Positive Peer Influence Research Articles

Association of breakfast intake with obesity, dietary and physical activity behavior among urban school-aged adolescents in Delhi, India: results of a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn developed countries, regular breakfast consumption is inversely associated with excess weight and directly associated with better dietary and improved physical activity behaviors. Our objective was to describe the frequency of breakfast consumption among school-going adolescents in Delhi and evaluate its association with overweight and obesity as well as other dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors.MethodsDesign: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Eight schools (Private and Government) of Delhi in the year 2006. Participants: 1814 students from 8th and 10th grades; response rate was 87.2%; 55% were 8th graders, 60% were boys and 52% attended Private schools. Main outcome measures: Body mass index, self-reported breakfast consumption, diet and physical activity related behaviors, and psychosocial factors. Data analysis: Mixed effects regression models were employed, adjusting for age, gender, grade level and school type (SES).ResultsSignificantly more Government school (lower SES) students consumed breakfast daily as compared to Private school (higher SES) students (73.8% vs. 66.3%; p<0.01). More 8th graders consumed breakfast daily vs.10th graders (72.3% vs. 67.0%; p<0.05). A dose–response relationship was observed such that overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents who consumed breakfast daily (14.6%) was significantly lower vs. those who only sometimes (15.2%) or never (22.9%) consumed breakfast (p<0.05 for trend). This relationship was statistically significant for boys (15.4 % vs. 16.5% vs. 26.0; p<0.05 for trend) but not for girls. Intake of dairy products, fruits and vegetables was 5.5 (95% CI 2.4-12.5), 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.5) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.3-3.5) times higher among those who consumed breakfast daily vs. those who never consumed breakfast. Breakfast consumption was associated with greater physical activity vs. those who never consumed breakfast. Positive values and beliefs about healthy eating; body image satisfaction; and positive peer and parental influence were positively associated with daily breakfast consumption, while depression was negatively associated.ConclusionDaily breakfast consumption is associated with less overweight and obesity and with healthier dietary- and physical activity-related behaviors among urban Indian students. Although prospective studies should confirm the present results, intervention programs to prevent or treat childhood obesity in India should consider emphasizing regular breakfast consumption.

Adapting the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire (FCQ) for Bilingual Filipino Adolescents: Validating English and Filipino Versions

This study examined the applicability of the English and Filipino versions of the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire (FCQ) among Filipino high school students. The FCQ measures the external forces in students’ social environments that can influence their motivation for school. It is composed of 11 factors: university intention, school valuing, parent support, teacher support, peer help, leave school, pride from others, negative parent influence, affect to school, negative peer influence, and positive peer influence. It was translated into conversational Filipino. Seven hundred sixty-five high school students answered one of the two language versions. Both within-network and between-network approaches to construct validation were used. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the two versions showed good fit. Results of the multigroup CFA indicated that there was invariance in terms of factor loadings for the two versions. Results of the between-network test also showed that the factors in the FCQ correlated systematically with theoretically relevant constructs. Taken together, this study supports the applicability of the FCQ for use with Filipino bilingual adolescents.

External Assets as Predictors of Positive Emotions Among At‐Risk Youth in Malaysia

The present study is among the first to examine external assets as predictors of positive emotions among at‐risk youth. The study aims to examine the associations of external assets with positive emotions, determine external assets as a predictor of positive emotions in phase 1, and see if these predictors were consistently established in phase 2. At first contact, 403 participants from low‐income apartments in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, aged 13–25 years were asked to complete the 25 Developmental Assets, Malaysian version. The participants were also invited to participate in social activities organized by the PERMATA community. The same participants were approached four months later to examine the stability of measures. Multiple regression analysis revealed support is the most significant predictor of positive emotions at phase 1 whilst positive peer influence, family boundaries and caring neighborhood are the significant predictors at phase 2. Results suggested that the presence of other external assets can enhance the positive development of at‐risk youth, however, the support must be present to some extent in the first place.

Asociality and Engagement in Adult Offenders in Substance Abuse Treatment

In therapeutic community models for drug treatment, individual recovery is principally structured around group meetings and positive peer influences. Research shows that asocial group members with resistant behaviors and attitudes are at risk for poor treatment outcomes and have the potential to adversely impact the therapeutic group. To gain a better understanding of the asocial client's role in the larger treatment process, in-prison treatment data were used: (1) to model and confirm a two-factor solution of asociality consistent with the literature, and (2) to examine the relationship between asocial clients and treatment engagement for validation of the two-factor model. Exploratory analysis resulted in a three-factor solution representing behavioral responsivity, cognitive distortion, and social disassociation dimensions. Nested ANOVA (i.e., clients nested within prison programs) demonstrated that asocial levels (low, medium, and high risk) predicted treatment engagement. Furthermore, comparisons among asocial risk levels indicated that high asocial clients reported significantly lower engagement levels when compared with low and medium asocial clients.

The promise and potential of studying the “invisible hand” of teacher influence on peer relations and student outcomes: A commentary

Peers influence children's social–emotional development and school engagement in important and unique ways. Recent research on peer social networks documents that children are affected by the nature of the school-based peer ecology, as well as by their personal peer experiences. Yet, little is known about how teachers affect the peer ecology, nor how teachers can promote positive peer influences in the school context. The four studies in this special section examine this issue. Together, they document the promise and the potential of studying the “invisible hand” of teacher influence on peer relations, and illustrate the need for further research in this area. This commentary considers the contributions of these papers for conceptualizing processes of transactional teacher and peer influence on student outcomes, and implications for interventions designed to reduce problem behaviors or increase school engagement. In addition, it considers the limitations of current knowledge and directions for future research.

Developmental assets and the reduction of health risk behaviors among Korean adolescents

This study assessed the extent to which developmental assets predict or contribute to the reduction of health risk behaviors among Korean adolescents. The concept of developmental assets was introduced by Benson and his colleagues as building blocks for healthy child and adolescent's development. Their framework of 40 developmental assets encompasses positive external environmental factors and internal personal qualities which strongly influence adolescents' quality of life. We analyzed data from our ‘Korean Youth Health Related Behaviors and Developmental Assets Survey.’ The survey was based on self-reported questionnaires we distributed to 3,739 grade 9 students at eight schools across two cities in South Korea in 2001. The 40 developmental assets were measured by using 5-point Likert scales, and health risk behaviors were measured in terms of the prevalence or the experience rate. We identified the predictors of each health risk behavior among the 40 developmental assets using multiple logistic regression analyses. We found that the assets of 'restraint', 'positive peer influence', and 'time at home' were commonly the most important predictors associated with decreased reports of most health risk behaviors except depression. 'Self-esteem' was the most important predictor of decreased reports of depression and suicide. Other internal and external developmental assets were identified as important predictors to specific behaviors. We concluded that the positive asset promotion approach would be more effective and important than the risk factor approach in preventing effectively health risk behaviors among adolescents, and that intervention programs should include more comprehensive and adolescent-based strategies to promote adolescents' health and quality of life by a multi-level multi-dimensional approach.

The Teen Court Peer Influence Scale (TCPIS): Determining an Effective Way to Measure and Model Positive Peer Influence

This article describes the development and validation of a scale designed to measure positive peer influence. Participants from six teen court sites completed an anonymous survey (N = 202), which included the newly developed Teen Court Peer Influence Scale (TCPIS). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test three measurement models to determine the best fit to the data. The final measurement model included three reciprocal factors: positive cognitions, positive identity development, and modeling positive behaviors. The model illustrated strong psychometric properties and provides a framework that may be used to augment practice.

Peer-Driven Justice: Development and Validation of the Teen Court Peer Influence Scale

The authors report a validation study of the Teen Court Peer Influence Scale (TCPIS), a newly developed scale, to examine its factor structure, reliability, and evidence of validity. Methods: The scale was disseminated to 202 participants in six teen courts in the state of Florida, and the authors conducted exploratory factor analyses. Content validity was established conceptually and evidence of concurrent validity, convergent construct validity, and discriminant construct validity were established statistically. Results: Factor analyses suggest that positive peer influence is operationalized by three constructs: positive cognitions/expectations, positive identity development, and modeling/imitation. The TCPIS has good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .90. Conclusions: The TCPIS shows preliminary evidence of sound psychometric properties and may be used to inform teen court policy and practice.

PEER INFLUENCE TOWARD CONFORMITY

ABSTRACT The focus in criminological research on the influence of delinquent peers on delinquency has led the field to almost entirely ignore the influence of conforming peers on conformity. This paper is a first step in correcting this oversight by applying a control theory perspective to the peer effect, arguing that just as delinquent peers seem to increase the individual's delinquency, conforming peers also play a role in reducing or preventing delinquency in the individual. Existing evidence of positive influence from peers is reviewed, and although the issue has not been widely studied, there is evidence that positive peer influence is fairly common and worth greater attention in criminology. Several hypotheses are presented, and it is suggested that future research include measures of positive peer influence as well as peer influence toward delinquency.

Youth Development in After-School Leisure Activities

Leisure activities that occur outside of the school hours may facilitate positive youth development.The experiences of youth in three categories of activities (basketball and football, other sports, and nonsports) are examined in this study. Based on prior research, it is hypothesized that students participating in basketball and football will experience more negative outcomes (i.e., problem behaviors, fewer positive peer influences, and lower academic achievement). Furthermore, specific experiences in these leisure activities are explored as potential mediators of the effects of participation. Results indicate that basketball and football participation is related to more negative experiences and outcomes, but these differences reflect selection of more at-risk youths into these activities. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Peer panels: an innovative approach to restorative justice?

Adverse peer pressure is a long‐established contributing factor in the explanation for youth crime. There is also some evidence that positive peer influence is capable of having the opposite effect. In the US, efforts are made to exploit this process in ‘teen courts’, a voluntary alternative to the traditional criminal justice system for younger offenders charged with less serious offences. The aim is to divert them from further involvement in offending. An adapted version of this model is being piloted in Preston, Lancashire, in restorative peer panels. Restorative justice is at the heart of this diversionary initiative for young people at risk of offending. This article, written by members of the evaluation team for the peer panel project, considers the principles, practice and impact of teen courts, and offers some thoughts on implications from the Lancashire pilot.

Negative and positive peer influence: Relations to positive and negative behaviors for African American, European American, and Hispanic adolescents

The purpose of the current study was to examine adolescents' perceptions of negative and positive peer influence (i.e., indirect peer association and direct peer pressure) as they related to adolescent behavior. Regression analyses were conducted using a sample of African American, European American, and Hispanic adolescents ( N = 1659, M age = 16.06, SD = 1.10). The study found differences and similarities in relation to respondents' ethnicity vis-à-vis indirect peer association and adolescent behavior. Although few ethnic-based differences occurred as a function of indirect negative peer association, indirect positive peer association was not as consistently or as strongly related to behaviors for minority youth as it was for European American youth.

Examining Externalizing Behavior Trajectories of Youth in Group Homes: Is there Evidence for Peer Contagion?

Although concerns about peer contagion are often cited in critiques of group treatments for troubled youths, few studies have examined the effects of exposure to deviant peers in residential group care settings. This study used administrative data of youth served at Boys Town, a nationally-known group care provider. Using latent class growth analysis, this study identified the externalizing behavior trajectories of youth in group care as well as the behavior trajectory of the peers with whom they lived, assessed the relationship between youth trajectory classes and individual and peer group characteristics as well as the relationship between an individual youth's behavior pattern and the behavior pattern of proximal peers. Several results suggested the presence of peer contagion in group care: a trajectory class of gradually increasing externalizing behavior problems, the strength of deviant peer density in predicting an individual youth's externalizing behavior trajectories and significant associations between behavior patterns of youth and proximal peers. While there is some evidence that suggests an increase in problem behavior during care, results from this study indicated that over 90% of the youth did not have an increase in problem behaviors and that positive peer influences may also be protective and inhibit problem behaviors.

Talking Theatre: Developing Audiences for Regional Australia

[Abstract]: Theatre is commonly understood to be a reflection of, or comment on, or alternative to, the collective culture it is presented in. It is argued to be a place for examining the concepts of culture and to play a significant role in the presentation and development of cultures. Yet there are many people in Australia who do not recognise Theatre as an interface to their cultures. The Talking Theatre research project (2004-2006) was an audience development initiative implemented in regional Queensland and in the Northern Territory in Australia. The project sought to assist performing arts centres to better engage with their local communities and to build new audiences for the future. In particular, the research aimed to understand non-theatregoers; their reasons for non-attendance, their perspectives about theatregoing culture, and their reactions to a range of live performances they experienced under study conditions. The Talking Theatre project found that the cultures re-presented on stage were not that different to the cultures of the non-theatregoers. The participants in the research made clear that the theatrical performances and the social aspect of theatre attendance did reflect their cultures. Limited awareness of Theatre’s relevance to their lives combined with a lack of positive peer influence to attend, were the chief deterrents to theatre attendance for the non-theatregoers in the study.

Regional voices talk theatre: audience development for the performing arts

Abstract Audience development is somewhat of a ‘buzz word’ within the Australian performing arts sector at present. However, rather than actually engaging with audiences and with non‐attenders to discover how to best serve the community, most of the performing arts organisations approach audience development from a product‐centred viewpoint. In direct contrast to this, the Talking Theatre project (2004–2006) was implemented in regional Queensland and in the Northern Territory in Australia as an audience development initiative focused on the consumer. The project sought to assist performing arts centres (PACs) to better engage with their local communities and to build new audiences for the future. In particular, the research aimed to understand non‐attenders, their reasons for non‐attendance and their reactions to a range of live performances they experienced under study conditions. The Talking Theatre project provided the vehicle for introduction, communication and relationship building to occur to assist in attitudinal and behavioural change. The non‐attenders enjoyed their experiences at the PACs and have begun attending performances outside of study conditions. Limited awareness of the performing arts' relevance to their lives combined with a lack of positive peer influence to attend, were the chief deterrents to attendance for the participants in the study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Assessing school effects on dental hygiene and nutrition behaviors of Canadian adolescents

This study examines what school experiences influence dental hygiene and nutrition behaviors of Canadian adolescents from the 1998 Cross‐national Survey on Health Behaviors in School‐aged Children (HBSC). Multilevel analyses highlight the rare use of dental floss among adolescents. Females are more likely to brush and floss teeth than males. Effective schools in promoting good dental hygiene have positive disciplinary climate, positive peer environment, and positive sense of belonging to school. Results for nutrition behaviors highlight the decline in eating breakfast across grade levels. Males are more likely to eat breakfast and consume junk food than females. Effective schools in promoting healthy nutrition behaviors show strong parental support and positive peer influence. The evidence from this study indicates that school experiences are important to dental hygiene and nutrition behaviors of adolescents.

Signs of Resilience in Sexually Abused Adolescent Girls in the Foster Care System

ABSTRACT In a sample of 99 sexually abused adolescent girls in the foster care system (64% in congregate living situations and 36% in family/foster care homes), nearly half were psychologically functioning well despite having experienced moderate-to-severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It was hypothesized that these girls with resilient trajectories would differ from the currently symptomatic girls on several protective factors: education, future orientation, family support, peer influence, and religion. The results revealed that the girls with resilient trajectories were significantly more certain of their educational plans and optimistic about their future and had more positive peer influences.

Understanding Differences in Marijuana Use Among Urban Black and Suburban White High School Students from Two U.S. Community Samples

To examine community/racial differences in adolescent marijuana use and the variations in factors underlying the observed differences, a questionnaire survey study was conducted with 9th to 12th graders (n = 1,936) from two communities in New Jersey. Marijuana use was significantly higher among suburban (mostly White) students than among their urban (mostly Black) counterparts. Significant differences in marijuana use between the two community sub-samples were explained by differences in type of risk factors, mean number of risk factors, and the strength of the association (slopes) between risk factors and marijuana use. Social-environmental factors (including positive after-school activities and negative peer influences) and, to a lesser degree, family factors (including family income, parental and sibling drug use), accounted for most community/racial differences in marijuana use

Positive youth development linked with prevention in a Vietnamese American community: Successes, challenges, and lessons learned

Purpose To describe a positive youth development program that was successfully designed and implemented in partnership with a Vietnamese American community and to provide insight into the types of outcomes that can result from such programs in similar communities. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with Vietnamese community leaders (n = 8) and youth (n = 10) who were involved in a positive youth development program in Oklahoma City. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two independent analysts. Data matrices were used to help identify major themes. Results Participants felt they had strengthened numerous assets as a result of involvement in the youth development program, including communication with parents or another adult, leadership skills, constructive use of free time, and positive peer influences. Some of the participants also reported establishment of a relationship with a nonparent adult, inclusion of community service in their aspirations for the future, and avoidance of high-risk behaviors owing to their involvement in the program. Both adults and youth felt that the Vietnamese community had changed its perception of youth as a result of increased involvement of young people in community service and cultural activities. Conclusion Positive youth development is a promising prevention strategy that can be adapted to Vietnamese communities in the United States.

The Relationship of the Family Social Environment, Peer Influences, and Peer Relationships to Altruistic Orientation in Chinese Children

This study investigated the correlation between the family social environment, peer influences, and peer relationships to altruistic orientation in Chinese children. Results in the present study showed that (a) altruistic orientation measured by the Child Altruism Inventory (H. K. Ma & M. C. Leung, 1991) was directly associated with a positive family social environment, (b) altruistic orientation was directly associated with positive peer influences and was inversely associated with negative peer influences, and (c) altruistic orientation was directly associated with perceived prosocial behavior of one's best friend and inversely associated with perceived antisocial behavior of one's best friend. The findings suggested that a good family social environment, positive peer influences, and good peer relationships tended to increase altruistic orientation.