Associations among text messaging, academic performance, and sexual behaviors of adolescents

Posttraumatic Stress, Academic Performance, and Future Orientation as Pathways to Community Violence Exposure and Sexual Risk among African American Youth in Chicago's Southside

Posttraumatic stress, low academic performance, and future orientation as pathways from community violence exposure to sexual risk-taking behavior were examined among 753 African American youth in a large urban school district, ranging from ages of 13 to 24 years. Youth completed a self-report instrument. Youth completed a self-report instrument of Exposure to Violence Probe, University of California at Los Angeles' PTSD Reaction Index Adolescent Version, and Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Scale. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine relationships among the major study variables. Results indicated that community violence exposure was not directly associated with sexual risk behavior. However, community violence exposure had a significantly positive impact on posttraumatic stress, which was associated with low future orientation and sexual risk behavior. Findings suggest that targeted interventions need to consider variables that mediate the association between violence exposure and sexual risk behavior, which can reduce poor sexual health outcomes among urban youth who are exposed to violence in their community.

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

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.

National data showed that delayed sleep in six-year-old children was associated with excessive use of electronic devices at 12 years

AIM

Cross-sectional studies have shown associations between adolescent sleep problems and the use of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, but longitudinal studies remain scarce. We explored any association between delayed bedtimes at six years old and the excessive use of electronic devices at 12 years of age. Texting was a prime focus.

METHODS

We analysed 9607 adolescents who owned mobile phones in 2013 using the Japanese Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century, which started in 2001. The outcomes were daily excessive use of a mobile phone, television (TV) and video games.

RESULTS

Delayed bedtime at the age of six years was associated with excessive texting at weekends. The adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals obtained from logistic regression analyses were 1.88 (1.14-3.10) for the 10-11 pm group and 1.98 (1.08-3.63) for the after 11 pm group, compared with the before 9 pm group. Later bedtimes were also associated with increased risks of excessive TV viewing and video game use.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that six-year-olds who regularly stayed up late at night used electronic devices more frequently, or for longer, at the age of 12. Parents need to be more aware of links between sleep issues and electronic devices.