Female Subsample Research Articles

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Later Life: Exploring Rural/Urban and Gender Differences Using CHARLS.

This paper aims to examine whether and how adverse childhood experiences are associated with mild cognitive impairment among middle-aged and older adults in China, and if the associations vary by gender and rural/urban residence. Using four waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, cox proportional hazard models were applied. Results showed that the rural and female subsamples were significantly disadvantaged and were more likely to be cognitively impaired. Moreover, childhood family socioeconomic status and childhood social relationships were significantly associated with the risk of mild cognitive impairment for the study sample. Our findings suggest that, for middle-aged and older Chinese adults, adverse childhood experiences could have long-lasting impacts on cognitive functioning throughout the life course.

Personal determinants of vandal behaviour among urban school and student youth from a gender perspective

Introduction. Vandalism is an urgent modern problem. This problem is especially acute for modern megalopolises, the environment of which is often a subject for damages and unauthorised changes. However, the megalopolis, possessing specific environmental characteristics, in a sense creates favourable conditions for vandalism through anonymisation, a decrease in social control, the adoption of borderline deviant-like forms of behaviour, etc. At the same time, foreign and Russian researchers refer to adolescents and young adult males as the subjects of vandal activity, i.e. those young people, who are mostly the subjects of education (schoolchildren, students). Their destructive vandal activity can spread in the space of an educational organisation or in the urban territory. Most often, males are at risk of vandalism, but there are examples of female vandalism. In such a case, the question of the personal determination of vandal behaviour of schoolchildren and students as active subjects transforming the environment remains open.The aim of the present research was to identify personality characteristics as facilitating and inhibiting predictors of motivational readiness for vandal behaviour of school and university students in a modern Russian megalopolis taking into account the gender factor.Research methodology, methods and techniques. The research was carried out among students of schools and universities in Ekaterinburg (an urban area with all the features of a modern Russian megalopolis). The study involved 132 people from 13 to 24 years (42 males, 90 females; 57 schoolchildren, 75 students). The HEXACO Personality Inventory, Dark Triad Personality Test and the questionnaire “Motives of Vandalism” were used as diagnostic tools. Mathematical and statistical processing of the results was carried out using comparative statistics (Student’s t-test) and linear regression analysis.The results of the study confirm the existence of significant differences in the motivational readiness for vandalism among the male and female subsamples. The constructed gender-differentiated regression models made it possible to identify a number of significant personality predictors of vandal behaviour. Predictors-facilitators include personality traits such as psychopathy and narcissism. The predictors-inhibitors of vandalism are honesty-modesty, extraversion, altruism, conscientiousness (female subsample), openness to new experience, Machiavellianism.The scientific novelty is in the fact that specific for the Russian sample of students and schoolchildren living in a megalopolis, personal factors of vandal behaviour were identified, taking into account gender differentiation.The practical significance is due to the potential possibilities of using the obtained data for preventing vandalism by students in the framework of the educational process in an educational organisation.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PLYOMETRIC JUMPS WITH SPRINT ACCELERATION

The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between horizontal and vertical plyometric jumps with sprint acceleration (SA) in sprint distances of 10 and 30 meters. Six horizontal and six vertical plyometric tests were used with 44 male and 22 female trained athletes of different sports. A correlation analysis was used to determine the association between horizontal and vertical plyometric jumps with SA. The results showed a greater degree of correlation between horizontal plyometric tasks and SA than vertical plyometrics. The number of correlations of horizontal and vertical jumps with SA was significantly higher in the male subsample. For male participants, the highest correlation coefficients of two unilateral horizontal single-leg jumps could be determined for the 10-meter sprint (r=-.542; r=-.465), as well as the 30-meter sprint (r=-617; r=-.617). In the female subsample, unilateral single-leg jumps had statistically insignificant correlations with sprint speed, except for the 30-meter sprint test (r=-.641). Significant correlations to SA in both subsamples also included the standing triple jump and the bounce triple jump - 25 cm. The standing triple jump results for women showed the highest correlation with SA across all tests (r=-.663). Horizontal bilateral jumps, horizontal double-leg jumps, and the standing long jump had an important correlation with the results of the 30-meter sprint. Starting acceleration for very short distances is a very complex motor task, which depends not only on the strength of the lower extremities, but also largely on inter-muscle coordination, running biomechanics, and undoubtedly, the morphological constitution of the athlete.

Funding female entrepreneurs in North Africa: self-selection vs discrimination? MSMEs, the informal sector and the microfinance industry

PurposeThis paper aims to address the following research question: Is loan funding to female entrepreneurs in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco affected by self-selection from borrowers or/and discrimination from lenders? This paper sheds light on empirical literature review, which displays mixed evidence.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a pooled sample of 3,896 businesses in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia drawn from the 2013 World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES). Despite selection biases and overweighing, the sample provides descriptive statistics upon gender ownership and gender management (human capital characteristics and financial data). The authors design two regression logistic models with interaction to investigate loan demand and loan granting with respect to self-selection vs discrimination. Female management is disentangled from female ownership with respect to entrepreneurship.FindingsNeither self-selection nor discrimination affects female owners compared with their male counterparts, whereas female managers do self-select themselves. In as much as the WBES female subsample include several biases, the authors eventually emphasise the importance of the non-surveyed informal sector, which includes most (micro-)businesses, and loan funding provided by the microfinance industry to these female businesses. Microfinance fills the gap for working capital but not for fixed assets. The size of the business is a major factor explaining both self-selection and discrimination.Research limitations/implicationsFindings of this study have important policy implications for closing the gender gap in accessing finance. In addition to supply-side factors, demand-side factors should be addressed. Informality also needs to be addressed, as many micro and small enterprises owned or managed by women are informal entities without registration or/and social protection. One way to increase women's demand for financial services is to introduce financial products to meet their needs (e.g. social protection basic coverage). Governments can help develop these new products by strengthening the microfinance industry with a favourable regulatory and institutional framework. The authors also wonder about the extension of this study. Thus, a new cross-sectional analysis of the most recent surveys in the North African region would allow the authors to enlarge the overall sample and measure the evolution of the gender gap over time.Originality/valueSo far, funding female entrepreneurship remained little investigated in these North African countries. Several sampling biases in the WBES – small businesses underestimation and manufacturing industry overweighting, which have been overlooked so far, explain the absence of self-selection and discrimination. In contrast, size plays an important role. Hence, the focus on microenterprises (the informal sector) and the microfinance industry suggests indeed that female entrepreneurs operating in small businesses have to cope with both self-selection and discrimination.

Barriers to Accessing Healthy Food and Food Assistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Racial Justice Uprisings: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Emerging Adults’ Experiences

BackgroundA steep rise in food insecurity is among the most pressing US public health problems that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) describe how food-insecure emerging adults are adapting their eating and child-feeding behaviors during COVID-19 and (2) identify barriers and opportunities to improve local food access and access to food assistance. DesignThe COVID-19 Eating and Activity Over Time study collected survey data from emerging adults during April to October 2020 and completed interviews with a diverse subset of food-insecure respondents. Participants/settingA total of 720 emerging adults (mean age: 24.7 ± 2.0 years; 62% female; 90% living in Minnesota) completed an online survey, and a predominately female subsample (n = 33) completed an interview by telephone or videoconference. Main outcome measuresSurvey measures included the short-form of the US Household Food Security Survey Module and 2 items to assess food insufficiency. Interviews assessed eating and feeding behaviors along with barriers to healthy food access. Analyses performedDescriptive statistics and a hybrid deductive and inductive content analysis. ResultsNearly one-third of survey respondents had experienced food insecurity in the past year. Interviews with food-insecure participants identified 6 themes with regard to changes in eating and feeding behavior (eg, more processed food, sporadic eating), 5 themes regarding local food access barriers (eg, limited enforcement of COVID-19 safety practices, experiencing discrimination), and 4 themes regarding barriers to accessing food assistance (eg, lack of eligibility, difficulty in locating pantries). Identified recommendations include (1) expanding the distribution of information about food pantries and meal distribution sites, and (2) increasing fresh fruit and vegetable offerings at these sites. ConclusionsInterventions of specific relevance to COVID-19 (eg, stronger implementation of safety practices) and expanded food assistance services are needed to improve the accessibility of healthy food for emerging adults.

Interindividual differences in matrix reasoning are linked to functional connectivity between brain regions nominated by Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory

The Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT) predicts that human intelligence is closely linked to structural and functional properties of several brain regions mainly located in the parietal and frontal cortices. It also proposes that solving abstract reasoning tasks involves multiple processing stages and thus requires the harmonic interplay of these brain regions. However, empirical studies directly investigating the relationship between intellectual performance and the strength of individual functional connections related to the P-FIT network are scarce. Here we demonstrate, in two independent samples comprising a total of 1489 healthy individuals, that fMRI resting-state connectivity, especially between P-FIT regions, is associated with interindividual differences in matrix reasoning performance. Interestingly, respective associations were only present in the overall samples and the female subsamples but not in the male subsamples, indicating a sex-specific effect. We found five statistically significant connections which replicated across both samples. These were constituted by BAs 8, 10, 22, 39, 46, and 47 in the left as well as BAs 44 and 45 in the right hemisphere. Given that many of these brain regions are predominantly involved in language processing, we hypothesized that our results reflect the importance of inner speech for solving matrix reasoning tasks. Complementary to previous research investigating the association between intelligence and functional brain connectivity by means of comprehensive network metrics, our study is the first to identify specific connections from the P-FIT network whose functional connectivity strength at rest can be considered an indicator of intellectual capability.

Personality functioning as a mediator of adult mental health following child maltreatment

BackgroundThe broad range of adverse health outcomes following child maltreatment (child maltreatment) underscores the need to investigate shared trajectories that contribute to associated physical and mental health problems. Previous research focused on different mechanisms, such as emotion regulation or attachment. In the present study, we propose personality functioning, comprising self- and interpersonal regulation and perception, to mediate between child maltreatment and mental and physical health. MethodsIn a German representative sample (N = 2,508), we assessed remembered child maltreatment, levels of personality functioning, and different health outcomes in adulthood, namely somatic symptoms, general mental distress, and body dysmorphic concern. We conducted path analyses to investigate mediation effects in the total sample as well as in female and male subsamples. ResultsChild maltreatment significantly predicted the assessed health outcomes and showed significant associations with lower levels of personality functioning. Personality functioning partially mediated all health outcomes assessed by significant indirect effects and lowered direct effects of child maltreatment on health outcomes. An exploratory analysis of different facets of personality functioning revealed a pronounced impact of identity perception and self-reflective capacities in mediating between child maltreatment and physical and mental health. Comparable results were found in female and male participants. LimitationsMajor limitations of the study are the reliance on cross-sectional data and the use of a screening measure to assess experienced child maltreatment. ConclusionPersonality functioning may represent a transdiagnostic link to different somatic and psychological symptoms in the aftermath of child maltreatment.

Correlations between Width of Keratinized Gingiva and Supracrestal Gingival Tissues Dimensions: A Retrospective Clinical Study

The aim of this retrospective study is to assess potential correlation between the width of the keratinized gingiva (KG), and the dimensions of the supracrestal gingival tissue (SGT) components. On the sample of 259 teeth of 79 patients, the following measurements were collected: width of KG, sulcus depth (SD), SGT, and biological width (BW) dimensions; separate correlations between measured elements were computed for males and females, for anterior and posterior, and for maxillary and mandibular teeth separately. Correlations between buccal KG and BW were present only for the upper anterior teeth and were nonsignificant in the female subsample, whereas the correlation between lingual KG and SGT were present only in females. Additionally, correlations between buccal KG and SD were present in upper anterior teeth only and were absent in the male subgroup. The width of the KG cannot routinely be used as an indicator for the dimensions of the SGT components. While the width of the KG can hardly be a useful indicator in upper anterior teeth, probing depth and bone sounding prior to prosthetic rehabilitation remains an essential tool to ensure tissue preservation.

Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs and Exercise Motivation in Japanese Adults: An Application of Self‐Determination Theory

AbstractGrounded in self‐determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to examine the relationship between satisfying basic psychological needs when exercising and motivation for exercise. Participants (nmale = 324; nfemale = 379) were Japanese adults who completed a survey using a cross‐sectional, non‐experimental design. Bivariate correlations supported positive associations between satisfying each psychological need via exercise, and revealed that adjacent motivations spanning the self‐determination continuum were more positively correlated in comparison to distal motivations. Multiple regression analyses by participant gender indicated that three basic psychological needs satisfaction via exercise predicted intrinsic motivation in men and women and identified regulation in the female subsample. Relatedness need satisfaction did not significantly contribute to predicting identified regulation in the male subsample. Limited support for the role of basic psychological need fulfillment was evident in the regression models related to controlled motivations or amotivation. Overall, the results of this study indicated that SDT could be employed to advance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that shape exercise motivation in Japanese adults.

Psychometric Properties of the Syrian Arabic Version of the Impact of Event Scale–Revised in the Context of the Syrian Refugee Crisis

The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is a widely used self-report questionnaire used to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the IES-R has been translated and validated in multiple languages, no previous version has employed the Arabic dialect commonly spoken in Syria. The present work aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a Syrian Arabic version of the IES-R. Syrian citizens (N = 288) living in refugee camps in Turkey were administered the Syrian Arabic IES-R as part of a humanitarian aid project focused on providing psychological assistance. The data were analyzed with respect to 10 previously published factor solutions. We found that the best-fitting model was a four-factor structure that included factors involving Avoidance-Numbing, Intrusion, Hyperarousal, and Sleep Disturbance. The model showed strong measurement invariance between male and female subsamples, allowing for meaningful comparisons of the factor means. Overall, the present findings support the validity of a new version of the IES-R, which can be used by both researchers and clinicians responding to the urgent need for psychological care for Syrian refugees fleeing war-related violence.

Emergency Department Admissions for Physical Child Abuse: Evidence from the 2006-2017 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Physical child abuse continues to be a serious public health issue in the United States. This study expands on previous research by exploring trends in physical child abuse diagnoses among children admitted to emergency departments (EDs) across the United States. The analysis aimed to explicate the association between physical child abuse and both sociodemographic and behavioral health covariates to better inform and identify risk factors associated with ED admissions for abuse. The study also explicated differences between confirmed and suspected physical child abuse cases. The study utilized a nationally representative sample of hospital-owned EDs that included 319,676,625 ED admissions between 2006 and 2017 for children under 18-years-old. The analysis included a trend analysis, bivariate descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression models were employed. Children with a physical child abuse diagnosis were less likely to be from higher income communities (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI [0.53, 0.71]), less likely to be female (aOR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.90, 0.96]), and more likely to be uninsured (aOR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.48, 1.84]). Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (aOR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.14, 1.62]) and a conduct disorder (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.04, 1.58]) were more likely to have a physical abuse diagnosis. The sex-stratified analyses found that the higher rates of physical abuse among children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder were driven by the male subsample, while higher rates of abuse for those with conduct disorders were the result of the female subsample. A supplemental analysis of suspected versus confirmed physical child abuse for the fourth quarter of 2015 through 2017 also revealed sociodemographic and behavioral health differences. This study supports the need to consider sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors associated with physical child abuse to inform treatment and potential reoccurrence of abuse.

The associations of different types of sports and exercise with health status and diseases: evidence from Russian longitudinal data

The positive effect of physical activity on health status is well established in the literature, yet little is known about the links between specific types of sports/exercise and different diseases. Accordingly, this article investigates these associations in the long term using a representative sample from Russia. The data are taken from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, over the years 2000–2017. The sample consists of adults between 18 and 60 years old. Because the variables on health and diseases are ordinal or binary, the main empirical strategy consists of ordered and binary logistic regressions. Combat sports and the use of exercise equipment are positively associated with the probabilities of being classified in the higher levels of health status; other activities did not show robust results. Moreover, there are negative associations between aerobic/athletic sports and diseases of the joints, heart and lungs. By contrast, pleasure walking presented positive associations with diseases of the upper respiratory tract and heart, with allergies and varicose veins, with eye, spinal, neurological, urogenital, and other chronic diseases. The results are slightly different in male and female subsamples. Different types of sports/exercise show different associations with health status and different diseases. This research recommends the use of exercise equipment, combat, athletic, and aerobic sports. Yet, it is not possible to claim causality, so further research should employ experimental designs using these findings as a guide.

Religious service attendance typologies and African American substance use: a longitudinal study of the protective effects among young adult men and women.

This study sought to identify variation by gender in the associations between religious service attendance from adolescence to young adulthood and seven measures of lifetime and short-term substance use. To conduct this nationally representative study, data from the Add Health Surveys was abstracted from Waves I and IV (N = 3,223) to construct four types of service attendance (non-attenders, attenders only as adolescents, attenders only in young adulthood, and consistent attenders). A series of logistic regressions were conducted to identify the independent effects of each pattern of service attendance on each substance among all black young adults, as well as male and female sub-samples. Analysis revealed consistent attenders were generally less likely to use substances, with the effects being strongest among females. Among young adult only attenders, males recorded lower odds across all three short-term measures whereas females reported lower odds only for monthly cigarette use. The protective effects of religious service attendance are more robust for African Americans who consistently attend in adolescence and young adulthood, especially among females.

Perceptions of trust, power and tax compliance motivations among large businesses and their tax auditors

This study investigates psychological determinants of tax compliance, particularly the predictions of the Slippery Slope Framework (SSF; Kirchler et al., 2008), among large businesses and their tax auditors. The SSF predicts that trust in tax authorities determines voluntary tax compliance and that the perceived power of tax authorities to detect and penalize tax evasion determines enforced tax compliance. While the predictions of the SSF have consistently been found in studies focusing on individual taxpayers, few studies have tested the SSF in the context of large businesses or focused on tax auditors and their perceptions of businesses’ tax compliance. Nevertheless, trust-based approaches to tax collection have gained popularity, with cooperative tax auditing programs directly targeting large businesses. Using questionnaire data from 366 representatives of large businesses operating in Austria and 208 Austrian tax auditors, I conduct structural equation models testing the applicability of the SSF among these groups. In the group of businesses, the predictions of the SSF appear to hold. However, significant associations between trust and voluntary compliance and power and enforced compliance are mainly driven by the female subsample. Among tax auditors, there is no significant association between trust and voluntary compliance when power is introduced as a control variable. Overall, results suggest limited applicability of the SSF in a large business context and a stark mismatch between businesses’ and tax auditors’ perceptions on tax compliance. More research is needed to investigate the difference in results between female and male business representatives and non-economic determinants of tax compliance in a large business context.

Factors influencing online and in-store purchase of telecommunications services and equipment in Croatia

The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in factors affecting the probability of online and in-store purchase of telecommunications equipment in the Republic of Croatia. Online questionnaire survey conducted in September 2019 gathered responses that identified respondents’: method of telecommunications services and equipment purchase, their information gathering tools, factors affecting respondents’ telecommunications services and equipment purchasing decisions in general, and online and in-store purchasing decisions. 125 gathered responses were analysed using a binomial logistic regression. The results state that general factors incite respondents to purchase telecommunications equipment and services instore. Factors inciting online purchases are enabling factors and cause respondents to purchase telecommunications services and equipment online. Responses were further divided into subsamples depending on gender and education level. Results are consistent in tested subsamples. In the sample of male respondents, the results are consistent, while the female subsample shows does not exhibit statistically significant results. Furthermore, subsamples that allowed education level differences showed the results are supported for the subsample of respondents with higher education, and are not supported for respondents with secondary education.

The association of parturition scars and pelvic shape: A geometric morphometric study.

ObjectivesPelvic features, mostly known as parturition scars, have been extensively studied in the last decades and are frequently investigated in archaeological and forensic contexts. It is still unclear, however, whether they really relate to pregnancy and birth, or whether these features are caused by other biomechanical factors. Because the length and difficulty of labor correlates with the form of the birth canal, we studied the association between the expression of pelvic features and pelvic shape using geometric morphometrics.Materials and MethodsWe scored the expression of the preauricular sulcus, margo auricularis groove, sacral preauricular extension, dorsal and ventral pubic pitting for 54 individuals from a 19th century collection and 19 individuals from the Bronze Age cemetery of Hainburg‐Teichtal, Austria. Based on photogrammetric surface models, pelvic shape was captured by 331 landmarks and semilandmarks. The multivariate association between pelvic features and pelvic shape was explored by partial least squares analysis.ResultsWithin the female subsample, we detected a significant association of a constrained birth canal with a strong expression of the preauricular sulcus, the margo auricularis groove, and a retroverted position of the acetabulum. No significant association was found among males.DiscussionThis suggests that difficult or prolonged labor may indeed cause more strongly expressed pelvic features, presumably because of increased strain of the pelvic ligaments during birth. Furthermore, the retroversion of the acetabulum, which is known to cause sacroiliac joint dysfunction, changes the strain on pelvic ligaments and can thus also result in the development of pronounced pelvic features.

The relationship of health literacy, wellbeing and religious beliefs in neglected and unequal contexts-Results of a survey study in central Afghanistan.

While multiple studies worldwide reveal the strong impact of various determinants on health literacy, empirical data on the link between health literacy and other important dimensions of health equity (such as quality of life, beliefs and health literacy in crisis-affected religious countries such as Afghanistan) is scarce. To inform and develop promising health promotion for people in need, we analysed the relationship between health literacy, quality of life and spiritual and religious beliefs. In this first study on health literacy in Afghanistan, we interviewed 522 men and 324 women in the Ghazni province. Besides the HLS-EU-16, we used Quality of Life (WHO-QoL-BREF) and the WHO-SRPB-BREF questionnaires in Dari and Pashto. We performed descriptive, uni- and multivariate analyses. The levels of HL, QoL and SRPB_coping are comparatively low among Afghan men from the Ghazni province, but higher among women on all scales. HL and QoL are positively associated with education and negatively with age (in the female subsample). HL and QoL show a moderate correlation among women but not among men. We found mixed results for the relationship between SRPB and HL or QoL. The study highlights that health literacy is not a singular factor but related to wellbeing. SO WHAT?: Health education might be promising while combining health literacy to the idea of quality of life of everyone, even those living in poor and illiterate environments.

Making Best Friends From Other Groups and Mental Health of Chinese Adolescents

Friendship may be significantly associated with adolescents’ psychological well-being. Among various kinds of friendships, this study investigated two types of intergroup friendships among Chinese adolescents, specifically cross-hukou-location and cross-gender friendship. Fixed-effects modeling with a two-wave national dataset—the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS)—was performed to evaluate the relationship between within-individual changes in cross-hukou-location friendship, cross-gender friendship, and mental health status ( N = 5,297, boys: 50.18%, average age: 12.92 at wave 1). The relationship pattern among different genders was also explored. The results showed that cross-hukou-location friendship is positively associated with male adolescents’ mental health status. The cross-gender relationship is negatively related to mental health in the overall sample and female subsample. The findings not only emphasized the vital role of intergroup contact but also shed light on understanding the role of gender in intergroup friendship-making and the relationship with psychological well-being.

Are performance trajectories associated with relative age in French top 100 youth table tennis players? - A longitudinal approach.

Although relative age effects in sports have been studied worldwide, the underlying mechanisms are still under debate. This study adds to the existing knowledge by providing a further exploration of the association between relative age and the performance trajectories over four years in youth players of an individual skill/technique based sport: table tennis. Data of 1000 French male and female youth top 100 players across five ages (U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18) were collected from the ranking lists over a four-year period. A series of latent growth analysis was conducted per subsample and revealed three performance trajectories for male U14, U16 and U17 as well as for female U17 and U18 and four performance trajectories for male U15 and U18 and female U14, U15 and U16. Results of chi-square tests revealed that the players' birth quartiles were significantly associated with the performance trajectories only for male players U18 with a large effect size (p = 0.01; W = .48). All other male subsample only showed a trend for the male subsamples for those born in the fourth quartile. No relations or trends were found in the female subsamples. Future research in relative age effects should further explore individual characteristics and pathways while using a longitudinal approach in a prospective design and evaluate influencing constraints (and solutions) in a more comprehensive way.

Selfie-engagement on social media: Pathological narcissism, positive expectation, and body objectification – Which is more influential?

The current use of social media platforms by active young users/creators of visual content provides an easy medium to achieve narcissistic goals of self-promotion and attention-seeking, and to socialize with self-objectification experiences. One of the most popular activities associated with social media use is selfie-sharing. Consequently, the global focus on online physical appearance approval could reinforce selfie-engagement as a specific body image-related behavior, potentially associated with selfie-marketing strategies for self-improvement, and problematic social media use. The present study evaluated the main direct effect of pathological narcissism, objectified body consciousness, and expectations toward selfies on young women’s and men’s selfie-engagement. A total of 570 young adults (66.8% females; mean age = 24.4 years, SD = 3.6) participated in an online survey study. Variables were assessed using the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (Fossati, Feeney, Pincus, Borroni, & Maffei, 2015), Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (Dakanalis et al., 2015), Selfie-expectancies Scale (Boursier & Manna, 2018), and a measure of selfie-engagement. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed on independent male and female subsamples. Results showed that body surveillance and positive selfie-expectancies are consistent selfie-behavior predictors, among both men (R2 = 0.227; p < .001) and women (R2 = 0.332; p < .001). Furthermore, findings confirm women’s involvement in appearance concerns and body-image related practices, even though men’s engagement in body-objectification deserve attention. The study provides novel findings in the field of self-objectification research as well as contributing to the ongoing debate concerning which psychological factors can be predictive of males’ and females’ selfie-engagement. The implications of these findings are also discussed in light of the debate on social media use and misuse.