Research In Young People Research Articles

Associations between health literacy proficiencies and health-related quality of life and GP visits among young people in Norway: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Despite globally increased attention from policymakers and being recognised as a critical determinant of health, health literacy (HL) research in young people (YP) remains limited. This study aims to describe HL in YP across person factors and explore the associations between HL and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the number of visits to general practitioners (GP visits). Cross-sectional study. Population-based data collection applying country representative strata in Norway. 890 participants aged 16-25 years. Rasch modelling and Wright's method were used to identify statistically distinct levels of HL proficiency. Multiple linear regression and negative binomial regression models were applied to explore the associations between HL and HRQoL, and between HL and GP visits, respectively. Among YP, HL was statistically significantly associated with HRQoL and the number of GP visits, when adjusting for age, gender, education, self-perceived social status and financial deprivation. For every logit increase in HL, the number of GP visits decreased by 22%. Four statistically distinct levels of HL proficiency were identified for the 12-item HLS19-YP12 scale, started from a cut-point of 23, 30, 37 and 44 out of 48. Relatedly, 70% of respondents were observed at or below level 2 (30-36 points), indicating a varying lack of central skills. The span from lowest (1) to highest (4) HL level was associated with a decrease of 2.1 GP visits per year and an increase of .12 on the EQ-5D index. This study provides new empirical insights into the impact of HL in YP. Identified cut-points for the HLS19-YP12 may contribute to simplifying the process of adapting information and communication for various HL skills. The study also suggests the need for more efforts in HL policy and structural intervention development to enhance YP health and well-being.

Participating together in CP-ACHIEVE: Experiences, opportunities and reflections from a collaborative research team of people with lived experience of cerebral palsy and health care professionals

The Australian Centre for Health, Independence, Economic participation and Value Enhanced care for adolescents and young adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP-ACHIEVE) is a Centre of Research Excellence (CRE), funded for 5-year by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. The vision of CP-ACHIEVE is an Australia where people with cerebral palsy receive excellent healthcare throughout their lives and live in, and contribute to, supportive communities that welcome and enable their participation. CP-ACHIEVE began with the ethical commitment to bring together people with lived experience of cerebral palsy, researchers, and health professionals to develop and conduct research informed by, and relevant to, people with cerebral palsy and their allies. From inception, co-research and collaboration with (not ‘to’ or ‘about’) young people with cerebral palsy (10 to 30 years of age) and their families has been central to our work. In this paper, we describe the CP-ACHIEVE values, structure and strategy for this approach, and its implementation at each stage of the research process. We then provide an example of the strategy in action, using a qualitative exploration of CP-ACHIEVE’s Participation Theme team’s experiences of collaboration and involvement as co-researchers. Active participation in research for young people with lived experience of cerebral palsy and their families is a fundamental human right, based on their right to be active agents in decisions that affect them. In this paper we explore how our collaborative approach, and the integration of diverse views, has enhanced the relevance, quality, usefulness, and translation of our research. We also describe (i) the structural elements of our research group that have facilitated our work together, (ii) our challenges, and (iii) how the ownership of our research by people with cerebral palsy is driving future research directions and empowering involvement of people with lived experience beyond CP-ACHIEVE. We offer this knowledge and our experiences to assist other research teams in their journeys towards collaborative research alongside people with lived experience of disability.

The distinct affect regulation functions of body image flexibility and inflexibility: A prospective study in adolescents and emerging adults

Body image flexibility and inflexibility are alternative ways of responding to body image threats. Affect regulation offers a framework for understanding how these responses impact health outcomes; however, research in young people is limited. This prospective study tested two potential affect regulation functions in adolescents and emerging adults (N = 351, 66.7% female) via online surveys completed five months apart. Specifically, body image flexibility and inflexibility were tested as (a) direct predictors of adaptive (body appreciation, intuitive eating) and maladaptive (muscle-building strategies, disordered eating) outcomes, and (b) moderators of the indirect effect of a social comparison threat via body appreciation. Results from hierarchical linear and conditional process models showed that body image flexibility and inflexibility served distinct affect regulation functions. Whereas body image inflexibility directly predicted adaptive and maladaptive body- and eating-related outcomes, body image flexibility protected against the negative effects of social comparison on intuitive eating via body appreciation. Findings suggest that adolescents and emerging adults could benefit from learning body image flexibility skills and reducing inflexibility to promote positive body image and prevent body- and eating-related disturbances. Future research should investigate how body image flexibility and inflexibility relate to other established threats and outcomes in diverse demographic groups.

Teenagers performing research on climate change education in a fully integrated design-based research setting

ABSTRACT This follow-up study presents a design-based research (DBR) setting implemented over a three-year project called ‘eKidZ – Teach Your Parents Well’ which uses research-based learning and follows the four phases of DBR. In an iterative cycle, 20 teenagers aged 14–16 took on the role of researchers and investigated intergenerational learning and the multiplier effects of students participating in the Climate Change Education project ‘k.i.d.Z.21 – Competent into the Future’ on their parents, using the complete research process. Simultaneously, scientists implemented and tested the DBR setting to validate student research findings and to evaluate the quality of the educational setting. In this fully integrated DBR, using multiple methods (quantitative and qualitative), educational and scientific perspectives are brought together to evaluate students’ findings and draw conclusions regarding their learning effects. These research results demonstrate that not only did students generate valid and reliable research, but – when changing perspectives – teenagers also contribute to the discussion about closing the gaps in science education and practice. By examining young people's research on Climate Change Education and recognising their contribution in scientific discourse, this paper offers a host of new insights. Highlights Teenagers take on the role of researchers and perform reliable and valid research results on intergenerational learning and multiplier effects in Climate Change Education, by completing all phases of research-based learning. Design-based research is an effective method to combine science and education and thus delivering novel insights into science education and practice. High-quality Climate Change Education fosters constructive cooperation among all participants with inter – and intragenerational learning and multiplier effects. Constructivism, transdisciplinarity and research-based learning form the basis for effective design-based research and Climate Change Education.

Standardising training for young people's research advisory groups.

Standardising training for young people's research advisory groups.

Longitudinal Associations Between Arts Engagement and Flourishing in Young Adults: A Fixed Effects Analysis of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics

There is growing evidence on the impact of arts engagement on flourishing. However, social gradients in arts engagement and flourishing may have led to an overestimation of this impact, and there is a lack of longitudinal research in young people. We aimed to test the longitudinal associations between arts engagement and flourishing in emerging adults, accounting for observed and unobserved individual characteristics. We included 3,333 participants aged 18–28 from the Transition into Adulthood Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We measured flourishing across emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, and frequency of engagement in artistic, musical, or theatrical organized activities, biennially 2005–2019. We analyzed data using fixed effects regression and Arellano-Bond methods to control for bidirectional relationships. Increases in arts engagement were associated with increases in flourishing, before and after adjusting for time-varying confounders. This relationship was driven by enhanced psychological and social wellbeing. After controlling for bidirectionality, increases in arts engagement predicted subsequent improvements in flourishing and social wellbeing. In sensitivity analyses, residential area was a moderator; arts engagement was only associated with increased flourishing in metropolitan (and not non-metropolitan) areas. Increases in arts engagement are associated with enhanced flourishing within individuals, and these associations hold across many subgroups of the population. Those in non-metropolitan areas may have fewer opportunities for arts engagement. Future work must consider how funding can be distributed to ensure that the arts are accessible across communities and geographical areas, providing all young people with opportunities to experience their potential benefits.

Creating stories for impact: Co‐producing knowledge with young people through story mapping

AbstractThis paper explores co‐production of knowledge for impact with young people through the process of creating digital story maps, drawing on co‐produced research from two projects: with homeless youth in African cities; and with youth refugees in Uganda and Jordan. It examines the process of creating three story maps with the intention of enabling young people to co‐produce knowledge exchange and research impact. Participants were able to engage in the latter stages of research as part of research analysis, outcomes and outputs beyond the temporal and spatial confines of data collection. The story maps were therefore used not only to ‘bring life’ to reports produced for stakeholders and funders, but also to take young people's research stories beyond locally bound contexts to reach a variety of global audiences. The reflections in this paper also highlight that while the approach adopted was not without challenges, in all three story maps a knowledge exchange process was fostered that resulted in young people feeling they had been listened to; were able to contribute to debates that affect their own lives and to instil a desire to create change, influence policy and inform publics about their lives. The paper concludes that story mapping is a useful creative process for extending young people's input into knowledge exchange and longer‐term research impacts.

Psychological, morphological and dietic aspects of violations of food behavior of young people

Background: The article shows that the development of obesity and associated health disorders is directly related to the changes in eating behavior (EB) and the psychoemotional state. However, the considered studies were carried out in obese patients of medical institutions only. The research in young people focuses mainly on the sociological and psychological aspects of EB.Aim: To study the psychological characteristics, eating behavior features and their relationship with the indicators of actual nutrition and the body composition in young men.Materials and methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional sample survey of young men aged 17 to 21 was performed. A survey of violations of the EB was carried out, on the basis of which 5 groups of young men were formed. Group 1 (comparison) consisted of young men without violations of the EB. Group 2 consisted of young men with impaired emotiogenic EB. Group 3 consisted of boys with violations of the restrictive PP; group 4 — young men with impaired external EB; group 5 — young men with a combination of impairment of emotionogenic and restrictive EB. We used the Dutch DEBQ questionnaire to study the types of eating behavior. The current mental state of the testees was evaluated by a clinical and psychological test — Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The body composition was assessed with the ABC-01 «Medass» bioimpedansometry device. The «Analysis of the human nutritional state” computer program was applied to estimate the actual nutrition by the frequency analysis method.Results: The study included 96 volunteers. Young men with impaired external EB feature an increase in the daily average energy consumption, which resulted in an increase in BFM%. In young people with eating disorders, an increase in scores on the «Somatization», «Obsession-compulsion», and «Anxiety» scales as compared to the reference valuesis testified. The depression level in young men correlated with the severity of emotiogenic eating behavior (r = 0.455, p <0.001).However, it is associated with the severity of external EB to a greater extent (r = 0.608, p <0.001). On the contrary, the anxiety level more strongly correlated with the severity of emotiogenic EB (r = 0.575, p <0.001) rather than of external EB type (r = 0.391, p <0.001).Conclusion: EB disorders in young men are associated with psychophysiological features, eating disorders accounting for the accumulation of adipose tissue in the body.

Time to address ethnic inclusivity in children & young People's research.

Time to address ethnic inclusivity in children & young People's research.

Early Intervention Services for First Episode of Psychosis in South London and the Maudsley (SLaM): 20 Years of Care and Research for Young People.

Introduction: Early Intervention for a first episode of Psychosis (EI) is essential to improve outcomes. There is limited research describing real-world implementation of EI services.Method: Analysis of service characteristics, outcomes (described through a retrospective 2007–2017 Electronic Health Record (EHR) cohort study) and clinical research relating to the first 20 years of implementation of EI services in South London and Maudsley (SLaM) Trust.Results: SLaM EI are standalone services serving 443,050 young individuals in South-London, where (2017) incidence of psychosis (58.3–71.9 cases per 100,000 person-years) is greater than the national average. From 2007–2017 (when the EHR was established), 1,200 individuals (62.67% male, mean age 24.38 years, 88.17% single; two-thirds of non-white ethnicity) received NICE-compliant EI care. Pathways to EI services came mainly (75.26%) through inpatient (39.83%) or community (19.33%) mental health services or Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) (16%). At 6 year follow-up 34.92% of patients were still being prescribed antipsychotics. The 3 month and 6 year cumulative proportions of those receiving clozapine were 0.75 and 7.33%; those compulsorily admitted to psychiatric hospitals 26.92 and 57.25%; those admitted to physical health hospitals 6.83 and 31.17%, respectively. Average 3 months and 6 year days spent in hospital were 0.82 and 1.85, respectively; mean 6 year attendance at A&E was 3.01. SLaM EI clinical research attracted £58 million grant income and numerous high-impact scientific publications.Conclusions: SLaM EI services represent one of the largest, most established services of its kind, and are a leading model for development of similar services in the UK and worldwide.

How a Sample of Residential Childcare Staff Conceptualize and Use Attachment Theory in Practice

Attachment theory features throughout policy and research for young people in residential care. However, there is limited empirical understanding of how this translates into practice. This research aimed to construct an explanatory theory of how residential staff make sense of, and use, attachment theory in practice. It also aimed to identify whether any components of attachment theory are particularly salient to staff and to what extent their conceptualizations draw upon contemporary attachment theory. Constructivist grounded theory was used in the form of 20 interviews with staff, through an iterative process of data collection and analysis, theoretical sampling, and member reflections. Results indicate staff focus upon a natural process of building relationships, often without a coherent narrative to describe attachment theory to practice links. This natural process is challenged by tensions within the residential system. Findings are contextualized within existing research and future recommendations are outlined.

School-related experience and performance with inflammatory bowel disease: results from a cross-sectional survey in 675 children and their parents

ObjectiveWe describe school performance and experience in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across Germany and Austria. Predictors of compromised performance and satisfaction were evaluated to identify subgroups of increased...

Ethical dilemmas of youth participatory action research in a democratic setting

ABSTRACTThis article discusses ethical issues involved in facilitating the research of young people on controversial issues. This article considers the potential ethical dilemmas of teachers facilitating a particular form of activism – youth participatory action research (YPAR). We consider how teachers foster school-wide conversations on difficult issues and support students who wish to take a critical stand on issues of race, class and gender. The article also discusses how to scaffold the exploration of topics that require emotional maturity and might lead to shifts in beliefs that run counter to the values of one’s family.

Reflections on physical activity intervention research in young people - dos, don'ts, and critical thoughts.

BackgroundPhysical activity has been associated with many benefits throughout the life course. As levels of physical activity appear to be insufficient in large populations, the development of effective interventions to promote or maintain activity levels in young people are therefore of key public health concern. Physical activity intervention research in young people is challenging, but this should not be a reason to continue conducting inferior quality evaluations. This paper highlights some of the key issues that require more careful and consistent consideration to enable future research to achieve meaningful impact.DiscussionThis paper critically evaluates, amongst others, current research practice regarding intervention development, targeting, active involvement of the target population, challenge of recruitment and retention, measurement and evaluation protocols, long-term follow-up, economic evaluation, process evaluation, and publication. It argues that funders and researchers should collaborate to ensure high quality long-term evaluations are prioritised and that a trial’s success should be defined by its quality, not its achieved effect.SummaryThe conduct and publication of well-designed evaluations of well-defined interventions is crucial to advance the field of youth physical activity promotion and make us better understand which intervention strategies may or may not work, why, and for whom.

We need to increase mental health research in young people

We need to increase mental health research in young people

Del horror a la seducción. Consumo de reguetón en la conformación de identidades musicales juveniles

The present study has been motivated by the singularity of the sounds art with regard to process of cultural consumption. It´s explained the heterogeneity of musical consumption and specifically its repercussion about structuration of young people´s identities. The research of young people´s significations with respect to a polemic and consumed rhythm: reggaeton was necessary because thanks to that a classification of musical consumption is created and the same time the distinctions related with this process are exposed. Santiago de Cuba city was the initial point of this work, although the results are certainly extended to others spaces.

Neįgalaus jaunimo karjeros projektavimo kompetencijų ypatumų atskleidimas žinių visuomenės kontekste

Šiaulių universitetas,Vilniaus g. 88, LT-76285 ŠiauliaiEl. paštas: karjerosprojektavimas@gmail.comJudita RUDOKAITĖVytauto Didžiojo universitetas,K. Donelaičio g. 58, LT-44248 KaunasEl. paštas: juditarud@gmail.com
 
 Straipsnyje analizuojamos jaunimo, turinčio negalią, karjeros projektavimo kompetencijos. Pateikti karjeros, karjeros projektavimo, neįgalumo sąvokų apibūdinimai. Siekiant atskleisti karjeros projektavimo svarbą sėkmingos karjeros planavimui ir raidai, atliktas pusiau struktūruotas interviu, kurio rezultatai parodė, kad jauni žmonės susiduria su įvairiomis problemomis rinkdamiesi profesinį kelią ar integruodamiesi į darbo rinką. Atliktas tyrimas išryškino jaunimo karjeros planavimo, realizavimo, valdymo, naujų kompetencijų įgijimo ypatumus, socialinės atskirties reikšmę, įgyjant išsilavinimą, realizuojant sėkmingos karjeros viziją.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: karjeros projektavimas, neįgalumas, karjera, darbo rinka.
 
 EVALUATION OF CAREER DESIGNING COMPETENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETYRasa Rudžinskienė, Judita Rudokaitė
 SummaryThe career designing competence of young people with disability has been analysed in this article. The concepts of career, career designing, and disability have been identified in this article. Research data has been collected using the semi-structured interview method. The quantitative research of young people with disability has been presented in this article in order to reveal the importance of career designing for successful career planning and development. Results of this research showed that young people are faced with various problems in choosing career paths or integrating into the labour market. Also, the peculiarities of young people career planning, realisation and management have been revealed in this article.Key words: career designing, disability, career, labour market.
 

Research in young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis: a review of the current evidence.

The past 15 years have seen a growing interest in early intervention and detection of psychosis before the onset of the first episode. Recent proposals to include a psychosis risk syndrome (PRS) in DSM 5 have focused attention on the evidence base achieved to date in this field. Aims This article aims to (1) review the underlying principles of early identification and intervention during the pre-psychotic phase, (2) summarise the naturalistic follow-up studies conducted to date in this 'at-risk' population, (3) discuss the identified clinical risk factors for transition to psychosis, (4) summarise the interventional studies both psychological and pharmacological completed to date and (5) briefly discuss the controversy around the proposed inclusion of the PRS in DSM 5. Electronic databases EmBase, MedLine and PsychInfo were searched using the keywords ultra-high risk/at-risk mental state/risk syndrome/pre-psychotic/prodrome/prodromal and psychosis/schizophrenia. The evidence suggests that it is possible to identify individuals who may be at risk of developing psychosis. Results from intervention studies, mostly involving second-generation antipsychotics and cognitive behavioural therapy, are currently insufficient to make treatment recommendations for this group. The emerging research with regard to possible neuroprotective factors such as omega fatty acids is promising, but will require replication in larger cohorts before it can be recommended.

Creative Workshops as a Qualitative Research Tool

Many commentators tell us that the qualitative research tools in most common use, while fit for many purposes, are ineffective in discovering the emotional reasons behind behaviour. In my arena - children and young people's research - I am seeking to address this with the development of creative workshops. With this, I have for the first time combined my dual backgrounds of qualitative research and drama (before retraining as a researcher, I was in theatre for 15 years as an actor and director, including many productions for children). Workshops will comprise a mix of research and drama exercises, together accessing areas normally hidden during, for instance, standard focus groups. The impetus for this development comes from a current trend to involve storytelling in research in some way or another.

Beyond School Spirit: The Effects of Youth‐Led Participatory Action Research in Two Urban High Schools

Prior research highlights the mismatch between adolescents' growing capacities for autonomy and the limited opportunities for influence in U.S. secondary schools. Youth‐led participatory research (YPAR), an approach in which young people research and advocate for change on problems of concern to them, could increase students' autonomy in secondary schools. This qualitative study of YPAR examined whether and how the intervention meaningfully affected the interactions and roles of students and adults in two distinctive urban high school settings, identifying concepts for further empirical investigation. Results suggested that YPAR enabled processes of student professionalization that led to novel student‐adult “collegial” interactions, expansion of domains of student influence, and diversification of students with opportunities to influence policies and practices across these two schools.