Taiwanese Adolescents Research Articles

Developing Depressive Symptoms over the Adolescent Years: The Influence of Affiliated Cultural Values among Taiwanese Youth

The purpose of this study was (a) to identify latent subgroups of Taiwanese adolescents who vary in their cultural value affiliations and (b) to examine how latent-subgroup membership in early adolescence predicted depressive symptoms for 6 years throughout adolescence into young adulthood. Participants consisted of 2458 youth from the longitudinal Taiwan Youth Project (TYP). Latent profile analysis indicated five classes (patterns) of cultural value affiliation. A zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) analysis followed, which identified the estimated (a) probability of experiencing depressive symptoms and (b) number of depressive symptoms experienced by individuals who reported depressive symptoms across the five observational time points. Results showed that among the five classes of value affiliation, two classes had a greater likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms at the beginning of the assessment (age 15). Youth who were least likely to embrace societally prescribed culture values were at the greatest risk for manifesting subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings support the idea that the way adolescents identify with their cultural values predicts subsequent depressive symptoms.

Relationships between Involvement in School Bullying and Quality of Life in Taiwanese Adolescents

This study aimed to examine the associations between involvement in bullying and perceived quality of life (QOL) among adolescents in Taiwan. A total of 5488 students whose grade ranged from 7 to 12 participated in this study. Their experiences of victimization by and perpetration of verbal, relational, and physical bullying (including the snatching of belongings) were assessed through using the Chinese version of the School Bullying Experience Questionnaire. The level of perceived QOL was assessed using the Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents (TQOLA). The associations between involvement in bullying and QOL were examined using multiple regression analysis. After controlling for the effects of sex, age, and depression, victimization by verbal and relationship bullying was negatively associated with QOL on all subscales of the TQOLA except for the Family subscale. Victimization by physical bullying and the snatching of belongings was negatively associated with QOL on the Social Relationships and Pain subscales. Perpetration of verbal and relationship bullying was negatively associated with QOL on the Family, Psychological Wellbeing, and Pain subscales, but positively associated with QOL on the Social Relationships subscale. Perpetration of physical bullying and snatching of belongings was negatively associated with QOL on the Residential Environment and Personal Competence subscales, but positively associated with QOL on the Psychological Wellbeing and Pain subscales. The directions of associations between bullying involvement and QOL in adolescents vary according to the types of bullying involvement and the dimensions of QOL. The results may serve as the basis on which mental health and educational professionals can develop comprehensive need-assessment and resource-allocation strategies for adolescents who have been involved in bullying.

Students’ motivational beliefs in science learning, school motivational contexts, and science achievement in Taiwan

ABSTRACTTaiwanese students are featured as having high academic achievement but low motivational beliefs according to the serial results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Moreover, given that the role of context has become more important in the development of academic motivation theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship between motivational beliefs and science achievement at both the student and school levels. Based on the Expectancy-Value Theory, the three motivational beliefs, namely self-concept, intrinsic value, and utility value, were the focuses of this study. The two-level hierarchical linear model was used to analyse the Taiwanese TIMSS 2011 eighth-grade student data. The results indicated that each motivational belief had a positive predictive effect on science achievement. Additionally, a positive school contextual effect of self-concept on science achievement was identified. Furthermore, school-mean utility value had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between utility value and science achievement. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the functioning of motivational beliefs in science learning among Taiwanese adolescents with consideration of the school motivational contexts.

The Five Dimensions of Money Attitudes and Their Link to Changes in Life Satisfaction Among Taiwanese Adolescents in Poverty

The current study examined the factorial structure of money attitudes and the relationship between changes in money attitudes and life satisfaction (LS) by using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis to analyze a 2-year longitudinal database. The representative samples consisted of 906 Taiwanese adolescents in poverty. Compared with other competing models, results provided support for the five-factor structure of the adapted money attitude scale (MAS). Findings revealed that the relationship between changes in MAS power/prestige and LS was negative, whereas the association between changes in MAS quality and LS was positive. The results also showed that changes in MAS retention/time did not relate to changes in LS. The present study contributes to the understanding of the association between poor adolescents’ money attitudes and their LS in a Confucian context from the perspective of upward social comparison. The findings suggest that avoiding overemphasizing the importance of money and reducing comparison orientation may be the effective methods of improving LS for economically disadvantaged adolescents in Confucian culture.

The capability approach to the wellbeing of poor adolescents: a Taiwanese case study

Owing to the widely accepted limitations of resource-based poverty measures, multiple aspects of children’s agency offer a more appropriate means of investigating this subject. Accordingly, in this paper the capability approach (CA) to studying Taiwanese poor adolescents’ wellbeing situations has been adopted. Two questions are addressed concerning the exploration of both the functionings and capabilities of poor adolescents as well as the determinants in relation to the combination of these facets. The research outcomes demonstrate a marked diversity in disadvantaged adolescents’ wellbeing and lead to the identification of some important factors underpinning this variety. Finally, the research findings have profound implications for reforming child welfare services so as to cater for these adolescents’ needs better.

Relationship between plasma adropin levels and body composition and lipid characteristics amongst young adolescents in Taiwan

Adropin is a 76 amino acid peptide hormone with a molecular weight of 4999.9Da that may be associated with energy homeostasis, insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in mice and human. There is only a few studies that examine plasma adropin levels and body composition in children. This study is to evaluate the relationship between plasma adropin levels, body composition and lipid variables amongst young adolescents in Taiwan. We examined 492 adolescents (269 females and 223 males) ranging from 12 to 15 years old, with a mean age of 13.6 years. Body composition was measured using impedance method by Tanita-BC418. Plasma lipid variables were measured using standard methods and plasma adropin levels were measured using the ELISA method. There was no significant difference in plasma adropin levels between males and females (3.52 vs. 3.58ng/ml). Plasma adropin levels were negatively correlated with fat free mass (r=-0.12, p<0.01). More interestingly, children with higher plasma adropin levels had lower waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) and lower body fat percentage by mass. Furthermore, there is no difference in lipid profiles in high vs. low adropin subjects. Plasma adropin levels are not consistency associated with body composition and no association with lipid variables amongst Taiwanese adolescents. The role of adropin in the development of obesity is still not clear, and further studies are need especially for children.

Increased dietary zinc and vitamin B-2 is associated with increased alanine aminotransferase in Taiwanese adolescents.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is generally used for evaluating liver function, and its concentrations are closely associated with sex and nutritional status. This study investigates the relationships between dietary components and serum ALT activity in Taiwanese adolescents. Data were collected from 1,941 adolescents aged 13-18 years who participated in the fourth National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (2010-2011, adolescents). The mean age was 15.3±0.1 y (15.3±0.1 y for boys and 15.2±0.1 y for girls). Mean serum ALT was 14.8±13.3 U/L (17.7±16.3 U/L for boys and 12.1±8.7 U/L for girls; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that, among girls, a single-unit increase in dietary zinc was associated with 1.12- and 1.11-fold increases in risk for increased serum ALT tertile 2 (T2) and T3, respectively, compared with T1; and a single-unit increase in vitamin B-2 intake increased risk by 1.71- and 1.54-fold, respectively. Further analysis revealed that the risk increase for boys and girls who consumed the highest amounts of dietary zinc and vitamin B-2 (T3) was 1.97- and 2.62-fold, respectively; they were also more likely to have higher serum ALT (>11 U/L for boys and >9 U/L for girls) than those of the reference (presented as zinc T1 and vitamin B-1 T1). Increased dietary zinc and vitamin B-2 intake is associated with higher serum ALT in adolescents.

Suppression Benefits Boys in Taiwan: The Relation between Gender, Emotional Regulation Strategy, and Mental Health.

Emotion regulation (ER) strategies have a clear impact on mental health outcomes. In 2 studies (N = 695, N = 433) we investigated gender differences in the use of 2 ER strategies (reappraisal and suppression) to handle parent-child conflict in Taiwanese adolescents. We also identified the implications of these differences for some negative emotions (self-blame and resentment) and internalizing problems (psychosomatic symptoms and social withdrawal). Results of the correlation analyses in both studies indicated that reappraisal and suppression ER strategies are positively correlated only in male Taiwanese adolescents. Hierarchical regression analyses in the second study confirmed that reappraisal buffers male but not female adolescents against the negative effects of suppression on the arousal of negative affect and internalizing problems.

Association of School Environment and After-School Physical Activity with Health-Related Physical Fitness among Junior High School Students in Taiwan.

The relationship between students’ school environment and exercise habits is complex, and is affected by numerous factors. However, the few studies that have been conducted on this relationship have reported inconsistent results, especially regarding Taiwanese students. We conducted this cross-sectional study to investigate the association of school environment and after-school physical activity with health-related physical fitness in Taiwanese adolescents. Data were drawn from a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan in 2008 of health-related physical fitness measurements among junior high school students (649,442 total) in grades seven to nine. School environment (level of urbanization, school size, presence of sports field or gymnasium) and after-school physical activity were assessed for their association with adolescents’ physical fitness measurements (body mass index (BMI), bent-leg sit-ups, 800-/1600-m run, sit-and-reach, standing long jump). Urban boys and girls perform significantly better in muscle strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, and explosive power; girls from rural areas exhibited significantly worse scores in body composition. Boys from large-size schools performed the worst in cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, and explosive power; whereas girls from large-size schools performed the worst in muscle strength, muscle endurance, and explosive power, but had the best score for body composition. However, the differences in body composition of boys from large-, medium-, and small- size schools did not reach a statistically significant level. Adolescents of both genders in schools with a sports field or gymnasium exhibited significantly better in muscle strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, and explosive power. Boys in schools with a sports field or gymnasium had significantly better body composition; girls in schools with sports field or gymnasium differed significantly in flexibility. Adolescents of both genders who participated in physical activity after school had significantly better body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, and flexibility. Boys who participated in physical activity after school significantly differed in explosive power, whereas girls who participated in physical activity after school exhibited significantly better flexibility. Thus, the current study demonstrated that some factors, including urbanization (school location in rural or urban areas), school size, school facility provision (school with or without sports fields or gymnasiums), and after-school physical activity participation are more important than others in shaping adolescents’ physical fitness in Taiwan; meanwhile, these association patterns differed by gender.

Developmental trends of divergent thinking and feeling across different grades for Taiwanese adolescence between 1990’s and 2010’s

Previous studies regarding developmental trends of creativity in adolescence rarely focused on both cognitive and affective factors of creativity. In Taiwan, the survey in this field also lacked during these two decades. Therefore, this study aimed to understand Taiwanese students’ developmental trends of creativity in both cognitive and affective aspects. The researchers analyzed the difference between divergent thinking and divergent feeling of Taiwanese adolescent students across different grades as well as the linear trend. The difference of divergent thinking and divergent feeling scores between this study and the 1990s’ was also examined. Participants included 1674 fifth-grade to eleventh-grade students (866 boys, 51.73%). The results showed that divergent thinking scores as cognitive aspect significantly enhanced as grade levels increased. The divergent feeling scores as affective aspect slightly enhanced as grade levels increased, but slumped in the sixth grade and steeply ascended in the eleventh grade. When the divergent thinking scores of the current students were compared with the scores of the students in 1990s, the types of developmental trend were different, which was the fluctuation of developmental trend was larger than the current trend which was smoother. The mean scores of current participants for each grade level had less variation than 1990s’. The divergent feeling scores in both 1990s’ and 2010s’ increase and showed a similar linear upward trend. The results would suggest further investigation and promotion of creativity in education policy.

Content-Based Recreational Book Reading and Taiwanese Adolescents’ Academic Achievement

The linkage between reading for pleasure and language ability has been well established, but the relationship between content-based recreational reading and academic achievement in various subject areas has rarely been explored. To investigate whether reading literature, social studies, and science trade books for pleasure is related to students’ growth in achievement for the subjects of Chinese, social studies, and science, respectively, this study used data from 4,730 students at a Taiwanese girls’ high school. Based on students’ high school entrance exam test scores in three subject areas as control variables, and their college entrance exam scores as the outcomes, the findings indicated that pleasure reading in a specific content area might lead to growth in achievement for that particular content area, and in some cases, reading in other content areas might help as well. A reading program that invites students to engage in self-sponsored reading can promote disciplinary literacy and academic achievement.

Chinese Version of the Healthy Lifestyle Beliefs Scale for Taiwanese Adolescents: A Psychometric Study

BackgroundTaiwanese adolescents' unhealthy lifestyles (e.g., unhealthy eating and sedentary behavior) are associated with excess weight and obesity, which affect their physical and mental health (e.g., depression). Because adolescents’ beliefs about healthy lifestyles predict their actual lifestyles, a valid and reliable tool to measure their beliefs about healthy lifestyles is needed. MethodsThe Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale (HLBS) was translated into Chinese based on recommended guidelines. A convenience sample of 186 Taiwanese adolescents completed the Chinese version Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale (CHLBS) anonymously. We used Cronbach’s α to determine the internal consistency of the CHLBS and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to examine the factor structure. ResultsThe Cronbach’s α for the CHLBS was .94. Exploratory analysis suggested that there were two factors and explained 57% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable fit. ConclusionThe CHLBS is a reliable and valid scale. It can be used to gather information about Taiwanese adolescents' beliefs about healthy lifestyles, which will assist in developing culturally and developmentally relevant interventions.

Association of glucokinase regulator genetic variant and metabolic syndrome in Taiwanese adolescents

Association of glucokinase regulator genetic variant and metabolic syndrome in Taiwanese adolescents

Factors related to Taiwanese adolescents' academic procrastination, time management, and perfectionism

ABSTRACTThere is a shortage of studies that explore adolescents' academic procrastination. The author hence attempted to examine the mechanisms determining Taiwanese adolescent students' perfectionistic tendencies, time management, and academic procrastination. A total of 405 eighth-grade Taiwanese students completed a self-reported survey assessing their perceptions of classroom structure, parental expectations and criticism, perfectionistic tendencies, time management, and academic procrastination. Findings of regression analyses indicated that parental expectations and criticism were the key predictors of students' adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Students' perceptions of classroom structure also positively predicted their adaptive perfectionism. Moreover, results of hierarchical regressions suggested that perceived classroom structure, parental expectations and criticism, as well as adaptive perfectionism all emerged as predictors of time management. With regard to procrastination on homework and examination preparation, parental expectations and adaptive perfectionism were negative predictors, whereas parental criticism and maladaptive perfectionism were positive predictors. Also, time management negatively predicted academic procrastination.

The experiences of adolescents with osteosarcoma during the one-year of treatment in Taiwan.

Osteosarcoma (OS) typically occurs during puberty. The one-year treatment for OS can be very challenging. However, little empirical research has explored the experiences of adolescents with OS. This research explored the experiences of Taiwanese adolescents with OS, utilizing a qualitative inductive content analysis with in-depth interviews and field notes that captured interviewer observations. In total, 20 participants-aged between 10 and 19 years and being treated for OS-were recruited. Ten categories were extracted: disbelief, hope for recovery and maintaining body integrity, experience with physical symptoms, inappropriate sleep hygiene, experience of psychosocial distress, use of spirituality to recover from misfortune, information acquisition, preparation to return to school, interdependence, and dedication to hope of recovery. This is the first empirical qualitative study to explore the experiences of Taiwanese adolescents with OS during treatment since being diagnosed. Close surveillance of the compliance in rehabilitation and physical function is needed. Providing age-appropriate and culture-oriented support systems would be helpful for addressing their psychosocial difficulties. Social networking sites closely moderated by health professionals may be a feasible way enhancing psychosocial well-being. Conducting a descriptive exploratory qualitative study for further development of psychosocial supportive care interventions is recommended.

Is the 90th Percentile Adequate? The Optimal Waist Circumference Cutoff Points for Predicting Cardiovascular Risks in 124,643 15-Year-Old Taiwanese Adolescents.

Adolescent obesity has increased to alarming proportions globally. However, few studies have investigated the optimal waist circumference (WC) of Asian adolescents. This study sought to establish the optimal WC cutoff points that identify a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) among 15-year-old ethnically Chinese adolescents. This study was a regional population-based study on the CVRFs among adolescents who enrolled in all the senior high schools in Taipei City, Taiwan, between 2011 and 2014. Four cross-sectional health examinations of first-year senior high school (grade 10) students were conducted from September to December of each year. A total of 124,643 adolescents aged 15 (boys: 63,654; girls: 60,989) were recruited. Participants who had at least three of five CVRFs were classified as the high-risk group. We used receiver-operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC) to determine the optimal WC cutoff points and the accuracy of WC in predicting high cardiovascular risk. WC was a good predictor for high cardiovascular risk for both boys (AUC: 0.845, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.833–0.857) and girls (AUC: 0.763, 95% CI: 0.731–0.795). The optimal WC cutoff points were ≥78.9 cm for boys (77th percentile) and ≥70.7 cm for girls (77th percentile). Adolescents with normal weight and an abnormal WC were more likely to be in the high cardiovascular risk group (odds ratio: 3.70, 95% CI: 2.65–5.17) compared to their peers with normal weight and normal WC. The optimal WC cutoff point of 15-year-old Taiwanese adolescents for identifying CVRFs should be the 77th percentile; the 90th percentile of the WC might be inadequate. The high WC criteria can help health professionals identify higher proportion of the adolescents with cardiovascular risks and refer them for further evaluations and interventions. Adolescents’ height, weight and WC should be measured as a standard practice in routine health checkups.

Early Adolescents’ Responses Upon Witnessing Peer Victimization: A Cross-Culture Comparison Between Students in Taiwan and the United States

examine cross-cultural differences in behavior upon witnessing peer victimization and the reasons behind the behavior, this study evaluated the responses of early adolescents from both the United States and Taiwan. Two questions were addressed: (1) Do adolescents in Taiwan and in the United States differ in their willingness to help peer victims, and/or in the endorsement of specific help and non-help behaviors when assessed with a vignette? And (2) do adolescents in Taiwan respond and reason about their responses in the same way as do U.S. early adolescents when they witness real-life victimization? Four-hundred seventy U.S. 6th graders attending three public middle schools within the Midwest United States and 731 Taiwanese 7th graders from one middle school in southern Taiwan completed a survey that contained both open-ended questions asking about real-life reports of witnessing peer victimization and a vignette assessing responses to a hypothetical victimization event. Similarities and differences were found in witness responses from adolescents in the two cultural groups. Taiwanese adolescents were more likely to offer comfort to the victim and U.S. adolescents more likely to tell the bully to stop. Cultural values of interdependence versus independence were reflected in the reasons behind witness responses. Suggestions regarding how anti-victimization intervention and prevention programs should be tailored when they are introduced across the two cultural contexts are discussed.

Association of perfluoroalkyl substances exposure with reproductive hormone levels in adolescents: By sex status

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of common chemicals that ubiquitously exist in wildlife and humans. However, few studies have researched the effect of PFASs on reproductive hormones in adolescents. To provide information in this regard, we recruited 225 Taiwanese adolescents aged 13–15years from 2009 to 2010 to investigate the relationship between serum PFASs (PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, PFDA, PFDoA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFNA and PFTA) and reproductive hormone concentrations using a cross-sectional study design. Results showed PFOS and PFTA levels were highest among the PFASs, with a median concentrations of 29.9 (interquartile range: 13.0–43.8) ng/mL and 6.0 (0.6–25.9) ng/mL in males, and a median concentrations of 28.8 (14.8–42.6) ng/mL and 4.5 (0.3–18.4) ng/mL in females. After adjustment for confounding factors, nonsignificant associations between PFASs and reproductive hormone were found except for PFNA with ln(estradiol) (β=0.2060, 95%CI: 0.0016, 0.4105). When stratified by sex, more significant associations were found in males than in females. Among males, PFASs were negatively associated with ln(testosterone) level for PFOS (β=−0.0029, 95%CI: −0.0055, −0.0003), PFDA (β=−0.2565, 95%CI: −0.4135, −0.0994), PFHxA (β=−0.3095, 95%CI: −0.5942, −0.0248), and PFNA (β=−0.4233, 95%CI: −0.6998, −0.1467). Furthermore, male participant ln(estradiol) levels were positively associated with PFOA (β=0.0921, 95%CI: 0.0186, 0.1656), and PFHxS (β=0.0462, 95%CI: 0.0020, 0.0905). Among females, a significant relationship was found only for PFDoA with ln(testosterone) (β=−0.0119, 95%CI: −0.0227, −0.0010). In conclusion, this study showed higher levels of PFASs coincide with lower testosterone and higher estradiol levels, and more significant associations of PFASs with reproductive hormone were found in males than in females.

Higher Incidence of Psychiatrist-Diagnosed Depression in Taiwanese Female School-Age Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Nationwide, Population-Based, Retrospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of clinical depression associated with type 1 diabetes in female Taiwanese children and adolescents. Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 1373 female children and adolescents, aged 5-18 years, with type 1 diabetes diagnosed between 2000 and 2007. A comparison cohort was assembled, which consisted of 20 patients without type 1 diabetes, based on frequency matching for age interval and index year for each patient with type 1 diabetes. Both groups were followed until a psychiatrist diagnosed depression or the end of the follow-up period, up to a maximum period of 5 years from the index date. A Poisson regression model was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for depression between the type 1 diabetes cohort and the comparison cohort. The incidence rate of depression in the type 1 diabetes cohort was 228.4 per 100,000 person-years and that in the comparison cohort was 73.9 per 100,000 person-years. The type 1 diabetes cohort showed a significantly higher incidence of depression compared with the comparison cohort (IRR of 3.09, p < 0.001). Findings from this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study showed that the incidence of psychiatrist-diagnosed depression was significantly higher in female Taiwanese school-age children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes compared with those without the disease.

Non-standard capitalisation and vocal spelling in intercultural computer-mediated communication

This study reports on a corpus analysis of samples of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on an electronic discussion board among a group of British and Taiwanese adolescents, paying specific attention to the most distinctive cues of CMC: non-standard capitalisation and vocal spelling. I evaluate a newly developed corpus of online discussion, the British and Taiwanese Teenage Intercultural Communication Corpus (BATTICC). I used Python programming to calculate all the instances of non-standard capitalisation (specifically, all upper-case words and the use of lower case instead of upper case) and vocal spelling from the corpus, and I also applied Wmatrix to identify the semantic and part-of-speech fields of all these instances. Moreover, initial quantitative analysis was employed to inform further qualitative analysis to identify the pragmatic functions of cues in this intercultural context. It was evident that the CMC cues perform important interpersonal functions, and the analysis demonstrates different preferences by the participants for different purposes.