Social relational factors of excessive internet use in four European countries.

OBJECTIVES: Adolescents who deal with more emotional problems have been found to seek escape online, and struggle with excessive internet use (EIU). Poor social relationships have been linked with emotional problems. The current study investigated positive family and school relationships as protective factors against emotional problems and a preference for online social interaction (POSI), both specified as mediators of the association of family and school relationships with EIU. Cross-cultural differences in the model were tested. METHODS: A multi-group SEM was tested on representative samples of 4104 adolescents (Mage = 14.40 years, SD = 1.65, range 12-17, 50% female) from four European countries from Southern, Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe (Italy, Norway, Czech Republic, and Serbia, respectively). RESULTS: Results suggested consistent associations across countries. Positive family relationships and positive school relationships were associated with lower EIU, with 63-64% of the effect of family, and 91-93% of the effect of school relationships mediated by emotional problems and POSI. CONCLUSIONS: Positive family and school relationships protect adolescents against excessive internet usage, regardless of culture and indirectly-through emotional problems and POSI.

Evaluation of a social marketing approach to healthy, home-cooked family meals for low-income mothers of young children.

Cooking is a complex behavior associated with more frequent and nutrient-dense family meals. The Cook Together, Eat Together (CTET) social marketing program used formative, process, and outcome evaluations over a 3-year period to design a program to increase fruit and vegetable intake and frequency of family meals. We used a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design with a nonequivalent comparison group to evaluate fruit and vegetable intake and family meals. Eight focus groups of mothers in low-income families with young children revealed two predominant behavioral mediators: (i) importance of family time and (ii) desire for children to learn to cook and become self-sufficient adults. Program design was grounded in formative evaluation and organized by the four Ps of social marketing: (i) product-learning to prepare healthy meals while teaching children to cook; (ii) price-lowered by reducing barriers of food cost, kitchen clean-up, meal planning, grocery shopping; (iii) placement-in neighborhood gathering places with a "cooking social"; and (iv) promotion-flyers, newsletters, and social media. Outcome indicators were assessed pre/post intervention with questions from instruments validated for the audience. Significant changes (n = 68, p ≥ .002, Bonferroni adjustment for p = .05, Cohen's d = .50 medium effect size) were found in consumption of fruits and vegetables with an average increase of half cup each per day. CTET participation significantly increased fruits and vegetables served and eaten at family meals. A social marketing approach can help families with young children increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

Developmental Links Between Gaming and Depressive Symptoms.

The current longitudinal study tested the reciprocal relationships between video game play and depressive symptoms among 9,421 adolescents from the Add Health (Mage  = 16.15 years, SD = 1.64, 55% female), over 11 years (Waves 2, 3, and 4), ages 16 to 27. Based on structural equation modeling as well as latent growth models, findings indicated that (1) excessive gaming was largely transient over time, from adolescence to early adulthood; (2) excessive gaming predicted increases in depressive symptoms; and (3) in turn, depressive symptoms predicted decreases in gaming over time. Multigroup model tests by sex provided additional evidence that longitudinal relationships from excessive gaming to depressive symptoms were supported for male, but not for female youth.

Revisiting the immigrant paradox: Suicidal ideations and suicide attempts among immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents.

The current study examined the immigrant paradox in suicidal ideations and attempts, whether rates and correlates varied across immigrant/non-immigrant youth in a nationally representative sample of 7,287 Swiss adolescents (10.2% 1st generation immigrants, 10.3% 2nd generation, and 16.1% mixed parentage; Mage = 17.45, SD = 1.85, 46.6% females). Known risk and protective factors for suicidal ideations and attempts (depressive symptoms, family and peer connectedness, and demographics) were used as correlates, and their effects were compared across groups. About 27% of youth thought about suicide in past 12 months, while 5.5% reported attempting suicide once in their lifetime. After controlling for known predictors and nationality, being an immigrant adolescent (1st, 2nd generation, or mixed parentage) lowered the risk for suicidal ideations as compared to native Swiss youth; immigrant status was unrelated to attempts. Findings provide mixed support for the immigrant paradox; both immigrant and native youth would benefit from effective intervention strategies.