Youth Research Articles

Excessive consumption behavior of young people under the wave of digital payment: an analysis from the perspective of behavioral economics

With the popularization of digital payment, the excessive consumption of young people is increasingly serious, which harms personal finance and social and economic stability. This paper employs behavioral economics theory to analyze the internal mechanism of excessive consumption among young people within the background of digital payment. It considers individual-level reference dependence, payment isolation, hyperbolic discounting psychology, and external framing effects and decoy effects. Moreover, suggestions are given based on these analyses to help young people form rational consumption attitudes through educational initiatives, guidance from family and social networks, the dissemination of information, policy encouragement, regulatory enhancement, and legal safeguards. This initiative aims to promote the well-being of the consumer market and the economic growth of the nation by fostering a healthy consumer environment and the development of healthy and sustainable consumer habits among young people.

A Comprehensive Strategy to Address Anxiety and Depression among Young People

Anxiety is defined as anxiety, nervousness, or restlessness caused by the anticipation of internal and external dangers. Adolescent depression and anxiety are a global problem, with WHO data showing that 14% of young people aged 10-19 face mental health problems worldwide. Depression and anxiety in adolescents are complex diseases that arise from the interaction of multiple factors, including biological, psychological, socio-cultural, and social factors. Adolescent depression and anxiety can be solved through proper measures. We propose a multi-pronged approach to address this mental health crisis, along with actionable solutions from principally the physical and psychological aspects. We aim to mitigate the negative consequences and foster an environment where young people can thrive emotionally, academically, and socially.

Contact Tracing Different Age Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Study From South-West Germany.

Contact tracing was implemented in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent disease spread, reduce mortality, and avoid overburdening health care systems. In several countries, including Germany, new systems were needed to trace potentially infected individuals. Using data collected in the Rhine-Neckar and Heidelberg (RNK/HD) districts in southwest Germany (population: 706,974), this study examines the overall effectiveness and efficiency of contact tracing in different age groups and stages of the pandemic. From January 27, 2020, to April 30, 2022, the RNK/HD Health Authority collected data on COVID-19 infections, quarantines, and deaths. Data on infection, quarantine, and death was grouped by age (young: 0-19 years; adult: 20-65 years; and senior citizens: >65 years) and pandemic phase (infectious wave plus subsequent lull periods) and analyzed for proportion, risk, and relative risk (RR). The overall effectiveness and efficiency of contact tracing were determined by calculating quarantine sensitivity (proportion of the infected population captured in quarantine), positive predictive value (PPV; proportion of the quarantined population that was infected), and the weighted Fβ-score (combined predictive performance). Of 706,974 persons living in RNK/HD during the study period, 192,175 (27.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 74,810 (10.4%) were quarantined, and 932 (0.132%) died following infection. Compared with adults, the RR of infection was lower among senior citizens (0.401, 95% CI 0.395-0.407) and while initially lower for young people, was ultimately higher for young people across all 5 phases (first-phase RR 0.502, 95% CI 0.438-0.575; all phases RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.34-1.36). Of 932 COVID-19-associated deaths during the study period, 852 were senior citizens (91.4%), with no deaths reported among young people. Relative to adults, senior citizens had the lowest risk of quarantine (RR 0.436, 95% CI 0.424-0.448), while young people had the highest RR (2.94, 95% CI 2.90-2.98). The predictive performance of contact tracing was highest during the second and third phases of the pandemic (Fβ-score=0.272 and 0.338, respectively). In the second phase of the pandemic, 5810 of 16,814 COVID-19 infections were captured within a total quarantine population of 39,687 (sensitivity 34.6%; PPV 14.6%). In the third phase of the pandemic, 3492 of 8803 infections were captured within a total quarantine population of 16,462 (sensitivity 39.7%; PPV 21.2%). The use of quarantine aligned with increasing risks of COVID-19 infection and death. High levels of quarantine sensitivity before the introduction of the vaccine show how contact tracing systems became increasingly effective at capturing and quarantining the infected population. High levels of PPV and Fβ-scores indicate, moreover, that contact tracing became more efficient at identifying infected individuals. Additional analysis of transmission pathways is needed to evaluate the application of quarantine in relation to infection and death risks within specific age groups.

Study on the causes and coping strategies of adolescent mental illness

In recent years, especially since the epidemic, there has been an explosive increase in the incidence of adolescent mental disorders, which has aroused the attention of the whole society. From the perspectives of evolution, humanism, and psychodynamics, this paper analyzes the deep-rooted causes of the increasing incidence of psychological disorders in adolescents and explores various dilemmas adolescents face. From an evolutionary point of view, the current rate of social progress exceeds the rate of human evolution and the rate of cognitive improvement of young people, making it difficult for young people to adapt to complex social environments. In humanitarian terms, excessive academic pressure places a heavy burden on young people. From the perspective of psychodynamics, the conflict between standard, ego, and superego can cause mental illness in adolescents. In addition, this paper points out that adolescent mental illness marks the evolution of social awareness of mental health, and all parties in society need to build a supportive policy framework to foster widespread awareness of mental health.

Prevalence and patterns of tobacco use among young adults in India - does perceived stress play a role?

Background: Tobacco use among young people is a public health concern. Perceived stress among young adults as a determinant for tobacco use has not been extensively explored previously in India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among young adults aged 18-30 years across India. Data was collected using a self-administered, web-based, online questionnaire, on sociodemographic characteristics, tobacco use and its pattern, and the levels of perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Results: The prevalence of tobacco use in our study sample was 25.7% and the mean age at initiation of tobacco use was 20.71 years. Though tobacco use was significantly associated with male gender [aOR=2.26 (1.16-4.38), p=0.01], current alcohol consumption [aOR=13.73 (6.72-28.04), p=0.00] and having known smokers among family and friends [aOR=3.13 (1.39-7.04), p=0.01], there was no association between levels of perceived stress and tobacco use. Cigarettes/beedis were the most commonly used tobacco product, 27.58% of respondents reported using tobacco products daily or for more than half the days of the week and 48.27% of respondents started using tobacco out of curiosity. Seventy percent of users used tobacco during specific events like social gatherings and vacations while 57.47% used tobacco while meeting specific colleagues/ friends. Conclusions: We found no association between perceived stress and tobacco use. However, current use of alcohol and having knowledge about smokers among family and friends significantly determined tobacco use among our study population. This necessitates more holistic approaches towards behaviour change efforts for tobacco control.

Beyond Limbo: Understanding Waithood and Youth Transition in Africa

This paper explores the period of ‘waithood’ in young Africans in light of the socioeconomic difficulties and neoliberal policies. Despite prevailing stereotypes depicting this phase as idleness and despair, the study reveals that many young Africans are actively engaging in strategies such as ‘straining’, ‘hustling’, and establishing fadas to navigate their circumstances. Drawing on case studies and examples across Sub-Saharan Africa, this study emphasizes the varied ways in which young people have responded to the socioeconomic crisis, highlighting their inventiveness, fortitude, and agency in redefining their social roles. Providing examples from the Y’en a Marre! movement, the case of one self-employed young man in Sierra Lone, and the establishment of fadas, the author discusses how young Africans engage in socialization and self-affirmation while coping with their status.

Electronic Health Record Phenotyping of Pediatric Suicide-Related Emergency Department Visits

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people. Accurate detection of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) underpins equity in youth suicide prevention. To compare methods of detecting SITB using structured electronic health information and measure algorithmic performance across demographics. This cross-sectional study used medical records among youths aged 6 to 17 years with at least 1 mental health-related emergency department (ED) visit in 2017 to 2019 to an academic health system in Southern California serving 787 000 unique individuals each year. Analyses were conducted between January and September 2023. Multiexpert electronic health record review ascertained the presence of SITB using the Columbia Classification Algorithm of Suicide Assessment. Random forest classifiers with nested cross-validation were developed using (1) International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for nonfatal suicide attempt and self-harm and chief concern and (2) all available structured data, including diagnoses, medications, and laboratory tests. Detection performance was assessed overall and stratified by age group, sex, and race and ethnicity. The sample comprised 2702 unique youths with an MH-related ED visit (1384 youths who identified as female [51.2%]; 131 Asian [4.8%], 266 Black [9.8%], 719 Hispanic [26.6%], 1319 White [48.8%], and 233 other race [8.6%]; median [IQR] age, 14 [12-16] years), including 898 children and 1804 adolescents. Approximately half of visits were related to SITB (1286 visits [47.6%]). Sensitivity of SITB detection using only codes and chief concern varied by age group and increased until age 15 years (6-9 years: 59.3% [95% CI, 48.5%-69.5%]; 10-12 years: 69.0% [95% CI, 63.8%-73.9%]; 13-15 years: 88.4% [95% CI, 85.1%-91.2%]; 16-17 years: 83.1% [95% CI, 79.1%-86.6%]), while specificity remained constant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was lower among preadolescents (0.841 [95% CI, 0.815-0.867]) and male (0.869 [95% CI, 0.848-0.890]), Black (0.859 [95% CI, 0.813-0.905]), and Hispanic (0.861 [95% CI, 0.831-0.891]) youths compared with adolescents (0.925 [95% CI, 0.912-0.938]), female youths (0.923 [95% CI, 0.909-0.937]), and youths of other races and ethnicities (eg, White: 0.901 [95% CI, 0.884-0.918]). Augmented classification (ie, using all available structured data) outperformed classification with codes and chief concern alone (AUROC, 0.975 [95% CI, 0.968-0.980] vs 0.894 [95% CI, 0.882-0.905]; P < .001). In this study, diagnostic codes and chief concern underestimated SITB prevalence, particularly among minoritized youths. These results suggest that priority on algorithmic fairness in suicide prevention strategies must extend to accurate detection of youths with suicide-related emergencies.

Traditional Music, Dance and House Dance, The Way of Integrating Small Idols - Take LoveLive As an Example

LoveLive is a Japanese Secondary idol project. LoveLive has become one of the most popular works of the second dimension culture in Japan and the whole Asia region. It depicts the wonderful course of 9 young and beautiful girls joining hands to form an idol group. Through the small idol’s wonderful performance and smart and beautiful dance, it cleverly presented the mutual integration and fierce collision between traditional dance, small idol culture and otaku dance. In the form of a questionnaire, this study conducted an in-depth survey of people of different ages’ familiarity with and cognition of house dance and small idols, and also explored their views and opinions on the impact of house dance and traditional music and dance. This article ultimately found that combining elements from home dance with traditional music and dance has a great development in the inheritance of traditional culture, and many young people have increased their understanding and love for traditional culture through this approach.

Trayectorias educativas en una universidad jesuita

In this paper, we propose to share the way in which the academic trajectories of young people pursuing a career at the Catholic University of Cordoba are accompanied. These students, from the beginning of this stage, face the challenge of acquiring the necessary skills to succeed in their career, and, for this, it is necessary the construction of the university student's job.In it, we mention the difference between the practices of high-school students and the demands of university learning. We point out the characteristics of today's young people, and, taking into account their singularities, we describe strategies of orientation and psychopedagogical accompaniment, implemented at the university to support students in their trajectories. Finally, we situate our proposal from the humanistic approach to education in a Jesuit university, which seeks the integral growth of the person and his or her commitment to society.

Effectiveness of paediatric asthma hubs: a clinical pilot study

BackgroundChildren and young people (CYP) with asthma in the UK are at higher risk of poor outcomes compared with other high-income European countries due to factors including poor access to high-quality asthma reviews, diagnostic testing and inconsistent postattack reviews. The Leicester Integrated Care Board funded the first UK pilot asthma hub for CYP, to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of hubs, in providing postattack reviews along with providing asthma education, the opportunity to carry out diagnostic lung function tests and optimise treatment.MethodsClinical pilot study including CYP aged 4–17 years referred to the hub with uncontrolled asthma or postattack from November 2021 to April 2022. CYP received a structured clinical assessment including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) first-line diagnostic investigations for asthma including spirometry, bronchodilator reversibility (BDR) and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).ResultsOf 312 CYP referred (mean age 8.6±3.2 years; 42% women), 266 (85.3%) attended their appointment. Median time from referral to review was 2 days (IQR 1–3). Three CYP (1.1%) were severely unwell at review and required further hospital treatment. In the 231 CYP who completed first-line tests, asthma was confirmed for 73 (31.6%) based on NICE diagnostic criteria for CYP. Twenty-two per cent of children with normal baseline spirometry had ≥12% BDR.ConclusionPaediatric asthma hubs are a feasible model of care to deliver CYP postasthma attack reviews and identify high-risk patients requiring further treatment. Spirometry, BDR and FeNO testing allowed diagnostic confirmation in a significant proportion of CYP.

Guiding Teenagers to Use Video Games Properly

With the increasing popularity of video games, some problems have arisen. For some people, video games can be said to be “destructive”, causing irreparable harm; For others, however, teenagers’ use of video games has produced some positive results. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of video games on young people and how the community should guide young people to use video games to achieve positive effects and avoid negative effects. Through the analysis of literature and cases, this paper analyzes the positive and negative effects of electronic games on teenagers from the perspectives of society, psychology, and science, and studies the feasible ways for parents, schools, governments, and other groups to correctly guide teenagers to use electronic games. It is found that electronic games can have different effects on teenagers, both positive and negative, depending on the situation. Overall, the study reported more negative effects than positive ones. Among them, the negative aspects include addiction, affecting academic performance, causing psychological disorders, leading to suicide, affecting family relations, leading to social problems, leading to negative emotions, etc. The positive effects include cultivating prosocial behavior and satisfying psychological needs that are difficult to achieve in real life. To properly guide teenagers to use electronic games, all sectors of society, including parents, schools, and governments, can take some actions to achieve the goal.

Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care lung ultrasound for community-acquired pneumonia in children in ambulatory settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: To perform a systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care lung ultrasound, compared to chest radiography, in children and young people (0–21 years) who present to ambulatory settings with suspected community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: Registration: Prospero June 2021 CRD42021260552. Electronic searching performed on Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Science Citation Index from inception to 20 June 2023. Two researchers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts for study selection. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Meta-analysis of included studies. Results: The six studies included in this systematic review described point-of-care lung ultrasound performed primarily by paediatric emergency medicine clinicians on a total of 1099 paediatric patients, with a reference standard of chest radiography or chest radiography with clinical findings. The majority of included studies lacked clarity on training for the index test with potential bias around flow and timing of testing. Meta-analysis of the combined results of the included six studies calculated a pooled sensitivity of 90.9% (95% CI [85.5%, 94.4%]) and pooled specificity of 80.7% (95% CI [63.6%, 91.0%]). Conclusions: Point-of-care lung ultrasound has high sensitivity but lower specificity to diagnose acute pneumonia in children. Further research is needed which overcomes issues around training in point-of-care lung ultrasound, study design and reliability of the reference test (chest radiography) to better evidence the role of point-of-care lung ultrasound in diagnosing pneumonia in children in ambulatory and resource-limited settings.

Caught in Transition: Dynamics of Waithood Among Chinese and Japanese Youth

This paper investigates the dynamics of waithood among Chinese and Japanese youth, focusing on the unique aspects experienced in each country. Waithood, a period of prolonged transition into adulthood due to delayed milestones like stable employment and marriage, is increasingly prevalent due to high unemployment rates and evolving job markets. This paper presents the mental and social strain those experiencing waithood must endure, and examines government efforts to address these issues, comparing and contrasting the strategies implemented in China and Japan. Despite various initiatives, the findings suggest that current measures are insufficient to fully alleviate the challenges faced by young people. The paper argues for more comprehensive policies that address the root causes of waithood, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches to support youth in achieving independence. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of youth transitions in East Asia and underscores the urgency for effective interventions.

Prevalence Rates and Predictors for Smoking Cigarettes Among Adolescents Attending School in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

Substance use is a growing problem among young people in sub-Saharan Africa who increasingly adopt the habit of smoking cigarettes. The aim was to analyse prevalence rates and identify predictors for cigarette smoking among school-attending adolescents in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. In June 2017, a survey questionnaire was implemented in 16 schools in a class-based, random sample of 2039 adolescents aged 14–19 (52% girls). The chi-square (p &lt; 0.05) and odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Potential explanatory variables for the dependent variables were introduced into a multinomial logistic regression model, and p-values were transformed to LogWorth values. The prevalence rate for lifetime smoking experience was 14.8%, 4.0% for occasional smoking (&lt;30 days), and 2.4% for daily smoking. The most significant predictors for cigarette smoking included having friends who smoke, being a boy, attending a private school, smoking initiation at a young age, other substance use, and violent behaviour. It is imperative to initiate preventive actions against smoking and other use of tobacco in Guinea-Bissau. Considering the significant impact of the peer group, policymakers need to engage young people in developing primary prevention strategies to curb the use of tobacco and other substances.

Beatific and Horrific Futures–Substance Use According to Young Swedish Adults

Sweden has a long tradition of restrictive policies regarding both legal (such as alcohol and cigarettes) and illegal substances (such as cannabis and amphetamine). However, research is needed on how regulatory frameworks and cultural understandings of substance use play out in the lives of young adults. Utilizing the logics of critical explanation framework, I explore the different logics that young Swedes draw upon when they conceptualize legal and illegal substance use. The data included 30 interviews with 21/22-year-olds who had previously participated in a prospective cohort study. The analysis shows that substance use played a minor role in the participants’ lives. Overall, it represented an obstacle to becoming an adult with a good life. They drew on social logics related to responsibility, ambition, and health to make sense of substance use, regardless of its legal status. These social logics have been used to explain previous years’ decreased use of cigarettes and alcohol among young people, and this study shows that they may also elucidate why illegal substance use is still rare in this group in Sweden. The analysis further suggests that these social logics were naturalized through the political logics of risk and choice, which emphasize the ideal of always being vigilant and safe. To dig deeper into this discourse, I uncover the emotional and ideological dimensions of the participants’ conceptualizations by discussing how they articulate beatific or horrific futures. The beatific future holds a promise of a bright, independent, and productive life, which includes abstaining from substances or using them moderately and responsibly. The horrific, in turn, holds that careless substance use will lead to social exclusion, addiction, and death. The participants’ hopes and fears strengthened the neoliberal idea that a good life is achieved through choice, vigilance, and by avoiding risk.

Solutions to Adolescent Depression and Anxiety: A Exercise Based Perspective

As the pace of society continues to accelerate, the frequency of mental fatigue and emotional stress that people feel in their daily lives is becoming more frequent, which has caused the prevalence of depression and anxiety to rise rapidly and has now reached alarming levels. According to the World Health Organization, a staggering 13% of the global adolescent population has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, a silent epidemic that casts a long shadow over our youth. Based on the above background, this paper first discusses the changing dynamics of the prevalence of depression and anxiety among young people and its negative effects on them. Subsequently, the therapeutic effects of exercise are analyzed in terms of accessibility, affordability, and potential as a complementary or alternative treatment. Finally, this paper gives some suggestions for better prevention of depression and anxiety.

Clinical and Epidemiological Study of Multiple Sclerosis in Svoge and Troyan

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. It is characterized by various symptoms depending on the area affected – brain, spinal cord or optic nerves. Multiple sclerosis typically presents at age 20–40 years and affects women more often than men. It is the most frequent nontraumatic disease causing neurologic deficit among young people. According to the 3rd edition of Atlas of MS, published by The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation in 2020, there are 2.8 million people living with the disease around the world. The last study on the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Bulgaria was published in 1999. It estimated prevalence of 44.5/100 000 and incidence 1.03/100 000. We present an epidemiological study conducted between January 2016 and December 2020 in two small areas in Bulgaria with homogenous and stable population – Svoge and Troyan. The estimated prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Troyan was 116.5/100 000 with incidence of 28.2/100 000. The prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis in Svoge were 117.7/100 000 and 24.5/100 000, respectively. The reason for the higher prevalence and incidence rates in our study may be explained by the better diagnosis of the disease according to well defined diagnostic criteria, the longer survival of the affected individuals and the availability of various disease modifying therapies.

A Study on the Correlation between Danmaku Videos and Audiences’ Repetitive Viewing Behaviours - A Case Study of Bilibili Danmaku Video Network Videos

With the rise of online video platforms, Danmaku videos have steadily gained popularity among young people. Danmaku’s instantaneous, synchronous, targeted, and cumulative features offer viewers a novel viewing experience, improve the social and interactive aspects of video views, and even impact the frequency with which users watch videos again. As a popular video website at present, Bilibili provides rich video content for audiences and supports the Danmaku function. This study targets Bilibili Danmaku videos and focuses on how Danmaku videos affect the audience’s viewing motivation and experience as the research theme. Descriptive statistics and result analysis were utilized in this study to investigate the reasons behind repeat viewing and the effect of the Danmaku on the viewing experience. Questionnaires were employed to gather viewing data from video audiences in the Bilibili life division. According to the findings of the study, Danmaku greatly improves the overall viewing experience for viewers as well as their enjoyment of the show and sense of community. The study concludes that Danmaku facilitates the audience’s behavioral decisions of repetitive viewing to a certain extent. This study provides an empirical analysis to explore the role of Danmaku in video viewing behavior and makes strategic recommendations for video platforms to improve user experience and foster community engagement.

The Dissemination and Expression of Female Thought in Korean Pop Culture

The transmission and expression of women’s ideas in Korean popular culture is a global phenomenon that has attracted a wide audience, including teenagers. The different channels through which these ideas are disseminated, such as music, music videos, and social media platforms, aim to understand the influence of the Korean Wave in shaping gender equality and female empowerment. Using a mixed methodology, including content analysis and comments collections, the study revealed the significant impact of Korean pop culture on young people’s self-identity and values. Examples include the different influences and inspirations that different teenagers receive as a result of this culture and the reaction after watching the music video of a K-pop girls’ group. The study concludes that the representation of women’s ideas in Korean popular culture not only challenges traditional notions of gender but also promotes a more egalitarian perspective of thought, helping teenagers to set up the correct social feminine values, and contributing to the continuous development of women’s autonomy and identity.

Adolescent Mental Health Crisis: Current Situation, Challenges and Solutions

This paper explores the mental health issues faced by 10-19-year-olds globally, which remain primarily under-recognized and under-treated. Although depression and anxiety in adolescents cannot be solved quickly, long-term improvements can be achieved. Long-term solutions to the adolescent mental health crisis need to include intergenerational shifts, social reform, medical advances, and public health engagement. The article analyzes the impact of family dynamics, social pressures, technological influences, and external crises on adolescent mental health. It makes policy recommendations, including raising awareness of depression and anxiety symptoms among guardians, establishing robust mental health services, training professional health care providers, and enforcing stricter regulation of cyberspace. And encourage young people to reduce stress through sports, hobbies and social activities. Overall, the paper argues for a policy framework that combines administrative and emotional care to protect young people’s mental health and enable them to reach their full potential.