Relationships between bullying victimization psychological distress and breakfast skipping among boys and girls

Association between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms among Canadian adolescents

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the mediating roles of gender and substance use in the influence of breakfast skipping on psychosomatic symptoms. The study used data among a nationally-representative sample of 2855 Canadian adolescents who participated in the 2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Sequential logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms. Path analysis using a non-parametric bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesized mediating roles. Results showed that adolescents who skipped breakfast were 2.55 times more likely to report higher psychosomatic symptoms compared to non-breakfast skippers (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.75-3.82). The bootstrapping mediation models showed that breakfast skipping indirectly influenced psychosomatic symptoms through substance use and gender, accounting for 18.47% ( β = 0.0052, Boots 95% CI = 0.0025, 0.00730) and 10.70% ( β = 0.0091, Boots 95% CI = 0.0052, 0.0125), respectively, of the total effect. Our findings have important implications for targeted public and mental health interventions to address both breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents.  Conclusion: The study compellingly underscores the significance of incorporating gender-specific factors and substance use in understanding the correlation between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms. These insights hold importance for tailoring public health interventions to alleviate the prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents by actively addressing breakfast skipping. What is Known: • Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day due to its role in providing the brain with the energy necessary to enhance cognitive functions. • Adolescents commonly exhibit a prevalent lifestyle behaviour of skipping breakfast. What is New: • This study provides robust evidence supporting the association between breakfast skipping and elevated psychosomatic symptoms in adolescents. • Gender and substance use mediate this association, offering novel insights into the complex interplay that contributes to psychosomatic symptoms among this demographic group. • Longitudinal research is needed to unravel causal relationships and illuminate the underlying mechanisms of this intricate connection.

Cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in US early adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the association between cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in a national sample of 10-14-year-old early adolescents.

METHOD

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 2, 2018-2020, N = 10,258/11,875, 49% female, 46% non-White). Data were collected using multi-stage probability sampling. Modified Poisson regression analyses examined the association between cyberbullying and self-reported eating disorder symptoms based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5).

RESULTS

Cyberbullying victimization was associated with worry about weight gain (prevalence ratio [PR] 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-3.91), self-worth tied to weight (PR 2.08, 95% CI 1.33-3.26), inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain (PR 1.95, 95% CI 1.57-2.42), binge eating (PR 1.95, 95% CI 1.59-2.39), and distress with binge eating (PR 2.64, 95% CI 1.94-3.59), in models adjusting for potential confounders. Cyberbullying perpetration was associated with worry about weight gain (PR 3.52, 95% CI 1.19-10.37), self-worth tied to weight (PR 5.59, 95% CI 2.56-12.20), binge eating (PR 2.36, 95% CI 1.44-3.87), and distress with binge eating (PR 2.84, 95% CI 1.47-5.49).

DISCUSSION

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in early adolescence are associated with eating disorder symptoms. Clinicians may consider assessing for cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in early adolescence and provide anticipatory guidance.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Eating disorders often onset in adolescence and have among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder. In addition, cyberbullying has increased in prevalence among adolescents and significantly impacts mental health. In a national study of early adolescents, we found that cyberbullying victimization and perpetration are associated with eating disorder symptoms. Screening for and providing anticipatory guidance on cyberbullying and eating disorder symptoms in early adolescents may be warranted.

Associations of psychological factors, parental involvement, and adverse health behaviors with bullying among tunisian middle school students

BACKGROUND

Bullying is a serious problem that significantly affect adolescent well-being and health, needing the attention of teachers, school administrators, parents and public health professionals. In this study, we aimed at estimating the prevalence of bullying, from the perspective of victims in middle school students in the region of Monastir Tunisia, as well as analyzing its association with individual and family context variables.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in December 2017 and January 2018 among a sample of students from two middle schools in the region of Monastir (Tunisia), using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) self-answered questionnaire. We defined bullying victimization as being bullied in at least one day in the previous 30 days. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with being bullied.

RESULTS

Out of 802 students included in this study, nearly half (43.4%) reported having been bullied in the past month with CI _95%: 38.9-48.2. Gender did not interact with this behavior: (44.5%; CI _95%: 38.1-51.7) in boys versus (43.4% ; CI _95%: 37.2-50.2) in girls. Univariate analysis indicated significant differences regarding some individual factors such as physical fight, cigarette smoking, feeling lonely and being worried, in terms of prevalence of being bully victims. There were no significant differences in parental factors between the two groups (being bullied or not). Multivariate analysis showed the following factors as independently associated with bullying: being involved in physical fight (OR = 2.4; CI_95%:1.77-3.25), feeling lonely (OR = 3.38; CI_95% :2.04-5.57) and being worried (OR = 2.23; CI _95%:1.44-3.43).

CONCLUSION

Bullying victimization was common among school-going adolescents and was linked with physical fight and psychosocial distress. This study highlights the need for school-based violence prevention programs to address this problem among the students.

The Use of Virtual Reality for Managing Psychological Distress in Adolescents: Systematic Review

Acute and chronic psychological distress are prevalent during adolescence and can have negative impacts on adolescents in all life domains. The aim of this systematic review was to appraise the use of virtual reality (VR) interventions to manage symptoms of psychological distress symptoms among adolescents. MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched up to June 2020. Available citations were de-duplicated and screened by two authors using title and abstract information. A total of 301 articles were retained for full-text evaluation next to eligibility criteria. Empirical studies of all designs and comparator groups were included if these appraised the impact of an immersive VR intervention on any standardized measure indicative of psychological distress in an adolescent sample. Data were extracted into a standardized coding sheet. Results were tabulated and discussed with a narrative synthesis due to the heterogeneity between studies. A total of seven studies met inclusion criteria. There were four randomized controlled trials and three uncontrolled pilot studies on new VR interventions. Distress-related issues included: state-anxiety, venepuncture, risk taking, public speaking anxiety, social anxiety disorder, sexual victimization, and chemotherapy administration. All studies reported significant changes on outcome measures after VR treatment. Six studies reported small-to-large reductions in symptoms. The average attrition rate was 3.6 percent during the active VR treatment phase. Treatment acceptability was high in the studies that assessed user engagement factors. The VR technology can provide a safe, rapidly efficacious, and acceptable treatment modality for managing psychological distress in several key adolescent populations.

Exploring the Utility of Theory-Informed Methodological Approaches in Youth Harassment Research

In comparison to research on youth bullying, less research has been dedicated to youth harassment experiences in school. This study seeks to illustrate youth harassment experiences in school through three theoretically informed methodological approaches to modeling youth victimization: binary, cumulative risk, and attributional approaches. Data come from the 2015 Vermont School Climate Pilot Survey (N = 2,589 students). Students with complete harassment information (N = 2,481) were included. Using theoretically informed methodological approaches, regression models examined the associations between experiencing harassment (binary, attributions, and cumulative) and school connection, safety, and equity. About 16% of the sample experienced some form of harassment during the current school year (2014-2015). The most prominent attributions of harassment include weight (40%), sex (27%), and race (22%). After controlling for sociodemographics, ever experiencing harassment was associated with lower school safety, -0.73 (β), p < .001, lower connection with school, -0.52 (β), p < .001, and lower perceived equity, -0.77 (β), p < .001. Experiencing harassment is negatively related to school climate. The results from these analyses underscore the negative relationship among harassment victimization and several important indicators of school climate including student connection, perceived safety at and to/from school, and perceived equity of school. Theoretically informed methodological approaches in youth harassment research should be advanced to comprehensively assess the relationship between harassment victimization and harassment attributes on the social, academic, and behavioral development of youth.

Prevalence and associated mental health outcomes of child sexual abuse in youth in France: Observations from a convenience sample

CONTEXT

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an important public health problem associated with an array of negative consequences. Although prevalence rates are well established from North America, few studies have focused on the extent of CSA and associated outcomes in youth from France.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to: 1) estimate the prevalence of CSA, 2) assess the associations between CSA and health outcomes while exploring possible gender specificities and 3) document the contribution of revictimization on symptom complexity.

METHOD

The sample involved 2309 participants aged between 14 and 23 years old (M = 19.55). Measures assessing CSA, other forms of child maltreatment and mental health problems were administered. Sexual revictimization and a host of protective factors (resilience, coping strategies, parental support) were also assessed.

RESULTS

CSA was reported by 13.1% of girls and 4.2% of boys. Regression analyses revealed that CSA was associated with all mental health outcomes except alcohol and drug use (other than cannabis) after controlling for sociodemographics and other forms of child maltreatment. Sexual revictimization was associated with symptom complexity. Emotion-centered and avoidance coping predicted symptom complexity while resilience and paternal support acted as protective factors.

LIMITATIONS

The study relied on a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample, which limits the generalizability of results. The small number of boys reporting CSA precludes drawing firm conclusions as to the gender specificities in the outcomes associated with CSA.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings underscore the relevance of developing efficient prevention programs as CSA is linked to a host of negative outcomes.

Breakfast skipping alone and in interaction with inflammatory based quality of diet increases the risk of higher scores of psychological problems profile in a large sample of Iranian adults

The authors investigate the association of breakfast skipping and its interaction with a dietary inflammatory index (DII) with the severity of psychological disorders. A total of 2876 Iranian general adults were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Psychological problems profile score was calculated using the regression method in the framework of factor analysis based on depression, anxiety and psychological distress. The higher scores indicate more severity of mental problem. The frequency of breakfast eating in a week was assessed. Dietary intakes were assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire and twenty-seven items were included in the calculation of DII. In the crude model, individuals who ate breakfast seldom had the highest odds for having worse psychological problems profile (OR 3⋅59; 95 % CI 2⋅52, 5⋅11). Adjustment for various confounders did not change the associations (OR 3⋅35; 95 % CI 2⋅11, 5⋅32). In the adjusted multinomial logistic regression model, participants with high DII (>median) who skipped breakfast had highest risk of being in the higher tertiles of psychological problems profile compared with those who had low DII (<median) and ate breakfast (OR 6⋅67; 95 % CI 3⋅45, 12⋅90). Similar results were observed in women and men regarding the impact of breakfast skipping alone and interaction with DII on scores of psychological problems profile. Breakfast skipping is associated with higher risk of psychological problems. Similar findings were obtained in the stratified analysis by sex. Our findings confirmed that the DII and breakfast skipping are associated with mental health, interactionally. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the true link between breakfast skipping and psychological problems.

Cyberbullying Victimization as a Predictor of Cyberbullying Perpetration, Body Image Dissatisfaction, Healthy Eating and Dieting Behaviors, and Life Satisfaction

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration continues to be a serious public health, criminal justice, victimology, and educational problem in middle schools in the United States. Adolescents are at a higher risk of experiencing cyberbullying as a victim and/or as a bully given the frequency of their use of the Internet via social networking sites such as Facebook and mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets. To address this important problem, the purpose of this investigation was to examine cyberbullying victimization through communication technology as a predictor of cyberbullying perpetration, body image, healthy eating and dieting behaviors, and life satisfaction of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade-level middle school students. The World Health Organization recruited participants by using a Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. In this in-class questionnaire, 6,944 middle school students were asked about their cyberbullying experiences as a victim and as a bully via Internet, email, and mobile communication technologies to obtain their evaluations of their body image, eating and dieting habits, and perceptions of life satisfaction. After controlling for demographic factors such as sex, age, and class level, this study found that cyberbullying victimization was a predictor of cyberbullying perpetration, body image dissatisfaction, dieting behaviors, and life satisfaction. However, this study did not find a correlation between cyberbullying victimization and students' healthy eating behaviors. This study also discussed each of the findings in the context of previous research findings. In addition, the study provides the strengths, limitations, and future directions for the future examination of cyberbullying victimization in middle schools.

Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempts in Chinese Adolescents Involved in Different Sub-types of Bullying: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Bullying tends to peak during adolescence, and it is an important risk factor of self-harm and suicide. However, research on the specific effect of different sub-types of bullying is limited. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between four common forms of bullying (verbal, physical, relational, and cyber) and self-harm, suicidal ideation (SI), and suicide attempts (SA). Method: This was a cross-sectional study of a sample including 4,241 Chinese students (55.8% boys) aged 11 to 18 years. Bullying involvement, self-harm, SI, and SA were measured via The Juvenile Campus Violence Questionnaire (JCVQ). The association was examined through multinomial logistic regression analysis, adjusted for demographic characteristics and psychological distress. Results: Bullying victimization and perpetration were reported by 18.0 and 10.7% of participants. The prevalence of self-harm, SI, and SA were 11.8, 11.8, and 7.1%, respectively. Relational bullying victimization and perpetration were significantly associated with SI only, SI plus self-harm, and SA. Physical bullying victimization and perpetration were risk factors of self-harm only and SA. Verbal victimization was significantly associated with SI only. Cyber perpetration was a risk factor of SA. Conclusions: The findings highlight the different effects of sub-types of bullying on self-harm and suicidal risk. Anti-bullying intervention and suicide prevention efforts should be prior to adolescents who are involved in physical and relational bullying.

Child Sexual Abuse among a Representative Sample of Quebec High School Students: Prevalence and Association with Mental Health Problems and Health-Risk Behaviors

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of child sexual abuse in a representative sample of Quebec high school youths and document its associations with mental health problems and health-risk behaviors.

METHOD

Data were drawn from the Quebec Youths' Romantic Relationships Survey, which involved a one-stage stratified cluster sampling of 34 Quebec high schools from Grades 10 to 12. A total of 8,194 youths (mean age = 15.35) were recruited. The survey assessed child sexual abuse, mental health problems (psychological distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, suicidality), health services utilization, and health-risk behaviors (alcohol, drug, and cannabis use). Gender-stratified multivariate analyses were used to assess associations between child sexual abuse and mental health problems and health-risk behaviors while controlling for confounding demographic variables and other forms of child maltreatment experienced in childhood.

RESULTS

A total of 14.9% of girls and 3.9% of boys reported having experienced child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse was independently associated with an increased risk of psychological distress, greater health services utilization, and increased health-risk behaviors, after controlling for other forms of childhood maltreatment experienced.

CONCLUSIONS

Child sexual abuse is prevalent among youths in Quebec and is associated with an increased risk of a host of negative consequences. Continued efforts in the development of early detection strategies as well as prevention and intervention programs are warranted.

Bullying involvement, psychological distress, and short sleep duration among adolescents

PURPOSE

Previous research has found links between involvement in bullying and sleep duration in adolescents. However, little is known about the factors that might mediate these relationships. This study examined the associations between cyberbullying victimization and school bullying involvement (bully, victim, bully-victim) with short sleep duration in a large sample of middle and high school students and tested whether psychological distress mediates these relationships.

METHODS

Data on 5061 students (49% females; mean age = 15.1 years) from the 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey were used. Participants self-reported their sleep duration and their levels of bullying involvement over the past year. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6) scale. Covariates in multiple linear regression analyses included age, sex, racial background, socioeconomic status, and substance use.

RESULTS

Being a victim of cyberbullying (β = - 1.179; 95% CI - 0.238; - 0.120) or school bullying (β = - 0.119; 95% CI - 0.190; - 0.049) was associated with short sleep duration. Mediation analyses suggested that psychological distress fully mediates the relationships between being cyberbullied, a school bullying victim or bully-victim with short sleep duration. There was a complementary mediation by psychological distress on the relationship between being a bully at school and short sleep duration.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that higher levels of bullying involvement place adolescents at risk of developing higher psychological distress which, in turn, can lead to short sleep duration. Longitudinal research is necessary to confirm the mediating role of psychological distress on the relationship between bullying involvement and short sleep duration among adolescents.

Poor Dietary Habits in Bullied Adolescents: The Moderating Effects of Diet on Depression

The prevalence of bullying has increased dramatically during recent years, with numerous negative consequences for the health and quality of life of bullied adolescents. Although negative psychological consequences of this type of situation have been widely investigated, no previous research has evaluated the effects of bullying victimization on dietary habits, and its relationship with psychological outcomes, such as depression. For this reason, the main aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between bullying, dietary habits, and depression in a sample of 527 Spanish adolescents. The results obtained showed that being bullied was correlated negatively with healthy dietary habits and positively with depression. Moderation analysis revealed dietary habits as moderator of the association between bullying and depression. These results underline the relevance of diet in the phenomenon of bullying, especially in victims, as could be related to the high levels of depression characteristic of this population. The inclusion of nutritional education in intervention programs oriented to victims of bullying might significantly improve their efficacy, reducing depression levels.

The relationship between trauma and weight status among adolescents in eating disorder treatment

A relationship between trauma and eating disorders in adolescence is well established, though less is known about how different types of trauma, apart from childhood sexual abuse, associate with eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of various trauma types in a clinical sample of adolescents presenting at an outpatient eating disorder treatment facility (N = 182). Thirty-five percent of the sample reported experiencing one or more traumatic events during their lifetime. Bullying was the most prevalent type of trauma (10%), followed by significant death/loss (9%), and sexual abuse (8%). Adolescents with any trauma exposure had higher body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, and percent expected body weight (%EBW) compared to those without any trauma exposure. Specifically, patients who were exposed to bullying and domestic violence reported a significantly higher %EBW than those who were not exposed. On average, adolescents exposed to bullying had a %EBW that was 7 percentage points higher than their non-exposed peers. Patients with bulimia nervosa were more likely to report trauma exposure than those with other eating disorder diagnosis. Providers working with adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders of all weight statuses should consider assessing for past and current trauma, including bullying and exposure to domestic violence. Trauma informed approaches to eating disorder treatment are needed to avoid potentially activating or exacerbating trauma related distress for adolescents in eating disorder treatment.

Examining Predictors of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Program Use Among Secondary School Students in the COMPASS Study

BACKGROUND

Many Canadian schools offer breakfast programs; however, students' engagement in these programs is low, while breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among youth. This study examined whether the availability of breakfast programs supports adolescents' regular breakfast eating, and identified characteristics of breakfast skippers who are not using these programs.

METHODS

Data from 30,771 secondary school students from Ontario and Alberta, Canada, participating in Year 3 (2014-2015) of the COMPASS study were used for descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Participants were categorized by self-reported breakfast eating and school breakfast program use.

RESULTS

Sixteen percent of participants reported using school breakfast programs. Breakfast skipping was highly prevalent among participants, regardless of their breakfast program use. Characteristics significantly associated with program use included traveling to school via public transit or a school bus, being a bullying victim, and having a high school connectedness score. A desire to lose weight and non-involvement in school sports were significantly associated with being a "breakfast skipper/nonprogram user."

CONCLUSIONS

School breakfast programs do not consistently support regular breakfast eating, even among adolescents actively engaged in these programs. Future research should identify and evaluate practices to bolster participation in breakfast programs and promote regular breakfast eating among adolescents.

Diet quality and bullying among a cross-national sample of youth

Bullying perpetration and victimization have been linked to a number of high-risk health behaviors, including involvement in sedentary activities and sleep deprivation. Even so, the link between diet quality and bullying is generally overlooked. The present study examines the associations between diet quality, bully perpetration, and bully victimization in a cross-national sample of adolescents. Data come from the Health Behaviors of School Children (HBSC) survey, 2005/2006 (N=142,828-143,425). Youths from 41 countries/regions in North America and Europe reported features of their social context, various health behaviors, and their involvement in bullying. Approximately 11% of youth in the sample bully other youths at least 2-3 times a month, whereas 13% of youth are bullied by other youths at least 2-3 times a month. Logistic regression analyses revealed that youths with low quality diets incurred a 123% increase in the odds of attaining bully status, relative to youths with high quality diets. No such association was detected between diet quality and victim status. Results also suggest that the association between low diet quality and bully perpetration is significantly more pronounced in very developed nations (relative to developed nations). Dietary behaviors may be an important point of intervention in the effort to minimize the prevalence of bullying among youths, particularly in very developed nations. Scholars should seek to build upon the current study by exploring the mechanisms (e.g., low self-control) that might explain the association between diet quality and bullying.

Peer violence perpetration and victimization: Prevalence, associated factors and pathways among 1752 sixth grade boys and girls in schools in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Child peer violence is a global problem and seriously impacts health and education. There are few research studies available in Pakistan, or South Asia. We describe the prevalence of peer violence, associations, and pathways between socio-economic status, school performance, gender attitudes and violence at home.

METHODS

1752 children were recruited into a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted on 40 fairly homogeneous public schools (20 for girls and 20 for boys), in Hyderabad, Pakistan. This was ranging from 20-65 children per school. All children were interviewed with questionnaires at baseline.

RESULTS

Few children had no experience of peer violence in the previous 4 weeks (21.7% of girls vs.7% of boys). Some were victims (28.6%, of girls vs. 17.9% of boys), some only perpetrated (3.3% of girls vs. 2.5%) but mostly they perpetrated and were victims (46.4%.of girls vs 72.6%. of boys). The girls' multivariable models showed that missing the last school day due to work, witnessing her father fight a man in the last month and having more patriarchal gender attitudes were associated with both experiencing violence and perpetration, while, hunger was associated with perpetration only. For boys, missing two or more days of school in the last month, poorer school performance and more patriarchal attitudes were associated with both victimization and perpetration. Witnessing father fight, was associated with peer violence perpetration for boys. These findings are additionally confirmed with structural models.

DISCUSSION

Peer violence in Pakistan is rooted in poverty and socialization of children, especially at home. A critical question is whether a school-based intervention can empower children to reduce their violence engagement in the context of poverty and social norms supportive of violence. In the political context of Pakistan, reducing all violence is essential and understanding the potential of schools as a platform for intervention is key.

The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Background

Negative peer experiences may lead adolescents with overweight and obesity to be less active and engage in more sitting-related behaviors. Our study is among the first to empirically test these associations and hypothesized that 1) peer victimization would mediate the negative association between body weight status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and 2) peer victimization would mediate the positive association between body weight status and screen time. Differences by gender were also explored.

Methods

Participants were a part of the Year 1 data (2012–2013) from the COMPASS study, a prospective cohort study of high school students in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. The final sample consisted of 18,147 students in grades 9 to 12 from 43 Ontario secondary schools. The predictor variable was weight status (non-overweight vs. overweight/obese), the mediator was peer victimization, and the outcome variables were screen time and MVPA. Multilevel path analysis was conducted, controlling for clustering within schools and covariates. A few differences were observed between males and females; therefore, the results are stratified by gender.

Results

For both males and females peer victimization partially mediated the association between weight status and screen time. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity reported 34 more minutes/day of screen time than did females who were not overweight and 2 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing peer victimization. Similarly, males who were overweight/obese reported 13 more minutes/day of screen time than the males who were not overweight and 1 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing more victimization. Males and females who were overweight/obese also reported less MVPA compared to those who were not overweight; however, peer victimization did not mediate these associations in the hypothesized direction.

Conclusions

We found that higher rates of peer victimization experienced by adolescents with overweight and obesity partially explained why they engaged in more screen time than adolescents who were not overweight. However, the effects were small and may be of limited practical significance. Because this is one of the first studies to investigate these associations, more research is needed before bully prevention or conflict resolution training are explored as intervention strategies.

Associations among Screen Time and Unhealthy Behaviors, Academic Performance, and Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents

Screen time is negatively associated with markers of health in western youth, but very little is known about these relationships in Chinese youth. Middle-school and high-school students (n = 2625) in Wuhan, China, completed questionnaires assessing demographics, health behaviors, and self-perceptions in spring/summer 2016. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether, after adjustment for covariates, screen time was associated with body mass index (BMI), eating behaviors, average nightly hours of sleep, physical activity (PA), academic performance, and psychological states. Watching television on school days was negatively associated with academic performance, PA, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Television viewing on non-school days was positively associated with sleep duration. Playing electronic games was positively associated with snacking at night and less frequently eating breakfast, and negatively associated with sleep duration and self-esteem. Receiving electronic news and study materials on non-school days was negatively associated with PA, but on school days, was positively associated with anxiety. Using social networking sites was negatively associated with academic performance, but positively associated with BMI z-score, PA and anxiety. Screen time in adolescents is associated with unhealthy behaviors and undesirable psychological states that can contribute to poor quality of life.

Linking eating and weight control attitudes to relationship experiences: A large-scale survey of adolescent females

OBJECTIVE

To examine the extent to which family conflict, peer bullying and psychological distress account for eating and weight loss attitudes in adolescent females. This study examined the degree to which psychological distress mediated the association between family conflict and eating and weight loss attitudes, and the association of bullying and eating and weight loss attitudes.

METHOD

Females aged between 11 and 17 years (N = 5125) were recruited from schools in the State of Victoria (Australia). Key measures included psychological distress, family conflict, and bullying victimisation.

RESULTS

A structural model showed good fit, and all predictors were significant. Psychological distress mediated the association between eating and weight loss attitudes, and family problems and bullying.

CONCLUSION

Family conflict and peer bullying were associated with eating and weight loss attitudes and this association may occur via psychological distress. Early intervention programs may benefit from a focus on family and peer relationships.

School bus travel is associated with bullying victimization among Canadian male, but not female, middle and high school students

Previous research has found a link between active school transportation and bullying victimization among school-aged children. However, the link with other school travel modes (such as car, school bus, and public transportation) and bullying victimization is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between school travel mode and report of bullying victimization among Canadian middle and high school students. The sample consisted of 5065 students aged 11-20 years (mean age: 15.2±1.9 years; 56% females) who participated in the 2013 Ontario Students Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). Overall, 24.7% of students reported school bullying victimization in the past year. Females (27.2%) were more likely than males (22.3%) to be victims of school bullying (p<0.01). After adjustment for age, ethnicity, subjective socioeconomic status and parental education, multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that, compared to active school transportation, school bus travel to (adjusted odd ratio (OR)=1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.25-2.68) and from (OR=1.79; 95% CI=1.70-2.67) school was associated with greater odds of bullying victimization among males, but not females. However, the use of public transportation to get to school was associated with lower odds of bullying victimization compared to active transportation among females only (OR=0.59; 95% CI=0.36-0.97). These findings suggest that school travel mode should be considered when considering risks for bullying victimization. Bullying prevention efforts should target school buses to make children's commute a safe and enjoyable experience.

Associations between the use of social networking sites and unhealthy eating behaviours and excess body weight in adolescents

Unhealthy eating behaviour and excess body weight have been related to sedentary behaviour, particularly screen time, in adolescents; however, little is known about their associations with the use of social networking sites (SNS). We investigated the associations between time spent using SNS and unhealthy eating behaviours (including breakfast skipping, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and energy drinks) and body weight in adolescents. Data on 9858 students (mean age: 15·2 (sd 1·9) years) in grades 7 through 12 were derived from the 2013 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey – a cross-sectional school-based survey of middle and high school students. The majority (81·5 %) of students reported daily use of SNS and an additional 10·7 % reported using them on an irregular basis. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the use of SNS was associated with increased odds of skipping breakfast (Ptrend<0·01) and consuming SSB (Ptrend<0·01) and energy drinks (Ptrend<0·01) in a dose–response manner with adjustments for age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use as well as BMI. However, there was no evidence of a significant association between use of SNS and BMI before or after adjusting for all the covariates and unhealthy eating behaviours. In conclusion, our results suggest associations between the use of SNS and unhealthy eating behaviours among youth. Given the popularity of SNS, more efforts are needed to better understand the impact of social networks on eating behaviours and risk of excess weight.