The association between social media use and physical activity among Canadian adolescents: a Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between social media use (SMU) and physical activity (PA) among Canadian adolescents.

METHODS

We used data from 12,358 participants in grades 6 to 10 who responded to the Canadian component of the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Social media intensity and problematic SMU were assessed using a 4-point mutually exclusive scale that contained three categories based on intensity (non-active, active, and intense SMU) and one category based on the presence of addiction-like symptoms irrespective of intensity (problematic SMU). PA was assessed for five domains (i.e., school curriculum, organized sport, exercise, outdoor play, and active transport) and dichotomized using the first quartile to represent high PA engagement in each domain. Meeting PA recommendation of 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous PA was calculated using the sum of the five domains. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between SMU and PA, with active SMU used as the reference group for all models.

RESULTS

Non-active SMU was associated with lower odds of meeting the daily PA recommendations and of high engagement in all five domains of PA when compared to active SMU. Intense SMU was associated with higher odds of meeting the daily PA recommendations. Problematic SMU was not associated with meeting daily PA recommendations, but it was significantly associated with lower odds of high PA engagement in the exercise domain.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that non-active SMU was significantly associated with lower PA levels. Problematic SMU was only significantly associated with lower PA levels in the exercise domain. Intense SMU was associated with higher odds of meeting the PA recommendation.

[The problematic use of the mobile phone: cross-sectional analysis of the individual profile and associated factors.]

OBJECTIVE

The problematic use of mobile phones is a phenomenon that can be associated with a specific individual profile and it has been seen that there are associated factors, although most of them have been studied in a limited way and in small samples. The aim of this study was to describe the association between the problematic use of the mobile phone and social traits, health, and health-related behaviors among high school students.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study performed in a representative sample of students aged 13-18 years in the Lifestyle Risk Factors in Secondary School Students (FRESC) survey conducted in 2016 in Barcelona (n=3,778). Problematic mobile phone use was obtained from the Mobile Related Experiences Questionnaire (CERM). Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess the relationship between this variable and social, health and behavioural variables.

RESULTS

A total of 52% of girls and 44% of boys reported frequent or occasional problems with their mobile phone usage. The factors associated with the dependent variable were poor relationships with the family, mobile phone usage before sleeping or during dinner, inadequate hours of sleep, sedentariness, substance consumption and poor mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

The problematic use of the mobile is frequent among students and there are several associated social, health and behavioral factors. There are substantial differences by sex and age, with the strongest associations in younger girls.

The Diffusion of Smoking: Association Between School Tobacco Policies and the Diffusion of Adolescent Smoking in 38 Schools in 6 Countries

Social network research has evidenced the role of peer effects in the adoption of behaviours. Little is known, however, about whether policies affect how behaviours are shared in a network. To contribute to this literature, we apply the concept of diffusion centrality to school tobacco policies and adolescent smoking. Diffusion centrality is a measure of centrality which refers to a person's ability to diffuse a given property-in our case, smoking-related behaviours. We hypothesized that stronger school tobacco policies are associated with less diffusion centrality of smoking on school premises and of smoking in general. A whole network study was carried out in 2013 and 2016 among adolescents (n = 18,805) in 38 schools located in six European cities. Overall, diffusion centrality of smoking in general and of smoking on school premises significantly decreased over time. Diffusion centrality of smoking significantly decreased both in schools where the policy strengthened or softened over time, but for diffusion of smoking on school premises, this decrease was only significant in schools where it strengthened. Finally, stronger school tobacco policies were associated with lower diffusion centrality of smoking on school premises and of smoking in general, though to a lesser extent. With such policies, smoking may, therefore, become less prevalent, less popular, and less clustered, thereby lowering the risk of it spreading within networks in, and even outside the school.

E-cigarette use and conventional cigarette smoking among European students: findings from the 2019 ESPAD survey

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Representative data on e-cigarette use among European adolescents are scant. This study reports current vaping and tobacco smoking individual and country-specific correlates among European students.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey: 2019 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) collecting data on risk behaviours on a representative sample of 16-year-old students.

SETTING

A total of 35 European countries, 25-30 with Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) and TCS components PARTICIPANTS: A total of 99 648 students (49.1% males) turning 16 years in the survey year.

MEASUREMENTS

Data on current cigarette and e-cigarette use were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire which also collected socio-demographics and individual and family characteristics. ESPAD data were integrated with country-level data on TCS and selected TCS parameters to assess their association with the prevalence of current cigarette and e-cigarette use.

FINDINGS

Of the 99 648 participating students, 12.4% were current e-cigarette users, from 5.5% in Serbia to 41.4% in Monaco; 19.3% current smokers, from 5.1% in Iceland to 32.4% in Italy. Compared with non-users, current e-cigarette users less frequently came from an average well-off family [odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.80-0.90] and lived in countries with higher cigarette prices (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.50-0.99), restrictive measures on tobacco advertising and promotion (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63-0.99) and intermediate implementation of tobacco control measures (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.85). Current vapers were more frequently life ever smokers (OR = 7.31, 95% CI = 6.47-8.25), were early smokers (OR = 4.35, 95% CI = 3.66-5.17), males (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.55-1.67), from non-traditional families (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.34-1.53), with relatively low parental education (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.10-1.20). Compared with non-smokers, current smokers had similar family characteristics to vapers, and were less likely to live in countries with higher cigarette prices (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.49-0.99) and higher spending on public anti-tobacco media campaigns (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.10-0.50).

CONCLUSIONS

E-cigarette use among European adolescents is associated with weaker tobacco control measures, particularly on tobacco price, advertising and promotion. Besides preventing tobacco smoking, the adoption of governmental tobacco control policies in European countries also seems to contribute to the prevention of vaping among adolescents.

Social network support and risk factors for obesity and overweight in adolescents

AIM

To determine the relationship between social support in social networks and risk factors of overweight and obesity including healthy lifestyles and perceived barriers in adolescents.

METHOD

Descriptive and cross-sectional study with adolescents from a public high school in Nuevo León, Mexico. Anthropometric measurements were determined to obtain body mass index, behavioural measurements for perceived barriers to healthy eating and physical activity, as well as healthy lifestyles.

RESULTS

A total of 188 adolescents participated, male sex predominated at 55.9%, mean age was 16.1 years. From them, 52.1% were overweight, less than half of the adolescents reported having friends on social networks (37.8%); 52% of overweight participants need changes in their diet and the majority reported low physical activity (82.7%). There is a correlation between social support in social networks and perceived barriers to physical activity in overweight adolescents (r₂ 0.144; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the adolescents do not have an adequate diet or perform recommended physical activity, one of the main causes is lack of motivation as a perceived barrier. Social networks represent a tool for nursing staff to promote health and develop interventions aimed at preventing disease in a global context in digital transition.

Comprehensive sexuality education in Hong Kong: study protocol for process and outcome evaluation

Background

Hong Kong lacks comprehensive school-based sexuality education. Recent public health concerns have brought the inadequacies of sex education in Hong Kong to the forefront. The aim of the proposed study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive school-based sexuality education program in Hong Kong.

Methods

The proposed study is a prospective longitudinal study implemented in six secondary schools in Hong Kong over two academic years. The study adopts an ecological approach providing informational workshops for students, teachers and school management, social workers and guidance counsellors and parents. Study outcomes will be evaluated through pre- and post-tests.

Results

Key outcomes of interest among students include sexual health knowledge, awareness of values motivating healthy sexual decisions, understanding and efficacy of sexual communication and intention to use contraception. Among school employees and parents key outcomes include self-efficacy to engage in sexual health discussions with students/children, sexual health knowledge and awareness of Hong Kong community sexual health resources.

Conclusions

The proposed study will result in the development of a tested school-based culturally relevant comprehensive sexual health education program. Ultimately, this program aims to not only empower adolescents and their trusted adults in building a supportive environment for sexual health promotion but also construct a learning network to generate longitudinal evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sexuality education in improving sexual health outcomes. The program has the potential for expansion through widespread adoption in Hong Kong schools to benefit more adolescents and reduce the medical and societal burdens related to crisis pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and sexual abuse.

Risk factors associated with knife-crime in United Kingdom among young people aged 10-24 years: a systematic review

Background

Since 2013, the number of violent crimes and offences by sharp instruments have increased continually, following a previous decrease, with majority of cases occurring among young people and in London. There is limited understanding surrounding the drivers influencing this change in trends, with mostly American-based research identifying risk factors.

Methods

The aim of this review is to identify and synthesise evidence from a range of literature to identify risk factors associated with weapon-related crime, for young people (aged 10–24 years) within the UK.

A search strategy was generated to conduct a systematic search of published and grey literature within four databases (EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, and OpenGrey), identifying papers within a UK-context. Abstracts and full texts were screened by two independent reviewers to assess eligibility for inclusion, namely study focus in line with the objectives of the review. Weight of Evidence approach was utilised to assess paper quality, resulting in inclusion of 16 papers. Thematic analysis was conducted for studies to identity and categorise risk factors according to the WHO ecological model.

Results

No association was found between gender or ethnicity and youth violence, contrasting current understanding shown within media. Multiple research papers identified adverse childhood experiences and poor mental health as positively associated with youth and gang violence. It was suggested that community and societal risk factors, such as discrimination and economic inequality, were frequently linked to youth violence.

A small number of studies were included within the review as this is a growing field of research, which may have led to a constrained number of risk factors identified. Due to heterogeneity of studies, a meta-analysis could not be conducted. As many studies displayed positive results, publication bias may be present.

Conclusions

Several risk factors were identified, with evidence currently heterogeneous with minimal high-quality studies. However, findings highlight key areas for future research, including the link between poor mental health and knife-crime, and the trajectory into gangs. Risk factors should help identify high-risk individuals, targeting them within mitigation strategies to prevent involvement within crime. This should contribute to efforts aimed at reducing the rising crime rates within UK.

Systematic review registration number

CRD42019138545.

Registered at PROSPSERO: 16/08/2019.

[Experience of "Descansos activos mediante ejercicio (¡Dame 10!)" program implementation in high school.]

OBJECTIVE

Several studies show the benefits of physical activity-based breaks programs for Pre-school and Elementary School students and their effectiveness to increase the amount of physical activity done during school hours. However, these programs are not intended for High School students. The objective of this study was to implement "¡Dame10!" program with a High School group of students and to assess the results.

METHODS

"¡Dame 10!" activities were designed and enforced at first High School grade during four weeks at a private school of Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education located in San Cristóbal de la Laguna. 54 students and 9 teachers took part. Several surveys were fulfilled to determine participants' assessment about programs' benefits and opinion through the QuickTapSurvey® web application, from which the results were obtained automatically in the form of percentages.

RESULTS

The number of participants' physical activity during school hours increased by 50%. 75.8% of the students felt more active, 58.5% more motivated and 51% showed a better attitude after the activities. 87.5% of teachers considered possible the daily implementation of "¡Dame 10!".

CONCLUSIONS

"¡Dame 10!" was effective to increase the amount of physical activity students do during class schedule and provided additional benefits related to attitude and behaviour in the classroom. Likewise, both teachers and students considered possible its application in High School.

How can a ban on tobacco sales to minors be effective in changing smoking behaviour among youth? - A realist review

The aim of the study was to understand, from the perspective of youth, how and under which circumstances a ban on tobacco sales to minors can be effective in influencing youth smoking behaviour. We searched Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO in February 2016. A systematic search for studies about a ban on sales to minors and smoking behaviour was performed. Only studies that addressed potential mechanisms were included, resulting in thirty-three studies. We extracted evidence from 26 quantitative, 5 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods studies, explaining how the ban may be effective in reducing smoking behaviour, and contextual factors that may influence these mechanisms. We identified two mechanisms and three contra-mechanisms. First, when direct access to commercial sources is limited, cigarette consumption may be reduced because minors have restricted access to commercial cigarettes. Minors' access to social sources and the various ways in which they continue to buy cigarettes by circumventing the ban, are two contra-mechanisms that undermine this effect. Second, when the ban is strongly enforced, an anti-smoking norm may be created and adolescents may smoke less as a result. One contra-mechanism may possibly undermine this effect: the 'forbidden fruit' effect. Whether these (contra-)mechanisms occur depends on contextual and individual factors such as level of enforcement, the minors' social network, and their dependence on smoking. The ban can be effective if well enforced. However, minors' access to social sources and their ways to circumvent the ban should be addressed to achieve its full potential.

What could keep young people away from alcohol and cigarettes? Findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study

Background

Adolescents are vulnerable to risky behaviours that are likely to co-occur. We examined whether happiness, awareness of alcohol- or smoking-related harm or the size of friendship networks would be longitudinally associated with young people’s risky behaviours.

Methods

We used available cases (N=1,729) from adolescents aged between 10 and 15 who participated in waves 2 and 3 of the UK Longitudinal Household Study that has annually collected population representative data from 40,000 UK households. The outcome variable was patterns of cigarette and alcohol use among adolescents (1= persistent non-use; 2= ex-use; 3= initiation; 4= persistent use) that we derived by tabulating current alcohol or cigarette use at waves 2 and 3. Explanatory variables were scores on participants’ perception of overall happiness, awareness of harm due to alcohol and cigarette use, and supportive friendship network size, collected at wave 2. Covariates were participants’ sex, age, base level of self-reported health status, reported religious affiliation, and household social position. All estimates were corrected for the complex survey design and non-response. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test assumed associations by taking persistent cigarette and alcohol use as the reference category.

Results

Findings showed higher happiness scores were longitudinally associated with adolescents’ persistent non-use (RRR=1.06, 95% CI=1.01-1.13). Awareness of alcohol or cigarette use-related harm was longitudinally associated with persistent non-use (RRR=1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.35) as well as initiation of alcohol or cigarette use (RRR=1.21, 95% CI=1.11-1.32).

Conclusion

Joint interventions to promote happiness and harm awareness could help young adolescents from engaging with drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

[Changes in hazardous drinking in Spanish adolescent population in the last decade (2004-2013) using a quantitative and qualitative design]

Objetivo

Conocer los cambios del consumo alcohólico de riesgo en los adolescentes en la última década, así como sus motivaciones y vivencias.

Diseño

1) descriptivo transversal: encuesta autoadministrada; 2) cualitativo explicativo: grupos de discusión videograbados, con análisis de contenido (codificación, triangulación de categorías y verificación de resultados).

Emplazamiento y participantes

Alumnos de un instituto urbano de educación secundaria, administrando un cuestionario cada 3 años de 2004 a 2013. En el año 2013 se realizan las entrevistas grupales, con muestreo de conveniencia. Criterio de homogeneidad: nivel educativo; criterios de heterogeneidad: edad, sexo y consumo de drogas.

Mediciones principales

Cuestionario: edad, sexo, consumo de drogas y cuestionario CAGE. Entrevistas: semiestructuradas sobre un guión previo, valorando vivencias y expectativas.

Resultados

Descriptivo: 1.558 encuestas, edad 14,2 ± 0,3 años, 50% mujeres. Disminuye la prevalencia de consumo de alcohol (13%), aumentando el consumo de riesgo (11%; p < 0,001 χ²). Relacionado con ser mujer (p < 0,01 χ²), mayor consumo alcohólico (> 6 unidades de bebida estándar/semana; p < 0,001 ANOVA) en fin de semana (56%; p < 0,01 χ²) y policonsumo (p < 0,01 χ²). Cuestionario CAGE: 37% ≥ 1 respuesta positiva (relacionado con consumo de riesgo, p < 0,05 χ²), 18% ≥ 2 respuestas.

Cualitativo

: 48 entrevistados; se establecen 4 categorías: determinantes personales (edad, género), influencias sociales (familia, amigos), normalización del consumo (accesibilidad, ocio nocturno) y adicción (riesgo, policonsumo).

Conclusión

Es preocupante el aumento del porcentaje del consumo alcohólico de riesgo, pese a disminuir las prevalencias del consumo. Se relaciona con el sexo femenino, el consumo binge-drinking y el policonsumo. El ocio nocturno y la normalización social son las principales motivaciones argumentadas por los adolescentes, sin percepción del riesgo de este tipo de consumo.

Prenatal mercury exposure and offspring behaviour in childhood and adolescence

BACKGROUND

There is considerable discussion over the possible harm caused by fetal exposure to mercury, but evidence of such harm is contradictory at levels commonly found in populations with moderate intakes of fish. Further information is needed to inform debate and clarify policy recommendations.

MATERIAL

Data were collected prospectively for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Whole blood taken in the first half of pregnancy was assayed for mercury. The outcomes were offspring behavioural assessments collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at seven time points between ages 4 and 16-17 years; five were completed by the mother and two by the teacher. Socioeconomic and biological confounders were first taken into account; further analyses added maternal blood selenium. Separate analyses compared the relationships between prenatal mercury levels and behaviour traits treated as continuous measures in women who ate fish with those who ate no fish in order to determine whether the relationships differed; the hypothesis was that fish consumption had benefits on the brain and masked any mercury effects. In order to prevent Type II errors, the P value for significance was set at 0.10.

RESULTS

Prenatal mercury measurements and offspring behaviour results were available for between 2776 (at 47 months) to 1599 mother-child pairs (at 16-17 years). Even given a P value of 0.10, the number of significant results was no greater than expected apart from the relationships with peer problems at 4, 6 and 10-11 years where the relationships with prenatal mercury were negative (i.e. the greater the level of mercury the fewer the problems the child had with his/her peers). There were no significant differences between the associations with mercury found among the offspring of women who ate fish in pregnancy and those who did not, nor did adjustment for selenium make a difference.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no adverse effects of maternal prenatal mercury levels on the behaviour of the offspring. A similar lack of relationship was found when the analyses were confined to those offspring whose mothers had eaten fish in pregnancy, and no consistent differences were found between the fish and non-fish eaters.

Involvement of school students in fights with weapons: prevalence and associated factors in Brazil

Background

Violence, as well as other behaviors, is often intensified during adolescence and early adulthood. The objective of this study is estimate the prevalence of Brazilian school students involvement in fights with weapons and to analyze the associated factors.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using data from the National School Student Health Survey conducted in 2012 with 9^th grade elementary school students attending 2842 schools in all 27 Brazilian Federative Units. The outcome studied was involvement in fights with firearms and/or cold weapons in the 30 days prior to the interview. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). The analyses were stratified by sex.

Results

Fifty seven thousand and eighty nine female students and 52,015 male students were included; the prevalence of their involvement in fights with weapons was 7.2 (95 % CI 6.9–7.5) and 13.8 (95 % CI 13.4–14.3), respectively. In the adjusted analysis the factors associated with male student involvement in fights with weapons were: being older, working, having smoked a cigarette, consumed alcoholic beverages and illicit drugs recently, insomnia, not having any close friends, skipping classes without parental supervision, having suffered aggression from a family member, reporting feeling unsafe on the way to or from school and/or at school. The same associated factors were found among female students in addition to not living with their father and/or mother and having suffered bullying. There was no association with type of school in either sex.

Conclusion

Involvement in fights with weapons was greater among older male students. Health-risk behaviors, mental health characteristics, parental supervision and context of violence also showed association with the outcomes.

Adolescent drinking, social identity, and parenting for safety: Perspectives from Australian adolescents and parents

We explored young people and parents' views on adolescent drinking and safety in the locations where drinking may occur. Focus groups with adolescents and parents showed that many believed adolescent drinking and drunkenness is normative. Younger adolescents had more negative views of adolescent drinkers than their older peers. Adolescent drinking occurred in private settings and parents made decisions about allowing their adolescent children to attend social events based on the level of safety attributed to the location. If adolescent drinking was likely then home was the preferred location as it provided scope for risk minimisation. Positive portrayals of non-drinking adolescents and information to assist parents' decision-making are needed.

Caffeine consumption and self-assessed stress, anxiety, and depression in secondary school children

Previous research suggests that effects of caffeine on behaviour are positive unless one is investigating sensitive groups or ingestion of large amounts. Children are a potentially sensitive subgroup, and especially so considering the high levels of caffeine currently found in energy drinks. The present study used data from the Cornish Academies Project to investigate associations between caffeine (both its total consumption, and that derived separately from energy drinks, cola, tea, and coffee) and single-item measures of stress, anxiety, and depression, in a large cohort of secondary school children from the South West of England. After adjusting for additional dietary, demographic, and lifestyle covariates, positive associations between total weekly caffeine intake and anxiety and depression remained significant, and the effects differed between males and females. Initially, effects were also observed in relation to caffeine consumed specifically from coffee. However, coffee was found to be the major contributor to high overall caffeine intake, providing explanation as to why effects relating to this source were also apparent. Findings from the current study increase our knowledge regarding associations between caffeine intake and stress, anxiety, and depression in secondary school children, though the cross-sectional nature of the research made it impossible to infer causality.

Familial factors associated with development of alcohol and mental health comorbidity

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Co-occurring mental health and alcohol problems appear to be associated with greater health burdens than either single disorder. This study compares familial and individual contributions to development of comorbid alcohol/mental problems and tests whether these differ from single disorders.

DESIGN

Women (n = 6703) were recruited during pregnancy to the longitudinal Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). Mother/offspring dyads were followed over 21 years.

SETTING

Mater-Misericordiae Public Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Primary offspring from the MUSP with full psychiatric information at 21 years and maternal information at age 14 (n = 1755).

MEASUREMENTS

Structured interviews at age 21 yielded a four-category outcome using mental health and alcohol modules of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (no disorder, alcohol only, mental health only and comorbid alcohol/mental health). Multinomial logistic regression models were adjusted for gender, maternal mental health and substance use, family environment and adolescent behaviour.

FINDINGS

Maternal smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09-2.22 versus no-disorder] and low mother-offspring warmth (OR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.99-5.13) were associated with mental health/alcohol comorbidity in young adults, as were adolescent drinking (OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.25-3.96), smoking (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.33-3.77) and attention/thought problems (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.18-3.52). Some differences were seen from single disorders. In a subsample with paternal data, fathers' drinking problems (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.10-5.29) were more associated strongly with offspring mental health/alcohol comorbidity than both single disorders (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal smoking and low mother-child warmth appear to be related to alcohol, mental health and comorbid disorders at age 21, possibly via constituent alcohol and mental health disorders. Adolescent drinking and attention/thought problems appear to be associated with comorbid disorders but not with individual alcohol and mental health disorders.