Search Results (786)

Background/Objectives: Patient and public involvement (PPI) in the design, conduct, and dissemination of pragmatic trials may make trial results more relevant and meaningful. The nature of PPI in paediatric pragmatic trials has been poorly characterized in the literature. This study examined the prevalence and nature of PPI in paediatric pragmatic trials and lessons learned from researchers’ experiences. Methods: For this mixed methods study, we conducted an online survey and semi-structured interviews with corresponding authors of published paediatric pragmatic trials, identified using an online search filter in MEDLINE. Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Results: PPI was reported by 71/127 (56%) survey respondents. Reported impacts of PPI in the survey included the following: more feasible interventions (71%), higher-quality research (57%), improved recruitment and retention (57%), and increased applicability of research findings (57%). Both survey and interview participants identified that insufficient resources, time, and training for relationship development were challenges to PPI in paediatric trials. Three themes were identified from the semi-structured interview data (recruitment and engagement, sustaining PPI relationships, and PPI value added). Conclusions: PPI aligns with the purpose and intended impact of pragmatic trials, and paediatric researchers perceive that PPI leads to increased research relevance, quality, and dissemination. There is, however, a need for institutional and funding bodies to invest in PPI partnership, including offering support for researchers and providing opportunities for children, youth, and parents as PPI partners. Full article

Physical activity (PA) and body composition (BC) are important indicators of overall health, especially in children, with the school environment being a key setting for the promotion of PA and prevention of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a specific national experimental schooling program (“Primary School as Whole-Day School”) on changes in PA and BC in early-school-aged children in Croatia. The participants were 128 children aged 9–11 years from southern Croatia (53 girls) who participated in whole-day (n = 54, 20 girls) or regular-schooling-programs (n = 74, 33 girls) over a period of one school year (9 months). A pre-to post-measurement design was applied, with directly (via GENEActiv accelerometers) and indirectly (by PAQ-C questionnaire) measured PA, and body composition measurements (via bioimpedance analysis) as independent variables. A multifactorial ANOVA (Group × Gender × Time) was applied to evaluate the effects. The results indicated significant (p < 0.05) ANOVA effects for indirectly measured PA and the accelerometer-derived moderate-to-vigorous PA, with favorable changes in the whole-day schooling group. The changes in directly measured PA were particularly evident in boys involved in whole-day schooling. There were no significant effects of the experimental program on body composition. While the experimental program was effective in increasing PA, the lack of positive changes in body composition could be explained by the relatively short study period and the absence of accompanying dietary strategies. Although promising, the results highlight the complexity of influencing health-related outcomes in early-school-aged children. Full article

New media technologies have enabled freedom of expression through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. These freedoms are amplified through engagement with jokes and memes circulating on these platforms. The study analyzes the political uses of memes circulating on WhatsApp by youths in Bulawayo. The literature on the dynamics around the circulation of jokes or memes on social media has under-explored the role of jokes in Zimbabwe. Using Habermas’s theory of the public sphere and Bakhtin’s theory of the carnivalesque, the author interviewed 14 youths using semi-structured interviews and conducted a focus group discussion, in which 5 youths participated, to obtain a deeper understanding of issues raised during the interviews. The study found that youths use memes to laugh, stimulate debate, confront those in leadership and participate in offline socio-political activities. It was concluded that, while they appear to be light-hearted, memes give youths the power to challenge official narratives. Full article

This study examined the relationship between perceived mother- and father-initiated motivational climate and grit in youth male team sports players. A total of 336 players from five team sports (basketball, football, handball, volleyball, and water polo) completed the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2 and the Short Grit Scale. Multiple linear regressions showed that parental motivational climates explained between 8% and 16% of the variance in grit dimensions (R² = 0.08–0.16, p < 0.001). Specifically, ego-oriented climates (worry-conducive and success-without-effort) was positively associated with consistency of interests (β = 0.20–0.27, p < 0.01), whereas mastery-oriented climates (learning/enjoyment) were negatively associated with this dimension (β = −0.09 to −0.26, p < 0.05). Conversely, both learning/enjoyment- and worry-conducive climates were positively associated with perseverance of effort (β = 0.26–0.37, p < 0.001), while success-without-effort climates had negative associations (β = −0.16, p < 0.01). When analyses were performed by sport, significant models were found for basketball, football, and volleyball (R² = 0.07–0.34, p < 0.05), but not for handball or water polo. These findings underscore the differentiated and context-dependent associations of mothers’ and fathers’ motivational climates on the two dimensions of grit, providing evidence-based insights for parents, coaches, and sport organizations aiming to promote perseverance and long-term engagement in youth sport. By fostering appropriate motivational climates, stakeholder efforts towards more adaptive motivational climates may be tentatively associated with higher grit indicators, thereby contributing to developmental and psychological outcomes relevant to sustained participation in sport. Full article

Digital sexual harassment (DSH) perpetration among youth is a concerning issue that requires further research attention. This study examined the prevalence of DSH perpetration according to gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status, and explored risk factors (hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and moral disengagement) and protective factors (online ethical values). A total of 1098 Spanish adolescents and young adults aged 13–23 years (Mage = 16.07, SDage = 2.38) completed a self-report survey. Descriptive, correlational, and binomial regression analyses were conducted. Results showed that 13.4% of participants engaged in DSH in the past 12 months. Male participants reported more than twice the rates observed among female participants (21.1% vs. 7.9%), and adolescents reported higher prevalence than young adults, whereas no differences emerged for sexual orientation or relationship status. Regression analyses indicated that benevolent sexism was a consistent predictor, while gender moderated the effects of hostile sexism and moral disengagement. Hostile sexism predicted perpetration only among female participants and predicted moral disengagement only among male participants. Importantly, online ethical values emerged as a novel protective factor, substantially reducing the likelihood of perpetration and buffering, though not eliminating, the risks associated with high moral disengagement. These findings provide evidence for prevention strategies and underscore the role of ethical values in addressing gendered forms of online violence. Full article

Background: Adolescent mental health and substance misuse is a growing issue, disproportionately affecting diverse youth and those in low-resourced, high-stress environments. Yet, despite recent advances in evidence-based practices for adolescent substance use, perpetuating factors remain under-explored and marginalized, and underserved groups continue to be underrepresented. The current study aimed to investigate sociocultural factors impacting substance misuse and treatment outcomes. Methods: Data from adolescents receiving combined mental health and substance misuse treatment at a regional safety-net hospital were analyzed. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), demographic variables including insurance coverage, area deprivation, race, ethnicity, age, gender, court involvement, and primary mental health diagnoses were used to identify unique adolescent subgroups based on these different sociocultural risk factors. Identified classes were tested as predictors of treatment engagement, length of treatment, future service utilization, substance misuse, and urine drug screen results. Results: Five unique subgroups were identified, differentially impacting substance misuse, future service utilization, and treatment outcomes. Conclusions: These results highlight the need for improved access to resources for adolescents who have been marginalized and traditionally underserved. Furthermore, the identified subgroups can inform future research and practice. Full article

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negative but preventable experiences within family and social environments. Originally focused on abuse and household dysfunction, ACE indicators now include many social factors, such as social determinants of health and racism. Disabled Children and Youth (DCY) are particularly vulnerable to ACEs, whereby different body/mind characteristics and lived realities influence ACE exposures and their impacts differently. Racism is recognized as an ACE and as a risk factor that increases ACE exposures and worsens outcomes. Ableism, the negative judgments of body/mind differences, and disablism, the systemic discrimination based on such judgments, are often experienced by DCY with the same three linkages to ACEs as racism. The objective of this scoping review was to analyze how the ACE academic literature covers DCY and their experiences of ableism and disablism using keyword frequency and thematic analysis approaches. Only 35 sources (0.11%) analyzed DCY as survivors of ACEs. We found limited to no engagement with ableism, disablism, intersectionality, the Global South, family members and other DCY allies experiencing ACEs, and ACEs caused by the social environment, as well as few linkages to social and policy discourses that aim to make the social environment better. More theoretical and empirical work is needed. Full article

This article presents key findings and learnings from the Albury Project Mental Health Pilot, a six-month exploratory opportunity designed to extend the Community of Schools and Services (COSS) Model to proactively identify and support young people experiencing psychological distress in a regional Australian community. Working within the established COSS Model architecture and using population-level screening via the Australian Index of Adolescent Development (AIAD) survey, the pilot focused on a previously unreached and unsupported cohort of young people with high or very high scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) who were not engaged with existing mental health services. The support involved brief, tiered interventions tailored to individual needs. Short-term outcomes demonstrated improvements in K10 scores for the majority of participants, with many moving out of the K10 at-risk range. Medium-term data further showed sustained improvements in psychological distress and personal wellbeing for a substantial proportion of the cohort. The pilot identified a ‘hidden cohort’ and demonstrated that low-resource, brief interventions are capable of achieving high-impact outcomes within the existing COSS Model collective impact framework. While short-term, these findings suggest the COSS Model’s adaptability and promise as a cost-efficient early intervention platform for youth mental health in broader community settings. Full article

Social media has become a dominant channel for food marketing, particularly targeting youth through visually engaging and socially embedded content. This study investigates how young adults visually engage with food advertisements on social media and how specific visual and contextual features influence purchase intention. Using eye-tracking technology and survey analysis, data were collected from 35 participants aged 18 to 25. Participants viewed simulated Instagram posts incorporating elements such as food imagery, branding, influencer presence, and social cues. Visual attention was recorded using Tobii Pro Spectrum, and behavioral responses were assessed via post-surveys. A 2 × 2 design varying influencer presence and food type showed that both features significantly increased visual attention. Marketing cues and branding also attracted substantial visual attention. Linear regression revealed that core/non-core content and influencer features were among the strongest predictors of consumer response. The findings underscore the persuasive power of human and social features in digital food advertising. These insights have implications for commercial marketing practices and for understanding how visual and social elements influence youth engagement with food content on digital platforms. Full article

Truth-telling, a community intervention to increase reconciliation after systemic injustices, has been employed recently to increase public awareness of harms perpetuated by the child welfare industry in the U.S. Guided by participatory action research principles, we examined a public truth telling initiative over two years which was co-designed by a trans-experiential team of emerging adults with lived expertise and child welfare system professionals in Kentucky. The aims of the truth-telling events were to raise awareness about the experiences of Black American youth in the Kentucky child welfare system and generate ideas for improvements. We conducted a longitudinal collaborative autoethnography (n = 9, 2 time points) to examine our collective experience of developing and hosting the truth-telling circles and supporting activities. Key themes included the transformative impact on the alumni of receiving validation and acknowledgement, as well as forming social and professional connections. Some concerns related to timing of activities and group dynamics also were reported. In addition, the four lived expert truth-tellers engaged in a systematic consensus workgroup process to select a list of 10 priority practice and policy recommendations, such as child welfare system alumni being hired to provide emotion regulation and self-advocacy skills training directly to youth. Full article

Background: It is essential that leaders in education and behavioral health partner with youth to build Comprehensive School Mental Health (CSMH) systems. One mechanism to elevate youth perspectives in CSMH system building is by engaging youth as members of CSMH teams. Method: The current study describes the structure, process and impact of a school-based Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) that integrated youth leaders into CSMH teams with state, district, and school leaders. The YLA offered student leaders opportunities to (1) receive training and mentorship to enhance their capacities to serve as leaders on CSMH teams, (2) provide input on CSMH priorities and (3) set MTSS goals to advance emotional well-being in schools. This study summarizes youth-driven multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) goals and action plans by youth participants and the impact of youth participation in the YLA on indicators of positive youth development. Results: Youth most often contributed to planning and/or implementation of Tier 1-Universal Mental Health supports related to mental health literacy and school climate. Pre-post surveys revealed YLA participation was associated with statistically significant increases in youth reports of core social and emotional learning skills, positive identity, and contribution. Conclusions: Schools can replicate the YLA structure to enhance MTSS and foster youth leader skill development. Full article

Young people increasingly express high levels of concern about the climate crisis. Their climate-related emotions and thoughts are often linked to a perceived lack of government action. This study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to explore the perceptions and emotions of college students (N = 16) related to climate change and government climate action. Participants completed semi-structured interviews assessing their thoughts and emotions about climate change as well as a measure of impairment related to climate change anxiety. Through reflexive thematic analysis of interview responses, researchers generated the following themes to describe participants’ responses: negative emotions and dire predictions, influence of participants’ background on perceptions and engagement, coping with climate-related concern, perceptions of government and political influence, and barriers to the U.S. addressing climate change. While results of bivariate correlation analysis indicated low levels of impairment related to climate change anxiety, the strong emotional responses expressed in interviews highlight the need for university mental health interventions, comprehensive climate change education, and inclusion of youth voices in policymaking. Understanding college students’ climate-related emotions and thoughts can inform strategies to support their well-being and engagement in the face of this crisis. Full article

Community-based organizations are recognized as key stakeholders for public health, as their community expertise positions them to create tailored interventions to comprehensively address community needs that large-scale public health interventions may not address. The current study describes one youth-serving community-based non-profit’s approach to public health, where youth civic engagement is oriented by social justice coursework and integrated within youth participatory action research (YPAR) to engage youth in health equity efforts. The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework and the Socioecological Model (SEM) were applied to student research outputs to understand student conceptualization of social issues and the subsequent interventions they suggest. This work explores the feasibility and depth of student-created interventions within each SDOH domain, identifying common themes in students’ conceptualizations of social problems and interventions to promote health equity. Suggestions for integrating SDOH frameworks into the YPAR curriculum to scaffold youth projects, identifying root causes of health disparities, and developing practical community-based solutions are provided. Full article

The green economy has become an economic necessity and a cultural discourse due to the rapid global movement towards sustainability. This paper discusses the representation of green economy in Qatar and Malaysia, two countries with different political and cultural background but similar ambitions to attain sustainable development on social media. Through the application of qualitative techniques, namely thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis, the re-search analyzed Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn posts discussing sustainability, renewable energy, and green innovation by using hashtags and stories on the topic. The results indicate that four major themes exist in both settings, and they are sustainability as national pride and identity, corporate–government branding of green efforts, grassroot and citizen involvement, and conflicts around contradictions and skepticism. Green economy in Qatar is constructed as a symbol of prestige and international presence, which is directly connected to the Qatar National Vision 2030, and popularized at the state and corporate levels. Big projects, financial solutions like green bonds, and sustainable infrastructure are mentioned in narratives and criticism is afforded little space. The environmental sustainability is part of cultural representation and collective accountability, grassroots mobilization, youth activism, and defiance of official and corporate language in Malaysia. A dynamic and critical digital discourse is often criticized by the citizens when they face perceived greenwashing. The research adds to the theoretical knowledge of understanding of framing theory that civic space plays a role in the development of sustainability discourses and the importance of critical discourse analysis in studying power relations in environmental discourse. In practice, the study recommends that Qatar should engage its citizens in more than just symbolic branding; Malaysia should enhance transparency and consistency of its policies to curb the skepticism of its people. In general, the paper highlights the fact that social media is not simply a medium of communication but rather a controversial field on which the definitions of sustainability are actively discussed. Full article