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Biomedical subjects

Bettina F Piko

Publications and source records attributed to Bettina F Piko.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Prototype perception and smoking: are negative or positive social images more important in adolescence?

It is suggested that a more profound understanding of cigarette smoking among adolescents should include the social images they have of smokers. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the role of smoker prototypes in adolescents' smoking status and to compare the role of negative and positive smoker images. Data were collected from high school students in two counties of the Southern Plain Region of Hungary (N=548; ages between 14 and 21 years). The self-administered questionnaires contained items on sociodemographics, smoking occurrence, and smoker prototypes. Factor analysis revealed three smoker prototypes: a negative prototype (e.g., dull, childish), a positive social appearance prototype (e.g., cool, popular), and a positive individual competence prototype (such as smart, independent) all with satisfactory reliability. Odds ratios suggest that the role of the negative prototypes for nonsmokers is greater than the role of positive prototypes for smokers. For boys, positive individual competence prototype also seems to be important. Health promotion programs should focus on fostering negative social images in prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

Not just pushing and shoving: school bullying among African American adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of bullying among a sample of African American adolescents and the risk factors associated with odds that a student engages in bullying behavior. METHODS: Using a self-report school-based survey, 1542 African American adolescents from a single school district (grades 5-12) living in a midsized, Southern metropolitan region, were asked questions regarding bullying behavior and risk behaviors. A response rate of nearly 80% was obtained. RESULTS: Our results indicate that bullying behavior was higher among this group of African American adolescents than reported for other general student populations (8-12%). In addition, age, family violence, negative peer relationships, and behavioral risks all contributed to increased odds of students reporting bullying behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of intervention at an early age. Whether the intervention is in a formal or nonformal setting, specialists along with teachers, parents, and siblings need to begin a multipronged approach (data collection, training/education of school personnel, curriculum development, etc) to address the causes and consequences of bullying among adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Socioeconomic status, psychosocial health and health behaviours among Hungarian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: While socioeconomic differences in health, morbidity, and disability are highest among middle-aged persons, there is a certain level of 'equalization' during adolescence and young adulthood. Despite this equalization, however, there still are differences in psychosocial variables or health-related behaviours, often very subtle and sometimes difficult to measure. METHODS: Using data (n = 1114) on high school students (aged between 14 and 21 years) from the Southern Plain Region, Hungary, the present study looks at the role of multiple SES indicators (objective and subjective; occupation and education; family structure) in adolescents' psychosocial health (self-perceived health, psychosomatic, and depressive symptomatology) and health behaviour (substance use and sports activity). RESULTS: Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analyses, findings suggest the following: (i) SES self-assessment proved to be a significant predictor of adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviours; (ii) family structure (that is, living in a non-intact family) also significantly influenced adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviours; (iii) parents' employment status and schooling had a limited influence on their children's health outcomes; (iv) in a word, SES gradients in adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviour were inconsistent and sometimes irregular (that is, inverse). The subjective SES measurement plays an important role (positive association), whereas certain types of parents' inactive status (in terms of labour market, that is, unemployment or retirement) seem to act in a predictable way (negative association). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that despite certain level of equalization during adolescence, some important relationships between SES variables and health outcomes may occur.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Self-perceived health among adolescents: the role of gender and psychosocial factors.

Since adolescents' psychosocial health problems may have major implications for adult morbidity and mortality, investigating their self-perceived health deserves priority. In the lack of limiting illness, psychosocial health variables, e.g., psychosomatic health complaints or health behaviors, play a decisive role in determining adolescents' self-perceived health. Using data on adolescents from Szeged, Hungary (n = 1,114), we examined the relationship between adolescents' self-perceived health and a set of psychosocial health status measurements. Findings show that psychosomatic and depressive symptoms contributed significantly to adolescents' poor/fair perceptions of health. Findings also support the relationship between health behaviors and adolescents' self-perceived health. Among boys, drug use and the lack of physical activity are significant predictors. Among girls, smoking may act in a similar way. Diet control is significant in both cases. Besides academic achievement, SES self-assessment and non-intact family status are strong contributes to health perception. Overall, findings show that psychosocial health variables are important influences on adolescents' self-perceived health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Children's perceptions of health and illness: images and lay concepts in preadolescence.

Despite a growing body of research into children's concepts of illness, many basic questions still remain. This study aims to describe 8- to 11-year olds' lay beliefs of health, illness, health promotion and disease prevention. Children responded to open-ended questions about health and illness by drawing and writing their responses. Two primary schools of two small towns of Békés County, Hungary, were invited to participate. The sample consisted of 128 primary school students (57% males and 43% females), one class from each of Grades 3, 4 and 5 within each location. Consistent with previous findings, the children of this sample have considerable knowledge about health, illness and disease risks. In addition, they seem health conscious and hold positive attitudes toward health and health promotion. Many respondents demonstrated a biomedical approach to health. At the same time, holistic views of health were also common. Children's past experiences (e.g. trivial infections) may play an important role in their concepts of disease causation. Ideas about health promotion were especially varied, with a few children describing complex guidelines.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Physical activity, psychosocial health, and life goals among youth.

The main goal of the present study is to investigate the relationship between youth's physical activity, their psychosocial health and well-being, and their life goals. Data were collected among students (n = 1109, age range between 14 and 21 years of age, mean: 16.5 years, SD = 1.3 years) enrolled in the secondary schools of the Southern Plain Region (three counties), Hungary. Our findings support previous results that more active students have a better self-perceived health and fitness, lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of life satisfaction. In addition, students who are regularly active prefer less extrinsic values as life goals for their future. However, there are no significant differences by physical activity status in terms of intrinsic values (except for physical health). These findings suggest that physical activity is not per se a beneficial health behavior only through its functions. In community health programs, a health-related physical education approach should be addressed to improve the psychosocial benefits of physical activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Satisfaction with life, psychosocial health and materialism among Hungarian youth.

Previous research suggests that youth's life satisfaction may be influenced by health and certain socioeconomic/sociocultural factors, which may be important in a post-socialist country like Hungary. We investigated the relationship between youth's life satisfaction, materialism and their psychosocial health in a sample of secondary school students (N = 1114) in Hungary. Findings show that youth's psychosocial health may play an important role in their levels of life satisfaction, particularly depressive and psychosomatic symptoms and health behaviors (e.g. diet control and smoking). SES self-assessment and materialistic success were positively, while materialistic happiness was negatively related to youth's life satisfaction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

A culture-based study of personal and social influences of adolescent smoking.

BACKGROUND: A range of factors have been found to influence the onset and maintenance of smoking among adolescents. The aim was to explore interrelationships among adolescent smoking and certain personal influences (academic achievement, life satisfaction and future-orientedness) and social influences (hostility, social comparison and perceived friends' smoking) using a cultural perspective. METHODS: The study surveyed high school students aged 13-20, a total sample of 2387 adolescents from randomly selected classes in urban and metropolitan areas from Szeged (Hungary), Lublin and Warsaw (Poland), Izmir (Turkey) and Ames, Iowa (USA). The self-administered questionnaire contained items on smoking, sociodemographics, life satisfaction, future-orientedness, academic achievement, hostility, social comparison and perceived friends' smoking. RESULTS: The frequency of smoking proved to be the highest among Hungarian (58.7%) and Polish (57.6%) adolescents, while the occurrence was 22.1% among US and 23.6% among Turkish adolescents. Across the countries, high life satisfaction, academic achievement, future orientedness and social comparison were related to lower rates of smoking. Perceived friends' smoking was a strong influence of adolescent smoking in all samples. Only paths from academic achievement and perceived peers' smoking differed across the countries. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that interrelationships between adolescents' smoking and its social and personal influences are similar across all countries as a part of the developmental processes of adolescence. These findings point to the importance of both personal and social influences of adolescent smoking, which interact in a complex model, regardless culture or smoking rates.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Burnout, role conflict, job satisfaction and psychosocial health among Hungarian health care staff: a questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in the psychosocial work environment of health care staff since they are at high risk for burnout, role conflict and job dissatisfaction. Burnout, as a type of prolonged response to chronic job-related stressors, has a special significance in health care where staff experience both psychological-emotional and physical stress. Burnout and the other negative aspects of the job of health care staff have major behavioural and health implications. OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated the interrelationships among burnout, role conflict and job satisfaction in a sample of Hungarian health care staff. The study also investigated how these indicators of psychosocial work climate influence respondents' frequency of psychosomatic symptoms. DESIGN: A questionnaire survey (anonymous questionnaires) has been carried out to detect these interrelationships. SETTINGS: Two major hospitals in Szeged, Hungary. PARTICIPANTS: Questionnaires were distributed to 450 health care staff among whom 55.7% were registered nurses. All together, 201 questionnaires were returned and analyzed, giving a response rate of 44.6%. METHODS: Questionnaire contained items on work and health-related information (i.e., burnout, job satisfaction, role conflict, and psychosomatic symptoms) and on some basic sociodemographics. Beyond descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analyses were computed. RESULTS: Findings show that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores were higher, while scores on personal accomplishment was lower as compared to Canadian, Norwegian or US samples. Burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion (p<.001), was found to be strongly related to job dissatisfaction. Schooling was inversely related to satisfaction with the job (p<.05). While job satisfaction was a negative predictor of each type of burnout subscale (p<.001), role conflict was a factor contributing positively to emotional exhaustion (p<.001) and depersonalization scores (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study results underline the importance of the role of psychosocial work environment and the interrelationships among burnout, role conflict, job satisfaction and psychosomatic health among Hungarian health care staff.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Adolescent smoking and drinking: the role of communal mastery and other social influences.

The main goal of this study is to investigate social influences of adolescent smoking and drinking. These social influences include social motives, parental attitudes, communal mastery and peers' substance use patterns. Literature suggests that communal mastery (as a form of social competence) may be related to adolescent substance use. In addition, gender differences may be hypothesized in the social influences of adolescent substance use. Data were collected in a middle and high school student population (N = 634, 50.6% males, age range: 11-19, mean: 15.6, S.D.: 2.0) in Szeged, Hungary. The instruments contained questions on sociodemographics, smoking and drinking, social influences, social motives, and communal mastery. Results showed that high levels of communal mastery was an important protective factor against adolescent boys' smoking and drinking. For girls, communal mastery did not play such a role. The role of social motives, friends' and best friend's substance use and parental approval also were justified.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

A risk and protective factors framework for understanding youth's externalizing problem behavior in two different cultural settings.

OBJECTIVE: The main goal of the study was to analyze youth's externalizing problem behaviors based on a risk and protective factors framework in two different cultural settings. METHOD: Data were collected among secondary school students in Szeged, Hungary (N=1240) and in Birmingham, AL, USA (N=1538). The self-administered questionnaires contained items on youth's externalizing problem behaviors as well as risk and protective factors. RESULTS: In both samples, first year students in secondary (high) schools and boys reported greater levels of problem behaviors. Multiple regression analyses revealed that substance use, gang membership and low academic achievement were consistent risk factors and associated with higher reporting levels of problem behaviors in both cultures. Parental monitoring served as an important protective factor in both samples, while school protective factors were only significant for American students. CONCLUSION: Findings draw attention to similar structures of certain risk and protective factors of youth's externalizing problem behaviors in different cultural settings. While there are universal risk factors (e. g., substance use, gang membership and low academic achievement), parental monitoring seems to be a universal protective factor against youth's externalizing problem behavior. An important difference is that the school domain seems to act as more important protection for American youth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Depressive symptomatology, exposure to violence, and the role of social capital among African American adolescents.

Focusing on the role of capital as both personal and social resources for adolescents, the authors examined depressive symptomatology among a sample of 10- to 18-year-old African American youths (N=1,538). In addition to gender and age differences, adolescents exposed to threatening environments (school, neighborhood, home) reported more depressive symptoms. Social capital had a significant inverse relationship with adolescent depression; self-esteem and a social capital index were negatively related to depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, the interaction effects of gender with social capital, age with self-esteem, and age with grades were significant, indicating the presence of a buffering effect. These findings suggest the importance of interrelationships among violence exposure, capital, and well-being for adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Adolescents' health-related behaviors in the light of their value orientations.

This study examines the relationship between adolescents' health behaviors and their value orientations. Data were collected among a sample of Hungarian urban high school students (n = 602, aged 14-19; 52.8% males and 47.2% females) in 2001. Factor analysis revealed fitness-oriented, health and social value oriented, and accomplishment/career oriented value factors. Health and social values were more common among girls, while accomplishment-oriented values were more common among boys. The fitness-oriented value orientation was related to physical activity and diet control, health and social value orientation showed significant association with diet control and the lack of smoking, alcohol and drug use, accomplishment oriented values were related to higher levels of substance use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Substance use, religiosity, and other protective factors among Hungarian adolescents.

A number of risk factors have emerged as important correlates of adolescent substance use. In addition, research continues to focus on which factors act as mediators protecting adolescents from negative outcomes. One of these protective factors is religiosity, and the focus of this paper is to examine its role in the life of adolescents in postsocialist Hungary, where active religious participation was highly discouraged until a decade ago. The sample of adolescents (N=1240) consists of middle and high school students living in Szeged, Hungary. The calculated odds ratios for the relationship between religiosity, and other protective factors, and substance use revealed that smoking, drinking, and marijuana use among boys and marijuana use only among girls were related to religiosity. Group membership, for example, participation in school clubs, sports clubs, or religious groups, seems to be more important for boys compared with girls. A more careful examination of the protective role of religion in postsocialist Hungary could be extremely important in a country where both adult and adolescent smoking and alcohol use is among the highest in Europe.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Leisure activities and problem behaviours among Hungarian youth.

We examined leisure behaviours and the relationships between leisure and a variety of problem behaviours in a sample of 1422 Hungarian adolescents (age range: 14-19). Findings from multivariate analyses suggest that some aspects of adolescent leisure, such as family or conventional activities, act as protective factors against problem behaviours, while peer-oriented activities or commercial types of leisure contribute to greater risk for problem behaviours. We also found that the same leisure activities explained problem behaviours for both males and females. The study suggests that the relationships between leisure activities and problem behaviours are highly similar as found among Western youth.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Interplay between self and community: a role for health psychology in Eastern Europe's public health.

It is a well-known phenomenon that since the 1970s, there has been a growing difference in health status between populations in Eastern Europe and those in western countries. This phenomenon has been found to relate to unhealthy lifestyles. Individuals' health behavior, as a part of their lifestyle, stems from an interplay between self and community; between individual traits and states, and community orientations. Theories of health psychology should play an important role in Eastern Europe's public health. One of the biggest challenges in this process is the lack of people's motivation rooted in the harmful psychological effects of the past socialist dictatorship in this region. There is a need for converting learned helplessness, often found in people because of the nature and collapse of the old regime, into learned optimism.

Behavioral Medicine↗
PubMed2003

Depressive symptomatology among Hungarian youth: a risk and protective factors approach.

Psychosocial risk and protective factors were examined to assess their influence on depressive symptomatology in a sample of Hungarian youth. Self-esteem and being happy with school were significant protective factors; older girls (ages 16-20) reported the highest depression scores, and these scores varied significantly by self-reported problem behavior. These findings are discussed in the context of their clinical and practical implications for understanding depressive symptomatology in this understudied population of Eastern European youth.

Adolescent↗