Parents, teens and screens during COVID-19 containment: An exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: One of the main concerns of parents is the amount of screen time of their teenagers, and most of them try to set rules about it. The objective of this exploratory study was to compare whether parents' rules changed during confinement and whether these changes were successful. METHODS: We studied a group of parents (N = 47) of 13-year-olds in Switzerland surveyed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Most parents (83%) indicated that screen-time rules for their teens had changed during containment, mainly to be less strict. Although only a minority of parents were successful in defining screen-time spaces or schedules for their teenagers, almost three out of four were successful when they encouraged non-screen-based activities. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study reveals that, during containment, parents decided to be less strict with their teens' screen-time use even though it remained their main worry. However, it also suggests that when activities non-involving screens are proposed, teens are likely to participate. These results seem to indicate that reducing screen time is not a matter of imposing restrictions but, rather, of proposing alternatives. Finally, further research is warranted to assess whether these changes in screen-time use are exceptional or here to stay.

Associations between community participation and types of places visited among persons living with and without dementia: risks perception and socio-demographic aspects.

INTRODUCTION: Increasingly, literature has focused on community participation in places visited by persons living with and without dementia. Earlier research indicates that multiple factors, including socio-demographic aspects and risk perception may influence community participation. AIM AND METHODS: This cross-sectional, explorative study aims to inquire into how places visited, socio-demographic aspects and risks perception are associated with self-rated community participation for persons living with and without dementia (n = 70) in Switzerland. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with questionnaires (ACT-OUT, MoCA, sociodemographic). First, we investigated whether the number of places visited was correlated with self-rated participation; then we added socio-demographic and risks perception factors with a bivariate analysis; and searched for a model using multinomial logistic regressions. RESULTS: For the group of participants living with dementia, risks of falling (p = .014) and of getting lost (p = .037) were significantly associated with self-rated participation. For the group of participants living without dementia, visiting places outside the home was significantly associated with self-rated participation, especially visiting places in domain D/places for recreational and physical activities (p = .005). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of exploring multiple factors and searching for a model highlights the complexity of community participation as a construct. Risks and visiting places for recreational and physical activities seem to play a role in self-rated participation. Mobile interviews might be better suited to gain in-depth understanding on community participation for persons living with dementia.

Daily internet time: towards an evidence-based recommendation?

Background: Since 2001, a recommendation of no more than 2 h per day of screen time for children 2 years of age or older was adopted in many countries. However, this recommendation was rarely examined empirically. The goal of the present study was to question this recommendation in today's connected world. Methods: We used data from the ado@internet.ch survey (spring 2012), a representative sample of 8th graders in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (n = 2942, 50.6% female). Internet use, health outcomes, substance use, well-being and socio-demographic characteristics were considered. Bi-variate statistical analyses were performed. Results: All outcomes were significantly associated with the time spent on internet, more time being associated with a higher prevalence of adverse consequences. Youth spending on average one more hour on Internet per day than the reference category (1.5-2.5 h) did not differ in terms of adverse health outcomes. Differences began to appear on sleeping problems, tobacco use, alcohol misuse, cannabis use and sport inactivity with youth spending between 3.5 h and 4.5 h per day on internet. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the absence of justification for setting a limit to only 2 h of screen time per day. Significant effects on health seem to appear only beyond 4 h per day and there may be benefits for those who spend less than an hour and a half on internet.

Disordered Eating: The Young Male Side.

Disordered eating (DE) is known to predominate among girls, and historically studies have focused primarily on them. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the characteristics of adolescent and young adult males at risk of DE. Participants (N = 2269; 15-24 years) in a study assessing their lifestyle were divided into two groups based on the SCOFF five-question screening tool: a SCOFF[+] group for participants at risk of disordered eating, and a SCOFF[-] group for everyone else. SCOFF[+] participants were more likely to be overweight and obese; have a lower socio-economic status and non-Swiss parents; experience weight issues; and report a chronic condition, poorer emotional well-being and a less positive attitude towards life. With 10% of males at risk of DE, clinicians should be aware of their specific characteristics, which should be considered red flags. DE is no longer a female-specific issue.

Adolescents with a smartphone sleep less than their peers.

Many studies have shown that the use of electronic media is related to sleep disturbance, but few have examined the impact of smartphones. The objective of this study was to assess longitudinally whether acquiring a smartphone had an effect on adolescents' sleeping duration. The study included 591 adolescents observed at baseline (T0, Spring 2012; mean age 14.3 years, 288 females) and 2 years later (T1). They were divided into owners (those owning a smartphone at T0 and T1; N = 383), new owners (those owning a smartphone at T1 but not at T0; N = 153), and non-owners (those not owning a smartphone at any time-point; N = 55). Groups were compared on sleep duration, sleep problems, and sociodemographic variables. Overall, all three groups decreased their sleeping time between T0 and T1. At T0, owners of a smartphone were found to sleep significantly less than non-owners and new-owners, especially on school days, and to report significantly more sleeping problems. At T1, new-owners and owners showed no differences on sleep duration or sleeping problems. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize that owning a smartphone tends to entail sleep disturbance. Therefore, adolescents and parents should be informed about the potential consequences of smartphone use on sleep and health. What is Known: • The use of electronic media plays an important role in the life of adolescents. • Smartphone use is increasing among young people and allows them to be connected almost anytime anywhere. What is New : • Adolescents owning a smartphone sleep less hours on school days than their peers. • Smartphones seem to have an important impact on youths' sleep duration.

Does physical exercise improve ADL capacities in people over 65 years with moderate or severe dementia hospitalized in an acute psychiatric setting? A multisite randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Several studies on the effect of physical exercise on activities of daily living (ADL) for people with dementia exist; yet, data concerning the specific context of acute psychiatric hospitals remain scant. This study measured the effect of a physical exercise program on ADL scores in patients with moderate to severe dementia hospitalized in an acute psychiatric ward. METHODS: A multicenter clinical trial was conducted in five Swiss and Belgian psychiatric hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). Members of the EG received 20 physical exercise sessions (strengthening, balance, and walking) over a four-week period while members of the CG participated in social interaction sessions of equivalent duration and frequency, but without physical exercise. The effect of exercise on ADL was measured by comparing scores of the Barthel Index and the Functional Independence Measure in the EG and CG before and after the intervention, and two weeks later. RESULTS: Hundred and sixty patients completed the program. Characteristics of participants of both groups were similar at the inception of the study. The mean ADL score of EG decreased slightly over time, whereas that of the CG significantly decreased compared to initial scores. Overall differences between groups were not significant; however, significant differences were found for mobility-related items. CONCLUSIONS: ADL scores in elderly with moderate to severe dementia deteriorate during acute psychiatric hospitalization. An exercise program delays the loss of mobility but does not have a significant impact on overall ADL scores.

Consuming energy drinks at the age of 14 predicted legal and illegal substance use at 16.

AIM: This study examined whether consuming energy drinks at the age of 14 predicted substance use at 16. METHODS: We followed 621 youths from an area of Switzerland who completed a longitudinal online survey in both 2012 and 2014 when they were 14 and 16 years of age. At 14, participants, who were divided into nonenergy drink users (n = 262), occasional users (n = 183) and regular users (n = 176), reported demographic, health-related and substance use data. Substance use at 16 was assessed through logistic regression using nonusers as the reference group and controlling for significant variables at 14. RESULTS: At the bivariate level, energy drink consumption was associated with substance use at both 14 and 16. Energy drink consumers were also more likely to be male, older, less academic, sleep less on schooldays and live in an urban area. In the multivariate analysis, smokers, alcohol misusers and cannabis users at the age of 16 were significantly more likely to have been regular energy drink users at the age of 14. CONCLUSION: Consuming energy drinks at 14 years of age predicted using legal and illegal substances at 16. Health providers should screen young adolescents for energy drink use and closely monitor weekly users.

What keeps female problematic Internet users busy online?

UNLABELLED: While problematic Internet use is recognized to be predominant among male adolescents, a female trend is gradually becoming apparent. Our study aimed at investigating the characteristics of female Internet users and distinguishing between the online activities of problematic and regular Internet users' on school days. Data were retrieved from a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 3067 8th graders in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, that completed an online questionnaire in 2012. Only females were included. Based on the Internet addiction test, the sample was divided into regular (RUs) (IAT < 50, n = 1339) and problematic users (PIUs) (IAT ≥ 50, n = 201). Groups were compared regarding sociodemographic variables, online activities, devices used to access the Internet, substance use, and physical activity. Significant variables were included in a backward logistic regression. At the multivariate level, PIUs were more prone to spend time online for leisure activities (odds ratio [OR] 2.38) and to access the Internet through a smartphone (OR 1.79) or tablet (OR 1.84). PIUs were less likely to be physically active (OR 0.86) and more likely to present poor emotional well-being (OR 2.67) and to smoke (OR 1.88). CONCLUSION: A sizeable percentage of female adolescents are problematic Internet users. When performing a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, teenagers owning numerous devices to access the Internet, presenting other health-compromising behaviors or poor emotional well-being should be specifically targeted.

Problematic Internet use is associated with substance use in young adolescents.

AIM: This study examined whether problematic Internet use was associated with substance use among young adolescents and assessed whether this association accounted for the use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs. METHODS: Using the Internet Addiction Test, we divided a representative sample of 3067 adolescents in Switzerland (mean age 14 years) into regular and problematic Internet users. We performed a bivariate analysis and two logistic regression models, to analyse substances separately and simultaneously, and developed a log-linear model to define the associations between significant variables. RESULTS: Problematic Internet users were more likely to be female, to use substances, to come from nonintact families, to report poor emotional well-being and to be below average students. The first model showed significant associations between problematic users and each substance, with adjusted odds ratios of 2.05 for tobacco, 1.72 for alcohol, 1.94 for cannabis and 2.73 for other drugs. Only smoking remained significant in the second model, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.71. CONCLUSION: Problematic Internet use is associated with other risky behaviours and may be an important early predictor of adolescent substance use. Therefore, it should be included in the psychosocial screening of adolescents.

Validity and reliability of the French versions of the body shape questionnaire.

The validity of the 34-item and shortened versions of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) has been evaluated in various languages. To date, only the validity of the 34-item French BSQ scale has been tested in a nonclinical sample. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the 34-item French BSQ and 7 shortened versions in clinical and nonclinical samples. The 34-item French BSQ was administered to 159 obese women with and without binge eating disorders and to 1,169 female undergraduate students. The results suggested that the BSQ-8B was the best French BSQ to use in nonclinical and clinical samples.

Uses of psychotropic drugs by university students in Switzerland.

The use of psychotropic drugs among students is well known, but very few studies have been carried out outside North America, and data on Switzerland are particularly scarce. This study investigates the factors that determine the use of drugs and psychotropic substances among students at the University of Lausanne. Our hypotheses were that study pressure could lead to psychotropic drug use; that use could be either regular or experimental; and that users and non-users would have different opinions about the reasons for use and the consequences. Based on a convenience sample (n = 1199) collected by Master's students from other university students as part of a course given in 2019, our three hypotheses were confirmed. The use of psychotropic drugs is well associated with poorer academic performance. Regarding frequency of use, certain types of psychotropic drugs are used regularly (e.g. antidepressants), while others are used on occasionally (e.g. tranquilizers). Psychotropic substances such as cannabis and cocaine, on the other hand, are mainly used irregularly. Finally, the majority of psychotropic drug users report that they use them as part of their medical treatment, while the majority of non-users suggest that they use them mainly to reduce anxiety and stress in everyday life and at school. Our results show that Switzerland, like other countries, is affected by the phenomenon of psychotropic drug use by students, even outside medical supervision. Accordingly, better information on the negative effects of these substances should then be provided to all university students.

Assessing tobacco dependence among cannabis users smoking cigarettes.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the relationship between nicotine exposure and tobacco addiction among young smokers consuming either only tobacco or only tobacco and cannabis. METHODS: Data on tobacco and cannabis use were collected by a questionnaire among 313 adolescents and young adults in Western Switzerland between 2009 and 2010. In addition, a urine sample was used to determine urinary cotinine level. Nicotine addiction was measured using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). In this study, we focused on a sample of 142 participants (mean age 19.54) that reported either smoking only tobacco cigarettes (CIG group, n = 70) or smoking both tobacco cigarettes and cannabis (CCS group, n = 72). RESULTS: The FTND did not differ significantly between CIG (1.96 ± 0.26) and CCS (2.66 ± 0.26) groups (p = 0.07). However, participants in the CCS group smoked more cigarettes (8.30 ± 0.79 vs. 5.78 ± 0.8, p = 0.03) and had a higher mean cotinine value (671.18 ± 67.6 vs. 404.32 ± 68.63, p = 0.008) than the CIG group. Further, the association between cotinine and FTND was much stronger among the CIG than among the CCS group (regression coefficient of 0.0031 vs. 0.00099, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Adolescents smoking tobacco and cannabis cigarettes featured higher levels of cotinine than youth smoking only tobacco; however, there was no significant difference in the addiction score. The FTND score is intended to measure nicotine dependence from smoked tobacco cigarettes. Hence, to accurately determine nicotine exposure and the associated dependence among young smokers, it seems necessary to inquire about cannabis consumption.

To what extent does adding tobacco to cannabis expose young users to nicotine?

INTRODUCTION: To determine if mulling, the process of adding tobacco to cannabis for its consumption, exposes young cannabis users to significant levels of nicotine. METHODS: This observational study performed in 2009-2010 among Swiss youths aged 16-25 years involved the completion of a self-administrated questionnaire and the collection of a urine sample on the same day. Measures of urinary cotinine were blindly performed using liquid chromatography coupled-mass spectrometry. A total of 197 eligible participants were divided in 3 groups based on their consumption profile in the past 5 days: 70 abstainers (ABS) not having used cigarettes or cannabis, 57 cannabis users adding tobacco to the cannabis they smoke (MUL) but not having smoked cigarettes, and 70 cigarette smokers (CIG) not having smoked cannabis. RESULTS: Exposure to nicotine was at its lowest among ABS with a mean (SE) cotinine level of 3.2 (1.4) ng/ml compared, respectively, with 214.6 (43.8) and 397.9 (57.4) for MUL and CIG (p < .001). While consumption profile appeared as the only significant factor of influence when examining nicotine exposure from the ABS and MUL participants on multivariate analysis, it did not result in substantial differences among MUL and CIG groups. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary cotinine levels found among MUL are high enough to indicate a significant exposure to nicotine originating from the mulling process. In line with our results, health professionals should pay attention to mulling as it is likely to influence cannabis and cigarette use as well as the efficacy of cessation interventions.

Parental monitoring: a way to decrease substance use among Swiss adolescents?

UNLABELLED: The objective of this research was to determine whether the level of parental monitoring is associated with substance use among adolescents in Switzerland, and to assess whether this effect remains when these adolescents have consuming peers. For this purpose, we used a nationally representative sample from the Swiss participation in the 2007 European School Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs survey, which included 7,611 adolescents in public schools (8th-10th grades). Four levels of parental control were created and four substances (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy) were analyzed. All significant variables at the bivariate level were included in the multivariate analysis. Most adolescents had a high level of parental monitoring and that was associated with younger age, females, high socioeconomic status, intact family structure, and satisfactory relationships with mother, father, and peers. Overall, substance use decreased as parental monitoring increased and high parental monitoring decreased as having consuming peers increased. Results remained essentially the same when the variable "having consuming peers" was added to the analysis. CONCLUSION: parental monitoring is associated to positive effects on adolescent substance use with a reduction of consumption and a lower probability of having consuming peers, which seems to protect adolescents against potentially negative peer influence. Encouraging parents to monitor their adolescents' activities and friendships by establishing rules about what is allowed or not is a way to limit the negative influence of consuming peers on adolescent substance use.

Frequency and effects of meeting health behaviour guidelines among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: To assess the relationship between overweight status and the concomitant adherence to physical activity, daily screen time and nutritional guidelines. METHODS: Data were derived from the Swiss Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey 2006. Participants (n = 8130, 48.7% girls) were divided into two groups: normal weight (n = 7215, 44.8% girls) and overweight (n = 915, 34.8% girls), using self-reported height and weight. Groups were compared on adherence to physical activity, screen time and nutritional guidelines. Bivariate analyses were carried out followed by multivariate analyses using normal-weight individuals as the reference category. RESULTS: Regardless of gender, overweight individuals reported more screen time, less physical activity and less concomitant adherence to guidelines. For boys, the multivariate analysis showed that any amount exceeding screen time recommendations was associated with increased odds of being overweight [>2-4 h: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.40; >4-6 h: AOR = 1.48; >6 h: AOR = 1.83]. A similar relation was found for any amount below physical activity recommendations (4-6 times a week: AOR = 1.67; 2-3 times a week: AOR = 1.87; once a week or less: AOR = 2.1). For girls, not meeting nutritional guidelines was less likely among overweight individuals (0-2 recommendations: AOR = 0.54). Regardless of weight status, more than half of the adolescents did not comply with any guideline and <2% met all three at the same time. CONCLUSIONS: Meeting current nutritional, physical activity and screen time guidelines should be encouraged with respect to overweight. However, as extremely low rates of concomitant adherence were found regardless of weight status, their achievability is questionable (especially for nutrition), which warrants further research to better adapt them to adolescents.

Relationship between the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Well-Being of Adolescents and Their Parents in Switzerland.

This study is based on two waves of data collected by the Swiss Household panel, the first one in 2019, before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the second one in May-June 2020, just after the end of the partial lockdown that was decided by the Swiss government. We considered "couples" of adolescents (age 14-24, mean = 18.82, 51.96% female) and their parents living together (n = 431). Our main goal was to determine whether the evolution of the well-being among adolescents was similar to the evolution of the well-being among parents. Ten indicators of well-being were measured identically in both waves and for both adolescents and their parents. Results indicate that while almost all indicators of well-being decreased during partial lockdown for both adolescents and their parents, adolescents were more strongly impacted than their parents. Furthermore, the change observed in adolescents was virtually unaffected by the change observed in their parents, and vice versa. This research is a reminder that while different population groups may be affected differently by a sudden and extreme event, it is not only older people who will be most affected. Here, adolescents appear to have been more adversely affected than adults.

Quality principles of retrospective data collected through a life history calendar.

To assert the quality of retrospective data, most studies using tools such as life history calendars rely on comparisons with external sources. Our research aimed to integrate quality principles into a life history calendar and test their capacity to evaluate the data quality. The purpose was to avoid reliance on external data sources because of their possible unavailability. The first quality principle was the relationship between the dating accuracy of verifiable events and the data quality of the life domains of the calendar. The second was the certainty, as self-assessed by participants through color coding, that an event took place at the quarter indicated. We designed an experiment using a paper-and-pencil life history calendar that was completed by 104 university students. Our research highlighted the relevance to use the self-assessment of certainty to assert the data quality. However, we could not establish a relationship between the dating accuracy of verifiable events and the data quality of the life domains. In addition, we present a set of qualitative findings from 20 interviews conducted with study participants explaining the approaches used to complete a life calendar and the difficulties encountered. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11135-022-01563-x.

Comparison of two approaches in multichannel sequence analysis using the Swiss Household Panel.

Sequence analysis is an established approach to study life courses. When several life domains are considered simultaneously, multichannel sequence analysis (MSA) and the extended alphabet (EA) approach are the most frequently used strategies. We compare these two methods using real data composed of four life domains (cohabitational status, children, professional status, health), and we focus on clustering since sequence analysis usually aims to identify typical patterns in sequences. As professional status trajectories, and potentially their relationship with other domains, proved to be different between men and women, the analyses were run separately by sex. We describe step by step the approach followed and the different criteria to judge the relevance of a typology. Neither of the two approaches is clearly superior, and the typologies obtained with both methods are often close. However, even if MSA is generally easier to use and applies to a broader range of situations, EA can provide original typologies in specific cases and we therefore propose guidelines for choosing between the two approaches depending on the context.

Sending One's Own Intimate Image: Sexting Among Middle-School Teens.

BACKGROUND: There is a gap in the literature regarding data on sexting among youth under the age of 16 whereas the problems related to this practice could affect them more because of their ongoing development. This study aims to determine the prevalence rate and characteristics of sending one's own sexually related image among middle-school teens. METHODS: Data were obtained from a web-based in-school survey conducted between October 2019 and February 2020. The sample comprised 3006 (mean age 13.7; 50.2% males) 10th-grade pupils in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland). Participants were asked "Have you ever sent a sexually related/sexy image of yourself?". Analysis of variance/chi-square tests and multinomial regression analyses were used to compare the groups. RESULTS: Overall, 93.0% reported never, 3.7% once and 3.3% several times. No gender differences were found. Sending was associated with older age, low academic performance, cyberbullying victimization and reception of unsolicited sexually related images. CONCLUSIONS: Education and health professionals should be aware that it is necessary to discuss the theme, perhaps with a more global approach including pressure, consent, exchange of nonsexual images, and so on from an early age. The context and reasons for sending remain to be explored, particularly to determine if the pressure is greater at this age.

Participation costs can suppress the evolution of upstream reciprocity.

Indirect reciprocity, one of the many mechanisms proposed to explain the evolution of cooperation, is the idea that altruistic actions can be rewarded by third parties. Upstream or generalized reciprocity is one type of indirect reciprocity in which individuals help someone if they have been helped by somebody else in the past. Although empirically found to be at work in humans, the evolution of upstream reciprocity is difficult to explain from a theoretical point of view. A recent model of upstream reciprocity, first proposed by Nowak and Roch (2007) and further analyzed by Iwagami and Masuda (2010), shows that while upstream reciprocity alone does not lead to the evolution of cooperation, it can act in tandem with mechanisms such as network reciprocity and increase the total level of cooperativity in the population. We argue, however, that Nowak and Roch's model systematically leads to non-uniform interaction rates, where more cooperative individuals take part in more games than less cooperative ones. As a result, the critical benefit-to-cost ratios derived under this model in previous studies are not invariant with respect to the addition of participation costs. We show that accounting for these costs can hinder and even suppress the evolution of upstream reciprocity, both for populations with non-random encounters and graph-structured populations.