Milena Batanova

Social Anxiety and Aggression in Early Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Roles of Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking

Guided by a social information processing perspective, this study examined the unique and interactive contributions of social anxiety and two distinct components of empathy, empathic concern and perspective taking, to subsequent relational and overt aggression in early adolescents. Participants were 485 10- to 14-year old middle school students (54% female; 78% European-American) involved in two waves of a study with one year between each wave. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that higher levels of empathic concern were directly associated with decreases in subsequent relational and overt aggression one year later and buffered the impact of social anxiety on subsequent relational aggression. Although perspective taking did not moderate the impact of social anxiety on either form of aggression, it was a unique predictor of increased relational aggression one year later. Findings call for future research to assess both components of empathy separately as they relate to relational and overt aggression.

Prevalence and harm perceptions of various tobacco products among college students

INTRODUCTION Although use of non-cigarette alternative tobacco products (ATPs) is increasingly prevalent in the United States, little is known about the varying patterns of tobacco use among college students. This study examined prevalence of ATP use and differences across 4 groups of students (nontobacco, cigarette-only, polytobacco, and ATP-only users) on perceptions of danger and beliefs about government safety evaluation of tobacco products. METHODS An online survey was administered to 5,028 students attending 7 public universities within a larger university system (M age = 20.5 years, 59.6% female, 54.6% Hispanic/Latino). Multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate differences between the 4 groups on perceived danger of tobacco products and beliefs regarding government safety evaluation of these products. RESULTS Prevalence of ATP use among the sample ranged from 0.4% for dissolvable tobacco to 10.8% for hookah. Group membership was significantly associated with perceived danger of each tobacco product, whereby cigarette-only and ATP-only users reported significantly higher levels of perceived danger for most ATPs than did polytobacco users. Furthermore, cigarette-only, polytobacco, and ATP-only users were significantly more likely than nonusers to believe that the government evaluates some tobacco products for safety. CONCLUSIONS ATP use among young adult college students is prevalent. Furthermore, students who use ATPs in conjunction with cigarettes (i.e., polytobacco users) appear to be at highest risk for the continuation and subsequent dependence on nicotine, given their danger perceptions and beliefs of government evaluation. Future research examining trajectories of use, particularly among polytobacco users, is needed.

Changes in use of cigarettes and non-cigarette alternative products among college students

INTRODUCTION The present study examined change in use of various smoked and smokeless non-cigarette alternative products in a sample of college students, stratified by current, or past 30-day, cigarette smoking status. METHODS Participants were 698 students from seven four-year colleges in Texas. Participants completed two waves of online surveys regarding tobacco use, knowledge, and attitudes, with 14 months between each wave. RESULTS The most prevalent products used by the entire sample at Wave 1 were cigarettes, followed by hookah, cigars/cigarillos/little cigars, and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). At Wave 2, prevalence of e-cigarette use surpassed use of cigars/cigarillos/little cigars. Snus and chew/snuff/dip were relatively uncommon at both waves. Examination of change in use indicated that e-cigarette use increased across time among both current cigarette smokers and non-cigarette smokers. Prevalence of current e-cigarette use doubled across the 14-month period to 25% among current smokers and tripled to 3% among non-cigarette smokers. Hookah use also increased across time, but only among non-cigarette smokers, whereas it decreased among current cigarette smokers. Use of all other non-cigarette alternatives remained unchanged across time. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the socio-demographic predictors of Wave 2 e-cigarette use, the only product that increased in use among both current cigarette smokers and non-cigarette smokers. Results indicated that Wave 1 current cigarette use and Wave 1 current e-cigarette use, but not gender, age, or race/ethnicity, were significantly associated with Wave 2 e-cigarette use. CONCLUSIONS Findings underscore the need to track changes in the use of non-cigarette alternatives and call for additional research examining the factors contributing to change in use.

Trajectories of School Connectedness across the Middle School Years: Examining the Roles of Adolescents' Internalizing and Externalizing Problems.

Students become increasingly disconnected from their schools across the middle school years, but little is known about the factors contributing to changes in school connectedness. This study examined the time-invariant and time-varying roles of depressive symptoms and externalizing problems in trajectories of student-perceived school connectedness across the middle school years. Three yearly waves of data were collected from 296 students beginning in the sixth grade. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated that school connectedness declined across time. Initial levels of adjustment problems at school entry were concurrently associated with lower levels of connectedness. Initial levels of externalizing problems did not account for rate of decline, but elevated levels of externalizing problems across the middle school years were associated with lower concurrent levels of connectedness. Surprisingly, initial levels of depressive symptoms predicted a slower rate of decline in connectedness for boys. Findings highlight the detrimental associations between adjustment problems and school connectedness.

Who Uses Snus? A Study of Texas Adolescents

INTRODUCTION Snus, a smokeless tobacco product, was introduced in the United States in 2006. Because it is available in a variety of flavors and is relatively easy to conceal, snus might be particularly attractive to adolescents. Yet, no studies have examined snus use in U.S. adolescents. This brief report examined (a) differences between adolescent snus users and non-snus users on a variety of demographic, behavioral, and intrapersonal factors and (b) prevalence of snus use among current users of various other tobacco products versus nontobacco users. METHODS Participants were 8,472 6th- to 12th-grade students who voluntarily completed the 87-item Texas Youth Tobacco Survey during class time. RESULTS Overall, 7.1% of students reported ever trying snus; of these, 77% were male, 68% were in high school, and 46% were White. Mixed-effects regression models indicated that the prevalence of cigarette, chew, cigar, and alcohol use was higher among snus users than among non-snus users. Compared with non-snus users, snus users performed more poorly in school and perceived snus, cigarettes, chew, and cigars to be less dangerous. Finally, current users of cigarettes, chew, and cigars had a higher prevalence of snus use than did their peers who did not use the respective products. CONCLUSIONS Among U.S. adolescents, snus use may be part of a constellation of health compromising behaviors. Additional research is needed to determine who is using snus and identify the determinants and consequences of snus use, all of which can inform interventions and policies aimed at decreasing tobacco use among youth.

Maternal psychological control and peer victimization in early adolescence: an application of the family relational schema model

Guided by the family relational schema model, the current study examined the direct and indirect contributions of maternal psychological control to subsequent relational and overt peer victimization, via early adolescents’ conduct problems, fear of negative evaluation, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 499 10- to 14-year-olds (53% female; 77% European American) involved in two waves of a study with 1 year between each wave. Path analyses indicated that depressive symptoms mediated the associations between maternal psychological control and increases in both forms of peer victimization across the 1-year time period. Although conduct problems were concurrently associated with maternal psychological control, and fear of negative evaluation predicted change in both forms of peer victimization, neither variable mediated the maternal psychological control-peer victimization associations. Results were generally consistent across gender, with a few notable differences. Study findings provide partial support for the family relational schema model and implications are discussed.

Relational Victimization and Maladjustment Among Hispanic Early Adolescents: Moderating Effects of Social Support

Relational victimization can have negative implications for early adolescents; yet, few studies have examined relational victimization among Hispanic early adolescents. This study examined (a) the concurrent associations between relational victimization and depressive symptoms and conduct problems and (b) the moderating roles of three sources of social support (parent, teacher, and peer) in the aforementioned associations. Participants were 189 eleven- to 15-year-old (M = 12.13, SD = .95) Hispanic students. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that relational victimization was positively associated with both outcomes. Furthermore, parent support buffered the relational victimization–depressive symptoms association, but exacerbated the relational victimization–conduct problems association. Similarly, peer support exacerbated the relational victimization–depressive symptoms association and did not moderate the relational victimization–conduct problems association. Finally, teacher support did not moderate either association. Findings highlight the complexities of examining various sources of social support, which may not necessarily mitigate Hispanic students’ experiences of relational victimization.

Differences between Dual Users of Cigarettes and Snus and Other Tobacco Users in the United States: An Examination of Adolescent Males

Although dual use of tobacco products is increasingly prevalent among youths, no studies in the United States have examined dual use of cigarettes and snus, a new spitless form of tobacco. This study compared adolescent dual users with snus users, cigarette users, and non-users of these tobacco products, on various intrapersonal (e.g., other tobacco use) and interpersonal (e.g., friend use of tobacco) factors. Participants were 5,574 sixth- through twelfth-grade students who voluntarily completed the 2011 Texas Youth Tobacco Survey. Because snus users were predominately male, mixed-effects regression analyses were conducted for males only (N = 2,790). Compared with cigarette users and nonusers of either cigarettes or snus, male dual users scored significantly higher on the study variables; there were few differences between dual users and snus users. Limitations and implications are discussed.