Social trust and subjective well-being of first-generation college students in China: the multiple mediation effects of self-compassion and social empathy.

Previous studies have found that subjective well-being is associated with social trust, self-compassion, and social empathy. Based on online fieldwork with 662 first-generation college students (54.7% male) in China, this study aimed to investigate the serial mediation effects of self-compassion and social empathy on the relationship between social trust and subjective well-being. The results showed that subjective well-being was significantly positively correlated with social trust, trust in people, self-compassion, and social empathy. Both self-compassion and social empathy partially mediated the relationship between social trust and subjective well-being, and fully mediated the association between trust in people and subjective well-being. We used a serial mediation model to estimate the effect of general social trust, including trust in people, on subjective well-being. The findings that self-compassion and social empathy mediated the relationship between trusting attitudes toward society, especially people, and subjective well-being expand the literature on social trust and the mechanism of social trust on subjective well-being. The results also highlight the significance of improving mental health education and intervention among first-generation college students in China.

How active and passive social media use affects impulse buying in Chinese college students? The roles of emotional responses, gender, materialism and self-control.

Social media plays a vital role in consumers' purchasing decision making. There are still gaps in existing research on the relationship between divided dimensions of social media use and impulse buying, as well as the mediating and moderating effects therein. This study explored the mediation and moderation effects in the relationship between different social media usage patterns, emotional responses, and consumer impulse buying. Data from 479 college students who were social media users in China were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that active and passive social media use were significantly and positively associated with users' enjoyment, whereas passive social media use significantly increased depression. Both enjoyment and depression were significantly and positively associated with users' impulse buying. Materialism positively moderated the relationship between enjoyment and impulsive consumption, while self-control significantly reduced the effect of depression on impulse buying. These findings that emotion mediated and personality traits moderated relationships between social media use and impulse buying expand impulsive purchase literature and provide insights for guiding college students' healthy use of social media and rational consumption.

How Does Social Security Fairness Predict Trust in Government? The Serial Mediation Effects of Social Security Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction.

Several studies have found that trust in government is associated with social fairness, citizens' satisfaction with public service, and life satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the serial mediation effects of social security satisfaction and life satisfaction on the association between social security fairness and trust in government. We analyzed the data from the Chinese Social Survey in 2019 (n = 7403) to examine the serial mediation effects. The findings showed that the higher the level of government, the greater the trust it enjoyed from its citizens. The direct prediction of trust by social security fairness was stronger at the county and township levels than at the central government level. Both social security satisfaction and life satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between social security fairness and overall trust in government. Social security fairness indirectly positively predicted trust in local government at the county and township levels through social security satisfaction, life satisfaction, and their serial mediation. While social security fairness could only indirectly predict trust in central government through social security satisfaction, the prediction of trust in central government via life satisfaction (mediator) was not significant. We observed a serial mediation model in which social security fairness positively predicted trust in government directly and indirectly through social security satisfaction and life satisfaction. The finding that social security satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between perceptions of fairness in the social security system and trust in government has implications for improving policies and the functioning of the system at all levels of the government.

The Relationship Between Future Time Perspective and Psychological Violence Among Chinese College Students.

Based on early experiences and current conditions, a future time perspective influences college students' behaviors, while psychological violence critically threatens college students' health. This study explored the relationship between a future time perspective and the psychological violence of perpetrators based on an online investigation of 1424 college students (87.1% women) aged 17 to 31 in China. The results showed that a future time perspective is significantly positively associated with psychological violence. Positive future orientation is negatively associated with psychological violence. Negative and confused future orientations are positively associated with psychological violence. These findings support the need to introduce an intervention regarding a future time perspective to reduce psychological violence among college students.

Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among Older Male Adults in China: An Urban-Rural Comparison.

This study compared urban/rural trends in cigarette smoking rates among older male adults in China. Data were derived from the China Health and Nutrition Survey ( N = 5,147). Logistic models were computed to assess the occurrence of cigarette smoking between 1991 and 2011 across urban/rural administrative districts. Cigarette smoking rates remained consistent (about 50%) in rural villages over the last two decades but decreased by about 1.1 percentage points annually in urban neighborhoods. After adjusting for individual and community characteristics, divergent urban/rural trends in cigarette smoking rates did not vary statistically. Trends in cigarette smoking may be associated with unbalanced social and economic development in urban and rural China, and are an indicator of social determinants of health inequalities. Results suggest tobacco control policies and interventions should specifically focus on older adults vulnerable to economic inequality. Findings have implications for health and economic inequality among older adults in general.

Decreased smoking initiation among male youths in China: an urban-rural comparison.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared urban/rural differences in smoking initiation during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood among Chinese males. METHODS: Data were derived from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (N = 2395). Logistic and cox models were computed to assess smoking initiation between the ages of 15 and 20 across urban/rural administrative districts (i.e. urban neighborhood, suburban village, county town neighborhood, and rural village). RESULTS: Findings revealed that rates of smoking initiation decreased from the 1970 to 1996 cohorts in all four administrative districts. After adjusting for household and community characteristics, the inverse association between smoking initiation and birth year remained statistically significant (p < 0.05) in all administrative districts with the exception of urban neighborhoods. County town neighborhoods and suburban villages witnessed accelerated reductions in smoking initiation. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased smoking initiation appears to be associated with birth year, which may be correlated with social and economic development of China in conjunction with an unprecedented rate of urbanization. Results suggest that the rate of smoking initiation for male youths may experience further decreases, particularly in areas with a heightened potential of urbanization.