Population Of School Students Research Articles

Assessing the psychometric properties of smoking-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention among a diverse population of middle school students

Large-scale surveys frequently assess smoking-related attitudes, self-efficacy and intention to understand differences in smoking behavior. However, a critical assumption is that measures of these determinants should be equivalent across different subgroups of a target population. The current study examined the factorial invariance of measures of smoking-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention with a large sample (N=13,733) of middle school students from 25 schools in Texas. We examined five levels of factorial invariance using a sequential process, in which increasingly constrained models assess the equivalence of a measure across subgroups. Strong factorial invariance provided a good fit for the model across all of the subgroups: race/ethnicity (CFI=.93), gender (CFI=.96), age (CFI=.95), and grade level (CFI=.95). Invariance results provide strong empirical support for the validity of smoking-related attitudes, self-efficacy, and intention measures across race/ethnicity, gender, age, and grade level for middle school students.

Determinants of Smoking Initiation and Susceptibility to Future Smoking among School-Going Adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria

It is projected that low and middle-income countries will bear a major burden of tobacco related morbidity and mortality, yet, only limited information is available on the determinants of smoking initiation among youth in Africa. This study aimed to assess the determinants of smoking initiation and susceptibility to future smoking among a population of high school school students in Lagos, Nigeria. Baseline data from an intervention study designed to assess the effect of an anti-smoking awareness program on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents was analyzed. The survey was carried out in six randomly selected public and private secondary schools in local government areas in Lagos state, Nigeria. A total of 973 students completed self-administered questionnaires on smoking initiation, health related knowledge and attitudes towards smoking, susceptibility to future smoking and other factors associated with smoking. Of the respondents, 9.7% had initiated smoking tobacco products with the predominant form being cigarettes (7.3%). Males (OR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.65-4.66) and those with more pro-smoking attitudes (OR: 1.44, 95%CI: 1.34-1.54) were more likely to have initiated smoking. Those with parents and friends who are smokers were 3.47 (95%CI: 1.50-8.05) and 2.26 (95%CI: 1.27-4.01) times more likely to have initiated smoking. Non-smoking students, in privately owned schools (OR: 5.08), with friends who smoke (5.09), with lower knowledge (OR: 0.87) and more pro-smoking attitudes (OR 1.13) were more susceptible to future smoking. In addition, respondents who had been sent to purchase cigarettes by an older adult (OR: 3.68) were also more susceptible to future smoking. Being male and having parents who smoke are predictors of smoking initiation among these students. Consistent with findings in other countries, peers not only influence smoking initiation but also influence smoking susceptibility among youth in this African setting. Prevention programs designed to reduce tobacco use among in-school youth should take these factors into consideration. In line with the recommendations of article 16 of the WHO FCTC, efforts to enforce the ban on the sales of cigarettes to minors should be also emphasised.

Preventing substance abuse and increasing energy balance in middle school students: What works?

Background: Unhealthy behavior patterns such as smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, and poor diet often being in adolescence and worsen over time. A peak time for interventions to prevent these patterns is when students are in middle school; prior to increased reluctance to change that occurs in high school. While tobacco and alcohol abuse prevention programs in schools have had mixed success, evidence of effective interventions is growing. Similarly, diet and physical activity interventions are promising within the school-age population. Computer or technology-based interventions are being used as a means to implement prevention programs, particularly with this tech-savvy generation of students. The current study combines the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) with a computer-based intervention for multiple risk behaviors in middle school students. Current study: This study reports the 36-month results of a randomized two-arm comparison trial of TTM tailored, multiple behavior change interventions delivered to entire populations of middle school students (20 schools and 4,518 students) conducted between 2007 and 2011. Each participant interacted with five 30-min computerized TTM-tailored intervention sessions that were group specific: one in sixth grade, three times in seventh grade, and one in eighth grade. Students in both groups completed a total of four computerized health risk assessments early in each year of the project (grades 6, 7, 8, and 9) to determine outcomes by stage of change. The smoking and alcohol prevention program targeted smoking and alcohol acquisition. The energy balance intervention targeted physical activity (at least 60 min on at least 5 days per week), fruit and vegetable consumption (at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day), and limited TV viewing (2 h or less of TV each day). Results: Analyses assessed group differences in smoking and alcohol acquisition among those who were nonsmokers and nondrinkers at baseline between the energy balance intervention (EB) and the substance use prevention intervention (SP). The EB group had less smoking acquisition than the SP group at 12, 24, and 36 months. The EB group had less alcohol acquisition than the SP group at 12, 24, and 36 months. There were too few students (1–2%) who were smoking or using alcohol at baseline to perform a meaningful analysis. Analyses assessed group differences in movement to action or maintenance stages (A/M) among those in a pre-action stage at baseline for each energy balance behavior. The EB group had greater percentages than the SP group progressing to A/M for physical activity at 12 and 36 months. The EB group had greater percentages than the SP group in fruit and vegetable consumption progressing to A/M at 12, 24, and 36 months. The EB group had greater percentages than the SP group in limiting TV viewing progressing to A/M at 12, 24, and 36 months. In looking at relapse, the EB group had more stability with behavior changes than the SP group at 36 months in physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and limiting TV viewing. Bottom Line: The energy balance intervention was not only effective in initiating and maintaining energy balance behaviors, but also in reducing smoking and alcohol acquisition in these early adolescents. These findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating that computer technology interventions are an efficacious way to improve energy balance behaviors among adolescents at the population level. Policy implications Policies at the district and school level can facilitate the development and testing of multiple risk factor interventions in this population. Education policies should embrace prevention of unhealthy behaviors through evidence-based and innovative interventions. Funding for intervention programs to continue beyond the scope of research within schools is necessary for sustainability and positive long-term outcomes. Research implications Enhancing the efficiency of delivery and effectiveness of outcome through computer technology interventions should be a research priority. Future research should include tailoring and testing effective interventions to different groups (e.g., high school to middle school), different modes of delivery (e.g. computer technology), and different settings (e.g., community centers).

Private School Competition and Public School Performance in Arizona

Advocates of school choice policies claim that private school competition would make public schools more efficient. I evaluate the effect of private school competition on public schools’ test scores in Arizona. Private schooling is treated as endogenous. I use the Arizona K-12 tax credit to build the first instrument based on religious denominations likely to donate to private schools. Also, I use measures of the population of private school students and schools as new instruments for private schooling. Moreover, I build grade-specific measures of private school competition. I find a strong positive effect of private school competition on scores in grade 4, and no significant effect on scores in grade 7.

Keyboard Gangsters: Analysis of Incidence and Correlates of Cyberbullying in a Large Urban Student Population

The prevalence and pervasive nature of technology has fundamentally changed how individuals interact. Social networking has significantly altered communication and interaction patterns and created a dynamic venue for perpetration and victimization of bullying. A large population of middle and high school students was surveyed on perceptions and engagement in drug and alcohol usage, school violence, social networking usage, and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. Findings indicate that although cyberbullying has many similarities to traditional bullying, there are important differences. Participation in school violence and usage of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs predict both victimization and perpetration of cyberbullying.

The perception amongst a population of high school students in South Africa about ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS*

HIV and AIDS can result in visual impairment, therefore it is important that those who have or atrisk of contracting the disease have a basic knowledge of its ocular manifestations, so that they may seek eye care early. This study assessed the per-ceptions of a sample of senior high school students at the Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa about the ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS and its management. Questionnaires were distributed to the students in their classrooms after school hours and upon completion were collected the same day. Data analysis revealed that 27.8% of the participants agreed that HIV/AIDS can affect the eyes. Another 27.8% responded that HIV/AIDS could cause dry eyes. Less than a third (31.4%) indicated that the disease could cause red eyes, 31.5% and 38.1% respectively indicated that HIV/AIDS could cause cancer of the eyelids and the eyeball. About half of the respondents (52%) agreed that the disease could cause swollen eyelids; while about 46% agreed that vision loss or blindness could occur in HIV/AIDS. Many (65.6%) indicated that an ophthalmologist or an optometrist should be consulted for HIV/AIDS-related eye problems and only 16.5% reported that traditional healers could be consulted. Perception about the ocular manifestations of HIV and AIDS is poor among the participants, suggesting a need for awareness campaigns and education. (S Afr Optom 2012 71(3) 117-122)

Valoración de la adiposidad corporal de escolares en Arequipa, Perú

To assess the relation between the percentage of body fat, the Body Mass Index and the abdominal perimeter in a population of school students who live at a moderate altitude. A cross-sectional study was conducted, for which 394 boys and 405 girls between 6 and 11 years of age were selected using a probabilistic method. All the school students chosen were middle class children who lived in the urban area of Arequipa, Peru, located at a moderate altitude (2320m above sea level). The percentage of fat, the Body Mass Index and the abdominal perimeter were assessed. There was a moderate correlation between the percentage of fat and the abdominal perimeter in boys (0.59) and girls (0.68). Lower figures were obtained between the percentage of fat and the Body Mass Index in boys (0.56) and girls (0.66). A connection among the categories of fat percentage (%F) and the abdominal perimeter (p<0.05) was observed; yet, there was no connection between the %F and the Body Mass Index (p>0.05). The abdominal perimeter has a moderate correlation with the percentage of body fat and can be used as an indicator of adiposity in the mid-section of the body of children who live in Arequipa (Peru) at a moderate altitude.

Factors That Were Found to Influence Ghanaian Adolescents’ Eating Habits

The study sought to find out whether factors such as parental, peer, and media influences predict Ghanaian adolescent students’ eating habits. A random selection of 150 students from a population of senior high school students in Ghana were asked to complete the Eating Habits Questionnaire for Adolescents. Data were analyzed by the use of bivariate correlation, t test, and multiple regression analytical techniques using SPSS version 16. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between peer influence and eating habits suggesting that the higher the peer pressure, the more unhealthy the students’ eating habits. Counterintuitively, parental and media influences did not significantly correlate with students’ eating habits. Gender difference in eating habits suggested that girls had more unhealthy eating habits than boys. Finally, multiple regression analysis revealed that peer influence was a better predictor of students’ eating habits than parental and media influences. The findings were discussed and recommendations were given in light of the study’s limitations.

Putative Effect of Alcohol on Suicide Attempters: An Evaluative Study in a Tertiary Medical College

Context:Alcohol abuse is a known risk factor for suicide. Alcohol increases aggression and impulsivity, which are strongly related to suicidal behavior. Sociocultural factors influence both alcohol use and suicide rates. Studies, conducted in one population, are not applicable to other and the results cannot be generalized.Aims:The aim was to study the putative role of alcohol in suicide cases in the rural Indian population by analysis of various sociodemographic variables.Settings and Design:This was a cross-sectional study in conducted in a tertiary medical college.Materials and Methods:Two hundred consecutive patients who survived a suicide attempt were evaluated by a psychiatrist. The data were recorded for sociodemographic variables, psychiatric disorders, suicide intent, lethality of the suicide attempt, and history of alcohol intake prior to the suicide attempt. Using alcohol intake prior to the suicide attempt as a determining dimension, various sociodemographic variables were analyzed for their statistical significance and the role of alcohol in suicide cases was assessed.Results:Seventeen percent suicide attempt survivors had a history of alcohol intake prior to the suicide attempt. Fifteen percent had a history of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use affected the suicide rate in the male population in the late twenties to mid-thirties age group, illiterate and people with high school education, semiskilled workers, shop owners, and student population. Alcohol dependence, bipolar II disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and dysthymic disorder had higher rate of suicide attempt with the use of alcohol prior to the suicide attempt. Alcohol users attempted a more lethal suicide attempt and were found to have problems with primary support group and occupational problem as precipitating stressor for suicide attempt.Conclusions:Alcohol use increases the suicide rate, in the specific rural Indian population.

Changes of attitudes toward epilepsy in college-preparatory high school students population: An indicator of global campaign successfulness?

PurposeWithin the “Out of the Shadows” campaign in Croatia, numerous activities have been organized. The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy in the population of college-preparatory high school students, and to consider whether such changes could be the result of these activities carried out between 2002 and 2010. MethodsThis study was completed in Croatia's capital city, Zagreb, and sampled adolescent college-preparatory high school students. The surveys conducted in both 2002 and 2010 have been evaluated and compared. In both years the examinees completed a questionnaire made up of identical questions concerning the students’ knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy. ResultsIn total, 430 respondents (227 students in 2002; 203 in 2010) completed a questionnaire. The 2010 survey indicates a higher degree of knowledge of epilepsy amongst the students (p<0.05), as well as more positive attitudes related to marriage (p<0.05), and the employment of persons with epilepsy (PwE) (p<0.01). The percentage of positive attitudes related to playing with children with epilepsy was high in both surveys (>97%). The results for the total sample reveal that students with a better knowledge of epilepsy had more positive attitudes (p<0.05). Yet in the survey conducted in 2010, when the level of factual knowledge about epilepsy was higher, this relationship was not possible to prove; improvement of attitudes was greater in students with worse knowledge of epilepsy than in those with better knowledge. ConclusionBased on the obtained results we conclude that improvement in factual knowledge is only one of the factors that can induce improvement in attitudes. The positive changes found in Croatia most likely stem from the cumulative effect of the various activities conducted in accordance with the principles of the “Out of the Shadows” campaign.

Epidemic of tuberculosis in a high school in Northern Sardinia

The aim of this study was to investigate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission among high school student and teacher populations in a high school in Northern Sardinia.Tuberculin skin-test screening, chest-X-rays, QuantiFERON-TB Gold, microbiological examination, spoligotyping and variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis of M. tuberculosis isolates were performed.This study indicates the effectiveness of the epidemiological investigation.

Access to Private and Confidential Health Care Among Secondary School Students in New Zealand

Private and confidential health care is an important indicator of the quality of health care for adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of health care utilization and private and confidential health care among a nationally representative population of high school students. A two-stage cluster sample of 9,107 students (grades 8-12, response rate 73%) from 96 New Zealand high schools (response rate 84%) participated in a 2007 health survey using Internet tablets. Questions included when and where they had accessed health care, if their health care provider had explained that their health care was confidential, and if they had been seen in private by their health care provider. Although 83% of students had accessed health care in the previous 12 months, only 27% of students reported receiving private and confidential health care. Students who had accessed health care from a school-based health center (adjusted relative risk [95% confidence interval] 1.54 [1.42-1.66]) or family planning/sexual health clinics (adjusted relative risk = 2.1 [1.9-2.26]) were more likely to report receiving private and confidential health care compared with students who had not accessed health care from these settings. While most young people access health care from their family doctor or general practitioner's clinic, rates of private and confidential health care were low suggesting that opportunities to adequately explore and respond to important yet sensitive topics are compromised in primary care settings.

Using Higher Order Questioning to Accelerate Students’ Growth in Reading

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to describe the changes in reading instruction that teachers made that contributed to students’ growth in reading. Teachers made the transition from instruction that was primarily teacher‐directed and focused on lower‐level questions to instruction that supported students in their higher order talk and writing about texts. These teachers worked with diverse student populations in schools that had previously struggled to make adequate yearly progress, yet across three years of reading reform their students continued to make important gains in their reading achievement. These findings and examples may stimulate reflection and challenge other reading professionals to consider important research‐validated elements of effective reading instruction.

The influence of regular physical education classes on the adaptive processes of motor agility and functional abilities

The sample consisted of 40 female participants extracted from a population of elementary school students from Niš, age 12 ± 6 months, who regularly participated in their physical education classes. The basic aim of the research was to determine the influence of programmed contents of regular physical education classes on the development of the motor agility and functional abilities of the participants. The research problem was the evaluation of whether under the influence of physical education in the curriculum we can achieve a statistically significant increase in the level of the motor agility and functional abilities of the participants. By using the student t-test for small dependent samples and the canonical discriminant analysis, we determined that under the influence of physical exercise, at the end of a three-month period of physical education classes, a statistically significant increase in the level of motor agility and functional abilities of the participants was determined.

Adolescent attitudes toward the police in a western Canadian city

PurposeThe primary purpose of this paper is to examine attitudes toward the police in a sample of Canadian adolescents.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data collected from 262 students attending 14 different high schools in a western Canadian city, the paper analyses adolescents' attitudes toward the local police. Criminal victimisation experience, police harassment or mistreatment experience, engagement in delinquent behaviour, and attitudes toward school among respondents were also explored.FindingsThe results demonstrated that respondents were only marginally positive in their evaluations of the police. Multiple ordinary least‐squares regression analysis demonstrated that respondents who were older and those who held more positive school attitudes, experienced no police mistreatment or harassment, reported no criminal victimisation, and exhibited lower propensity to engage in unlawful activities were found to rate the overall police performance significantly more favourably.Research limitations/implicationsAs this study reports data based on a non‐random sample of high school students in one Canadian city, caution must be exercised in interpreting the results. Continued research attention should be devoted to high school student populations in other geographical locations.Practical implicationsSurvey findings underscore the importance of the implementation of programs to foster a positive relationship between the police and young people, the promotion of student engagement with school, and the adoption of intervention strategies to reduce delinquent behaviour among at‐risk adolescents.Originality/valueAs only very few studies have explored police‐youth relations in Canada, this analysis offers insights into adolescents' perceptions of the police and factors contributing to their attitudes.

Recognising language impairment in secondary school student populations

Up to 16% of students in mainstream secondary schools present with language impairment (LI). As with other learning difficulties, students with LI experience many academic, social, emotional and behavioral problems. Associated presenting behaviors may, however, be masking the primary language impairment. As a result, secondary school students with LI are under-recognised and may therefore be missing out on appropriate supports and services. In order to increase the awareness of education professionals and to increase the likelihood of identification and effective support, this article describes the nature and impact of LI in secondary school student populations. Two hypothetical case studies highlight the educational and psychosocial impact of LI during adolescence.

Gender differences in the form of maxillary central incisors analyzed using AutoCAD software

Female teeth are considered more rounded and male teeth more quadrangular. Although lacking in scientific support, this theory helps in selecting the mold of artificial teeth for dentures. Parameters that are more reliable are sought to determine gender differences in tooth form. The purpose of this study was to assess possible differences between genders in terms of tooth form: oval, triangular, or quadrangular. The sample comprised 433 subjects with a mean age of 15 years selected from a population of Brazilian high school students. The maxillary right central incisor (MCI) of each subject was photographed. The images were adjusted to standardize the long axis of the tooth in the vertical position. The AutoCAD computer program was used to analyze graphically the geometric form of the tooth. According to analysis results, form was classified as oval, triangular, or quadrangular. Intraexaminer consistency was analyzed by using linear correlation coefficient and Bland Altman analysis. The relationship between gender and tooth form was analyzed by chi-square and linear regression (α=.05). In women, the form was 57.73% (n=127) oval, 23.54% (n=52) triangular, and 18.64% (n=41) quadrangular; while in men, the form was 54.93% (n=117) oval, 36.15% (n=77) triangular, and 8.92% (n=19) quadrangular (P<.001). The oval form was the most prevalent in both genders. However, the triangular form was more common in men than in women, and the quadrangular form more frequent in women than in men.

Parents’ self-reporting of child physical maltreatment in Yuncheng City, China

Objective To investigate the prevalence of child physical maltreatment (CPM) by parents in a city locating in central-western region of China and identify associated risk factors. Methods Cross-sectional survey was carried out among a randomly sampled population of primary school students’ parents in Yuncheng City. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months, definition of CPM, Parenting Scale, parent-child interaction attitudes, social support, socio-demographic background were collected by a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between CPM and related risk factors. Results Of parents from 1,394 primary school students, there were 595 (42.7%) and 301 (21.6%) of them reported that they had minor/severe CPM behaviors toward their children during the past 3 months, respectively. The risk factors that were significantly associated with both prevalence and frequencies of minor/severe CPM included child problem behaviors, overreactivity and hostility parenting. Conclusion CPM by parents is not uncommon in China. More attention should be paid to programs that help parents learn parenting skills and use nonviolent child discipline.

What's in a name?

What's in a name?

A multidimensional examination of New Zealand family involvement in education

The purpose of this study was to preliminarily examine family involvement with the primary caregivers of a specific population of New Zealand primary school students through a pilot validation of a New Zealand version of the Family Involvement Questionnaire, Elementary Version (FIQ-E; Manz, Fantuzzo, &amp; Power, 2004). Participants were 285 primary caregivers of children attending primary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to determine the factor structure of the New Zealand version of the FIQ-E. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a factor structure similar to the original FIQ-E; however, fewer and different items loaded onto the common factors. Implications for these findings, including differences in the factor structure and intercultural family involvement research, are explored.