Psychosocial Behavior Research Articles

Psychosocial Stressors and Health Behaviors

To better understand the relationship between psychosocial stressors and health behaviors in a low-income pediatric sample. Participants were 122 children (8-11 years old, 53.3% female) and their parents recruited from a low-income primary care clinic. Measures assessed child stressors and parental financial strain, and child sleep problems, sedentary behaviors, and physical activity. Parental financial strain and child stressors were independently associated with sleep problems and sedentary behaviors, controlling for age and gender. Though stressors in general accounted for significant variance in physical activity, results indicate a complex relationship as parental financial strain predicted more physical activity and child stressors predicted less physical activity. Stressors are associated with adverse pediatric health behaviors. Consequently, chronic stressors could negatively affect long-term health, and interventions targeting stressors and health behaviors are indicated. Pediatric health care providers play a key role in promoting health behaviors among youth experiencing significant psychosocial stressors.

Stress Coping and Changes in Health Behavior Among Cancer Survivors: A Report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II)

This study used the transactional model of stress and coping to examine the relationship between cancer survivors’ self-reported efforts to manage stress and the adoption of health behaviors across various lifestyle behavior domains. The authors analyzed data of 2,888 cancer survivors from a national, population-based, cross-sectional survey. Cancer survivors who indicated making active efforts to control stress were more likely to make changes in their physical, psychosocial, and preventive health behaviors as compared to cancer survivors who used passive stress-coping approaches. Future interventions aimed at promoting health behaviors among cancer survivors may benefit from incorporating a stress-coping component.

Experience of stigma and discrimination and the implications for healthcare seeking behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS in resource-limited setting

Background: Stigma and discrimination can limit access to care and treatment services. Stigma hides HIV from the public, resulting in reduced pressure for behavioral change. For effective behavior change, empirically grounded and theory-based behavioral change approaches are fundamental as a prevention interventions directed on decreasing stigma and discrimination. The objective of the study was to assess the experience of stigma and discrimination on the psychosocial and health care seeking behavior of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. Methods: This study uses qualitative methods involving focus-group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted in Arba Minch town and nearby Kebeles. Our sample consisted of PLHIV and other key informants who were purposively selected. Data were analyzed manually using thematic content analysis framework. Results: It appears that the magnitude of stigma and discrimination in the area has decreased to a considerably lower level, however, the problem's severity is still being influenced by various factors including: current residence, disclosure status and level of community's awareness about HIV/AIDS. Care and support services provided to PLHIV were well accepted by the respondents and the majority of them were willing to make use of any service available. Health information messages that have been disseminated to the public through mass media since the start of the epidemic in 1984 and AIDS cases in 1986 have played a significant role regarding the current prevailing problem of stigma and discrimination of PLHIV. Conclusion: Stigma and discrimination have come to a level that can be tolerated by most PLHIV that live in this region, especially those who have disclosed their HIV status and were living in urban areas. This calls for a strategy that improves the rates of serostatus disclosure after HIV counseling and testing and strengthens and integrates activities in the task of expanding care and support activities.

How olfaction disorders can cause depression? The role of habenular degeneration

The removal of bilateral olfactory bulbs (OBs) can result in serious behavioral, neurochemical, neuroendocrine, and neuroimmune alterations in depressed patients. However, there is little information on how olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) leads to depression. Habenular nuclei and their connections are important in the regulation of psychomotor and psychosocial behaviors through afferent impulses of the olfactory system. Therefore, we investigated whether OB lesions lead to habenular degeneration. We used a sample of 50 rats (25 female and 25 male) for this study. Of these rats, five male and five female rats were taken as the control group. The remaining 40 rats (20 male and 20 female rats) constituted the study group, and frontal burr holes were performed at the OB level on these rats. OB cauterization was applied to 10 male and 10 female rats (n=10, 10; study group 1), mechanical OBX was applied to five male and five female rats (n=5, 5; study group 2), and no procedure was performed on the remaining 10 rats (n=5, 5). The psychomotor movements; pregnancy rates; and sexual, feeding, maternal, social, and grooming behaviors for both study groups were observed daily for 3 months. Their OBs, olfactory cortices, and habenular complexes were examined using stereological methods. All of the animals in the study groups, especially in the cauterization group, demonstrated anorexia, nutritional disorders, weight loss, psychomotor retardation, sexual aversion, decreased grooming behavior, and reduced social interaction similar to depression symptoms. As compared to the control group, the pregnancy rates, number of offspring per mother rat, and birth weights in the study groups were lower, whereas the number of stillbirths was higher. Gross anatomical examinations revealed that the OBs of all of the animals in the study groups were atrophied. Histopathological examinations detected prominent neuronal loss due to apoptosis in the habenular structures in the study groups. We detected a relationship between a decreased healthy neuronal density of the habenula and depressive symptomatology in rats with OBX. We suggest that olfaction disorders might cause neuropsychiatric disorders by affecting neuronal degeneration in habenular nuclei.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Rates and Correlates of HIV Risk Behaviors among Drug Abusers

HIV infection disproportionately impacts minorities; yet research on racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence and correlates of HIV risk behaviors is limited. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the rates of HIV risk behaviors and whether the relationship between HIV risk factors and HIV risk behaviors varies by race/ethnicity in clients participating in NIDA Clinical Trials Network trials. The sample was 41% non-Hispanic White, 32% non-Hispanic Black, and 27% Hispanic (N = 2,063). HIV risk behaviors and measures of substance and psychosocial HIV risk factors in the past month were obtained. Non-Hispanic Blacks engaged in less HIV sexual risk behaviors overall than non-Hispanic Whites. While non-Hispanic Whites were the most likely to report any injection drug use, Hispanics engaged in the most HIV drug risk behaviors. Specific risk factors were differentially predictive of HIV risk behavior by race/ethnicity. Alcohol use severity was related to engaging in higher sex risk behaviors for non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. Greater psychiatric severity was related to engaging in higher sex risk behaviors for non-Hispanic Whites. Drug use severity was associated with engaging in higher risk drug behaviors for non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics with the magnitude of the relationship stronger for Hispanics. These findings highlight the need for further research testing HIV risk prevention interventions within racial/ethnic groups to identify target behaviors or risk factors that are salient to inform HIV interventions. The present study provides a systematic examination of race/ethnicity differences in the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and HIV risk behaviors.

Causal relations between psychosocial conditions, safety climate and safety behaviour – A multi-level investigation

Rather little is known about the role of occupational safety climate in a broader organisational context, its antecedents and the mechanisms for how it may impact safety outcomes. This study used a prospective longitudinal multi-level study design to examine the cause and effect relationships between psychosocial conditions, safety climate, and safety behaviour. Data were collected by means of questionnaires from 289 employees in 43 units at four occasions during a period of 21months of the construction of a road tunnel. Data were analysed using two approaches for modelling change; an autoregressive latent variable model and a multi-level growth curve model. Results showed that individual perceptions of safety climate exerted a causal effect on individual safety behaviour, but we also found some evidence of a reversed relationship, where safety behaviour influenced safety climate. Furthermore, we found that work unit average perceptions of safety climate predicted the growth of the individual safety behaviour but this influence was mediated by the individual’s perception of the safety climate. The results also indicate that supportive psychosocial conditions within an organisation influence individual safety perceptions but do not per se have an impact on safety behaviour.

CHOOSING ALTERNATIVE AND AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A CASE STUDY

The triad of symptoms seen in autism, comprising impaired social skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, and stereotypical behaviors, may be severe enough to have a debilitating effect on a child’s life which disturbs the child psychosocial behavior. This study discusses the usage of a low tech alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) system chosen for one such child (referred to as F.S.), having profound speech and language difficulties that interfered with her everyday communication, and hindered her participation in educational and social activities. AAC is one of the most recommendable and highly reliable tools to assess the children disability and the burden caused by it. AAC is a method of communication that utilizes all available modalities to help individuals with severe expressive language deficits. This AAC method was a (modified) picture exchange communication system (PECS), to maximize her current skills and introduce others.

Long-term psychosocial behavioral outcomes in children following anesthesia: A comparison of the effects of general versus regional anesthesia on term infants delivered by elective cesarean section

Background: Data on the effects of general anesthesia on the fetal and neonatal brain are limited. Animal studies demonstrated that anesthetic agents leave their consequences in the form of learning and memory deficits. The effects of propofol on the fetal neurodevelopment are not clear yet. Materials and Methods: This is a telephone-based questionnaire survey that addressed the effect of general anesthesia by propofol during cesarean section at term with no perinatal complications on the psychosocial behavior of children at 8-10 years of age compared with children having same characteristics except for delivery under neuraxial anesthesia using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist as a score. Results: A total of 187 children were born at term between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004 with no perinatal distress under induction of general anesthesia by propofol. 66 children (35.3%) were lost to follow-up and parents of two children (1.1%) refused to participate. A total of 189 children were included in the study: 119 were born by cesarean section under general anesthesia and 70 were born by cesarean section under neuraxial block. The incidence of psychosocial behavior impairment at 8-10 years of age was not found to be affected by the mode of anesthesia during delivery by cesarean section nor by neonatal nor parental characteristics. Conclusion: Exposure to propofol as an induction agent for general anesthesia or cesarean section does not seem to increase the psychosocial behavior disorder development risk at 8-10 years of age.

Effect of Mentoring on Psycho-Social Behavior, Lifestyle, Sexual Behavior and Health Condition of Professional Students

Objective: 1. To study the Socio-demographic analysis with regard to mentoring, 2. To study the impact of mentoring on Psychosocial and health condition of today’s youth, 3. Ideal mentoring. Setting: Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India. Study design: Community-based cross-sectional study. Participants: “Unmarried” individuals attending various professional courses in and around Chandigarh who were willing to participate in the study and capable of giving answers themselves. Sample size: 271 study subjects selected by stratified multi-stage random sampling. Study variables: Age, educational status, religion, caste, occupation, perceptions attitude towards mentoring, perceived psycho social benefits of mentoring etc. Statistical analysis: Normal test of proportion, Chi square test, Student’s t test, Mann Whitney ‘U’ test. Also, a risk analysis was done by bi-variate analysis and variant multi logistic regression analysis. An odds ratio along with 95% confidence interval was calculated. Result: Shows mentor‘s corresponding to different category showing highest percentage of mentor for OBC (66.7%) followed by ST (55.6%) and SC (50%). The mentor’s were found least in the general category (37.1%). The highest percentages of respondents having a mentor were found in one having labored as their father 80%. Maximum respondents having a mentor were found in low (45.7%) and middle (44.8%) socioeconomic status. Individuals without a mentor fight more often on a daily and monthly basis. The mentor had a positive health wise influence on their protege was witnessed as 56.6% people who had a mentor were engaged in daily physical activity. Contradictory to the common notion respondents with mentor were less aware about the availability of contraceptives, measures to detect pregnancy, consequences of teenage pregnancy, knowledge of emergency contraceptives. Mentor had positive influence on improving the lifestyle on all aspects of their protege. Individuals with a mentor smoke less, drink less, do less drug use, chew less, have gambled less, have done less of fighting. One quality which most individuals were looking for in their mentor is friendly behavior and helping nature. Conclusion: Mentor concept is still prevalent according to the traditional Indian concept with more educated and high socio-economic class still refraining from this concept. Mentoring had a positive influence on the health condition of individuals in terms of exercise and body mass index. It also improved the general lifestyle of adolescents and decreased their substance abuse rate. So mentoring is an important tool in improving the conditions of adults in all aspects.

A study of psycho-behavioral patterns in patients emerging from general anesthesia using sevoflurane, propofol and their combination in early, intermediate and late post-operative period: A randomized controlled trial.

Background:It has been contended the general anesthetic agents also may affect the psycho-social behavior of the patients, especially during the emergence from GA. This assumes much significance in day cases where, patients have to be roadworthy and mentally stable before discharge.Aims:We compared the psycho-behavioral effects of propofol, sevoflurane and their combination, while emerging from anesthesia.Settings and Design:The patients coming for short duration day care anesthesia were studied in a prospective randomized controlled comparison.Materials and Methods:The psycho-behavioral changes in early, intermediate and late recovery period were studied in 60 consenting patients undergoing Total Intra Venous Anesthesia (TIVA) using Propofol, Volatile Induction and Maintenance Anesthesia (VIMA) using Sevoflurane and the combination of these two agents.Statistical Analysis:Statistical Analysis of the data and application of various statistical tests was carried out with help of Statistical Package for Social Services (SPSS version 18). Data were compiled, analyzed and presented as frequency, proportions, mean and standard deviation. The tests of significance, like Chi-square test, percentages, independent sample t test, paired t test, and P value were used in the study.Results and Conclusions:Both the modalities of GA, viz; TIVA and VIMA, do produce significant psycho-behavioral changes in the patients after GA, though transiently. So it is imperative for the Clinicians to anticipate the entire aspect of Psycho-behavioral patterns before discharging the day cases from the Post anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).

Behavioral Modification to Reduce Concussion in Collision Sports

IntroductionConcussion awareness in contact or collision sports likeice hockey has escalated recently (16) in both genders at alllevels (2). The increase in sport-related concussion (SRC) isattributed to better symptom recognition, increased playerspeed and size and perceived player invincibility. For ex-ample, sales of the Cascade M11 hockey helmet soared in2009, when it was marketed as the ‘‘Enemy of Concussion.’’Parents rushed to ensure their youth hockey player’s brainwas protected by this ‘‘special’’ helmet. The aggressive ad-vertising campaign was withdrawn due to a lack of evidencesupporting the contention that the helmet reduced con-cussion risk. In fact, none of the commercially availablehelmets reduce the large linear and rotational forces trans-mitted to a hockey player’s head (8,9), Contrary to theplayers’ perception, equipment may not have protectivevalue and modern equipment design may actually increasethe incidence and severity of concussion. For example,hard shell elbow and shoulder pads may protect the wearerbut may injure opponents or teammates in collisions (1).Concussion reduction efforts must address the multifac-eted aspects of brain injury (16). Significant effort and ex-pense have been directed toward producing safer equipmentand better understanding of the injury process with respectto single or repetitive exposure to linear and rotational ac-celeration and deceleration forces. Finite element modeling(4,11) has been used to detect the strain and strain rates thatcause tissue damage. New evidence is emerging on the ben-efits and limitations of neuroimaging and neuropsychologi-cal testing in assessing concussion severity and return to play(5,6). Fundamental research into the role of biomarkers,proteins, and enzymes was released after trauma; diffuseaxonal injury, the metabolic cascade (3), and the behavior ofglial cells that engulf traumatized neurons also have helpedus better understand the neuropathology of concussion. De-spite this body of scientific data, we have not advanced thetreatment of SRC beyond removal of the concussed athletefrom sport for cognitive and physical rest until the symptomshave resolved completely with vigorous activity.Considering the dictum ‘‘an ounce of prevention is wortha pound of cure,’’ it is surprising that little effort has beendirected toward behavioral modification in injury and con-cussion prevention. This simple, inexpensive, evidence-basedmethod of changing behavior is a major construct in thepractice of medicine, coaching, and officiating that shouldbe applied to injury reduction in hockey and other sports.The principles of behavioral modification, known as op-erant conditioning, are based on the work of Skinner (10,13).The central premise of operant conditioning (10) is that be-havior is governed by reinforcing desirable behavior andpunishing undesirable behavior. For example, law enforce-ment and insurance companies reduce the risks of speedingby suspending a driver’s license after too many citations.Conversely years of violation-free driving results in lowercar insurance premiums Vpunish the bad behavior and re-ward the good. In sports medicine, patients who adhere toa daily regimen of strengthening muscle groups followinginjury are ‘‘rewarded’’ by a faster return to pain-free move-ment. The most effective way to decrease concussion preva-lence is to implement a behavior modification program toalter the culture of collision sports where equipment im-provements have made players feel ‘‘invincible.’’ Reducingaggressive and violent on-ice behavior will prevent the ma-jority of SRC that are associated with illegal and unneces-sarily rough behavior. Accidental collisions will still occur,but most SRCs result from on-ice infractions, many ofwhich are not noticed by the officials. Sadly infractionsmay be encouraged by some coaches and general man-agers, who try to win by intimidation, and by fans whoenjoy the violence (15). An example of a perverse use ofbehavioral modification in football is the provision of afinancial reward when an opposing player is injured andremoved from the game.Aggressive behavior is defined by most sport scientistsas physical or psychosocial behavior intended to intimidateor injure (18). Most major hockey penalties are levied for

Prevalence, Pattern and Familial Effects of Substance Use Among the Male College Students –A North Indian Study

Substance use refers to the use of any psychoactive substance or drug, including licit and illicit drugs, other than when medically indicated. Psychoactive substance use poses a threat to the health, social and economic fabric of families, communities and nations. Chandigarh has more than 0.2 million students from across the country pursuing their courses in higher education institutions. There is a very little information about pattern of drug dependence among the college students of Chandigarh,India. To study the prevalence and pattern of substance use among college students of Chandigarh and to study the psycho-social behaviour of youth and perceived reasons for using substances. A Cross - sectional community based study. A stratified multi-stage random sample design was adopted in study. The study instrument was a questionnaire which was developed by reviewing relevant literature and previously used standardized instruments and protocols including the WHO questionnaire. On the basis of 60% prevalence anticipated on the basis of pilot study, 90% confidence coefficient and 10% permissible error - sample size came out to be 256. Prevalence of substance use was seen in 52.7% students belonging to age group 19 to 21 years. More prevalence of substance use was found among law students (76.2%) followed by the students from Art stream (62.5%). Among the users alcohol was most commonly used (53.5%), followed by smokers (27.3%), tobacco chewers (8.2%), cannabis (6.8%).49% of the users were using substances on daily basis, followed by 23% who using weekly.29.3% of users had father using any substance. Relief from psychological stress (66.0%) followed by easy availability (46.9%) were the most common reasons of substance abuse. that substances use is common among college going male students irrespective of their social demographic characteristics like age [OR 0.76, 95%CI (.443-1.317) religion [OR.859 95%CI (.461-1.598), parental education, occupation and socio-economic status. Therefore, interventions in terms of health education/counselling for reducing substance use among them should be adopted, irrespective of their socio-demographic characteristics. Suggestions: This study suggested some life style related interventions in order to reduce the problem of substance use.There is an utmost need to educate and counsel young students regarding harmful effects of substance use. Health education may be imparted in the school curriculum. Parents should also be educated on discouragement of substance use and on taking proper care of their children.

Abstract P6-08-01: Perceptions of breast cancer risk, psychological adjustment and behaviors in adolescent girls at high-risk and population-risk for breast cancer

Abstract BACKGROUND: Preliminary evidence suggests that many girls from breast cancer (BC) families are aware of their increased risk for BC. How this awareness impacts their psychosocial adjustment and health behaviors remains unknown. METHODS: 11–19 YO girls at high-risk (HR) or population-risk (PR) for BC completed self-administered quantitative surveys informed by the Self-Regulation Theory of Health Behavior. Girls with a first or second-degree relative with BC were classified as HR. For hypothesis testing, we used simple linear and logistic regressions. To account for correlation of responses within families, we used robust (cluster-corrected) standard errors or Generalized Estimating Equations. RESULTS: 47 PR and 89 HR girls have completed surveys. Age did not differ between groups (Mage = 15.6; SD=2.4). 30% of HR girls have a mother with BC. 67% of HR girls vs. 30% of PR girls reported self-perceived risk for adult BC to be “higher than other girls my age,” (p = <0.01, Table 1). Perceived risk was associated with an increasing number of first and second-degree relatives with BC (p = 0.002) and older age (p = 0.01). There was no evidence that the relationship between perceived risk and age was moderated by risk status (p = 0.740 for interaction terms). The majority of both HR and PR girls reported that there are things women and girls their age can do to prevent BC. (table 1) Perceived controllability of BC did not differ significantly by age or risk status. HR girls reported higher general anxiety (p = 0.07), but not depression than PR girls. HR girls more frequently reported tobacco use than PR girls (p = 0.05). HR girls also reported greater alcohol use, more frequent performance of self-breast exams and less frequent physical activity than PR girls, although these differences were not significant. CONCLUSION: Girls from BC families are more likely to perceive themselves to be at increased risk for BC, to experience more general anxiety, and to have engaged more frequently in risk behaviors, particularly tobacco use. The majority of girls perceive BC to be preventable both for women in general and for themselves, suggesting a potential “teachable moment” among adolescents that might be sustainable across the lifespan. Further research evaluating knowledge and perceptions of breast cancer risk throughout adolescent development and differences among subgroups could inform strategies to optimize adolescent psychosocial responses to hereditary cancer risk and promote preventive health behaviors among both HR and PR girls. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-01.

A Community-Based, Environmental Chronic Disease Prevention Intervention to Improve Healthy Eating Psychosocial Factors and Behaviors in Indigenous Populations in the Canadian Arctic

Diet-related chronic diseases are highly prevalent among indigenous populations in the Canadian Arctic. A community-based, multi-institutional nutritional and lifestyle intervention-Healthy Foods North-was implemented to improve food-related psychosocial factors and behaviors among Inuit and Inuvialuit in four intervention communities (with two comparison communities) in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Canada, in 2008. The 12-month program was developed from theory (social cognitive theory and social ecological models), formative research, and a community participatory process. It included an environmental component to increase healthy food availability in local stores and activities consisting of community-wide and point-of-purchase interactive educational taste tests and cooking demonstrations, media (e.g., radio ads, posters, shelf labels), and events held in multiple venues, including recreation centers and schools. The intervention was evaluated using pre- and postassessments with 246 adults from intervention and 133 from comparison communities (311 women, 68 men; mean age 42.4 years; 78.3% retention rate). Outcomes included psychosocial constructs (healthy eating knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions), frequency of healthy and unhealthy food acquisition, healthiness of commonly used food preparation methods, and body mass index (kg/m(2)). After adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic status, and body mass index variables, respondents living in intervention communities showed significant improvements in food-related self-efficacy (β = 0.15, p = .003) and intentions (β = 0.16, p = .001) compared with comparison communities. More improvements from the intervention were seen in overweight, obese, and high socioeconomic status respondents. A community-based, multilevel intervention is an effective strategy to improve psychosocial factors for healthy nutritional behavior change to reduce chronic disease in indigenous Arctic populations.

Reported heterosexual intercourse and related behaviours among primary school pupils in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 2820 pupils in 22 randomly selected primary schools in Kinondoni district, Tanzania. The objective was to identify the proportion of pupils who reported ever having had sexual intercourse, as well as sociodemographic and psychosocial factors and other sexual-related behaviours associated with heterosexual intercourse among pupils. About 13% (376) of participating pupils reported having had heterosexual intercourse. The proportion of pupils who reported doing so varied significantly by age, sex, school grade and parents' education. Regarding psychosocial factors, pupils who agreed that having sexual intercourse implies love for a partner and that sexual intercourse creates peer approval were significantly more likely to report having had heterosexual intercourse. Pupils who reported having a girl/boy friend, kissed a boy/girl, engaged in light petting, engaged in heavy petting or practised oral sex and anal sex were more likely to report ever having heterosexual intercourse. The implications for programme and intervention development are discussed.

Knowledge and perceptions of familial and genetic risks for breast cancer risk in adolescent girls

Evidence suggests early events might modify adult breast cancer risk and many adolescents learn of familial and genetic risks for breast cancer. Little is known about how adolescent girls understand and respond to breast cancer risk. Semi-structured interviews with 11-19 year-old girls at high-risk and population-risk for breast cancer evaluated knowledge and perceptions of breast cancer risk and risk modification. Framework analysis and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze open-ended responses. Risk group and age differences were evaluated by Fisher's exact and McNemar's tests. Fifty-four girls (86 % of invited), 35 high-risk (65 %), and 19 population-risk (35 %) completed interviews. The most frequently reported risk for breast cancer was family history/hereditary predisposition (66 %). Only 17 % of girls were aware of BRCA1/2 genes. The majority (76 %) of high-risk girls perceive themselves to be at increased risk for breast cancer, compared to 22 % of population-risk girls (p = 0.001). Half of girls reported that women can get breast cancer before 20-years-old. The majority believe there are things women (70 %) and girls (67 %) can do to prevent breast cancer. Mother was the most frequently reported source of information for breast cancer among both high-risk (97 %) and population-risk (89 %) girls. In this study, many high-risk girls perceive themselves to be at increased risk for breast cancer, and many girls believe that breast cancer can occur in teens. Yet, most girls believe there are things women and girls can do to prevent breast cancer. Research evaluating the impact of awareness and perceptions of breast cancer risk on psychosocial, health, and risk behaviors is needed to develop strategies to optimize responses to cancer risk.

Highlights in clinical autonomic neuroscience: New insights into autonomic dysfunction in autism

Investigations of autonomic nervous system biomarkers in autism have been sparse relative to its prevalence. Recent studies of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have increasingly drawn correlations between autonomic findings and psychosocial behavior. Studies of heart rate variability, pupil size, salivary alpha-amylase, and electrodermal responsiveness have shown that children with ASD differ from normally developing children in their autonomic responsiveness to visualizing human faces and other mental tasks. While some results have conflicted, much of the data appears to support the theory of a hypersympathetic state in autism insufficiently attenuated by vagal parasympathetic influences. To what degree these differences in autonomic physiology might influence cognitive processing and behavior rather than simply being epiphenomena of a pervasive disorder of brain development is as yet unclear.

Impact of Music Therapy Interventions (Listening, Composition, Orff-Based) on the Physiological and Psychosocial Behaviors of Hospitalized Children: A Feasibility Study

The purpose of this study was to compare three music therapy strategies (music listening, music composition, and Orff-based active engagement) on physiological (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pain) and psychosocial (anxiety) behaviors of hospitalized children (N=32, 17 females,15 males, ranging in age from 6 to 17). This study was designed and facilitated cooperatively by pediatric nurses and music therapists. Results indicated no clinically significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or oxygen saturation (p>.05). Pain and anxiety both decreased significantly (p=.01) but not differentiated among conditions. Videotape analysis determined level of engagement in coping-related behaviors.

Impact of Family Conflict on the Psychosocial Behaviour in Male Adolescents

Introduction: Accepting and supportive family relationships during childhood and adolescence may have long-term associations with psychosocial functioning into adulthood. Cross-sectional studies provide evidence by which positive family relationships promote adolescent health by increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes including higher educational and occupational attainment and reducing the risk for negative outcomes including suicidal behaviour and poor health. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 500 male adolescents from the urban and rural field practice areas in the vicinity of Sri Guru Ram Das Medical College Amritsar. Cross sectional study was conducted to examine the relation between familial conflict problems and psychosocial/behavioural disorders in adolescents. Results: Almost one third (33%) adolescents were having parental and family dispute problems. These problems were significantly higher in middle adolescence (14-16 years), adolescents of large extended families (>8 members) and in lower socioeconomic status. Residence had no significant relation to family problems in the adolescents. On correlation, poor and unhealthy family atmosphere had more chances in adolescents of having greater academic problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and more sexual activity. Conclusion: Family involvement, family structure, parental values, parental monitoring and parent-child communication are important factors influencing critical life choices in teens. The family support and communication should be improved through these education programs to develop healthy psychosocial and sexual attitudes and counteract unsafe behaviours in the adolescents. Future research is needed to identify additional pathways underlying this association, and the extent to which these factors are modifiable.J. Nepal Paediatr. Soc. 32(2) 2012 124-131 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v32i2.6147

Psychosocial Reaction and Trauma After a Natural Disaster: The Role of Coping Behavior

This study examined the relationship between psychosocial reaction, coping behavior and trauma among natural disaster survivors in West Java, Indonesia. One hundred and one subjects were studied. The roles of coping behavior as a moderating factor were also tested. Psychosocial reaction during disaster and coping behavior were significantly correlated with trauma. Hierarchical regression analysis found that coping behavior was a significant potential moderating variable in terms of correlation between psychosocial reaction and trauma after a natural disaster.