Quality Of Family Communication Research Articles

Kualitas Komunikasi Keluarga terhadap Pencegahan Perilaku Seksual Berisiko pada Remaja

Risky sexual behavior is a big problem for adolescents and a challenge for parents in taking care of their adolescents. Efforts can be made to prevent the problem of risky sexual behavior by improving the quality of family communication at home. Communication is important so that adolescents are more open and close to their parents, so they can avoid negative behavior The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the quality of family communication and the prevention of risky sexual behavior in adolescents. The type of research is descriptive-analytic with cross-sectional design. The population in this study was 124 people with a total research sample of 61 people taken using random sampling technique. The test was conducted with SPSS using the Pearson correlation test. The results show that there is a relationship between the quality of family communication and the prevention of adolescent risky sexual behavior, P-Value 0.04. Further research needs to be done by paying attention to nursing interventions that can support the improvement of family communication towards adolescents so that efforts to prevent risky sexual behavior in adolescents increase.

The Relationship between Family Characteristics and Adolescent Perception of the Quality of Family Communication

Many studies consider family communication to be one of the most important protective factors for the positive development of children and adolescents in the family environment. This paper aims to clarify whether some characteristics of the family environment influence the quality of family communication in order to provide guidelines for the planning of prevention strategies that effectively improve the quality of family communication and, thus, the positive development of adolescents. Specifically, the aim is to investigate whether there are gender- and age-related differences in the assessment of the quality of family communication and whether there are differences in the assessment of the quality of family communication depending on some family characteristics. High school students from five large Croatian cities (Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Pula, and Varazdin) took part in this study. The quota sample is stratified by three Croatian high school programs, as well as by individual program orientations within each school. The results show that there are differences in assessment of the quality of family communication in relation to gender, age, living with both or one parent, and the educational and working status of the parents. The data suggest that, in addition to the timely implementation of evidence-based parenting and/or family-based prevention interventions, there is a need to invest in high-quality social policies that could lead to a better quality of family life by increasing the chances of higher educational attainment for (future) parents as well as adequate employment opportunities.

All we need is love? Irreconcilable political incongruence in families after the 2019 social unrest in Hong Kong

AbstractPolitical disagreement with family members can have a deleterious impact on familial relationships, but the long‐term consequences are understudied. This study examined the relational outcomes of familial political incongruence two years after the 2019 social unrest in Hong Kong and the extent to which frequency and types of family contact explain their association. This two‐wave questionnaire study augmented with a 14‐day daily record of family contact recruited (1) young adults and (2) parents with children aged 18–30 (N = 559). Nearly half of the respondents reported significant political incongruence with their parents/children. We observed consistent findings in both adult children and parents. Greater parent–child political differences were associated with reduced likelihood of having positive family communication and family functioning. Increased political differences with family members were associated with greater odds of family dysfunctionality. Moreover, expression of love and care mediated the effect of political differences with family members on changes in family functioning. This study demonstrates familial political incongruence exerts an influence on families two years after the unrest. Parent–child political differences are associated with a decline in the quality of family communication and family environment. We discuss how parent–child political incongruence drives a family to worsened well‐being through dysfunctional family dynamics.

Generating mutual support in multifamily therapy to promote father involvement and family communication quality of Chinese families of adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A qualitative study.

Previous studies have suggested the negative impacts of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on parent-adolescent interactions. Yet engaging parents, particularly the fathers, to participate in family-based interventions has been challenging in Chinese contexts given the traditional concerns about keeping the family's "face" and the influence of affiliate stigma. Empirical evidence supports multifamily therapy as an effective modality for parental engagement. This study explores the role of mutual support in promoting parental engagement and family communication quality of Chinese families of adolescents with ADHD. Inclusion criteria of the study were (a) Chinese family of at least one adolescent child having an ADHD diagnosis, (b) the adolescent child was aged between 11 and 15 years, and (c) the family participated in a multifamily therapy program. Families who had not completed a multifamily therapy program were excluded. Fourteen Chinese families of adolescents with ADHD who participated in a pilot multifamily therapy program from June 2017 to September 2018 were recruited for this qualitative study. Photo-elicited parent focus groups and photo-elicited individual interviews with adolescents were conducted. The thematic analysis revealed that a low level of hierarchy in the therapist-client relationship contributed to the building of mutual support among the families in the therapy process. The mutual support was found to play a key role in promoting acceptance, father involvement, and open communication within families of adolescents with ADHD. Discussion was conducted on the importance of the nonexpert stance of the therapist for promoting mutual support among Chinese families in a multifamily therapy process.

The Relationship Between Family Communication Quality and the Career Maturity of Adolescents: The Role of Time Perspective.

Family communication quality is an influential factor of career maturity; however, very few studies have investigated the internal mechanisms underlying the relation between family communication quality and career maturity. This study investigated the mediating effect of time perspective on this relation, explored adolescents' time perspective profiles, and examined the relationships among family communication quality, career maturity, and time perspective profiles. In this one-year interval longitudinal study, adolescents (67.19% girls; aged 16.10-24.09 years; n = 442) reported parent-adolescent communication quality and time perspective at Time 1 and career maturity at Time 2. The results showed that family communication quality positively predicted adolescents' career maturity, and this relation was mediated by adolescents' Present Fatalistic and Future time perspectives. Additionally, this study identified four time perspective profiles: balanced, moderate, negative, and risk-taking. We further examined how these time perspective profiles are associated with family communication quality and career maturity. The results showed that adolescents' perceptions of high-quality communication with their parents promoted them to endorse a balanced time perspective profile and protected them from endorsing a negative time perspective profile. Moreover, adolescents with a balanced time perspective profile exhibited better development in terms of career maturity, whereas those with a negative time perspective profile reported poor development in terms of career maturity. Present Fatalistic and Future time perspectives mediated the association between parent-adolescent communication quality and career maturity. Additionally, adolescents who engaged in high-quality communication with parents were more likely to endorse the balanced time perspective profile and less likely to adopt the negative time perspective profile; these adolescents were also more likely to achieve higher levels of career maturity. These findings highlight the necessity of improving parent-adolescent communication quality and guiding adolescents to establish a balanced time perspective profile with the goal of promoting adolescents' career maturity.

Associations of Quality of Family Communication and Well-Being with Marital Attitudes among Turkish Emerging Adults

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between Turkish emerging adults’ marital attitudes, and their quality of family communication and well-being. The study participants consisted of 386 (266 female, 120 male) never-married emerging adults, selected by the method of convenience sampling. Hierarchical multiple linear regression technique was used for data analysis. The results revealed that emerging adults' quality of family communication and well-being were both predictors of marital attitudes. A higher level of well-being and quality of family communication were associated with more positive attitudes toward marriage.

Family Functioning Style as a Predictor of the Quality of Cognitive Functioning of Primary School Students With ADHD

Objective: This study aimed to specify whether family communication and satisfaction are predictors of a child’s executive functions and whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severity lies in the pathway between these variables. Method: Two hundred Polish children with ADHD, aged 10 to 13, were tested using Conners 3, the PU1 Battery of Cognitive Tests and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (SB5). Parents filled out the FACES IV-SOR questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Results: The quality of family communication and satisfaction did not predict executive functioning in children with ADHD, and ADHD severity did not play a mediating role neither in boys or in girls. Intelligent quotient was the only predictor of executive functioning in the group of boys. Conclusion: These results contrast with those of previous studies that have shown the existence of similar associations in other cultural contexts.

Factors associated with willingness and preferences to attend family services in Hong Kong: A population-based survey.

Family services are open to the community at large as well as vulnerable groups; however, little is known about the willingness of communities to attend such services. We investigated the willingness and preferences to attend family services and their associated factors (including sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and family communication quality) in Hong Kong. A population-based survey was conducted on residents aged over 18 years from February to March 2021. Data included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, education, housing type, monthly household income, and the number of cohabitants), willingness to attend family services to promote family relationships (yes/no), family service preferences (healthy living, emotion management, family communication promotion, stress management, parent-child activities, family relationship fostering, family life education, and social network building; each yes/no), family wellbeing, and family communication quality (both scores 0-10). Family wellbeing was assessed using the average scores of perceived family harmony, happiness and health (each score 0-10). Higher scores indicate better family wellbeing or family communication quality. Prevalence estimates were weighted by sex, age and educational level of the general population. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the willingness and preferences to attend family services were calculated in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and family communication quality. Overall, 22.1% (1,355/6,134) and 51.6% (996/1,930) of respondents were willing to attend family services to promote relationships or when facing problems, respectively. Older age (aPR = 1.37-2.30, P < 0.001-0.034) and having four or more cohabitants (aPR = 1.44-1.53, P = 0.002-0.003) were associated with increased aPR of willingness for both situations. Lower family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with lower aPR for such willingness (aPR = 0.43-0.86, P = 0.018-<0.001). Lower family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with preferences for emotion and stress management, family communication promotion, and social network building (aPR = 1.23-1.63, P = 0.017-<0.001). Lower levels of family wellbeing and communication quality were associated with unwillingness to attend family services and preferences for emotion and stress management, family communication promotion, and social network building.

Whose Dark Traits Spoil Family Communication? A Triadic Analysis of Families Raising Adolescents

Adolescence is a turbulent stage of development for both adolescents and their families. Family communication remains one of the major means to adjust to developmental tasks in this stage. Since personality traits have a profound effect on the process of communication, Dark Triad (DT) traits were hypothesized to negatively influence family communication. We wanted to further explore the actor and partner effects of family members’ DT traits on their perceptions of family communication. Ninety-eight families (N = 294) with convenience sampling were recruited for our study. All three family members (i.e., fathers, mothers, and adolescent children) reported their level of DT traits on the Short Dark Triad and perceived quality of family communication on the Communication scale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-IV. We classified families based on members’ level of DT traits, but no significant difference in mothers', fathers', and adolescents' perceptions of family communication was found across types of families. Results of triadic extensions of the actor-partner interdependence model showed that mothers' and adolescents' levels of Machiavellianism negatively affected family communication as perceived by fathers and mothers, respectively. Fathers' level of narcissism affected adolescents’ perceptions of family communication negatively. Fathers' level of psychopathy had a negative effect on their own and mothers' perceptions of family communication. Results are in line with general findings about DT traits and highlight their influence in affecting family communication. Specific actor and partner effects are discussed with regard to family roles.

Association of family wellbeing with forwarding and verifying COVID-19-related information, and mediation of family communication quality.

ObjectiveWe assessed the associations of family wellbeing with verifying and subsequently forwarding COVID-19-related information to family members and the mediating effect of the quality of family communication on these associations among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.MethodsUnder the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted an online population-based survey, using Family wellbeing Scale and questions related to the family communication quality and forwarding and verifying COVID-19 information. Data were collected from 4,891 adults in May 2020. Prevalence estimates of forwarding and verifying COVID-19 information were weighted by sex, age, and education of the general population, and their associations with family wellbeing (ranged 0–10) were analyzed using generalized linear models with mutual adjustment. Their interactive effects on family wellbeing and the mediating effects of family communication quality were examined.ResultsIn total, 53.9% of respondents usually/always forwarded COVID-19 information related to their family, 68.7% usually/always verified it before forwarding, and 40.9% did both. Greater family wellbeing was associated with usually/always forwarding [adjusted β (95% CI): 0.82 (0.72–0.92)] and usually/always verifying [0.43 (0.32–0.55)] (both P < 0.001) the information. Forwarding and verifying such information showed an additive effect on family wellbeing [1.25 (1.11–1.40)]. Family communication quality mediated the associations of family wellbeing with forwarding (83.7%) and verifying (86.6%) COVID-19-related information.ConclusionForwarding COVID-19 information to family, verifying such information, and especially doing both, were associated with greater family wellbeing, being strongly mediated by the quality of family communication. Individuals should be encouraged to verify COVID-19-related information before forwarding it to family members amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adversity coping capability and its associations with mental health and family wellbeing amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong

BackgroundAdversity coping capability (ACC) is important amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the associations of ACC as measured by our one-item ACC scale (ACC-1) with mental health, family well-being and validity of ACC-1 in Hong Kong.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on Hong Kong Chinese adults aged ≥ 18 years by landline, mobile phone, and online survey from February to March 2021, when the fourth wave of COVID-19 was under control. ACC-1 consisted of the question: “How do you rate your capability to cope with adversities?” with higher scores (0–10) indicating stronger ACC. The associations of ACC with socioeconomic characteristics, resilience, mental health, and family wellbeing were examined by linear regression coefficients (βs). Data were weighted by sex, age, and education of the general population.ResultsOf 7441 respondents, after weighing, 52.2% were female and 79.1% were aged 18 to 64 years. ACC-1 showed good construct validity, with higher ACC being associated with higher levels of resilience (adjusted β = 0.29), personal happiness (0.55), family happiness (0.42), family wellbeing (0.41), and family communication quality (0.41), and lower levels of depressive symptoms (-0.30), anxiety (-0.30), loneliness (-0.15); incremental validity with additional contributions of ACC to mental health and family wellbeing; and known-group validity with older age and favorable socioeconomic characteristics showing higher ACC (all P < 0.02). Females (mean ± standard deviation: 6.04 ± 1.82 vs 6.15 ± 1.96 [male]) and unemployed respondents (5.30 ± 1.99 vs 6.11 ± 2.03 [in paid employment]) had lower ACC (all P ≤ 0.02).ConclusionsWe have first shown that stronger ACC was associated with better mental health and family wellbeing, and the results support ACC-1 as a simple and valid measure of ACC.

A prospective investigation of the relation between dysfunctional family communication and suicidal ideation severity in a clinical adolescent sample: A serial mediation model

BackgroundExtant research has documented a relation between the quality of family communication and adolescent suicidal ideation. However, few studies have examined this relation longitudinally or explored potential mechanisms of this effect. In the present study, unhealthy family communication was hypothesized to be associated with suicidal ideation severity over 18 months via a serial mediation pathway through emotion regulation difficulties and depressive symptom severity. MethodsThe sample consisted of 147 adolescents (Mage = 14.91, SD = 1.51, range = 12–18 years; 76.2% female, 85.5% White) enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. Family communication quality was assessed at baseline using the Family Assessment Device. Emotion regulation difficulties and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Children's Depression Inventory-2, respectively, at baseline, 6-, and 12-months. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-JR at baseline and 18-months. Path analysis was used to analyze temporal relations between constructs. ResultsAfter accounting for participant's age, sex, treatment condition, and baseline levels of variables of interest, analyses supported the indirect relation between baseline family communication and 18-month suicidal ideation severity through 6-month emotion regulation difficulties and 12-month depressive symptom severity. LimitationsData were exclusively collected via self-report, and the sample was racially homogenous. ConclusionsTreatment aimed at improving family communication may help bolster emotion regulation abilities, lower depressive symptoms, and subsequently, suicide risk.

A Population Study on COVID-19 Information Sharing: Sociodemographic Differences and Associations with Family Communication Quality and Well-Being in Hong Kong.

Family support through the sharing of information helps to shape and regulate the health and behaviours of family members, but little is known about how families are sharing COVID-19-related information, or about its associations with family communication quality and well-being. We examined the associations of COVID-19 information sharing methods with sociodemographic characteristics, the perceived benefits of information communication and technology (ICT) methods, and family communication quality and well-being in Hong Kong. Of 4852 respondents (53.2% female, 41.1% aged over 55 years), the most common sharing method was instant messaging (82.3%), followed by face-to-face communication (65.7%), phone (25.5%) and social media (15.8%). Female sex (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.09), older age (aPRs 1.14–1.22) and higher household income (aPR 1.06) (all p ≤ 0.04) were associated with instant messaging use, while post-secondary education was associated with face-to-face (aPR 1.10), video call (aPR 1.79), and email (aPR 2.76) communications (all p ≤ 0.03). Each ICT sharing method used was associated with a higher likelihood of both reported benefits (aPRs 1.26 and 1.52), better family communication quality and family well-being (adjusted βs 0.43 and 0.30) (all p ≤ 0.001). We have first shown that COVID-19 information sharing in families using both traditional methods and ICTs, and using more types of methods, was associated with perceived benefits and better family communication quality and well-being amidst the pandemic. Sociodemographic differences in COVID-19 information sharing using ICTs were observed. Digital training may help enhance social connections and promote family well-being.

Family E-Chat Group Use Was Associated with Family Wellbeing and Personal Happiness in Hong Kong Adults amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Instant messaging (IM) is increasingly used for family communication amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. However, evidence remains scarce on how family e-chat groups were used and their associations with family and individual wellbeing amidst the pandemic. The numbers of family e-chat groups, functions used, and messages sent and received daily in groups were reported by 4890 adults in May 2020, and their associations with family wellbeing and personal happiness and the mediation effect of family communication quality were examined. Results showed that sending/receiving text messages was most commonly used, followed by receiving/sending photos/pictures, making voice calls, receiving/sending short videos and voice messages, and making video calls. Women and older people used more non-text functions. Higher levels of family wellbeing and personal happiness were associated with having more groups, receiving/sending photos/pictures, video calls, more IM functions used, and more IM messages received/sent daily. Forty-six point two to seventy-five point five percent of their associations with more groups and more functions used were mediated by family communication quality. People having more family e-chat groups and using more IM functions may be more resilient amidst the pandemic, while those without or with low use of family e-chat groups amidst the pandemic would need more attention and assistance in the presence of social distancing.

Tertiary hospital nurses' ethical sensitivity and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study.

High ethical sensitivity positively affects the quality of nursing care; nevertheless, Chinese nurses' ethical sensitivity and the factors influencing it have not been described. The purpose of this study was to describe ethical sensitivity and to explore factors influencing it among Chinese-registered nurses, to help nursing administrators improve nurses' ethical sensitivity, build harmony between nurses and patients, and promote the patients' health. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. We recruited 500 nurses from several departments in three tertiary hospitals. The Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised version and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals were used to assess the nurses' ethical sensitivity and empathy ability, respectively. Fifteen sociodemographic variables were included in the questionnaires. Informed consent was obtained from the participants regarding participation and data storage and handling. This program has been examined and supported by the research center of medical ethics and professional ethics of Guilin Medical University. The Approval No. was 2016RWYB04. The whole research process is conducted strictly according to ethical requirements. The valid response rate was 84.40% (n = 422). The total score of Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised was 35.82 ± 8.17. The subscale scores of moral responsibility and strength and sense of moral burden were 21.50 ± 4.91 and 14.33 ± 3.98, respectively. Significant differences were found among age groups, gender, years of working, category of profession, and quality of family communication regarding nurses' ethical sensitivity (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that the main factors influencing nurses' ethical sensitivity were gender, years of working, quality of family communication, career satisfaction, and empathic ability. Our findings suggest that Chinese nurses' ethical sensitivity in tertiary hospitals in Guilin is at a medium level. The director of nursing schools and hospitals in China should pay attention to nurses' ethical sensitivity and should intensify education and training to improve nurses' ethical sensitivity. Further studies should focus on interventions aimed at improving Chinese nurses' ethical sensitivity.

Parent-Adolescent Communication Quality and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Autonomy and Future Orientation.

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that family communication quality is an important factor that can influence adolescents’ life satisfaction. However, relatively few studies have examined this relationship in the Chinese cultural context or explored the potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether family communication quality is closely linked to Chinese adolescents’ life satisfaction and whether this link was mediated by autonomy and future orientation.MethodsThis study recruited 442 Chinese college students (67.19% girls) as participants. Based on a longitudinal design, the participants reported family communication quality at Time 1 and reported autonomy, future orientation, and life satisfaction at Time 2.ResultsThe results of correlation analysis showed the existence of a positive correlation between family communication quality, autonomy, future orientation, and life satisfaction. The mediation models showed family communication quality predicted adolescents’ life satisfaction through the mediating effects of autonomy and future orientation. Furthermore, autonomy and future orientation not only independently mediated the relationship between family communication quality and life satisfaction but sequentially mediated this relationship.ConclusionAutonomy and future orientation mediated the relationship between family communication quality and life satisfaction. The findings of the present study highlight the significance of elevating family communication quality and promoting adolescents’ development of autonomy and future orientation to enhance their life satisfaction.

Association of Mobile Instant Messaging Chat Group Participation With Family Functioning and Well-Being: Population-Based Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundConvenient and quality family communication improves family functioning and well-being. Using mobile instant messaging (IM) for family communication is increasingly popular, but its association with family functioning and family well-being has not been reported.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the association of the use of family IM chat groups with family functioning and well-being, and the mediating effect of family communication quality among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Family and Health Information Trend Survey (FHInTS), a territory-wide, probability-based telephone survey conducted in 2017. The quality of family communication, family functioning, and well-being was assessed using the Family Communication Scale; Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve (APGAR) Scale; and Family Well-Being Scale (family heath, harmony, and happiness), respectively. Respondents also reported the number of family IM chat groups (0, 1, 2, ≥3), and numbers of IM messages received (<1, 1-2, 3-10, 11-20, >20) and sent (<1, 1-2, 3-10, 11-20, >20) daily. The frequency of family IM chat interaction (range 0-8) was calculated by combining the number of messages received from and sent to the family IM chat groups daily. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics and the frequency of family face-to-face communication (often, sometimes, seldom, or never). Data were weighted by sex, age, and education of the general population. Adjusted β coefficients of family functioning and well-being in relation to having a family IM chat group, and numbers of messages received and sent were calculated. The mediation effects of family communication on these associations were assessed, controlling for the covariates.ResultsA random sample of 1638 Chinese adults (45.6% men; 78.1% aged 25 to 64 years) were interviewed (response rate: 74.4%). Female, younger age, being married or cohabiting, higher education, higher income, better family functioning, and well-being were associated with having at least one family IM chat group (all P<.01). Higher scores of family communication, family APGAR, and family well-being were associated with having more family IM chat groups and more messages received from and sent to family IM chat groups daily (all P for trend <.01). More frequent family IM chat interaction was associated with higher scores of family communication, family APGAR, and family well-being (β=.16-.83, all P for trend <.001). The associations of family IM chat interaction with family functioning and well-being were moderately (51.0%-59.6%) mediated by family communication.ConclusionsUse of a family IM chat group was associated with higher family functioning and well-being, and the association was partially mediated by family communication.

Univerzitetski centar za psihološko savetovanje - empirijska studija i potencijalni značaj za unapređenje kvaliteta života studenata

Counselling psychology addresses the emotional, social, work, school, and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives, focusing on typical life stresses and more severe issues with which people may struggle as individuals and as a part of families, groups, and organizations. The increasing rate of psychological problems and their consequences indicate that student centres that provide psychological assistance have to exist. The pilot project "Psychological counselling centre for students" at the University of Niš is one of the largest and longest running projects of this type among the universities in Serbia. The basic research problem is an attempt to predict the frequency of occurrence of student-related problems regarding: learning and intellectual functioning, emotional relationships, communication, and social relations based on self - concept, quality of family communication and emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 400 students from University of Niš. A self-concept scale (Bezinović, 1988) was used to measure the self-concepts of adolescents, while (primary) family satisfaction was measured using the Faces IV questionnaire (Olson &amp; Gorrall, 2006). To estimate emotional intelligence, the Emotional Competence Questionnaire was used (Takšić et al., 2006). Almost all the models were obtained via the hierarchical regression analysis, and proved to be statistically significant, so that the percentage of the explained variance ranges from 7.9% when it comes to problems in the sphere of emotional relationships, to 24,8% in the sphere of communication and social relations. This means that the models best functioned precisely when it came to explaining the problem of communication and social functioning among students, even though the percentage of the explained variance of 10,9% in the case of the problem of studying and intellectual functioning is not negligible. The study of potential and significant factors which could have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the mental health of the student population is and should be an imperative for the scientific and professional community.

The Association Between Electronic Device Use During Family Time and Family Well-Being: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundElectronic devices (eDevices) may have positive or negative influences on family communication and well-being depending on how they are used.ObjectiveWe examined eDevice use during family time and its association with the quality of family communication and well-being in Hong Kong Chinese adults.MethodsIn 2017, a probability-based 2-stage random sampling landline telephone survey collected data on eDevice use in daily life and during family time (eg, family dinner) and the presence of rules banning eDevice use during family dinner. Family communication quality was rated from 0 to 10 with higher scores being favorable. Family well-being was calculated as a composite mean score of 3 items each using the same scale from 0 to 10. The associations of family communication quality and well-being with eDevice use in daily life and during family time were estimated using beta-coefficient (β) adjusting for sociodemographics. The mediating role of family communication quality in the association between eDevice use and family well-being was analyzed.ResultsOf the 2064 respondents (mean age 56.4 [SD 19.2] years, 1269/2064 [61.48%] female), 1579/2059 (76.69%) used an eDevice daily for a mean of 3.6 hours (SD 0.1) and 257/686 (37.5%) used it for 30+ minutes before sleep. As much as 794/2046 (38.81%) often or sometimes used an eDevice during family time including dinner (311/2017, 15.42%); 713/2012 (35.44%) reported use of an eDevice by family members during dinner. Lower family communication quality was associated with hours of eDevice use before sleep (adjusted β=–.25; 95% CI –0.44 to –0.05), and often use (vs never use) of eDevice during family dinner by oneself (adjusted β=–.51; 95% CI –0.91 to –0.10) and family members (adjusted β=–.54; 95% CI –0.79 to –0.29). Similarly, lower family well-being was associated with eDevice use before sleep (adjusted β=–.26; 95% CI –0.42 to –0.09), and often use during family dinner by oneself (adjusted β=–.48; 95% CI –0.83 to –0.12) and family members (adjusted β=–.50; 95% CI –0.72 to –0.28). Total ban of eDevice use during family dinner was negatively associated with often use by oneself (adjusted odds ratio 0.49; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.85) and family members (adjusted odds ratio 0.41; 95% CI 0.28, 0.60) but not with family communication and well-being. Lower family communication quality substantially mediated the total effect of the association of eDevice use time before sleep (61.2%) and often use at family dinner by oneself (87.0%) and by family members (67.8%) with family well-being.ConclusionseDevice use before sleep and during family dinner was associated with lower family well-being, and the association was substantially mediated by family communication quality. Our results suggest that interventions on smart use of eDevice may improve family communication and well-being.

Direct and the Indirect Determinants of Weight-Control Behaviours among Adolescents

Abstract Background Economic determinants such as socioeconomic inequalities and parents’ employment have a profound impact on the health of adolescents in terms of unhealthy weight-control behaviours (UWCB). In addition, various family factors may play a role in adolescents’ weight-control behaviours (WCB). This study examines the association among socioeconomic status, perceived family wealth, and number of employed parents and Israeli adolescents’ WCB and asks whether family variables (parental communication, monitoring, support, and family meals) mediate WCB. Methods Data from the cross-sectional questionnaire of the 2014 Israeli Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study are analysed using structural equation modelling. The research population includes approximately 7,000 Israeli schoolchildren in grades 6, 8, and 10. The association among socioeconomic status (SES) factors (SES measures, parental employment), sociodemographic factors, and weight-control behaviours among adolescents is calculated. Results High family affluence and high perceived family wealth are negatively associated with unhealthy weight-control behaviour. Having two employed parents leads to lower levels of UWCB. Family-related variables like family communication and support and parental monitoring are found to mitigate unhealthy weight-control behaviours. Family meals have a significantly positive effect on healthy weight-control behaviour and a significantly negative impact on unhealthy weight-control activities. Conclusions The findings suggest that economic factors such as SES and number of employed parents are necessary strategies for long-term weight-control practice. The combination of WCB and family meals is the most effective method for adolescents’ healthy weight-control behaviour. Key messages The study highlights the importance of considering the quality of family communication and support as a health asset that may contribute to WCB among young people. Family affluence and perceived family wealth, which were two separate measurements, were perceived differently by adolescents.