Exposure to Television Alcohol Brand Appearances as Predictor of Adolescent Brand Affiliation and Drinking Behaviors.

Adolescence and the transition to adulthood is an important developmental stage in the emergence of health risk behaviors, specifically underage alcohol use. Adolescents consume a tremendous amount of screened media (primarily streamed television), and media depictions of behaviors is prospectively linked to youth initiation of behaviors. With the arrival of streamed media technology, alcohol advertising can be nested within television content. This study describes alcohol brand depictions in television and evaluates impact of exposure to such depictions on adolescent drinking outcomes. A national sample of 2012 adolescents (Mage = 17.07; SD = 1.60 years, range 15-20; 50.70% female) reported on television viewership, alcohol brand affiliation, and drinking behavior, with follow-up one year later. Ten series (that remain relevant to youth today) across television ratings from a single television season were content coded for presence/salience of alcohol brand appearances. Adjusting for covariates (e.g., peer/parent drinking, youth sensation seeking, movie alcohol brand exposure), higher exposure to brand appearances in the television shows was associated with youth drinking. Aspirational and usual brand to drink corresponded to television alcohol brand prominence, and television brand exposure was independently associated with drinking initiation and hazardous drinking.

Academic Functioning of Youth in Foster Care: The Influence of Unique Sources of Social Support.

Youth in foster care often experience more difficulty in school compared to their non-foster care peers. Difficulties exist across domains of academic functioning, including both performance (e.g., low grades) and behavioral health (e.g., high externalizing concerns) in school. One factor that has shown to be associated with positive academic functioning in the general population but remains to be comprehensively examined among youth in foster care is social support. This includes examining specific sources of support for youth in foster care and taking into consideration the context of the frequent placement disruptions many children in foster care experience. This study sought to determine which sources of social support are associated with academic functioning for youth in foster care by examining child-report of social support from parents, teachers, friends, and classmates in relation to school grades and teacher-reported behavioral health outcomes. Information on each source of social support was obtained from the self-report of 257 youth in foster care, and information on placement characteristics were obtained from child welfare casefiles. Teachers provided information on youth's behavioral health in school, and academic grades were obtained from school records. Results suggested that youth reported teacher social support, as compared to parent, friend, or classmate social support, was most influential for both performance and behavioral health in school. Findings highlight the need for additional research on the important role of teachers for promoting academic success amongst youth in foster care, as well as the importance of placement changes in relation to academic functioning.

Parental Restriction of Movie Viewing Prospectively Predicts Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Initiation: Implications for Media Literacy Programs.

Youth are heavy consumers of media, and exposure to mature media content is associated with initiation and progression of substance use. Parental restriction of such content has been shown to be an effective mechanism to reduce negative consequences attributed to exposure to mature media content. This study assessed the influence of parental restriction of movie watching across Motion Picture Association of America rating categories on subsequent alcohol and marijuana initiation at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Using data from a longitudinal study of adolescent substance use (N = 1023), we used logistic regression analyses to determine the odds of alcohol and marijuana initiation across movie rating categories, within R-rated restriction categories in particular, and based on changes in parental restriction of movies over time. All analyses controlled for important parental, personality, and behavioral correlates of adolescent substance use. Results suggest that restriction of R-rated movies is protective of both alcohol and marijuana initiation. Important differences among parental restriction of R-rated movie categories emerged such that being allowed to watch them with adult supervision was protective of substance use, while those who reported watching R-rated films despite parental restrictions were at heightened risk for alcohol initiation. Changes in parental movie restrictions were not predictive of substance use initiation over the subsequent year. Implications of these findings for media literacy program prevention strategies are discussed.

Validation of commercial business lists as a proxy for licensed alcohol outlets.

BACKGROUND: Studies of retail alcohol outlets are restricted to regions due to lack of U.S. national data. Commercial business lists (BL) offer a possible solution, but no data exists to determine if BLs could serve as an adequate proxy for license data. This paper compares geospatial measures of alcohol outlets derived from a commercial BL with license data for a large US state. METHODS: We validated BL data as a measure of off-premise alcohol outlet density and proximity compared to license data for 5528 randomly selected California residential addresses. We calculated three proximity measures (Euclidean distance, road network travel time and distance) and two density measures (kernel density estimation and the count within a 2-mile radius) for each dataset. The data was acquired in 2015 and processed and analyzed in 2015 and 2016. RESULTS: Correlations and reliabilities between density (correlation 0.98; Cronbach's α 0.97-0.99) and proximity (correlations 0.77-0.86; α 0.87-0.92) measures were high. For proximity, BL data matched license in 55-57% of addresses, overstated distance in 19%, and understated in 24-26%. CONCLUSIONS: BL data can serve as a reliable proxy for licensed alcohol outlets, thus extending the work that can be performed in studies on associations between retail alcohol outlets and drinking outcomes.

Child Maltreatment, Trauma, and Physical Health Outcomes: The Role of Abuse Type and Placement Moves on Health Conditions and Service Use for Youth in Foster Care.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relations between abuse types, non-maltreatment-related trauma, and health service utilization in a sample of youth in foster care with and without chronic medical conditions. METHOD: A total of 213 youth, aged 8-21 years, provided self-report of general trauma and abuse exposure. Medicaid claims for each child were collected from official state databases. RESULTS: Exposure to sexual abuse, neglect, or general trauma but not exposure to physical abuse or psychological abuse increased the rates of medical visits, while only general trauma increased medical hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma types are not equally predictive of health care utilization for youth with chronic health conditions.

Associations Between Physical and Relational Forms of Peer Aggression and Victimization and Risk for Substance Use Among Elementary School-Age Youth.

This study examined associations between physical and relational forms of aggression and victimization and risk for willingness to engage in substance use and actual use in a sample of 231 (50% Male) 2nd thru 4th grade students (Mean age = 8.3 years). Physical aggression was more strongly associated with risk for substance use outcomes than physical victimization. Neither relational aggression nor victimization were linked to risk for substance use. Specifically targeting physical aggression for the prevention of early substance use among elementary school-age youth appears to be warranted.

Longitudinal Assessment of Self-Harm Statements of Youth in Foster Care: Rates, Reporters, and Related Factors.

Self-harm in youth is a risk factor related to mental health and future morbidity, yet, relatively little is known about the rates and course of self-harm in youth residing in foster care. This study examined self-harm talk in foster youth based on caregiver and child report for 135 children between the ages of 8- and 11-years old. Longitudinal data on course of self-harm talk from both youth and caregivers also are provided. Caregivers identified that 24% of youth participants had disclosed a desire to die or to hurt themselves. Youth self-report revealed that 21% of children indicated a desire for self-harm, and rates of self-harm from both reporters decreased over time. While overall rates were similar across reporters, findings show discrepancies between youth self-report and caregiver report within individuals. Also, caregivers for youth in residential facilities were more likely to report youth self-harm talk than caregivers from foster home settings.

Trying to Fit a Square Peg in a Round Hole? Testing the Robustness of Maltreatment Measurement Models for Youth.

Research on maltreatment exposure often demonstrates mixed findings and a potential explanation for this may be the measurement of maltreatment. One approach for addressing measurement concerns, which also accounts for maltreatment's multidimensional nature, is the use of a measurement or latent model. However, there is minimal evidence on the generalizability of this approach across populations of youth. This study examined measurement invariance of a one-factor maltreatment model across two samples of youth exposed to maltreatment using case file data from the SPARK and LONGSCAN datasets (N = 1286). Results showed that only partial metric invariance could be established for the one-factor model between SPARK and LONGSCAN subsamples, and neglect and emotional abuse indicators tended to show low factor loadings. Findings highlight the need to consider how potential differences in documentation and maltreatment rates influence model performance and the need for research on which maltreatment characteristics may best capture youths' experiences.

Cross-substance Effects of Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Content in Popular Movies on Cannabis Initiation.

Objective: Alcohol is the most frequently depicted substance in the media, and adolescent exposure to alcohol in the media predicts alcohol use. There is relatively little research on exposure to cannabis in the media, but exposure to alcohol content may exert cross-substance effects on cannabis use. Given the social and health risks associated with early cannabis use, the present study aims to assess the cross-substance effects of exposure to alcohol media content on age of cannabis initiation. Method: A sample of 830 middle school students (53% female) reported on movie alcohol exposure and cannabis initiation longitudinally until high school completion. Discrete-time survival models examined whether movie alcohol exposure predicted subsequent initiation among students who were cannabis-naïve at baseline, controlling for demographic, social, and behavioral covariates. The interaction between sex and movie alcohol exposure was also explored. Results: One third (33%) of participants reported cannabis initiation with a mean of 5.57 estimated hours (SD = 4.29) of movie alcohol exposure. A 1-hour increase in movie exposure predicted a significant 16% increased probability of cannabis initiation in models adjusted for demographic variables and a significant 14% increase in models adjusted for demographic, behavioral, and social variables. No differences were observed across sex. Conclusions: Greater adolescent exposure to alcohol content in the media was associated with earlier cannabis initiation above and beyond other etiologically relevant demographic, behavioral, and social variables. The influence of cross-substance media exposures warrants further exploration and should be taken into consideration in the development of preventive interventions for youth substance use.

Feasibility, usability, and acceptability of MobileCoach-Teen: A smartphone app-based preventative intervention for risky adolescent drinking behavior.

BACKGROUND: Older adolescence (ages 15-18) is a critical period for experimentation with substance use, especially alcohol. Adolescent drinking poses hazards to physical and mental health, amplifies risk associated with other activities typically initiated during this life stage (e.g., driving, sexual activity), and is associated with adverse outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Existing preventative interventions are expensive and have questionable long-term efficacy. Digital interventions may represent an accessible and personalized approach to providing preventative intervention content to youth. METHODS: This study recruited 29 adolescents aged 16-18 (M = 17.24, SD = 0.74) for a pilot feasibility trial of the MobileCoach-Teen (MC-Teen) smartphone app-based intervention. The study team randomized participants to receive either the alcohol intervention (MC-Teen) or attention control pseudo-intervention (MC-Fit). MC-Teen participants received 12 weeks of content adapted from a prior Swiss-based trial of a preventative alcohol intervention. Participants provided qualitative and quantitative feedback at baseline, via six biweekly surveys during and post-intervention. RESULTS: Both groups rated the application as easy to download (M = 4.31, SD = 0.93; 5-point Likert). All participants completed the baseline survey in less than the estimated time of 10 min (M = 7:42, SD = 2:15) and rated the survey as easy to complete (M = 4.69, SD = 0.60; 5-point Likert). MC-Teen participants favorably assessed application user experience, message user experience, and digital working alliance with application. Qualitative themes included a desire for increased rate/amount and diversity of content, greater representation via coach options, user interface/user experience improvements, and additional features. CONCLUSION: The MC-Teen intervention is feasible and acceptable based on a pilot feasibility trial with a sample of U.S. adolescents.

Youth Reported Perpetrators of Victimization Within a Foster Care Sample.

Maltreatment type, severity, and chronicity are predictors of poor youth outcomes, yet youth reported perpetrators of abuse have gone largely unstudied. Little is known about variation in perpetration across youth characteristics (e.g., age, gender, placement type) and abuse features. This study aims to describe youth reported perpetrators of victimization within a foster care sample. 503 youth in foster care (ages 8-21 years) reported on experiences of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Follow up questions assessed abuse frequency and perpetrators. Mann-Whitney U Tests were used to compare central tendency differences in number of perpetrators reported across youth characteristics and victimization features. Biological caregivers were commonly endorsed perpetrators of physical and psychological abuse, though youth also reported high levels of peer victimization. For sexual abuse, non-related adults were commonly reported perpetrators, however, youth reported higher levels of victimization from peers. Older youth and youth residing in residential care reported higher numbers of perpetrators; girls reported more perpetrators of psychological and sexual abuse as compared to boys. Abuse severity, chronicity, and number of perpetrators were positively associated, and number of perpetrators differed across abuse severity levels. Perpetrator count and type may be important features of victimization experiences, particularly for youth in foster care.

A qualitative analysis of adolescents' perspectives on peer and influencer alcohol-related posts on social media.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent exposure to alcohol-related content on social media is common and associated with alcohol use and perceived norms; however, little is known about how exposure differs by the source of the content (e.g., peer or 'influencer'). The purpose of this study was to utilise qualitative methods to compare adolescent perspectives on peer- versus influencer-generated alcohol content on social media. METHODS: Nine virtual semi-structured focus groups were conducted with adolescents (aged 15-19 years), following a general script aimed at ascertaining adolescent comparative perspectives on peer and influencer alcohol-related media content and the contexts in which it occurs. RESULTS: Five main themes emerged: (i) although both influencers and peers post predominantly positively-valenced alcohol content online, adolescents perceived some differences between these posts; (ii) adolescents perceived their peers to be more cautious and strategic when posting about alcohol than influencers are; (iii) the decision to engage with peer or influencer alcohol-related posts is influenced by a number of factors; (iv) both peer and influencer posts were perceived to send the message that drinking is acceptable, normal or cool; and (v) adolescents believed they are more likely to be influenced by peers' alcohol posts than influencers' alcohol posts, with some exceptions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should aim to further understand the unique attributes and circumstances in which exposure to peer and influencer alcohol-related posts impact adolescent alcohol-related cognitions and behaviours. This knowledge will inform prevention and intervention efforts, such as media literacy training and media-specific parenting practices.

A social network analysis of perpetrators of child maltreatment reported by youth in foster care.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research on child maltreatment has focused on distinct features of maltreatment (type, severity, chronicity) important for youth outcomes, yet perpetrators of child maltreatment reported by youth have gone largely unstudied. The present study examines connections between perpetrators, the total number and type of perpetrators reported, and the frequency at which each type of perpetrator was reported across 24 relationship types to provide a foundation for future research seeking to provide comprehensive measurement of perpetrator profiles. METHODS: Data from 503 youth in foster care (8-21 years old) were collected through the Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) Project. Youth reported on their history of physical, sexual, and psychological maltreatment. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used to visualize links between perpetrators within maltreatment type and paired samples t-tests were used to compare differences between network edge weights. RESULTS: Full sample SNA results were highly interconnected and variable across maltreatment types. Biological parents and peers were the most common perpetrators of physical and psychological abuse with peers and non-family adults being most common for sexual abuse. Family and community member groupings were most distinct in the physical and psychological abuse networks whereas in the sexual abuse network, ties between perpetrators were more equidistant. CONCLUSIONS: Differences exist in perpetrator profiles across maltreatment types, adding a layer of complexity to how maltreatment experiences are captured, and variability in profiles might provide insight to differing youth outcomes. Understanding individual youth perpetrator profiles could be used to inform foster care placements and reduce the risk of revictimization.

Perceived social support: Measurement differences in youth residing in the community versus youth residing in foster care.

BACKGROUND: Social support is commonly examined as a protective factor for children with a history of child maltreatment, and it has been measured by self-report via the Social Support Scale for Children (SSSC). Although the SSSC has established adequate reliability and validity in community and clinical samples, its psychometric properties have yet to be assessed in a sample of foster care youth. OBJECTIVE: This study provided a psychometric comparison of the SSSC in youth residing in foster care with youth residing in the community. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were two, comparable samples of 214 youth participants residing in foster care and 163 youth participants from the community between the ages of 8-12 years. METHODS: Community participants were recruited from local middle schools, and an age-matched comparison sample from a larger study on youth in foster care was utilized for comparison. Youth self-reported across measures and provided demographic information. Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to determine measurement model fit to the data, and invariance testing was conducted to compare measurement models across the samples. RESULTS: Differences between samples in the factor structure and item distribution of the SSSC emerged. Specifically, the community sample provided adequate fit to the original four-factor model (friend, classmate, teacher, parent) of the SSSC, whereas the foster sample required a three-factor model (combined friend and classmate constructs). The newly defined three-factor model provided significant associations with youth behavioral and emotional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Youth in foster care may perceive social support across sources differently from youth residing in the community.

Adolescents' perceptions of alcohol portrayals in the media and their impact on cognitions and behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to alcohol in the media is pervasive and may influence adolescents' perceptions and use of alcohol. The purpose of this study was to better understand how adolescents perceive alcohol-related content in both entertainment and social media, with a focus on the valence of portrayals (i.e., positive, negative) and impacts on cognitions and behaviors. METHOD: Participants were 40 high school students (60% female). Nine focus groups were conducted via videoconferencing, stratified by grade (9th/10th, 11th/12th) and gender. Transcripts were analyzed via template-style thematic analyses to identify themes. RESULTS: Six themes were developed, including (a) some portrayals of alcohol may increase likelihood of using alcohol, (b) some portrayals of alcohol in the media can discourage drinking, (c) sometimes truly negative consequences of alcohol are portrayed positively or downplayed, (d) media portrayals of alcohol are perceived to be based in reality but are at times exaggerated, (e) adolescent and adult alcohol use is portrayed differently in entertainment media, and (f) the extent to which adolescents are influenced by the media may depend on their preexisting attitudes, beliefs, and education. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents have awareness of media portrayals of alcohol, both positive and negative, and their associated impacts. Findings highlight the need for much more work to understand the conditions under which, and for whom, exposure to different types of positive portrayals of alcohol in the media translate into positive expectancies about alcohol or drinking motives. Such work may ultimately inform intervention targets to reduce early initiation and/or risky drinking among adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategies for Longitudinal Research with Youth in Foster Care: A Demonstration of Methods, Barriers, and Innovations.

Longitudinal research on youth in foster care is important, but often challenging to accomplish. To assist the field, a thorough description of the development of the SPARK (Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids) project, a longitudinal research project on the mechanisms of resilience for foster youth and their caregivers, is presented. Authors explain the difficult task for researchers in accessing youth in foster care and suggest strategies for success. Recruitment approaches for foster youth and their families are also provided along with examples of effective techniques. Data collection concerns are discussed, and the authors provide recommendations for researchers to consider when asking youth sensitive questions. Finally, data collection on academic information from teachers and how the SPARK project works with the academic community to gain information on school functioning for youth in the project is described. Suggestions for methodology utilized in future research along with examples of innovative adjustments to typical research procedures are provided as guidance for how research on maltreated youth can be conducted.

Parent-Based Prevention of Bullying and Cyberbullying During COVID-19 Social Distancing: A Pilot Intervention using the MOST Framework.

Parenting skills are important protective factors in the prevention of bullying and cyberbullying, yet few parent-based interventions have been developed and evaluated in this area. This pilot study examined participant responsiveness to and acceptability of an evidence-based parenting curriculum enhanced to address bullying and cyberbullying. Enhancements included intensive role playing, social emotional coaching, and media parenting. The pilot was delivered online via video conferencing during the unique circumstances of the coronavirus disease pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) shelter-at-home orders. Parents (N = 32; 88% female) participated in weekly online sessions; 30 completed all eight sessions. Using a sequential exploratory mixed method approach, we first conducted quantitative analyses to examine participant responsiveness and qualitative analyses to further explain outcomes and explore participant acceptability. Satisfaction with individual sessions was high. In a few sessions, satisfaction and home practice completion was lower among those with free- and reduced-price lunch eligibility. Qualitative data reinforced and explained quantitative findings. Participants were appreciative of the program and delivery, particularly during the shelter-at-home conditions. They voiced satisfaction with the online format and with home practice assignments. They also made suggestions to strengthen the emphasis on bullying and cyberbullying in the program. Results suggest that the program and enhancements to the program were acceptable to participants, and high rates of satisfaction suggest that video conferencing is a feasible delivery format. Further, parental programming during the stressful context of the COVID-19 pandemic was well received. Although few differences in satisfaction by free- and reduced-priced lunch were observed, technology support for low-income families may be warranted.

Profiles of Parenting in the Digital Age: Associations With Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed parental communication and behavior related to children's Internet and social media usage to delineate profiles of parenting regarding these newer forms of media and associated those profiles with youth alcohol and marijuana use. METHOD: Using data from 748 adolescents (mean age = 15.8, 52% female, 25% non-White) and their parents, latent class analysis was performed to identify classes based on items concerning device ownership, monitoring, and communication of online activities. The associations between class membership and ever use of alcohol and marijuana were then tested, controlling for screen time, general parenting, substance availability, and deviance. RESULTS: We identified five classes: high media parenting (23%), low media parenting (20%), moderate media parenting with limited device access (11%), moderate media parenting with high device access (25%), and low monitoring but high communication about online activities (21%). Probability of class membership was differentially associated with contemporaneous and 1-year prospective alcohol and marijuana use. The low-device-access class had the highest percentage of abstainers at both time points. The lowest rate of abstaining was associated with membership in the high-device-access class but moderate levels of monitoring. Membership in the low media parenting class was associated with use of both substances. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a novel exploration of media parenting, an important construct in the context of increased access to personalized media devices that allow for streaming of mature media content related to substance use.

A latent class analysis of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse history among suicidal inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are subtypes of childhood abuse that may persist into adulthood. This study applied latent class analysis to describe the pattern of co-occurrence of these three abuse subtypes during childhood and adulthood and examined latent class differences in psychosocial characteristics and three types of suicide attempt history (aborted, interrupted, and actual). METHODS: Data were drawn from a high-risk sample of 115 military service members and adult beneficiaries who were psychiatrically hospitalized following a suicide-related crisis. RESULTS: Three latent classes were identified: Multiple and Persistent Abuse (Class One: 29.6%), Childhood Physical and Persistent Emotional Abuse (Class Two: 27.0%), and Minimal Abuse (Class Three: 43.5%). Females were more likely than males to report a history of Multiple and Persistent Abuse. After controlling for gender, the Multiple and Persistent Abuse Class had higher scores of depressive symptoms and hazardous drinking, poorer sleep quality, and increased social stress than the Minimal Abuse Class. Moreover, the Multiple and Persistent Abuse Class was associated with increased likelihood of lifetime interrupted suicide attempt (Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.81, 95% CI = 1.20, 12.07) and actual suicide attempt (OR = 3.65, 95% CI = 1.23, 10.85), and had the greatest number of total actual suicide attempt (1.82 times on average). CONCLUSION: Co-occurrence of multiple subtypes of abuse across development is associated with higher psychosocial risk and history of suicide attempt. The assessment of specific subtypes of abuse and their timing may inform case conceptualization and the management of suicide risk among psychiatric inpatients.