Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem and a Low Happiness Index Are Associated with Poor School Performance in Chilean Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

The Influence of Genetic and Environmental Factors on Anxiety among Chinese Adolescents: A Twin Study

This study explored the influence of genetic and environmental factors on adolescent anxiety. Ninety-eight monozygotic and dizygotic twins from Chongqing, China (aged 15-18 years) were assessed for anxiety with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were applied to assess environmental factors. Venous blood was drawn from the twins for zygosity determination. Structural equation modeling was performed to evaluate the effects of additive genetic factors (A), common environmental factors (C), and individual-specific environmental factors (E) on adolescent anxiety. The estimates of A and E on adolescent anxiety were 0.34 (95% CI = 0.12-0.53) and 0.66 (95% CI:0.47-0.89), respectively. The environment played an important role in adolescent anxiety. Adolescent anxiety was significantly positively correlated with peer relations (r = 0.606, p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with prosocial behavior (r = 0.207, p < 0. 05). No sex differences were observed. Adolescent anxiety was influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The individual-specific environmental factors played an important role. Consideration of these variables will facilitate the targeted and individualized implementation of specific interventions for adolescent anxiety.

Cheers to anxiety: Granger causality insights on alcohol consumption patterns across 13 South American countries

BACKGROUND

The relationship between alcohol consumption and mental health is complex; drinking may exacerbate anxiety, and in turn, anxiety can lead to excessive drinking. This study explores the relationship between alcohol consumption patterns including wine, beer, and spirits, and anxiety prevalence in selected 13 South American nations.

METHODS

This study utilises secondary data spanning 29 years from 1991 to 2019 obtained from the Our World in Data database. It investigates the causal link between the prevalence of anxiety and alcohol consumption in the selected countries using the Granger causality test.

RESULTS

Anxiety was found to have a unidirectional effect on wine and beer consumption in Chile, Suriname, Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, drinking alcohol consumption appears to impact anxiety levels in Brazil. Argentina demonstrates a bidirectional relationship between anxiety and all three types of alcohol consumption, with similar patterns observed in Brazil (wine and beer), Chile (spirits), and Paraguay (spirits).

CONCLUSION

No significant causal relationships for alcohol consumption patterns were found in other nations. The identified Granger causal links follow four distinct directions in this study. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, governments, and international investors for informed decision-making regarding regulation and policy tools.

The Transition from Childhood to Adolescence: Between Health and Vulnerability

Transitioning from childhood into adolescence is an extraordinary time of life, associated with major physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes and characterized by dynamic development in which interaction with the environment modulates the individual resources responsible for well-being and health. This sensitive period is the time when, in addition to hormonal, metabolic, and neural changes, certain behavioral strategies begin to take shape that will shortly go on to define the emotional, social, and cultural identity of the individual. This narrative review aimed to uncover the crucial processes underlying the transition by identifying processes that are responsible for cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional development, in the absence of disease. For this aim, we highlight (1) the physical, psychological, and social determinants during the transition from childhood to adolescence; (2) the role of health-related variables in resilience or vulnerability mechanisms; and (3) recent school-based strategies to promote health and well-being. Recognizing that health and well-being are the result of the interaction of many biological, psychological, social, cultural, and physical factors will lead to comprehensive health promotion involving all actors joining the growth process, from health professionals and the educational community to parents and community. Furthermore, it is important that psychosocial dimensions are strengthened already during childhood to prevent the onset of frailty and illness in adolescence.

An interactive online educational environment to reduce anxiety, improve emotional well-being, and critical thinking for college students

Interactive education can reduce anxiety among students by creating a supportive and supportive learning environment. This approach can also stimulate critical thinking, as it requires active student participation in debates, analysis, and discussions. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of interactive learning on Zoom on the anxiety, emotional well-being, and critical thinking of college students. The experiment involved 80 college students between 18 and 21 years of age. The research was performed by scientists from the [Zhengzhou University of Technology] University. To analyze the impact of the proposed strategy on emotional and cognitive well-being, the study used a set of questionnaires, namely Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, WAM (Well-being Assessment Measure), and Subjective Questionnaire for assessing critical thinking. The obtained results confirm the effectiveness of the interactive learning methodology, which significantly reduced anxiety and increased the level of critical thinking among students. Anxiety decreased by 14 points, and critical thinking improved by 2.5 points, indicating positive dynamics of psychological and cognitive development. Despite the positive results, some contextual factors such as the level of the learning environment, cultural characteristics, and the personalities of students can influence the generalization of the findings. These findings can have practical application in the pedagogical practice of creating a favorable learning environment. Future research may focus on improving the methodology of interactive learning, studying its impact on other aspects of learning and development. It is also necessary to explore the use of interactive learning in various cultural and educational contexts.

Nature and correlates of self-esteem in young adult survivors of childhood traumatic brain injury

Despite growing research linking childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) with reduced wellbeing, self-esteem, and psycho-social health, very few studies have examined self-esteem and its correlates in young adult survivors of childhood TBI. This very-long-term follow-up study evaluated self-esteem in 29 young adults with a history of childhood TBI (M time since injury = 13.84 years; SD = 0.74), and 10 typically developing controls (TDCs). All participants were originally recruited into a larger, longitudinal case-control study between 2007 and 2010. In the current follow-up study, both groups completed well-validated measures of self-esteem and mental health in young adulthood. Although group means for self-esteem did not significantly differ between TBI and TDC groups, a higher proportion of TBI participants rated their self-esteem in the clinical range (TBI group = 17%; TDC group = 0%). While self-esteem was not significantly associated with injury or pre-injury child or family characteristics, lower self-esteem was significantly correlated with greater concurrent feelings of loneliness (p = 0.007) and higher concurrent mood symptoms (p < 0.001).Our results suggest that social isolation and low mood may represent meaningful targets for psycho-social interventions to address poor self-worth in young adults with a history of childhood TBI.

Economic burden of limited English proficiency: A prevalence-based cost of illness study of its direct, indirect, and intangible costs

Aims

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the economic burden of limited English proficiency (LEP) by estimating its direct, indirect, and intangible costs. A secondary objective was to assess the impact of variables on the economic burden.

Design and Setting

A cross-sectional single-arm descriptive study conducted in a learning disability clinic in a public medical college in Mumbai.

Subjects and Methods

The study cases (aged ≥8 years and ≤18 years) were recruited by non-probability sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the parent to collect data related to direct and indirect costs. Intangible cost data were collected by documenting the willingness-to-pay value using the contingent valuation technique.

Statistical Analysis Used

A multivariate regression model was used to assess the impact of predictor variables on the costs.

Results

The direct, indirect, and intangible costs due to LEP were Indian Rupees (INR) 826,736, 3,828,220, and 1,906,300, respectively. Indirect costs comprised 82.2% of the total costs. Expenditure on tuition and remedial education comprised 39.86% and 14.08% of the indirect and direct costs, respectively. The average annual learning disability clinic costs were INR 2,169,146. The average annual total costs per student were INR 42,102. Higher socioeconomic status was predictive of increased "indirect costs", "total costs", and "intangible costs."

Conclusion

LEP is a cost-intensive condition (indirect > intangible > direct costs). Non-medical costs are the costliest component of direct costs. Parental loss of earnings is the costliest component of indirect costs.

Association of adolescent self-esteem in 2014 and cognitive performance in 2014, 2016, and 2018: a longitudinal study

Background

Cognition has long been regarded as a significant factor influencing individuals' lives. Prior studies have underscored that self-esteem is associated with cognition, and there exists a knowledge gap regarding whether self-esteem remains associated with subsequent cognitive performance during adolescence, a crucial period for neurological development and influencing adult outcomes.

Methods

We conducted this population-based study using longitudinal data stretching three waves (2014, 2016, and 2018) of surveys from the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to explore the association between adolescents' self-esteem in 2014 and cognitive performance in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Results

The results of the present study showed that self-esteem during adolescence in 2014 was significantly associated with cognitive performance in 2014, 2016, and 2018. This association remained robust after an extensive range of covariate adjustments (e.g., adolescents, parental, and family characteristics).

Conclusion

The findings in this study provide further insight into the understanding of the related factors for cognitive development across the life course and highlight the importance of improving individual self-esteem during adolescence.

Density-Based Unsupervised Learning Algorithm to Categorize College Students into Dropout Risk Levels

Compliance with the basic conditions of quality in higher education implies the design of strategies to reduce student dropout, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the educational field have allowed directing, reinforcing, and consolidating the process of professional academic training. We propose an academic and emotional tracking model that uses data mining and machine learning to group university students according to their level of dropout risk. We worked with 670 students from a Peruvian public university, applied 5 valid and reliable psychological assessment questionnaires to them using a chatbot-based system, and then classified them using 3 density-based unsupervised learning algorithms, DBSCAN, K-Means, and HDBSCAN. The results showed that HDBSCAN was the most robust option, obtaining better validity levels in two of the three internal indices evaluated, where the performance of the Silhouette index was 0.6823, the performance of the Davies–Bouldin index was 0.6563, and the performance of the Calinski–Harabasz index was 369.6459. The best number of clusters produced by the internal indices was five. For the validation of external indices, with answers from mental health professionals, we obtained a high level of precision in the F-measure: 90.9%, purity: 94.5%, V-measure: 86.9%, and ARI: 86.5%, and this indicates the robustness of the proposed model that allows us to categorize university students into five levels according to the risk of dropping out.

The Impact of Sleep and Mental Health on Working Memory and Academic Performance: A Longitudinal Study

Sleep and mental health can affect cognition and academic performance. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between sleep, mental health, working memory, and academic performance. We collected demographic data from university students during the non-academic summer period and the academic term. We also measured academic performance (GPA), sleep (PSQI), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and disordered social media use (SMDS). Working memory was assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). We assessed 83 students (42.2% male) with a mean age of 21 years. Compared to the non-academic summer period, students had significantly worse sleep and distress scores in the academic term. Anxiety, depression, and distress scores were significantly correlated with worse sleep quality. Despite worse mental health and sleep in the academic term, working memory improved compared to the non-academic summer period and was also correlated with a higher GPA. However, a higher GPA was significantly associated with longer sleep latency, increased sleep disturbances, and increased use of sleep medication. Students experiencing poor sleep suffered from poor mental health, although they maintained high GPA and working memory scores. Cognitive resilience, including higher working memory, may mask poor sleep quality and mental health among university students.

The Effects of Physical Activity on Positive Emotions in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Positive emotions help children and adolescents develop good personalities and interpersonal relationships. Evidence shows that participation in physical activity is associated with positive emotions in young people. However, there is still a lack of studies on the effects of physical activity on positive emotions in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effects of physical activity on positive emotions in children and adolescents.

METHODS

Online databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and APA PsycInfo) were searched from inception to August 2022.

RESULT

A total of 24 articles were eventually included representing 3907 participants from 14 different countries. Overall, the effect of physical activity interventions on positive emotions was significant. The studies revealed that positive emotions were statistically better in the physical activity participation group than in the control group without physical activity (SMD = 0.62, 95% CI: (0.24, 1.01), (p < 0.01). Based on subgroup analyses, we found that participation in aerobic exercise for 30-60 min in adolescents aged ≥12 years had a more significant intervention effect on positive emotions.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that the moods of children and adolescents who participate in physical activity significantly improved compared with the moods of those who do not participate in physical activity. The age, exercise type, and exercise duration of adolescents are important factors influencing the positive emotions resulting from physical activity interventions.

Perception of Cognitive Functions and Academic Performance in Chilean Public Schools

Understanding the perception that students have about their own cognitive processes is a key aspect that allows for a deeper assimilation of the different factors that affect school performance. However, there is limited evidence explaining the link between students' perception of their own cognitive functions and their academic performance. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between perception of cognitive functions, such as memory, processing speed, attention, execution of complex tasks and nervousness, and academic performance in Chilean schoolchildren from the province of Biobio. A cross-sectional analytic design was conducted. The sample consisted of 590 elementary school students (12 ± 1.3 years old; 48.3% female) from Chilean public schools. The academic performance was measured by means of the accumulated final grades in the language, mathematics, physical education and health subjects, and the grade point average (GPA) of each student. Moreover, a survey to measure the cognitive functions of the participants was applied. The results show that 20.3% of the students perceived themselves as very nervous and 16.8% felt distracted. Differences in marks were observed in all the measured subjects, as well as in GPAs, depending on the perception of cognitive functions. Thus, the students with low to moderate perceptions of their cognitive functions received lower marks than those who reported a high perception. These results were consistent after a multivariate analysis adjusted for a socio-educational variables model. In conclusion, one in five public school students in the Biobío Region of Chile expressed a low perception of their cognitive functions, which is consistent with their weaker school performance. Therefore, it is believed that integrating curricular activity and cognitive work could potentially boost the perception of said functions, and thus reduce the risk of poor academic performance.

Effects of Multidimensional Self-Esteems on Health Promotion Behaviors in Adolescents

Objective

To explore the relationships between multidimensional self-esteems and health behaviors among adolescents by demographic background factors, so as to provide an important reference for the intervention of health promotion behavior and self-esteem education in the future.

Methods

Taking adolescents in Chongqing as the object, this paper investigates the students in 24 primary and secondary schools (half of health promotion schools and half of non-promotion schools) by means of Stratified random sampling, and Using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 19.0 statistical analysis software to process the collected data.

Results

1) gender and age significantly affected adolescents' self-esteem and health promotion behavior, which showed that boys's perception of self-esteem was lower than that of girls, while girls were more likely to implement health promotion behavior than boys; 2) Children from two parent families or families with higher parental education are more able to implement health promotion behavior and enjoy higher self-esteem, while family economic status has no effect on adolescents' self-esteem and health promotion behavior; 3) Compared with students in ordinary schools, adolescents in health promotion schools (HPS) have higher self-esteem and can implement health promotion behavior more; 4) The higher the self-esteem of adolescents, the better their health promotion behavior; The higher the sense of interpersonal ability, the more able to implement social support behavior; The higher the sense of physical ability and physiological value, the more able to implement sports behavior; The higher the sense of academic ability, the more able to implement nutritional behavior; The higher the external recognition and physiological value, the better the performance of nutritional behavior and stress management; The higher the internal evaluation, the more able to implement health responsibility and exercise behavior.

Conclusion

Socio-economic background can indeed have a direct or indirect impact on adolescent health promotion behavior, and multidimensional self-esteem can explain about 70% of the variation of health promotion behavior, which seems to suggest that improving adolescent self-esteem is the focus of health promotion and health education in the future.