Students In Shanghai Research Articles

Exploring the factors’ effect on physical activity, academic self-efficacy, and depression among junior high school students in Shanghai

This study examines the relationship between factors (social support, self-esteem, emotional intelligence [EI], mindfulness, school PA program engagement [SPPE]), physical activity (PA), academic self-efficacy (ASE), and depression in Shanghai junior high school students. A nationwide offline survey was conducted in Shanghai between August and December 2023 using a purposive sampling design. A total of 432 questionnaires were administered to six seventh- and eighth-grade classes from six schools in Shanghai; 416 responses were included in the final analysis. SPSS software version 29, the Correlation and Multiple Linear Regression techniques were employed to analyze the collected data. Social support, self-esteem, EI, mindfulness, SPPE, PA, ASE, and depression were found to be correlated. None of the common factors significantly predict PA, as the p-values were more than 0.05. Social support, self-esteem, EI, and SPPE had a positive significant influence on ASE except for mindfulness. Social support, self-esteem, and mindfulness had a negative significant influence on depression among Shanghai junior high school students. This study highlights the interconnectedness of social support, self-esteem, EI, mindfulness, and SPPE with ASE and depression among junior high school students in Shanghai. While none of the factors predicted PA levels, social support, self-esteem, EI, and mindfulness emerged as important contributors to ASE, while social support, self-esteem, and mindfulness emerged as important contributors to depression.

The prevalence of malocclusion and oral health-related quality of life among 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMalocclusion is one of the three major oral diseases and may cause deterioration in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This study aims to determine the prevalence of malocclusion by gender and its impact on quality of life among 12- and 15-year-old children in Shanghai.MethodsThis study summarizes the data obtained in the Shanghai Oral Health Epidemiological Survey conducted in 2019. Random cluster sampling was used to select students in Shanghai. A total of 1591 12-year-old children and 747 15-year-old children were included. Each student underwent an oral examination and completed a questionnaire. The Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) was adopted to measure the objective severity of malocclusion and Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) was applied to evaluate quality of life of schoolchildren. Comparisons of COHIP scores were performed among different treatment needs and difficulties by t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsNo significant difference was found between genders except that the prevalence of deep overbite in 12-year-old boys (1.11 ± 0.95) was significantly higher than that in girls (0.93 ± 0.88) while the prevalence of crossbite among 12-year-old girls (26%) is significantly higher than boys (20%). Malocclusion in 15-year-old children was descended compared with 12-year-old. 15-year-old students demonstrates larger impact of malocclusion on oral health than 12-year-old group except self-image. Health impacts (COHIP) increase significantly as the malocclusion becomes severer except self-image in 12-year-old group.ConclusionsIn Shanghai, the severity of malocclusion in 15-year-old children was less than 12-year-old children. Malocclusion has greater influence on oral health of 15-year-old children than 12-year-old children. Severer malocclusion generally correlates with higher level of oral health impacts in schoolchildren.

A Study on the Causes and Effects of the Current State of Extracurricular Tutoring in the Context of the “Double Reduction” Policy--A Qualitative Research Based on Parents of Public Elementary School Students in Shanghai, China

Based on the Ecological System Theory, this study uses semi-structured interviews to present the current situation of extracurricular tutoring that still exists in the context of the “Double Reduction” Policy and analyzes the reasons for it at the micro, meso and macro levels. The results of the interviews show that there are three types of tutoring for children under the “Double Reduction” Policy: maintaining pre-existing extracurricular tutoring arrangements, starting tutoring after the policy, and abstaining from tutoring throughout. In addition, most of the parents had a negative view of the “Double Reduction” Policy, while a few had a positive or neutral attitude. Based on the interviews, the study found that: Parents’ education philosophy, the school’s teaching mode, the “peer effect” of extracurricular tutoring, the educational streaming and examination systems, the anxieties surrounding social mobility among the middle class, and deeply entrenched Chinese traditional beliefs played a major role in the persistence of extracurricular tutoring. Subsequently, this study examines the impact of extracurricular tutoring from a social stratification lens, pointing out its potential to exacerbate the educational gap between different classes and families. Consequently, the study concludes with recommendations for policy enhancements aimed at fostering a more equitable educational ecosystem.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the contraceptive knowledge assessment scale in college students

ObjectivesTo translate and revise the Contraceptive Knowledge Assessment (CKA) scale and apply it to Chinese college male/female students. After cross-cultural adjustment of the source scale, the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the scale were tested.Study designThis study utilized a cross-sectional research design. Translation, cognitive interviews and a psychometric evaluation were carried out. A survey was then conducted among 388 college students in Shanghai to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the CKA scale.ResultsThere were 22 items in the Chinese version. Factor analysis extracted 8 common factors, with a cumulative contribution rate of 58.923%, and 3 items were eliminated. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.793, and the test-retest reliability Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.743.ConclusionThe Chinese version of the CKA scale has good reliability and validity and is suitable for assessing the level of contraceptive knowledge.

Implementation of Basketball Education Program Affecting the Personal Development of College Students in Shanghai, China

The study examined the implementation of a basketball education program and its impact on students' skills acquisition, personal development, and educational achievements. The results revealed that the program was moderately implemented across key areas such as coaching/instructional approach, skills training, personal development, and student engagement. While the program proved effective in fostering basketball-related skills acquisition, it showed weaker correlations with students' academic achievements and personal development. A positive relationship was identified between the coaching approach and skills acquisition, suggesting that structured coaching enhances students' technical abilities. However, the program demonstrated a negative correlation between coaching and academic performance, indicating that students may prioritize athletic success over educational growth. Additionally, the findings indicated that other aspects of the program, such as personal development and skills training, had no significant impact on students' broader personal growth or academic achievements. Overall, while the program successfully supports athletic growth, it requires further refinement to enhance its influence on students' educational outcomes and holistic development. The integration of academic support and a stronger focus on personal development could ensure a more balanced approach to fostering student success both on and off the court.

Gender differences in the mental symptom network of high school students in Shanghai, China: a network analysis

BackgroundAdolescence is a critical period for the onset of mental health issues. In China, high school students face significant academic and social pressures, leading to high rates of mental health challenges. Gender differences in the manifestation of these symptoms have been observed, with boys and girls exhibiting distinct psychological profiles.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the structure of psychological symptoms among Chinese high school students using network analysis, focusing on identifying core symptoms and gender differences in symptom networks. The key objectives are to: 1) identify the central psychological symptoms for boys and girls, and 2) uncover the interactions between symptoms to inform targeted interventions.MethodsA cluster sampling method was used to recruit 3,769 high school students (2,206 males and 1,563 females) in Shanghai. The Middle School Students Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS) was administered, and network analysis was conducted using the R packages bootnet and qgraph to assess symptom network edges, centrality, and network strength. Comparisons between male and female networks were made.ResultsNetwork analysis showed tightly connected symptom networks for both genders, with 43 non-zero edges for boys (sparsity 0.04) and 39 for girls (sparsity 0.13). Depression was the core symptom for boys (centrality 1.20), while anxiety was central for girls (centrality 1.46). Boys showed a stronger link between interpersonal sensitivity and depression (edge value 0.20), while girls exhibited a stronger connection between anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (edge value 0.16). Network comparison tests revealed no significant differences in overall network strength between boys (4.625) and girls (4.660), with P-values greater than 0.05 across all comparisons.ConclusionThis study highlights significant gender differences in the psychological symptom networks of Chinese high school students. Depression and anxiety emerged as core symptoms for boys and girls, respectively. These findings provide a foundation for developing gender-sensitive mental health interventions, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches based on gender-specific symptom profiles.

Genome-wide profiling of long non-coding RNA following ozone exposure: A randomized, controlled exposure trial

BackgroundExposure to ambient ozone has been associated with extrapulmonary health, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be understood. LncRNAs are involved in the regulation of gene expression, but their regulatory mechanisms in ozone-related health effects are scarcely explored. ObjectiveTo investigate genome-wide lncRNA changes after short-term ozone exposure and their regulatory roles in ozone exposure and gene expression. MethodWe conducted a randomized, crossover, controlled exposure trial in 32 healthy college students in Shanghai, China. Each participant received both 200-ppb ozone exposure and filtered air exposure for 2 h in a random order with a 14-day washout period. Blood samples were collected after each exposure and used for lncRNA sequencing. Differentially expressed lncRNAs between the two exposures were identified using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and linear regression analysis. LncRNAs-targeted mRNAs were mapped and subjected to enrichment analyses. We also constructed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks. ResultsA total of 90 lncRNAs were differentially expressed after exposure to ozone, with 49 up-regulated and 41 down-regulated. Enrichment analyses suggested that these dysregulated lncRNAs were involved in a variety of biological processes, including those related to oxidative stress, inflammation response, and cell proliferation, development, and differentiation. Multiple pathways such as IL-17 signaling, NF-kB signaling, and Rho GTPases signaling were also enriched. Furthermore, the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network revealed that specific lncRNAs may regulate the expression of inflammation- and angiogenesis-related genes by interacting with miRNAs, such as NEAT1/hsa-miR-500a-3p/SIGLEC8, NEAT1/hsa-miR-6835–3p/SLC16A14, OIP5-AS1/miR-183–5p/EGR1, and SNHG25/hsa-miR-663a/FOSB axes. ConclusionThis study characterized a thorough profile of human lncRNAs following short-term ozone exposure and suggested the regulatory roles of these lncRNAs in ozone-induced inflammatory responses and angiogenesis, providing novel epigenetic insights into the mechanisms of the health effects of ozone exposure.

Post-return emotions: everyday food practices of overseas returned students in Shanghai

ABSTRACT Taking post-return everyday food practices as the primary analytical lens, this paper interrogates how the emotions of transnational returnees are structured by shifting spatio-temporalities in the process of return. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Shanghai, the empirical discussion examines the experiences of overseas returned students in Shanghai through three cases. These respectively highlight how practices and emotions relate to the persistence of hometown tastes throughout migration, the embrace of host foods while studying overseas, and the adaptation to new dietary patterns after return. These cases of post-return exemplify the intricate connections between food, place, and emotions. There are two implications drawn from the empirical discussion. First, from the spatial perspective, the post-return emotions of transnational return migrants are intricately linked not only to the place to which they return and currently reside in but also to the places they previously experienced as emigrants. Second, the emotions of transnational return migrants should be comprehended under specific temporal frameworks, which, in this paper, refer to transitional life stages. By investigating the post-return place-related emotions indicated by everyday food practices, this research contributes a more intricate understanding of the emotional worlds of transnational returnees and sheds light on the emotionality of transnational return migration.

The impact of information overload on the four psychological capital aspects of university students in Shanghai during health emergencies

The impact of information overload on the four psychological capital aspects of university students in Shanghai during health emergencies

Learning approach and learning effect of undergraduates in blended learning of business courses: Evidence from China

Research on implementing blended learning in higher education has been extensive, but there is limited research on the relationship between students' entry characteristics, learning approaches, and learning effects, particularly in business education. This study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in a blended teaching environment, surveying undergraduate students in Shanghai who were enrolled in business courses in the same semester. The study analyzed the connection between learning approaches and learning effects using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and students’ exam scores. The research findings revealed that students with deep learning approaches achieved higher average scores than those with surface learning approaches. Students' gender, age, academic year, academic background, and whether a course was mandatory or elective were found to have a significant relationship with their learning approaches. Furthermore, students' gender, age and academic year were significantly related to their final exam scores. However, there was no significant difference in the academic performance of students with different learning approaches, and certain exam formats and scopes may not influence quantitative learning effects. Based on these findings, curriculum developers in business education can consider offering general courses to underclassmen to help them gain a comprehensive understanding of their chosen field, encouraging upperclassmen to take cross-disciplinary courses, and urging instructors to utilize blended teaching methods to enhance teaching effectiveness.

The Impact of K-pop Merchandise on the Consumer Behavior of University Students in Shanghai

K-pop merchandise, as one of the main trends in current fashion development, is continuously expanding its audience and influence, particularly among teenagers. This paper conducts a comprehensive study on the impact of K-pop merchandise on the consumer behavior of university students in Shanghai through surveys and interviews. It aims to analyze the consumption behaviors and preferences of these students concerning K-pop merchandise, thereby exploring the significant effects of K-pop merchandise on this student group. The study finds that the consumption behavior of Shanghai university students regarding K-pop merchandise has long-term characteristics. Their purchasing decisions are directly influenced by their internal economic levels and indirectly by the external behaviors of fan communities. However, the cognitive and rational levels of university students are also improving, and their consumption behavior towards K-pop merchandise is shifting towards more rational and value-based decision-making. Overall, the influence and reach of K-pop merchandise are growing, and it is expected to have a sustained impact on the consumption behavior of university students in Shanghai in the future.

Academic Support, Peer Pressure, and Emotional Intelligence: A Mixed-Methods Investigation in Shanghai's Higher Education Landscape

This study explores the dynamics of emotional intelligence among higher education students in Shanghai, China, by examining the impact of external influences on EI development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews are utilized to gather comprehensive data. The quantitative component employs standardized measures and custom-designed questionnaires to assess EI and external influences, while qualitative interviews provide rich narratives. Analysis of quantitative data includes correlation, mediation, and regression analyses, while qualitative data undergoes thematic analysis. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of EI in the context of Shanghai's diverse and dynamic higher education environment, shedding light on how external factors shape students' emotional intelligence development.

Heterogeneous peer effects under endogenous selection: An application to local and migrant children in elementary schools in Shanghai

This paper develops a model that allows for heterogenous contemporaneous peer effects among different types of agents who are endogenously selected into different peer groups. We apply our approach to migrant and local students in Shanghai, where local students all go to public schools, but migrant students are endogenously selected into either public schools or lower-quality private schools. The results suggest large contemporaneous peer effects among all student groups. We conduct policy experiments to examine the effect of transferring migrant students from private schools to public schools, and show that peer effect can be substantially more important than the school effect.

The Impact of Coping Styles on the Mental Health of Outstanding Physical Education Students in Shanghai During the Normalization Epidemic: The Chain Mediation Role of Meaning in Life and Prosocial Behavior.

The continuous spread of the epidemic has inflicted serious harm upon individual's mental well-being, and effective coping mechanisms are associated with positive mental health outcomes. Prosocial behavior and a sense of meaning in life can enhance individuals' subjective well-being, which can subsequently positively impact their mental health. Thus, in the context of epidemic prevention and control, this study investigates the relationship between the meaning in life, prosocial behavior, and coping styles of outstanding physical education students and the impact on their mental health. The study involved a questionnaire survey on 498 outstanding physical education students, consisting of 297 boys (mean age = 13.16) and 201 girls (mean age = 12.87 years). Subsequently, the data was analyzed using the mediating effect and Bootstrap tests. The coping style positively predicted the meaning in life (β=0.294) and prosocial behavior (β=0.293). Conversely, mental health was predicted in a negative direction (β=-0.494). Mental health negatively predicted prosocial behavior (β=-0.810), although prosocial behavior positively predicted meaning in life (β=0.644). Finally, prosocial behavior negatively predicted mental health (β=-0.513). Additionally, the interplay between prosocial behavior and meaning in life is established in terms of both the individual and chain mediating roles. This study demonstrates that coping styles during a normalized epidemic prevention and control situation directly impact the mental health of Shanghai's outstanding physical education students. Additionally, these coping styles indirectly influence mental health through the mediating effects of meaning in life and prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, meaning in life and prosocial behaviors act as chain mediators in this relationship.

The Root Causes and Countermeasures of Campus Bullying: A Study on the Phenomenon of School Bullying Among Middle School Students in Shanghai, China

The Root Causes and Countermeasures of Campus Bullying: A Study on the Phenomenon of School Bullying Among Middle School Students in Shanghai, China

The Rationality of Search Theory Framework in Late and No MarriageFindings and Discussion Based on the Survey of Marriage Attitudes of College Students in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai

In recent years, China's marriage model has a tendency to converge with the European marriage model, and the tendency of young people to get married late and not to get married has become obvious. College students are the main body of China's marriage behavior in the next ten years, and college students in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have certain regional characteristics and unique views on late marriage and non-marriage, which are worth studying and exploring. This study will utilize the search theory, the theory as an economic concept in marriage has a certain reference, but the previous research has not been "Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai" This region of the youth of late marriage, non-marriage point of view of systematic research, and in the era of information technology college students thinking changes fast update, the previous research has a certain lag. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the rationality of the search theory in explaining the problem of late marriage and non-marriage among college students in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and to try to make discoveries. Through in-depth interviews, this study concludes that the search theory is reasonable in explaining the situation of late marriage and non-marriage among college students in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, and based on this, it is found that college students in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have a fixed-sample search behavior in the search process.

Multicultural personality traits of Chinese university students and their effects on the psychological adjustment in the aftermath of COVID-19 in Shanghai: a scale validation.

This study aims to explore Chinese university students' multicultural personalities and examine how they predict the psychological adjustment of students in Shanghai. In addition, the validation of Multicultural Personality Questionnaire Short Form (MPQ-SF) scale developed to assess the multicultural personality traits of individuals is also aimed in Chinese context. Data were collected after the psychological stresses from restrictions imposed by COVID-19 in China that influenced life adjustments for nearly three years. A total of 1,099 university students participated in this multi-stage study. First, the Chinese version of MPQ-SF (MPQ-SF-C) was developed and validated. The impact of MPQ-SF-C dimensions was then tested through path analysis to establish the effects of Chinese university students' multicultural personality traits on their psychological adjustment using the Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS-10). The MPQ-SF-C yielded a five-factor solution which accounted for 60.14% of the common variance. The findings indicated that cultural empathy (β = 0.23, p < 0.05), certainty seeking (β = 0.13, p < 0.05), open-mindedness (β = 0.48, p < 0.05), and emotional stability (β = 0.24, p < 0.05) had significant influences on adjustment. Only flexibility was found to have a statistically insignificant impact on adjustment at this time in this context. MPQ-SF-C and SOS-10 scales represented very good psychometric properties in terms of their reliability and validity. The MPQ-SF-C shows good psychometric properties and appropriateness for evaluating multicultural personalities in Chinese contexts. The multicultural personality characteristics of university students using this scale well predicted their psychological adjustment.

Reading ability and challenges in a project-based academic report writing course: A test of the threshold hypothesis

Interest in the use of project-based academic report writing (PBARW) has continued unabated for the past 10 years in Asian countries, especially in China. However, cognitive challenges faced by second language (L2) learners – most notably the challenge of reading authentic academic literature – are often reported by practitioners. This article explores the relationship between Chinese college students’ English reading comprehension ability and the challenges they encountered in a project-based academic report writing course. A total of 274 students in Shanghai were surveyed on the challenges they met when implementing PBARW tasks. Their English reading abilities were also collected. With ANOVA and piecewise regression analyses, the study revealed a clearly discernible reading comprehension ability threshold: below the threshold, English reading ability had a direct counteractive effect on the challenges of studying a PBARW course; the higher the reading ability, the lower the challenges perceived. Beyond that threshold, English reading ability stopped mitigating challenges directly. English reading abilities divided by the threshold moderated the effects of writing topic knowledge and writing strategies on student difficulties: only the good readers were able to overcome challenges they encountered effectively by drawing on the topic knowledge possessed and writing strategies adopted. In the future, researchers may observe the reading abilities required in different disciplines and PBARW tasks. Pedagogical implications for the findings of the research are discussed.

The effects of emotion and COVID-19 context priming on the size and color of drawings: based on human figure drawings and tree drawings.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of emotional themes and the COVID-19 pandemic context priming on the size and color of drawings. A 3 (emotion: peacefulness, gratitude, loneliness) × 2 (context: pandemic, regular) mixed design was used and 113 university students in Shanghai were recruited to draw human figures and trees using 10 marker colors. The size of the drawings depicting loneliness was smaller than that of the those depicting peacefulness and gratitude. Drawings depicting loneliness used more cool and non-preferred colors; drawings depicting gratitude used more warm and preferred colors. Drawings in the pandemic context were larger, which may reflect the more significant threat perceived by individuals. Drawings in the pandemic context used more red colors, showing symbolic meanings such as danger. The drawing size and drawing color are influenced by emotional themes and the pandemic context priming.

A comprehensive model of intercultural communication for international students living in culturally diverse societies: evidence from China

Intercultural communication (IC) and international students go side by side in this era of internationalization of higher education. The key concepts of IC, namely intercultural effectiveness (ICE), intercultural competence (ICC), intercultural adjustment (ICA), and intercultural adaptation (ICN) are used interchangeably in the literature. However, the present study argues that the stated concepts are theoretically different and further proposes that ICE, ICC, ICA, and ICN are phases of IC. Based on these conceptual differences, a comprehensive model of IC (CMIC) is proposed in this study. The CMIC explains that these four concepts are principally developmental phases for international students to become interculturally effective in adapting to a new culture. The current research further offers preliminary testing of CMIC, which is applied to international students in Shanghai, China through quantitative research followed by a survey. Instruments developed by experts were used in this study. International students were approached to participate in the survey at the convenience of the researcher. One hundred and seventy-one international students represented 18 different cultures, which reconfirms the culture-general approach by considering the stance of more than two different cultures. The findings revealed that international students became interculturally effective and competent which further enabled them to adjust to China. Later, their adjustment helped them adapt better to the new culture. The findings of this study validated the core predictions of the CMIC. As this is the first testing of CMIC on a relatively small sample, more extensive testing is expected soon to validate its assumptions in different contexts, such as Pakistan, Malaysia, and Australia, among others. The CMIC also suggests practical implications for policymakers and institutes of host countries regarding international students and other people living in a culturally different society.