Parental modeling, attachment, and supervision as moderators of adolescent gambling.

Utilizing Jessor's Problem Behavior Theory as a theoretical foundation, 116 male and female students in grades 9-12 (mean age 16.8) from a Midwestern urban high school were surveyed to determine the prevalence and relationship among gambling behavior and parental and peer influences. To measure these variables, the following instruments were used: The SOGS-RA, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Parent Scale, and The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire-Parental Monitoring and Supervision Scale. Almost all of the students (91%) reported gambling at least once in their lifetime while 36.2% reported gambling once a week, 19% reported gambling on a daily basis, and 26% were classified as problem gamblers (10% using the "narrow" SOGS-RA criteria). Parental gambling was related to levels of past year gambling as well as increased likelihood of being classified as a problem gambler. Increased parental attachment was also associated with decreased levels of adolescent gambling, while decreased parental trust and communication resulted in increased problem gambling. Measures of parental monitoring and supervision found similar outcomes in that increased monitoring and supervision resulted in lower levels of adolescent gambling. Additionally, when peer influences were moderated by parental influences, there was a moderating effect on gambling behavior. This study illuminates the continued importance parents play in both risk enhancing and risk inhibiting influences on adolescent participation in problem behaviors.

Online forum messages posted by adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

PURPOSE: Messages posted by adolescents with diabetes at public Web-based forums were assessed using content analysis. METHODS: Messages (n = 340) from adolescents self-identified as having diabetes were collected from public online discussion and question/answer forums and coded with respect to age, gender, duration of illness, and purpose of the post. Request messages were analyzed using a constant comparative method to generate descriptive categories. Nonparametric tests assessed for differences among groups and between forum types and request topics. RESULTS: Most messages were from females who more often posted at discussion forums. Males posted more information requests. Six categories emerged from the analysis: life tasks, social support, medical care, factual information, management, and intrapsychic. Social support messages accounted for half of discussion forum requests; information/management requests were common in question/answer forums. CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that adolescents with diabetes visit online forums for social support, information, advice, and shared experience. Females used discussion forums more frequently and males requested more information.

Health-endangering behaviours among Japanese college students: a test of psychosocial model of risk-taking behaviours.

Adolescents' health-endangering behaviours receive attention because they are presumed to threaten the health of individuals in either the short or long term. The present study examined the role of psychosocial determinants on adolescents' health-endangering behaviours using elements of a biopsychosocial model proposed by Irwin and Millstein (1986). It was hypothesized that egocentrism, self-esteem, and perceived social environment affect the onset of risk-taking behaviours, mediating risk perception. Eight hundred and eight Japanese college students completed questionnaires. Results from a structural equation analysis partly supported the hypothesized model. Egocentrism contributes directly to health-endangering behaviours while influences of self-esteem and perceived social norms are mediated by risk perception.