Rachel Leung

The effect of peer influence and selection processes on adolescent alcohol use : a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

Adolescent alcohol use remains an important public health concern. One of the most salient and consistent predictors for drinking behaviour among young people is peer influence. A systematic review of longitudinal studies that examined the effect of peer influence on adolescent alcohol use between January 1997 and February 2011 is presented. Twenty-two studies fulfilled inclusion criteria and were reviewed. All but one study confirmed affiliation with alcohol-using or deviant peers as prospective predictors for the development of adolescent alcohol use. Findings revealed that existing longitudinal studies that have used multivariate analytic techniques to segregate peer influence (whereby adolescents start drinking after exposure to alcohol-using friends) and peer selection (whereby adolescents that start drinking without alcohol-using friends subsequently seek out drinking peers) effects consistently report significant peer influence effects. However, studies are unable to elucidate the relative contribution and developmental sequence of peer influence and selection. Existing research is synthesised to model the developmental influence of peer processes on adolescent alcohol use. Future research directions are recommended to inform better designed investigations that can lead to more effective endeavours to address peer processes in prevention efforts.

Refinement and validation of the Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses

The transition from student to registered nurse is often stressful and has been attributed to a lack of work readiness. Understanding what comprises work readiness for newly registered nurses, or graduate nurses as they are referred to in Australia, may reduce attrition and improve transition into the workplace. The 64-item Work Readiness Scale (WRS), developed with a generic population of graduates, has yet to be validated against specific disciplines to confirm applicability as a measure of work readiness. This study adapted the original WRS for use with a graduate nurse population (WRS-GN). The aim was to refine and validate the WRS-GN and determine whether the original four factor construct was supported. The WRS-GN was completed by 450 graduate nurses. Exploratory factor analyses supported the original four-factor solution (social intelligence, personal work characteristics, organizational acumen, and work competence). The final WRS-GN consisted of 46 items, showed excellent reliability, and explained 73.55% of the variance.

The Longitudinal Effects of Adolescent Volunteering on Secondary School Completion and Adult Volunteering

This study explores the longitudinal effect of adolescent volunteering behaviour on young adult volunteering and the completion of secondary school. Utilising data from the Australian sample of the International Youth Development Study, frequency of volunteering in Grade 9 (mean age = 15 years) and in young adulthood (mean age = 21 years), and completion of secondary school were measured. Mixed effect logistic regression analyses revealed that adolescent volunteering was associated with an increased likelihood of volunteering in young adulthood (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.20 - 1.39; N = 2,648) and of Grade 12 completion (OR 1.14; CI 1.03 - 1.28; N = 2,648), after controlling for family socioeconomic status and adolescent school adjustment. These findings suggest that adolescent volunteering may lead to further involvement in young adult volunteering and have a positive effect on school completion.

The smart generation trial: a brief communication designed for adolescents promoting avoiding alcohol before the age of 18

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials studying the preventive effects of physical exercise, manual and behavioural treatments in acute low back pain and neck painIntroduction: The global financial crisis has left governments struggling to reduce their budget deficits. Loans and taxes are two important financial instruments for governments to close their budget gaps. According to models of temporal discounting and expected utility individuals should experience loans as a greater loss than taxes, depleting psychological resources and reducing individuals’ capacity to cope with stressors. The present research examined patterns of cardiovascular (CV) reactivity associated with exposure to loans or taxes. Methods: We randomised 73 students to one of three groups: loans, taxes, control (baseline). Participants in the experimental groups imagined finishing university with debts and having to repay the sums outstanding as a proportion of their salaried income over the next 30 years either via a loan repayment, or via taxes. Participants in the control group imagined finishing university, and then working in salaried employment over the next 30 years. All participants then performed a variant of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), whilst CV responses were monitored [BP (blood pressure), ECG (electrocardiogram), ICG (impedance cardiogram)]. Results: Compared to the control group, participants in the loan group exhibited maladaptive CV responses during the stress task (higher BP and higher total peripheral resistance [TPR]). Conversely, participants in the taxes group exhibited more adaptive CV responses and did not differ from the control group. Conclusions: Economic considerations have dominated debates surrounding macro-financial performance. The present research highlights the need to consider the psychological costs and benefits of tax-based and loan-based financial instruments.