Adolescents' social interaction skills on social media versus in person and the correlations to well-being.

INTRODUCTION: High-quality social interactions with peers could protect adolescents' mental health, resilience, and well-being. Assessing their social interaction skills (SIS) is essential to enhancing them. However, few instruments provide information about SIS in in-person and social media environments. The SIS Questionnaire (SISQ) was developed to fill this gap, spotlighting adolescents' viewpoints on SIS in both environments. This study aimed to describe the SISQ development and psychometric properties, differences in adolescents' SIS in both environments, and relationships between the adolescents' SIS and subjective well-being. METHODS: A total of 214 typically developed adolescents aged 12-18 (M = 15.3 years, SD = 1.77; 61.2% girls) completed online questionnaires (demographic, SISQ, and Five Well-Being Index). We used exploratory factor analysis for construct validity, Cronbach's alpha for internal reliability, t-tests for differences in SIS, Cohen's d for effect sizes, and Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression for relationships between SIS and well-being. RESULTS: The SISQ has content validity and a monofactorial scale construct validity with very good internal reliability. Participants rated their in-person SIS significantly higher than on social media, t(213) = -5.24, p < 0.001, d = 0.36, and the in-person environment as more important, t(213) = -11.57, p < 0.001, d = 0.79, than the social media environment. A significant correlation was found between both in-person SIS (r = 0.41, p < 0.001) and social media (r = 0.34, p < 0.01) and well-being. CONCLUSION: The SISQ is a valid, reliable tool for assessing adolescents' SIS, essential to promoting these skills in this unique environment.

Mind Sports: Exploring Motivation and Use of Cognitive Strategies in Bridge.

The game of Bridge is one of the world's most widely played mind-sport games. A growing number of people consider it a meaningful leisure activity and are motivated to play. The aim of this study was to describe a sample of Bridge players in Israel in terms of demographics, player records, motivations, and cognitive strategies used to play Bridge and examine the associations between these variables. A sample of 488 Bridge players' completed an online demographic questionnaire, the Bridge Motivational Factors Checklist, and the Bridge Cognitive Strategies Questionnaire. Most players in the study were men with a mean age of 68.7 years and a Bridge player level between Vice Master and Senior Master. Most players play bridge because "bridge is a fun game". Strategy use that occurred in-game (versus pre- or postgame) obtained the highest mean score. Because Bridge is a strategy game that can be played from childhood to older adulthood, it is important to continue research to further understand the nature and different aspects of the cognitive strategy used among Bridge players and in other mind sports.

Telehealth Interventions to Promote Health and Behavior-Related Outcomes in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This systematic review examined the effectiveness in a hybrid telehealth model for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), exploring the evidence base, methodology, and outcomes of health and behavior-related interventions for adolescents with ASD. The 11 included studies (a) were quantitative, (b) evaluated interventions delivered through a hybrid telehealth model (i.e., combined remote intervention with minimal in-person procedures), (c) measured health and behavior-related outcomes, and (d) considered adolescence as ages 12 through 25 years. The studies were a mixture of designs, methods, and outcome measures, and participant numbers were extremely low. Results demonstrated an overall lack of empirical evidence on the efficacy of hybrid-delivered interventions for adolescents with ASD, and more studies are needed to explore their effectiveness.

Handwriting and Motor-Related Daily Performance among Adolescents with Dysgraphia and Their Impact on Physical Health-Related Quality of Life.

Knowledge is limited about dysgraphia in adolescence and its association with daily motor-related daily performance and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aimed to (1) compare and (2) examine correlations between handwriting measures, motor-related daily performance, and HRQOL of adolescents with and without dysgraphia and (3) examine the contribution of motor-related daily performance and handwriting measures to predict their physical HRQOL. There were eighty adolescents (13-18 yr): half with dysgraphia and half matched controls without dysgraphia per the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire and Handwriting Legibility Scale participated. They copied a paragraph script onto a paper attached to the Computerized Penmanship Evaluation Tool digitizer and completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-brief version and the Adult Developmental Coordination Disorder Checklist (ADC). We found significant between-group differences in motor-related daily performance, handwriting measures, and HRQOL and significant correlations between HRQOL and handwriting process measures and motor-coordination ability. Handwriting measures predicted 25%, and the ADC A and C subscales 45.6%, of the research group's physical QOL domain score variability. Notably, the control group's current perceptions of their motor-coordination performance (ADC-C) predicted 36.5% of the variance in physical QOL. Dysgraphia's negative effects during childhood and adolescence may reduce adolescents' HRQOL now and into adulthood.

Coping strategies of families and their relationships with family quality of life during Covid-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to almost every aspect of parents' and their children's lives, posing an acute threat to the families' quality of life (FQOL). This study had two aims: (1) to identify changes in family coping-strategy profiles among parents pre- and during the first COVID-19 lockdown and (2) to analyze interactions between the clusters of coping strategies pre-COVID with FQOL during the first lockdown. A sample of 253 parents (58.5% mothers) of children (3 to 18 yr old) completed the Family Pandemic Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales and the FQOL Scale about their family life pre- and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Four family coping-strategy clusters were found. Differences were found between those clusters pre- and during the first COVID-19 lockdown, with a high percentage of families using the positive appraisal strategy more often. Significant interactions were found between the family coping-strategy clusters pre-COVID-19 and the FQOL factors before and during the pandemic. Most families maintained their FQOL levels during the first lockdown. Close and frequent interactions between family members had relationships with positive emotions and significant effects on well-being. Results showed that positive cognitive appraisal was a protective factor against a significant decrease in FQOL during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Nutritionists' Practices and Knowledge about the Risks of Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy: An Israeli Survey.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are lifelong disabilities and the leading preventable cause of developmental disabilities. Antenatal care providers may influence pregnant women's dietary practices and their awareness of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess nutritionists' self-reported knowledge about the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, professional practices in this respect, and self-perceived competence to assess and guide women about alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Israel. A sample of 526 professional nutritionists completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Results showed significant differences between the nutritionists' knowledge and professional practices scores. About 349 (66.3%) of the sample agreed (to any degree) that they did not have enough knowledge to guide pregnant women regarding drinking alcohol. The number of years of experience, combined with self-perceived competence and the mean knowledge score, explained 18% of the variance in professional practices. Nutritionists and other health professionals may have a crucial role in preventing FASD and should prioritize appropriate screening for prenatal alcohol use. Eliminating alcohol consumption at any point in pregnancy would reduce the risk for FASDs.

Pregnant women's alcohol consumption and knowledge about its risks: An Israeli survey.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is found in a significant proportion of women during their pregnancies. The only study on the prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Israel was conducted over a decade ago. Thus, our study aimed to assess alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy, associations with demographic characteristics, knowledge of possible risks of prenatal alcohol exposure, and relations among such knowledge, sociodemographic characteristics, and drinking habits. METHODS: A convenience sample of 802 pregnant Israeli women completed an anonymous online questionnaire regarding their alcohol consumption during pregnancy, recommendations received, and knowledge of possible risks. RESULTS: Of the sample, 539 (67.2 %) women self-reported drinking alcohol in the 2 months prior to learning they were pregnant, and 96 (12 %) during their pregnancy. Twice as many (28.1 %) reported knowing other women who had consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Women with higher education, in their first pregnancies, ethnically Jewish, and secular reported the highest pre-pregnancy rates of alcohol consumption. About 40 % reported receiving no education about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: A concerning percentage of pregnant women in Israel acknowledge drinking alcohol near and after conception. Although most participants reported discontinuing use after realizing they were pregnant, a worrying percentage continued consumption with little knowledge of the dangers. Actual rates may be higher. Information about risks of prenatal alcohol exposure is not widely disseminated, emphasizing the need to increase public awareness.

Motor performance and sensory processing behaviors among children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders compared to children with developmental coordination disorders.

BACKGROUND: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and developmental coordination disorders (DCD) may show similar clinical sensory-motor symptoms. AIMS: This study aimed to compare motor skills and sensory processing behaviors between these two groups. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: In this retrospective analysis, we examined secondary data and used multivariate analysis of variance to compare the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and Sensory Processing Measure (SPM)-Home for 21 children with FASD and 21 with DCD without prenatal alcohol exposure, ages 5-13 years. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: No significant group differences in mean total motor or subtest scores on the MABC-2 were detected, but a higher proportion of children with DCD had more severe motor delays. Both groups had sensory processing difficulties, but the children with FASD had significantly more sensory processing difficulties on the SPM total score and visual, touch, body awareness, and planning subscales. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The sensory processing symptoms in children with FASD distinguished the two groups. These group differences between children with FASD and DCD need corroboration in larger samples but haveimplications for differential diagnosis, clinical assessment, and targeted intervention.