Effects of perceived attractiveness and academic success on early adolescent peer popularity

Thoughts and concerns of patients at hospital discharge after lumbar spine surgery. A qualitative study

PURPOSE

The increased rate of surgical interventions point to the necessity to investigate the patient's experience from a biopsychosocial perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the thoughts and concerns of patients undergoing spinal surgery for lumbar degenerative disease at the time of their discharge from hospital.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 patients. The questions investigated possible concerns associated to discharging them home. A content analysis was performed by a multidisciplinary group to identify the main themes that emerged from the interviews.

RESULTS

The patients were satisfied with the surgeons' preoperative explanations and description of expected prognosis. However, they were disappointed with the lack of information at hospital discharge, in particular regarding practical and behavioral recommendations. The patients expressed clear concerns about being left alone to deal with possible complications or difficulties they may encounter when returning home.

CONCLUSION

This study underlined the patients' need for a comprehensive psychological guidance and possibly a person of reference during the post-operative process. Discussing discharge with the patient was emphasized as an important issue to improve patients' compliance to the recovery process itself. Putting these elements into practice should help spine surgeons to manage better hospital discharge.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONA comprehensive discussion with the patient at the time of hospital discharge is clearly stressed as an important issue to improve patients' adherence to the recovery process.The patients complained of a lack of information when returning home, in particular regarding practical and behavioral recommendations.The patients expressed clear concerns about possible complications or difficulties they may encounter when returning home and they expressed their need to know whom they can contact for help if needed.A better understanding of the thoughts and concerns of patients undergoing spinal surgery at the time of their discharge from hospital should help spine surgeons to improve the management of hospital discharge and the post-operative recovery.

Policymakers' perceived barriers and facilitators in the use of research evidence in oral health policies and guidelines: a qualitative study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Evidence-informed oral health policies are crucial to improving patient and population outcomes, but policymakers and organisational leaders infrequently systematically incorporate research evidence. Although there is indirect evidence regarding challenges in other healthcare sectors, the use of evidence-informed oral health policies remains unstudied in oral health. This study aims to assess policymakers' perceived needs, barriers and facilitators in using research evidence to inform policies in oral health.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a qualitative study situated within a phenomenological paradigm. We will conduct semistructured interviews with policymakers (5-10) affiliated with key organisations conducting guidance, policy statements, guidelines or any knowledge transfer deliverables in oral health. Organisations will be sampled purposively and with no geographical restrictions. All interviews will be recorded, and an audio transcript will be generated. Subsequently, a researcher will review and validate the transcripts. Data will be analysed using thematic analysis supported by ATLAS.ti software.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was not sought because the study protocol met the criteria for exemption from such review according to the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Spanish legislation (Law 14/2007 of 3 July, on biomedical research). Informed consent will be obtained from all subjects involved in this study. The findings of this study will be shared with participating organisations for feedback, disseminated in conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal adopting open science practices.

STUDY REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework (DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/W4KG7).

Is More Better? Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid Soft Tissue Filler on the Psychological- and Social-Related Quality of Life Dimensions

Background

Hyaluronic acid (HA) soft tissue fillers are popular for volumizing, sculpting, or rejuvenating the face. Their effect beyond these cosmetic benefits remains poorly defined, especially the changes in the psychological and social dimensions of health following cosmetic HA filler injections.

Objectives

To determine whether injecting more facial aesthetic units with HA soft tissue filler will improve the health-related quality of life dimension of patients.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted to assess the psychological and social benefits of treating multiple facial aesthetic units with HA soft tissue filler using 3 validated FACE-Q scales at baseline and 4 weeks posttreatment between January and August 2022.

Results

Data for 28 participants (n = 26 females [93%]; mean age: 49.7 ± 10.1 years) are available and reveal significant improvements on the psychological (+24.5; P < .001) and social functioning (+18.5; P < .001) FACE-Q scales and a reduction in the appearance-related distress score (-17.8; P < .001) posttreatment compared to baseline. A mean volume of 4.7 mL (range 1.0-15.2 mL) was injected. However, patients who had >2 facial aesthetic units injected did not statistically score better on the FACE-Q scales.

Conclusions

Facial treatment with HA fillers was associated with a marked improvement in the health-related quality of life dimension. While understanding patients' aims and motivation, an individualized treatment approach is strongly encouraged instead of a "whole-face" approach.

Level of Evidence 3

Self-Perceptions of Attractiveness and Offending During Adolescence

Despite a well-established body of research demonstrating that others' evaluations of a person's physical attractiveness carry significant meaning, researchers have largely ignored how self-perceptions of physical attractiveness relate to offending behaviors. Applying general strain theory and using eight waves of panel data from the Adolescent Academic Context Study, we explore how self-perceptions of attractiveness relate to offending as youth progress through school. Results demonstrate that youth who perceive themselves as more attractive engage in more-not less-offending. Depression, which is treated as a form of negative affect, does not appear to mediate this relationship. We conclude by raising attention to the possibility that being "good-looking" may actually be a key risk factor for crime.

Residents’ Perception of the Educational Program “Family Medicine” in Kazakhstan: A Focus Group Study

Целью данного исследования было: восприятие обучения, мнение резидентов, обучающихся по программе «Семейная медицина», и определение потребности резидентов программы «Семейная медицина».   Методы . В этом качественном исследовании были проведены четыре полуторачасовых фокус-группы с 24 ординаторами, обучаемыми по программе резидентуры по семейной медицине Западно-Казахстанского университета, и результаты были проанализированы с использованием тематического анализа. Результаты. Анализ появления пяти тем и 14 вопросов подтем, которые были классифицированы по областям для обсуждения в фокус-группах: восприятие особенности ФМ, Мотивация доходов, Преимущества и внешний вид категории товаров, Жалобы и проблемы, пожелания по просмотру программ, идеальное значение имеют. Выводы. Это исследование выявления наличия жителей, которые ранее не учитывались в достаточной мере. Компетенции и содержание программы будут изменены в соответствии с назначением резидентов.

The benefits of beauty – Individual differences in the pro-attractiveness bias in social decision making

While there already is a huge body of research examining the advantages and disadvantages of physical attractiveness in social and economic decisions, little research has been made to explore the role of individual differences in social decision-making with regard to beauty. To close this scientific gap, we conducted a multiparadigm online study (N = 210; 52% females) in which participants were asked to make decisions in four different economic games facing differently attractive counterparts. Additionally, the personality trait agreeableness was assessed to test for individual differences in decision-making. In exploratory analyses, we also assessed which facet of agreeableness is the most appropriate to predict individual differences in the various economic games. In the study, we were able to replicate the finding of a beauty premium and a plainness penalty but did not find any support for the idea of a beauty penalty. Furthermore, evidence for an opposite-sex advantage was found, which was greater when men were facing women than the other way around. While agreeableness as an overall trait influenced decision making across various paradigms, interactions of distinct facets of agreeableness with the partners’ attractiveness remain heterogeneous and ambiguous. This underlines the importance of integrating the specificity of certain traits in experimental research and the necessity of combining them with different social situations.

The impacts of relational capital on self-disclosure in virtual communities

Purpose

This study examines whether relational capital influences self-disclosure behavior through the mechanism of needs-based motivation in virtual communities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts hierarchical linear model (HLM) to differentiate between the relationships at different levels, with 378 online questionnaires recovered from 42 virtual communities.

Findings

The results show that group-level relational capital is positively related to self-disclosure and affects it through the partially mediating mechanism of motivation. Relational capital also strengthens the positive influence of the need to be on trend on individual self-disclosure behavior.

Originality/value

This study makes four research contributions. Firstly, we identify the means by which relational capital established within a virtual community influences user disclosure behavior. This focus differs from those of previous studies, which have emphasized privacy and security of information systems, cost–benefit considerations, and/or adopted personality traits as the research basis. Secondly, this study examines and verifies the mediating mechanism of motivation, establishing an alternative perspective for theoretical studies, and providing future studies with a reference for investigating the self-disclosure behavior of members. Thirdly, this research introduces and verifies the moderating effects of relational capital based on member relationships, thus making further theoretical and empirical contributions. Finally, we adopt HLM to conduct our analyses, thereby ensuring higher precision regarding the explanatory power of group-level explanatory variables for individual-level dependent variables.

The social image of food: Associations between popularity and eating behavior

One factor that determines what we eat and why we eat is our social environment. In the present research, two online studies examined the relationship between food intake and social images. Specifically, the present research assessed the relationship between the food intake university students ascribed to peers who varied in popularity and own self-reported food intake, and whether this relationship was moderated by identification with the peer group. Participants (N = 97 in Study 1; N = 402 in Study 2) were randomly presented with one of four (Study 1) or two of eight (Study 2) vignettes describing a popular or unpopular student (male or female) from their university without receiving any information about the peer's eating behavior. Subsequently, healthy and unhealthy eating ascribed to the peers and own self-reported eating behavior were assessed. Results indicated that popular peers were perceived to eat more healthily than unpopular peers. Moreover, eating behavior ascribed to popular peers were associated with own healthy and unhealthy eating. Importantly, the relationship between healthy eating behavior ascribed to popular peers and own healthy eating behavior was moderated by identification with the student group - the more participants identified with their peers, the more their own eating was aligned with the healthy eating ascribed to a popular peer. Hence, the popularity of others seems to shape perceptions of the food they eat and may facilitate healthy eating via social influence.

Popularity in Early Adolescence: Prosocial and Antisocial Subtypes

The present study was designed to examine early adolescents’ stereotypical descriptions of two types of youth who are seen as popular by their peers. Participants were 13- to 14-year-old early adolescents (N = 287). The results indicated that early adolescents distinguished two types of popular peers: a “populistic” (popular but not necessarily well liked) type and a “prosocial-popular” (popular and well liked and accepted) type. These two types differed in terms of academic and interpersonal behaviors. Populistic adolescents were seen as relationally aggressive, stuck up, vulgar, bullies, and academically disengaged. They were also seen as leaders, influential, and arrogant more than were prosocial-popular adolescents. Adolescents in the latter group were seen as affiliative, helpful, and academically engaged. Both types of popular youth were seen as attractive and fashionable. The implications of these findings for future research on high status in the adolescent peer group are discussed.

The Interaction Between Pubertal Timing and Peer Popularity for Boys and Girls: An Integration of Biological and Interpersonal Perspectives on Adolescent Depression

The transition to adolescence marks a time of sharply increased vulnerability to the development of depression, particularly among girls. Past research has examined isolated risk factors from individual theoretical models (e.g., biological, interpersonal, and cognitive) of depression, but few have examined integrative models. This study investigated the conjoint effects of early pubertal timing and popularity in the longitudinal prediction of depressive symptoms. A total of 319 girls and 294 boys (ages 11–14) provided information on their pubertal status, depressive symptoms, and the social status (i.e., popularity) of their peers. Adolescents completed a second measure of depressive symptoms 11 months after the initial time point. Findings supported an integrated biological-interpersonal model in explaining the development of depressive symptoms during adolescence. Early pubertal development was associated with increase in depressive symptoms only when accompanied by low levels of popularity. High levels of popularity buffered the association between early pubertal development and later depressive symptoms. Unexpectedly, these results were significant both for girls and boys. Results are discussed in terms of dynamic systems theories.

Temperament and peer problems from early to middle childhood: Gene-environment correlations with negative emotionality and sociability

Based in a transactional framework in which children's own characteristics and the social environment influence each other to produce individual differences in social adjustment, we investigated relationships between children's peer problems and their temperamental characteristics, using a longitudinal and genetically informed study of 939 pairs of Israeli twins followed from early to middle childhood (ages 3, 5, and 6.5). Peer problems were moderately stable within children over time, such that children who appeared to have more peer problems at age 3 tended to have also more peer problems at age 6.5. Children's temperament accounted for 10%-22% of the variance in their peer problems measured at the same age and for 2%-7% of the variance longitudinally. It is important that genetic factors accounted for the association between temperament and peer problems and were in line with a gene-environment correlation process, providing support for the proposal that biologically predisposed characteristics, particularly negative emotionality and sociability, have an influence on children's early experiences of peer problems. The results highlight the need for early and continuous interventions that are specifically tailored to address the interpersonal difficulties of children with particular temperamental profiles.

'We are looked down upon and rejected socially': a qualitative study on the experiences of trafficking survivors in Nepal

Background

The successful reintegration of sexual trafficking survivors into Nepalese society is challenging. This paper aims to explore the trafficking process, abuses faced during sexual slavery,and the challenges faced by women and girl survivors for successful reintegration.

Method

This exploratory study used qualitative methods to identify that poverty, illiteracy, lack of opportunities, and varied social stigma initiate the victimization process, and continuity of this vicious circle increases the risk for (re)entrapment.

Result

The reasons for sexual trafficking have also become the reasons for restricting survivors from opportunities for growth and mainstreaming.

Conclusion

Non-existent support systems, detachment from familial ties, being outcast by society, and an uncertain livelihood make reintegration difficult for survivors.

Behavioral Correlates of Prioritizing Popularity in Adolescence

Little is known about individual differences in adolescents' motivation to achieve and maintain popularity. This study examined the moderating effects of prioritizing popularity on the associations between popularity and adjustment outcomes in late adolescence. Participants were 314 Dutch eleventh-grade students (M _age = 16.83 years; 52 % male) who completed measures of popularity, prioritizing popularity, and prosocial, antisocial, and risk behaviors. It was hypothesized that associations between popularity and adjustment outcomes are stronger for adolescents who prioritize popularity. The results indicate that the combination of being popular and valuing popularity was strongly related to antisocial and risk behaviors, but not to prosocial behaviors. Adolescents' social status motivations thus play an important role in the association of popularity with antisocial and risk behaviors in late adolescence.

Systematic Review: Psychosocial Interventions for Children and Young People With Visible Differences Resulting From Appearance Altering Conditions, Injury, or Treatment Effects

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate critically the evidence of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children/young people (<18 years old) with visible differences in improving self-esteem, social experiences, psychological well-being, and behavioral outcomes.

METHODS

Studies were systematically identified using electronic databases, appraised according to eligibility criteria and evaluated for risk of bias. Findings were reported using the PRISMA checklist.

RESULTS

Studies were identified that evaluated residential social camps, exercise with counseling, social skills training (SIST), behavioral therapy (BT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Risk of bias within studies was high. Camp studies and exercise with counseling showed little or no effect postintervention on self-esteem, social experiences, and psychological well-being. The five studies evaluating SIST, CBT, and BT provided limited support for their effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence base is inconclusive. Further rigorous research using appropriate outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for young people with visible differences is required.

Comparison of dental esthetic perceptions of young adolescents and their parents

OBJECTIVES

To compare dental esthetic perceptions of adolescents at age 13 with those of parents and to assess associations with dental fluorosis.

METHODS

Adolescents aged 13 underwent dental examinations for fluorosis on maxillary anterior teeth using the Fluorosis Risk Index. Adolescents and parents completed questionnaires concerning satisfaction with adolescents' dental appearance. McNemar and Bowker tests of symmetry were used for comparisons of esthetics ratings between parents and adolescents. Comparison of satisfaction between subjects with fluorosis and subjects with no fluorosis was made using Cochran-Armitage Trend and Fisher's Exact tests.

RESULTS

From 376 adolescents included in the study, 26 percent had definitive fluorosis, mostly at a mild level. Fifteen percent of adolescents were dissatisfied with dental appearance, and concerns were mainly about color (45 percent) and alignment (35 percent). Adolescents were less satisfied with overall dental appearance (P < 0.001) and color (P = 0.048) and more concerned about tooth shape (P = 0.002) than were their parents. Fluorosis status (yes/no) was not significantly associated with adolescents' perceptions (P > 0.05). Parents of subjects with fluorosis were more dissatisfied with dental appearance (P = 0.014) and color (P < 0.001) than other parents. The number of maxillary anterior zones exhibiting fluorosis was negatively associated with adolescent (P = 0.03) and parent (P = 0.002) satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents generally had less satisfaction with dental appearance and color, and were more concerned with tooth shape than were parents. For both parents and adolescents, decreased satisfaction was associated with the number of zones with definitive fluorosis.

Cosmetic medical treatments: why are we so obsessed with beauty-is it nature or nurture?

Cosmetic medical treatments have become mainstream, and images of beauty surround us on television, in magazines, and in advertising. It is no wonder that the quest for beauty has become so prevalent. This paper explores why individuals choose to undergo cosmetic procedures, and looks at the nature versus nurture debate surrounding this phenomenon. It is important for nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, or other healthcare professionals involved in the cosmetic surgery field to understand the underlying motivations for choosing to undergo elective cosmetic procedures in order to make appropriate choices about their patients' care. The first theory in this article is rooted in the "nature" school-of-thought and explores the evolutionary basis behind the quest for beauty. It shows that we may be 'hardwired' to think that our appearance signals our reproductive capability (D. B. Sarwer, L. Magee, & V. Clark, 2004) and that human physical attractiveness is merely a collection of physical traits that signal fecundity and health (V. Swami, C. Greven, & A. Furnham, 2007). The "nurture" concept focuses on the second theory, the sociocultural theory, which implies that people who choose to use cosmetic medical treatments to enhance their appearance may be attempting to increase their self-image or self-perception, improve their social relationships, and increase their probability of success across a variety of social situations. Other minor theories such as the estrogen theory and the psychological theory are discussed, along with implications for practice. All of these theories are valuable to the healthcare professional and allow a deeper understanding of the psyche of their patients.

Emerging adults' perceptions of messages about physical appearance

Emerging adults receive messages about physical appearance from a range of sources, but few studies have examined the content of these messages. Undergraduates (N=154) who identified as African American, Latino American, and European American answered 4 open-ended questions about messages they perceived about physical appearance from family, peers, school, and media. Raters coded responses for content and affect. The most common messages perceived were the importance/non-importance of appearance, positive comments about appearance, and the link between attractiveness and success. The perception of these messages frequently differed by gender and source, but rarely by ethnicity. Women perceived more frequent and more negative messages than did men. Individuals perceived the media as transmitting more negative messages and the family more healthful and positive ones.

Peer acceptance and social behavior during childhood and adolescence: How important are appearance, athleticism, and academic competence?

Efforts to identify factors associated with peer acceptance have historically focused on behavioral and social cognitive processes, whereas less empirical attention has focused on the impact of children's other personal attributes and competencies that are not inherently a component of social competence. The current study examined the association of three such nonsocial attributes — physical attractiveness, athleticism, and academic competence — with peer acceptance and whether these associations vary as a function of gender and development. In addition, we examined the extent to which peer perceptions of these attributes were associated with positive and negative patterns of social behavior and whether child attributes accounted for unique variance in peer acceptance above and beyond indices of social behavior. Use of a large ( N = 3183) sample of students in grades 2—10 allowed examination of whether the associations of child attributes, social behavior, and peer acceptance varied as a function of development or gender. All three attributes consistently accounted for unique variance in social acceptance and behavior, although their relative importance varied. Child gender and grade level were significant, but not universal, moderators of these associations.

Peer-Perceived Admiration and Social Preference: Contextual Correlates of Positive Peer Regard Among Suburban and Urban Adolescents

The primary purpose of this study was to understand further the heterogeneity of popularity, by exploring contextual correlates of two dimensions of positive peer regard among seventh graders within two highly disparate sociodemographic groups: affluent suburban and low-income urban (N = 636). Three sets of attributes were examined, all consistently linked to social status in past research: rebellious behaviors (aggression, academic disengagement, delinquency, and substance use), academic application (effort at school and good grades), and physical attributes (attractiveness and athletic ability). The data provide empirical validation for the conceptual distinctions among peer-perceived admiration and social preference with adolescents from diverse contexts. More specifically, results showed that within each socioeconomic context (a) some forms of rebellious behaviors are clearly admired, (b) prosocial attributes are linked with peer-perceived admiration and social preference, (c) physical attractiveness and athletic skills are important for positive peer regard, the former particularly for suburban girls and the latter for suburban boys, and (d) aggression elicits admiration among early adolescents, but can also generate their disdain (i.e., lowered social preference). In the urban context, results provided evidence for the salience of distinct forms of rebellious and achievement oriented behaviors among different racial/ethnic groups as well.

Constructing a Prospective Model of Psychosocial Adaptation in Young Adolescents with Spina Bifida: An Application of Optimal Data Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To examine how individual- and family-level predictors in late childhood and preadolescence relate to psychosocial adaptation (i.e., scholastic success, social acceptance, and positive self-worth) in early adolescence.

METHOD

This prospective longitudinal study includes 68 families of children with spina bifida and 68 comparison families of healthy children. Multimethod, multiinformant data were evaluated via optimal data analysis (ODA) and classification tree analysis (CTA) techniques.

RESULTS

Factors best predicting psychosocial adaptation in early adolescence included (a) intrinsic motivation, (b) estimated verbal IQ, (c) behavioral conduct, (d) coping style, and (e) physical appearance. There were no significant group (spina bifida vs. able-bodied) effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The final classification model correctly classified 77.8% of the total sample, indicating that this model had significant predictive capabilities. Results suggested that processes leading to psychosocial adaptation may be similar for youth with and without chronic illness.

The relationship between friendship factors and adolescent girls' body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether poorer friendship relations predict weight concerns and dietary restraint in adolescent girls.

METHOD

Questionnaires were administered to 131 Year 9 and Year 10 girls to assess the relationship between acceptance by friends, perceived social support, friendship intimacy, and perceived impact of thinness on male (PITOF-M) and female (PITOF-F) friendships on the one hand, and body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating on the other.

RESULTS

Friendship variables contributed significantly to the prediction of body image concern, body dissatisfaction, and restrained eating. The largest unique contribution to prediction was from the PITOF-M. Poor acceptance by friends significantly predicted the PITOF-M and PITOF-F. Whereas heavier girls were more likely to believe being thinner would improve their friendships, they did not experience poorer friendships.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest sociocultural risk factors for disordered eating and underline the importance of perceived peer affiliation on girls' body image concern and dieting.

Physical appearance and cosmetic medical treatments: physiological and socio-cultural influences

This paper reviews the physiological and socio-cultural literatures on the role of physical appearance in daily life and its potential influence on the decision to pursue cosmetic medical treatments. The role of physical appearance in evolutionary theory is discussed. Physiological theories of beauty, drawn from both animal and human research, are reviewed. Socio-cultural influences on physical appearance are considered by tracing changes in ideals of beauty over the last century. The paper then reviews the literature concerning the relationship between a person's physical appearance and how they are treated throughout their lives. The growing awareness of this 'beauty bias' may influence the decision to alter one's physical appearance through cosmetic procedures.