Factors Associated with Smoking Cessation and Risk of Smoking Initiation in Bulgarian Youth

The goal of this project was to explore the factors associated with smoking behavior among Bulgarian adolescents. A sample recruited from 12 high schools in Bulgaria (N = 673, mean age = 16.52, 65% female), was used for the analyses in this paper. A series of logistic regressions were performed to explore the factors associated with smoking cessation and increased risk of smoking initiation. Based on self-reported smoking status participants completed different sets of questionnaires and were included in separate models exploring smoking cessation and increased risk of smoking initiation. Variables consistently associated with smoking like stress, coping strategies, peer influence, family influence, exposure to tobacco related marketing were included as predictor variables in both models. In addition each of the two models included the relevant constructs of decisional balance and temptations from the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). The final logistic model differentiating smokers/ex-smokers included age, parental smoking status, Temptation to smoke, and support for smoking bans in public places as variables, correctly classifying 82.3% of the sample. The final model among nonsmokers differentiating higher risk/lower risk of smoking initiation included the strength of the belief that smoking is harmful, Temptations to try smoking, Pros of being smoke-free, and support for smoking bans in public places, correctly classifying 72.7% of the sample. These results provide better understanding of the factors associated with smoking behavior in Bulgarian adolescents that can guide the development of smoking cessation and prevention programs for this population

College Students\u27 Perceptions of Professor/Instructor Bullying: Questionnaire Development and Psychometric Properties

Objective: This study developed and examined the psychometric properties of a newly formed measure designed to assess professor/instructor bullying, as well as teacher bullying occurring prior to college. Additionally, prevalence of instructor bullying and characteristics related to victims of instructor bullying were examined. Participants: Participants were 337 college students recruited in 2012 from a northeastern university. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to college students. A split-half, cross-validation approach was employed for measurement development. Results: The measure demonstrated strong criterion validity and internal consistency. Approximately half of students reported witnessing professor/instructor bullying and 18% reported being bullied by a professor/instructor. Report of teacher bullying occurring prior to college was related to professor/instructor bullying in college, and sex was a moderating variable. Conclusion: College students perceive instructor bullying as occurring but may not know how to properly address it. Prevention efforts should be made by university administrators, faculty, and staff

Validation of the delinquent activities scale for incarcerated adolescents

Purpose: This study examined the validity of the Delinquent Activities Scale (DAS), based in part on the Self Reported Delinquency (SRD) scale. Method: Participants were 190 incarcerated adolescents (85.8% male; average age 17 years) at a juvenile correctional facility in the Northeast. While incarcerated, they were asked about substance use and delinquent activities in the 1 year prior to incarceration, as well as parental, peer, and demographic information. They were tracked at three months post-release, given the DAS, and assessed for post-release substance use. Results: Three factors of the DAS assess general, alcohol-involved, and marijuana-involved delinquent activities. Principal components analysis was used to develop subscales within each factor. Support was found for concurrent and predictive incremental validities of these factors and their subscales in predicting substance use, with stronger findings for the general and the alcohol-involved factors. Subscales related to stealing showed lower validity than those related to more aggressive behaviors. Conclusions: These analyses suggest that the factors and empirically derived subscales offer researchers and clinicians a psychometrically sound approach for the assessment of adolescent misbehaviors

One session of TTM-tailored condom use feedback: a pilot study among at-risk women in the Bronx

There is an urgent need to implement interventions to curb the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. Consistent condom use is an effective preventive strategy, yet especially among those at highest risk, condom use remains too low. This paper describes changes in condom use and stages of condom use over two–three months time following a single session with an interactive multimedia computer-delivered Transtheoretical Model (TTM)-tailored expert system originally designed for at-risk adolescents. The intervention provided immediate TTM-tailored feedback to diverse urban women based on their stage of condom use and other TTM variables. Previous work found this system was acceptable. These data showed that 89% of women returned for a second session two–three months later, further supporting this system\u27s utility. After just one feedback session, 21% of women not using condoms at baseline started using condoms consistently at follow-up, with a trend for a relationship to baseline stage of condom use. These results support further randomized controlled research on the reach and efficacy of computer-based TTM-tailored and individualized condom use interventions