women) recruited through a crowdsourcing Web site completed an anonymous online survey that assessed SEM use, perceptions of the realism of SEM, and body image. Body satisfaction, genital self-image, comfort being nude, penis-/breast-size satisfaction, and self-esteem were used to create the variable of body image. SEM use had a positive indirect association with body image through perceived realism for both men and women. Follow-up analyses revealed this association was due to body satisfaction and self-esteem in men and comfort being nude and self-esteem in women. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for clinical applications and understanding young adults’ body image.     

The Relationship Between Stepdaughters' Self-Esteem and Perceived Parenting Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-esteem of adolescent females living in stepfamilies and perceived parenting practices. Female adolescents from stepfamilies completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Parent Behavior Form for each parent (mother, stepfather, and nonresidential father). Results consistent with hypotheses derived from the theory of reflected appraisal suggested that when perceived stepfathers' parenting behavior is compared to that of mothers, the former was more highly related to stepdaughters' self-esteem than is the latter. Moreover, perceived nonresidential fathers' parenting behavior was not related to self-esteem. In light of these findings, suggestions for parenting in stepfamilies were made.     

Gender differences in the association of smartphone use with the vitality and mental health of adolescent students

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present study examined variations in the degree of smartphone use behavior among male and female adolescents as well as the association between various degrees of smartphone use behavior and the vitality and mental health of each gender.

Participants: A total of 218 adolescents were recruited from a junior college in September 2014.

Methods: All the participants were asked to answer questionnaires on smartphone use.

Results: The findings showed that adolescent females as compared with adolescent males exhibited significantly higher degrees of smartphone dependence and smartphone influence. Positive correlations were observed between the duration of smartphone use on weekends and the vitality/mental health of the male adolescents; negative correlations were found between smartphone dependence and the vitality/mental health of males.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that adolescent females are deeply affected by their smartphone use. Smartphone dependence may decrease the vitality and mental health of male adolescents.     

Gender roles and social control

Drawing upon social control theory in criminology, this paper examines the relationship between gender roles and the inhibitors of deviance. We develop and test hypotheses that “traditional” females, defined in terms of either position in the social structure or gender‐role attitudes, perceive higher levels of three types of sanctions assocíated with crime than do males; while “nontraditional” females are similar to males in their perceptions of sanctions. Results indicate that while changing gender roles and gender‐role attitudes affect perceived threats of guilt‐feelings and social stigma, they do not appear to influence women's perceptions of legal sanctions.     

One Size Doesn't Fit All: New Continua of Figure Drawings and Their Relation to Ideal Body Image

Abstract

Objective: This study introduces a new figure drawing measure, the Presentation of Images on a Continuum Scale (PICS), which includes continua of bodies from thin to obese and thin to muscular for both men and women. Participants: Participants were undergraduate students from a private, Catholic university in Connecticut. The data were collected in the spring of 2010. Methods: Three hundred forty-eight undergraduates completed an online survey that assessed current versus ideal body image as well as attractiveness of body types. Results: Results showed that current versus ideal body selection discrepancies on the PICS among women (but not among men) were related to several negative outcomes involving increased body concerns, less body satisfaction, and lower self-esteem, as well as increased drive for muscularity among men. Study implications are described from a social norming perspective.     

Effects of parental monitoring on aggressive behavior among youth in the United States and South Korea: A cross-national study

ObjectiveThis cross-national study examined the direct and indirect effects of parental monitoring on aggressive behavior among separate samples of 10th grade youth in the US (N = 3784) and South Korea (N = 3079).MethodsData from two national probability studies—Monitoring the Future (MTF) for US youth and Korea Youth Panel Study (KYPS) for South Korean youth—were used. Both studies incorporated school-based, multi-stage, stratified, and randomized clustered sampling methods.ResultsPath analyses results indicated that while parental monitoring was directly and negatively related to aggressive behavior among US youth, it had no direct effect among South Korean youth. We also found significant indirect effects of parental monitoring on youth aggression through cigarette use, alcohol use, and self-esteem among both groups. Both US and South Korean youth who perceived increased monitoring from their parents reported less cigarette and alcohol use and higher self-esteem, which in turn reduced the likelihood of aggressive behavior.ConclusionsThis study serves as an example of conducting cross-national research using existing data to investigate significant issues related to youth well-being. Although there are cultural differences between US and South Korean youth, parental monitoring is still important in deterring both groups of youth from engaging in aggressive behavior.     

Predicting 1-Year Change in Body Mass Index Among College Students

Objective: Despite beliefs about weight gain in college, few researchers have evaluated this phenomenon. Participants: Participants were 18- to 31-year-old students at a midwestern university. The dependent variable was body mass index (BMI) change. Methods: The authors extracted predictor variables from a Health Risk Appraisal. These included clinical, medical history, medical usage, medications, pain or chronic conditions, perceptual measures, and behavioral factors. The authors performed an ordinal regression technique separately by gender. Results: No predictors were significant for men. Women in the BMI gain group were (1) more likely to consume alcohol, use maladaptive coping behaviors, eat foods low in fiber, and consume caffeine; and (2) less likely to be stress-free, to eat cruciferous vegetables, and to refrain from eating high-cholesterol foods. Conclusions: The lack of research on predictors of and interventions for reducing BMI gain among college students warrants more research.     

Body Mass Index,Disordered Eating Behavior,and Acquisition of Health Information: Examining Ethnicity and Weight-Related Issues in a College Population

Objective and Participants: To investigate ethnic differences related to weight, the authors assessed body mass index, dysfunctional eating, receipt of health information, and perceived obstacles to healthy lifestyles of 210 ethnically diverse college women. Methods: The authors used the Eating Attitudes Test to assess dieting, food preoccupation, and bulimic behaviors. Results: The authors found no ethnic differences in body mass index or disordered eating, but African Americans were more likely than were European Americans and Latina Americans to receive nutrition information from professionals and less likely than European Americans to perceive time as an obstacle. Overall, receipt of health information from a professional was related to fewer disordered eating behaviors; however, the specific eating behavior that was reduced varied by ethnicity. Conclusions: Health professionals should reconsider traditional assumptions of disordered eating behavior as a European American problem and consider cultural appropriateness in the development of effective health programs.     

Predicting Korean Adolescents' Sexual Behavior

Abstract

Using data from 370 adolescent males and 390 adolescent females, this study investigates factors associated with Korean adolescents' sexual behavior. The data showed that sixteen percent of the sample reported some type of intimate sexual behavior. The results from regression analyses indicate that alcohol use, dating mood, love for partner, similarity of sexual attitude between partners, and interaction between respondents' attitude on sex and alcohol use were significant predictors of Korean adolescents' sexual behavior with adjusted R² of .61. The factors significant for adolescents' sexual behavior differed by gender. The factors significant for adolescent males and adolescent females accounted for 65% and 61% of the explained variance for adolescent males' and adolescent females' sexual behavior, respectively. In both cases, dating mood was a strong predictor of adolescents' sexual behavior. Contrary to expectations specified, neither parental factors nor sibling influence was significant.     

Mexican Adolescents' Perceptions of Parental Behaviors and Authority as Predictors of Their Self-Esteem and Sense of Familism

Abstract

The influences of adolescents' perceptions of parental behaviors and authority on the development of their self-esteem and sense of familism were examined among 534 youth living in Mexico. Results of hierarchical regression analyses suggest that boys' perceptions of their mothers and fathers were similar in relation to their development of self-esteem and familism. Males tended to have higher self-esteem when they perceived their parents as monitoring their behavior, granting behavioral autonomy, and having the right to exercise influence over them. For boys' sense of familism, parental influences tended to be less direct, with maternal and paternal education serving as negative predictors, while perceptions that mothers and fathers served as legitimate sources of guidance and advice were positive predictors of familism. For girls, significant predictors of familism and self-esteem varied in relation to mothers and fathers. Girls experienced higher levels of self-esteem when they perceived their mothers and fathers as facilitating connection, monitoring their behaviors, and as having the right to influence their behaviors and feelings. In addition, girls' perceptions of their fathers' expert authority also functioned as a significant predictor of their self-esteem. Mexican girls who perceived their mothers and fathers as having legitimate authority and as facilitating connection reported higher levels of familism. Additionally, age of adolescent, maternal education, and paternal education were significant predictors of familism for both boys and girls.     

Parental Attachment Among Korean–American Adolescents

The present study examined the relationship between parental care and control perceived by Korean–American adolescents, and further investigated the relationships between parental attachment styles and mental health measures including self-esteem, depression, and social support. The relationship between parental care and parental control resulted in a significantly negative correlation. Parental care showed significantly positive correlations with self-esteem and social support, and a negative correlation with depression. Parental control showed a significantly negative correlation with self-esteem, and a significantly positive correlation with depression. The analysis demonstrated that optimal parenting showed significantly higher self-esteem, lower depression, and higher social support than the other groups.     

Relationship of Interpersonal Behaviors and Health-Related Control Appraisals to Patient Satisfaction and Compliance in a University Health Center

Objective: The authors' aim was to evaluate patient-provider relationships in a college health center. Participants: Eighty student patients and their health-care providers. Methods: Patients completed a measure of perceived health competence before a consultation and measures of provider participatory behavior and interpersonal behavior before and after the consultation. They evaluated their satisfaction with care and compliance after the consultation and again 2 weeks later. Providers completed measures of their participatory behavior and patients' interpersonal behavior after the consultation. Results: Patients preferred to be well informed and to have their preferences taken into account, and generally felt competent at managing their own health affairs. They indicated they obtained the high level of participation they desired. Patients desired and actually experienced friendly and submissive providers. Degree of match between patients' desired and actual level of involvement in their care was associated with greater satisfaction. A greater match between the extent to which they desired the provider to be affiliative and the provider's actual affiliative behavior was associated with more satisfaction. No variables were predictive of patient compliance. Conclusion: The authors discuss results in terms of the influence of situational factors characteristic of a college health center.