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Eating practices are central to the everyday life of the addressees of pedagogical organisations. However, the eating practices of young people who live in residential care groups have rarely been the focus of educational research. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic research project on the eating practices of adolescents living in these facilities in Germany. We examined the participants' eating practices in their everyday lives by studying residential care groups. In this article, the eating practices of young people in the lifeworld contexts of family, peer group, school, vocational training, or work are studied. Changes in lifeworlds and eating practices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are also addressed. Furthermore, the article discusses the ethnographic research methods and the adaptations of these methods to the post-pandemic condition.

Purpose: Given declining tuition funds and government grants, Kenyan universities need to develop strategies, including increased research grants and collaborations, to diversify their income sources. Well-managed doctoral students can boost a university's teaching and research outputs. However, numbers of students enrolled in doctoral programmes at Kenyan universities are low, and graduation rates and time-to-graduate statistics are disturbing. Research undertaken elsewhere underline the important role played by supervisors and peers in facilitating students' sense of belonging and their success. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of supervisory and peer support on PhD students' sense of belonging and their success at Kenyan universities. Design/methodology/approach: In this cross-sectional study, data were gathered through an online questionnaire from 614 students admitted to doctoral programmes at Kenyan universities between 2010 and 2018. We used multi-item scales to collect data on PhD students' self-efficacy, supervisory and peer support and a sense of belonging. Findings: Structural equation modelling results revealed that PhD students' modes of study and self-efficacy were significantly associated with the quality of supervision, peer support and a sense of belonging. However, only age, a sense of belonging and the quality of supervision were directly linked to their success. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on doctoral-level education, responding to the need for research on the influence of relationships with supervisors and peers on PhD students' sense of belonging and their success, especially in developing countries.

Legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada was intended to protect youth health and safety by limiting access and raising awareness of safety and risks. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore youths' perceptions of their cannabis health literacy and future educational needs. A convenience sample of youth aged 13 to 18 residing in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada who may or may not have consumed cannabis were included. A qualitative study using virtual focus groups with semi-structured interview questions was conducted. Ethics approval was obtained. All sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Inductive thematic analysis used a social-ecological framework for adolescent health literacy. Six focus groups (n = 38) were conducted with youth of all ages and from rural and urban areas. Three main themes were identified: (i) micro influences (age, gender, and beliefs), (ii) meso influences, (family, peers, and school enforcement), (iii) macro influences (cannabis legalization and social media), and (iv) evidence-informed information (harm reduction and cannabis properties). They desired evidence-informed education using harm-reduction principles, integrated early, and interactive. The findings provide support for a cannabis health literacy framework that will inform youth cannabis education programs. Interactive approaches with real-world application should support their autonomy, share knowledge, and minimize stigma.

In the context of the rapidly evolving social media landscape with the potential to revolutionise sexual health education, this article presents a critical discourse analysis and qualitative content analysis of the top 10 Chinese sexual health influencers' online discourses regarding sex and sexuality. Findings suggest that influencers utilise a range of destigmatisation strategies to facilitate sex education within a heavily censored social media environment. These include widening understandings of normalcy, using relatable images and alternative terminology to discuss sexuality, and incorporating paradoxical narratives that seek to navigate between empowering women and reinforcing self-regulation. However, the effectiveness of influencers' work is constrained by a complex web of factors, including the stringent censorship and content control enforced by the Chinese government, the economic interests that shape platforms' algorithms and advertising practices, and the persistence of societal and cultural norms that perpetuate harmful stereotypes and attitudes regarding sexual health. This study illuminates the complexities of online sex and sexuality education and sheds light on both the potential and limitations of influencers in fostering open and more inclusive dialogue about sexuality.

Experiences of and exposures to violence impact older adolescents and young adults in a myriad of ways. While typically conceptualized as interpersonal, other forms of violence, namely structural and symbolic, can be harmful to development for this population. This study utilized qualitative methodologies, including ethnographic field notes and interviews, to capture the ways in which 12 young persons aged 16 to 20 from Philadelphia experience and conceptualize multiple forms of violence across neighborhood contexts. In total, 85 interviews and over 100 hours of field observations were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from this study demonstrate that multiple forms of violence are experienced and impact how young adults make meaning of their life experiences. Importantly, our study explores how these forms of violence occur in tandem across contexts. Whereby, aspects of young adult development and well-being are shaped by violence across the micro, meso, and macro systems with which they interact. Implications of this work include adapting Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory to include multiple forms of violence so that practitioners and researchers can better understand how forms of violence are enacted and the associated impacts on young adults.

The relationship between family poverty and children's psychological distress is well-established, often assessed through income-based measures. However, a child-centric perspective is lacking, particularly regarding the roles of teacher neglect and peer bullying as potential mediators, and the impact of cultural differences. This study explores how familial poverty affects psychological distress, examines teacher neglect and peer bullying as mediators, and assesses the moderating role of culture. Analyzing a global sample of 16,860 ten-year-olds from the International Survey of Children's Well-Being, the findings reveal a positive correlation between poverty and psychological distress. Teacher neglect and peer bullying partially mediate this link. Moreover, the association between teacher neglect and psychological distress is stronger for children in collectivist cultures, while the association between peer bullying and psychological distress is stronger for children in individualistic cultures. This research provides new insights and practical implications for addressing children's psychological distress worldwide.

Imposter phenomenon (IP) is characterized by an internal perception of one's intellectual fraudulence despite having objective and consistent accomplishments in a career. IP is prevalently observed among high-achieving, successful, and accomplished individuals, including students heading toward high-achieving careers. The current study explored the mental health consequences of IP among high-achieving Indian students. It was conducted with undergraduate engineering students (N = 302) enrolled in one prime engineering institution in India. A mediational model that connects IP, social comparison, and mental health has been tested. Social comparison has been assessed through both ability-related social comparison (A-SCO) and opinion-related social comparison (O-SCO). The results revealed that mental health negatively correlates with ability-related social comparison and IP. However, the opinion-related social comparison does not significantly correlate with the student's mental health status. Moreover, ability-related social comparison significantly mediates the relationship between IP and mental health. The study shows no gender difference in the variables.

During adolescence, empathy and prosocial behavior contribute to the establishment of positive interpersonal relationships and social connections, promoting holistic development in youth. A substantial amount of research has provided compelling evidence that there is a relationship between peer relationships and empathy and prosocial behavior. Empathy, as a key mediating factor, links the influence of peers with prosocial behavior in adolescents, yet there is currently a lack of robust meta-analytic evidence regarding this mediating role. This study employed a two-stage structural equation modeling approach to synthesize existing research on peer influence, empathy, and prosocial behavior during adolescence. Systematic searches were conducted across three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO), identifying a total of 49 studies, with a systematic assessment of study quality. The results indicated that empathy plays a mediating role between peer influence and prosocial behavior. Positive peer influence is positively correlated with empathy and prosocial behavior, while negative peer influence is negatively correlated with empathy and prosocial behavior, and empathy is positively correlated with prosocial behavior. This meta-analysis demonstrates that during adolescence, empathy mediates the connection between peer influence and prosocial behavior, representing a potential process that can explain the relationship between peer influence and prosocial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents' need to belong and concerns about social status are thought to increase risk-taking, however, not much is known about how feedback about social rank and the effects of social exclusion moderate risky decision-making. To this end, the present study examined how social rank feedback moderates the effects of social exclusion on risky decisions during adolescence. The experimental study included a total of 122 participants (11–19 years; 44% female). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either individual or social rank feedback in the Columbia Card Task after social inclusion and exclusion via the Cyberball paradigm. Contrary to expectations, social exclusion led to more cautious decision-making. Mid-adolescents were most influenced by the combination of social exclusion and social rank feedback, while late adolescents became more cautious with individual feedback. These findings suggest that peer influences also have adaptive effects, increasing sensitivity to risk information, with developmental differences in the role of social rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite abundant evidence of deviant peer influence, it remains unclear precisely how adolescents try to exert such influence. What do adolescents do or say to actively encourage or discourage deviance among their peers? The aim of the current study is to explore the different ways in which adolescents talk each other into—or out of—such behaviors. Methods: We analyzed narratives about delinquency (N = 37), substance use (N = 131), and other deviance (N = 107), which were written by adolescents (ages 14–18) in secondary schools. The study combines criminological perspectives on situational group processes (i.e., instigation, reinforcement, and provocation) with insights on compliance-gaining from other disciplines to inform a qualitative investigation of key influence tactics. Results: Our results demonstrate that adolescents use a number of tactics to encourage and discourage deviance. Many of these same tactics are used to promote prosocial behavior, though provocation-like tactics are largely used to encourage deviance. Conclusions: The range of reported compliance tactics extends well beyond what is captured in typical studies of peer influence, largely revolving around the broader themes of instigation and attempts to impact the anticipated risks, costs, and rewards of behavior. Ultimately, this study underscores the multi-faceted, socially interactive nature of peer influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer beliefs and attitudes play a prominent role in adolescent behaviors. Various curricula have been developed to teach students about sexual health from a skills-based perspective with successful, lasting effects. This study examined how adolescents' expectancies for success in and values held for a sexual health curriculum are related to their attitudes toward waiting to have sex, attitudes toward using a condom, self-efficacy in negotiating condom use, self-efficacy in refusal skills, and self-efficacy in navigating tricky situations, depending on their perceptions of their peers' attitudes. Results indicate that perceived peer attitudes toward waiting to have sex were a significant moderator, more so than peer attitudes about condom use. Additionally, results suggest that sex plays a role in students' sexual health beliefs and self-efficacies. Future work should examine further explanatory paths and influences such as caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of institutional support and peer dynamics in adopting ChatGPT in Indonesian higher education. Narrative reflections from 44 lecturers across 15 provinces, analyzed through thematic analysis, reveal that strong institutional support enhances creative and effective use of ChatGPT, while inadequate resources hinder its adoption. Peer collaboration fosters positive attitudes and integration, whereas its absence leads to skepticism. The findings highlight the critical need for robust institutional policies and supportive academic communities to maximize the educational potential of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Different educational methods play an important role in oral hygiene education programs. This study aims to evaluate the impact of various educational methods on the oral hygiene knowledge of primary school children. Methods: A total of 490 primary school students participated in this cross-sectional study. The students were assigned to one of three groups: a verbal explanation group, an animation group, or a peer-led reels group. Before and after the intervention, the students completed questionnaires assessing their oral hygiene knowledge. Results: A significant increase was observed in the post-educational knowledge levels of the children in three educational methods (p < 0.001). The study found that the main effect of educational methods was statistically significant (p < 0.001). However, effects of gender, and tablet/mobile phone use, respectively, were not statistically significant (p = 0.694, p = 0.641). The animation group (6.73) and the verbal expression group (6.57) had the highest post-training knowledge levels, respectively, while the peer-led reels group had the lowest (5.95) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: All three educational methods are effective in promoting oral hygiene, but due to the accessibility and consumption of information in the current technological era, animation videos may be more useful and suitable for modern education. Trial registration: ID: NCT06569745; Date: 21.08.2024; 'retrospectively registered'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure remains a critical public health concern, especially for adolescents, who are more susceptible to its harmful effects and may initiate smoking as a result. SHS, comprising both mainstream and sidestream smoke, contains over 7000 chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic. Adolescents exposed to SHS are more likely to experiment with smoking due to environmental influences, peer pressure, and familial smoking behavior. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between SHS exposure and smoking attitudes and behaviors among adolescents aged 13-15 in the Gaza Strip, where SHS exposure and tobacco use remain prevalent. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), a cross-sectional, school-based survey targeting students in Gaza. The study employed a two-stage cluster sampling design to ensure a representative sample. SHS exposure was assessed in multiple contexts, including home, public enclosed spaces, and outdoor areas. Smoking attitudes, initiation behaviors, and demographic variables were also analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of smoking behaviors. Results: Of the 1536 adolescents surveyed, 62.3% reported SHS exposure at home, and 53.9% reported exposure in enclosed public spaces. Adolescents exposed to SHS were significantly more likely to experiment with smoking, with curiosity (62.2%) and peer influence being key motivators. Additionally, SHS exposure in both indoor and outdoor environments was associated with a higher likelihood of shisha experimentation. Females reported higher SHS exposure rates than males across all environments (P <.001). Conclusion: SHS exposure significantly increases the risk of smoking initiation among adolescents in the Gaza Strip. These findings emphasize the need for targeted public health interventions, including stricter smoke-free legislation, parental education, and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing SHS exposure and preventing smoking uptake in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the processes of social proliferation in Korean college students' smoking perceptions and behaviors. Using cross-sectional survey data (N = 208), the study tested associations between smoking status of friends, frequency and contents of communication about smoking and Korean college students' smoking perceptions and behaviors. The results showed that college students with smoking friends were significantly higher on pro-smoking cultural norms, pro-smoking subjective norms, and positive attitude toward smoking than students with nonsmoking friends. Effects of frequency, negative evaluation of communication about smoking, and contents of communication about smoking differed between smoking friends and nonsmoking friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the influence of high-status peers on maladaptive behaviors is well-documented, socialization processes of prosocial behavior through high-status peers remain understudied. This study examined whether adolescents' prosocial behavior was influenced by the prosocial behavior of the peers they liked and whether this effect was stronger when the peers they liked were also well-liked by their classmates. Three waves of data, six months apart, were collected among Chilean early adolescents who completed peer nominations and ratings at Time 1 (n = 294, Mage = 13.29, SD = 0.62; 55.1% male), Time 2 (n = 282), and Time 3 (n = 275). Longitudinal social network analyses showed that adolescents adopted the prosocial behavior of the classmates they liked - especially if these classmates were well-liked by peers in general. In addition, adolescents low in likeability were more susceptible to this influence than adolescents high in likeability. The influence resulted both in increases and – especially – decreases in prosocial behavior, depending on the level of prosociality of the liked peer. Findings suggest that likeability represents an important aspect of peer status that may be crucial for understanding the significance of peer influence with respect to prosocial behaviors during adolescence. Pre-Registration: https://osf.io/u4pxm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to identify the relationship that exist among parental involvement, peer influence and academic adjustment of student with visual impairment, examining the joint contribution of parental involvement and peer influence to the academic adjustment of student with visual impairment and investigate the relative contribution of the parental involvement and peer influence to the academic adjustment of student with visual impairment. The study makes use of an ex-po factor type survey design. Respondent data was gathered using the questionnaire approach. There are seventy-five visually impaired respondents in the study's sample. In order to address the research question, the data from the study was analyzed using inferential statistics such as Person Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and mean for the respondents' demographic data. The results demonstrate that peer pressure and parental participation improved the academic adjustment of the study's visually impaired children. Additionally, it demonstrates that parental participation was substantial and that the independent variables together contributed significantly to the dependent variable, i.e., they could independently and significantly predict the academic adjustment of the study's visually impaired pupils. According to the study, parents of visually impaired pupils should be urged to provide for their children's academic needs and to ensure that harmful peer pressure is avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unplanned drinking, or drinking that violates intentions to limit alcohol consumption, has been linked to significant alcohol-related consequences in college students; however, predictors and outcomes remain incompletely understood among other populations of young adults. This study identified person- and event-level predictors of unplanned drinking and explore the association of unplanned drinking with negative alcohol-related consequences in a racially and educationally diverse cohort of young adults., Method: A total of 938 young adults (aged 18-25; 70 % female; 60 % non-college; 37 % Black) participating in a randomized trial testing text-message alcohol interventions completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) reporting drinking intentions and alcohol consumption twice weekly for at least 4 weeks over a 14 week period. Controlling for intervention effects, mixed-effects models examined predictors of unplanned drinking days, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models assessed the relationship between frequency of unplanned drinking and negative alcohol consequences at a 14-week follow-up., Results: Participants reported alcohol consumption on 16.9 % of days when they had no plan to drink. Odds of unplanned drinking was higher for older age (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 1.06, p < 0.01), Black race (aOR = 1.25, p < 0.01), higher AUDIT-C score (aOR = 1.14, p < 0.001), and higher negative urgency score (aOR = 1.05, p < 0.01), weekends (aOR = 1.63, p < 0.001) and the presence of friends drinking (aOR = 9.37, p < 0.001). Compared to participants in the lowest unplanned drinking day category, those in the highest category showed a 26 % higher negative alcohol consequence rate ratio (RR = 1.26, 95 % CI [1.07, 1.48])., Conclusions: Unplanned drinking in young adults is strongly influenced by social context and individual risk factors. This behavior, when extreme, was associated with increased negative alcohol-related consequences. Interventions targeting impulsivity and peer influence may reduce unplanned drinking and mitigate its harmful effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Adolescence represents a critical period for the establishment of healthy habits, with family and peer influence playing an essential role. This study aimed to examine the relationship between family and peer influence on various lifestyle behaviors in adolescents, specifically smoking, physical activity, and alcohol consumption., Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 173 secondary school adolescents, utilizing the maximum likelihood estimation method. Additionally, the structural model was analyzed using multi-group structural equation modeling and path analysis to assess the influence of family and peers on adolescent behaviors. Model fit was verified: comparative fit index (CFI); normalized fit index (NFI); and root mean square error of approximation (REMSEA). The data were analyzed with the Amos 24 program. In addition, the generalizability coefficient (G) was calculated using an optimization plan with three projections (SAGT v1.0)., Results: Peers were found to have the strongest influence on both healthy lifestyle habits and risk behaviors. Support from friends was the dimension that had the greatest impact on the practice of healthy behaviors, especially physical activity (0.630), while the perception of satisfaction with peers had the least impact. With regard to the family, the dimension that had the least dominance in adolescent behavior was dialogue, and the most, satisfaction with family relationships. Furthermore, during early adolescence, the family context had a greater influence on the acquisition of life habits, in contrast to middle adolescence, where the influence of peers was more relevant., Conclusions: Interventions aimed at promoting healthy habits among children and adolescents should consider the role of both family and peers as critical components in the development of effective health promotion and prevention strategies.

This study examines the effects of gain-loss framing, messaging modality, peer influence, and individual factors such as social norms and self-efficacy on the attitudes and intentions to reduce sedentary behaviors among university students, specifically through (a) taking breaks and (b) taking 10,000 steps daily. We conducted a two-week health campaign field experiment on Instagram in January 2022, delivering ten posts with tailored messages to 284 university students in Singapore (valid N = 249). The participants were predominantly female (70.16%), ages 21-34 years (M = 24.2, SD = 3.19). This study measured attitudes and intentions to take breaks and 10,000 steps daily as key outcomes. The study yielded three key findings: (1) Gain-loss framing effects were amplified by peer influence, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms, with peer influence amplifying loss framing and both norms amplifying gain framing; (2) Gain framing was more effective than loss framing for motivating the intention to take 10,000 steps; (3) Injunctive norms were associated with attitudes and intentions to take breaks and the intention to take 10,000 steps, while self-efficacy was associated with attitudes toward taking breaks and both attitudes and intentions to take 10,000 steps. This study contributes theoretically by demonstrating how social dynamics amplify framing effects, with peer influence enhancing loss framing on attitude towards taking breaks and norms strengthening gain framing on attitude and intention towards taking 10,000 steps. Practically, it suggests health campaigns can effectively promote behaviors like taking breaks or walking by leveraging norms, peer influence, and self-efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Social influences from peers, such as the perceptions of how much one's peers drink (i.e., descriptive drinking norms) are robust predictors of college drinking. In the digital age, these influences can happen on social media through viewing posts shared by peers depicting drinking (alcohol-related content). Social media influencers also post alcohol-related content and are popular among students. However, less is known about whether influencer drinking norms potentially mediate the association between viewing influencer alcohol-related content and drinking. Methods: College students who drink alcohol ( N  = 528) completed an online survey which assessed if they followed influencers who posted alcohol-related content, how often they perceived the influencer shared the content, influencer norms, and personal alcohol consumption and consequences. Results: Findings from two cross-sectional mediation models revealed that influencer norms mediated associations between following more influencers who shared alcohol-related content or frequency of influencer content and participant drinking. Conclusions: These findings suggest that influencer norms are uniquely linked to students' drinking habits. Further, it extends prior research in the influencer domain by examining how perceptions of how much influencers drink (i.e., descriptive norms) may impact college drinking.

Low engagement with HIV services persists among young men with harmful alcohol use in South Africa. We previously piloted a rural community-based HIV service delivery model to engage this key population. In the initial study, male nurses visited alcohol-serving venues to provide HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services. From November 1 to December 30, 2021, we conducted interviews with 17 of 34 male pilot participants to evaluate program barriers, facilitators, and suggestions. All interviewees were satisfied with HIV testing and PrEP services. Participants overcame testing avoidance through peer influence and enhanced privacy. Barriers for PrEP initiation were stigma (PrEP mistaken for HIV treatment) and complacency toward HIV, while facilitators included desire to mitigate alcohol-associated risks, social support, and comfort with male community nurses. Most participants self-reported good adherence due to daily routines, nurse follow-ups, and social support, with lapses due to travel and alcohol use. Post-pilot, only three participants transferred to clinics to continue PrEP due to inconvenient access, unwelcoming environment, and stigma of clinic attendance. All participants wanted to restart community-based PrEP due to convenience, preference for male nurses, and avoidance of stigma. A few participants reported privacy concerns regarding peer-pressure to disclose test results and pills or home visits being mistaken for HIV treatment. Future suggestions included school/church visits, unmarked vehicles, nurse assistance with facilitated PrEP disclosure, patient ambassadors, and injectable PrEP. Community-based PrEP services using male nurses at alcohol-serving venues can reach men who otherwise would not engage in HIV services.