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The Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) is a 19-item instrument newly developed for screening children and adolescents for emotional and behavioral problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the youth-report and parent-report versions of the BPM (BPM-Y and BPM-P) among Chinese youth. Data was collected from two samples: a middle school student sample (n = 1,246, girls = 516 [41.4%]) and a community youth sample from families suffering adversity (n = 383, girls = 143 [37.3%]). We conducted a series of confirmatory factor analyses to test and compare the latent structures of the BPM-Y and BPM-P. Results suggested that the three-factor model of the BPM-Y and BPM-P fit the data best. And based on the omnibus fit indices and difference between them, the items of the BPM-Y and BPM-P support measurement invariance across informants (both youth- and parent-report) for the three-factor model. Internal consistency coefficients were satisfactory (Cronbach's α = .73 ~ .90). In terms of convergent validity, BPM factors and BPM scores showed expected correlations with strength and difficulties behavior, callous–unemotional traits, psychopathic traits, and social competence. In sum, our findings supported that the three-factor structuure of BPM-Y and BPM-P could be a promising instrument to screen emotional and behavioral problems in Chinese youth.

The present study aimed to examine measurement invariance and psychometric properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Short Version (SCAS-S) in Chinese children. The measurement invariance across different informants (i.e., self-report and mother-report), as well as gender and longitudinal (i.e., one year) measurement invariance were tested for a sample of Chinese youth, using a series of confirmatory factor analyses (N = 462, Mage = 10.45, SDage = .85). Results indicated that the scores of the SCAS-S had strict measurement invariance across gender and a one-year time interval, and weak measurement invariance across informants. Additionally, correlations with the external variables showed that the self-report version SCAS-S had good construct validity. Furthermore, the internal consistencies for the SCAS-S subscales were acceptable across informants, gender, and time points. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the SCAS-S has satisfactory psychometric properties and can be a reliable tool to measure anxiety in Chinese children aged 9 to 13 years old.

Although Chinese parents are seen as employing guilt and shame induction to socialize children’s culturally appropriate behavior, research has focused primarily on Chinese parents’ use of these inductions and their links with child adjustment rather than on children’s evaluations of them. Furthermore, this research typically does not examine variations in children’s appraisals based on the type of behavior being socialized. The present study addressed these gaps in the literature by examining 206 Hong Kong Chinese children’s and early adolescents’ (Ms = 9.76, 13.35 years, SDs = 0.78, 0.54; 50% and 61% female, respectively) appraisals of maternal guilt induction (act- vs. parent-focused) and shame induction (social comparison vs. denigration) following a hypothetical moral and academic transgression. Overall, act-focused guilt induction was evaluated as more appropriate, respectful, effective, and reflective of mothers’ love and concern than parent-focused guilting, and in turn, social comparison shaming, and then denigration and more so overall for the moral than the academic transgression. Early adolescents judged act-focused guilting for the moral transgression as more effective and eliciting more positive feelings than did children. Although culturally valued, social comparison shame (and also denigration) were judged as less appropriate, less effective, as reflecting less maternal love and concern, and as eliciting less positive feelings (but only for social comparison shaming in response to lower-than-expected academic performance) by early adolescents as compared to younger peers, suggesting that youth become more critical of these culturally appropriate practices in the transition to adolescence.

The BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form (BESS-3-SF; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2015) is a 28-item screening tool for behavioral and emotional risks among children and youth. In this study, we tested if the 26 items from the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Self Report of Personality-Third Edition (BASC-3-SRP) could function as BESS-3-SF as a screening tool among Chinese youth. Data were collected with BASC-3-SRP from 1,186 adolescents (Male: 35%) in 10 schools, which were randomly and evenly divided into two samples: Sample A and Sample B. We first conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Sample A, and then a first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a bifactor CFA with Sample B. EFA and first-order CFA suggested a five-factor structure. Bifactor analysis indicated variance explained by the general factor reached the threshold for a unidimensional interpretation. Results also suggested that cultural factors (e.g., relationship with teachers) might need to be considered in further examination of BESS-3-SF among Chinese youth. Together, our findings suggest that BESS-3-SF is a promising tool for screening general behavioral and emotional risks among Chinese youth. Our findings also contribute to the literature regarding the dimensionality of the BESS forms.

Neighborhood walking environment is an environmental issue affecting human health-related behaviors in China and worldwide. High school is a special period in China, during which students need to prepare for the college entrance examination and are physically inactive. Therefore, the influence of environment on high school students’ physical activities is particularly prominent. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neighborhood environment walkability and physical activity in Chinese youth. We conducted a retrospective questionnaire study on 3424 freshmen from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The mean age at the moment of completing the questionnaire was 18.74 years (SD = 0.95) and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.37 kg/m2 (SD = 2.86). Participants were asked to look back on their usual weekly physical activity and perceived neighborhood environment during high school. Neighborhood environment was measured using the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (NEWS-Y). Physical activity data by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) were collected. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The mean scale total score of NEWS-Y was 14.66 (SD = 1.30). Participants on average engaged in 754.46 (SD = 844.69), 479.79 (SD = 687.24), 920.47 (SD = 994.92), and 2172.72 (SD = 1736.21) MET-minutes/week of travel physical activity (travel PA), moderate physical activity (MPA), vigorous physical activity (VPA), and total physical activity (total PA), respectively. A one scale score increases in neighborhood walkable environmental was associated with an increase in travel PA and MPA by 42.64 (P

There remains a need for a disorder-specific inventory of children’s depression and anxiety that can reliably screen anxious and depressive disorder symptomatology in Chinese children. The Revised Child and Anxiety Depression Scale (RCADS) is a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety and depression in children (Chorpita et al., 2000; Piqueras et al., 2017). This study sought to evaluate its psychometric properties in a Mainland Chinese sample. Students from the 4th to 11th grades (N = 1001) participated in this study. Each of the RCADS subscales, by age and sex, possessed reliability coefficients ranging between .63 and .81. Means and standard deviations for RCADS subscales calculated for the age and sex sub-samples were reported. Participants reported slightly lower levels on five subscales than for Chorpita et al. (2000) normative sample. The scales were significantly and strongly correlated with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) subscales (somatic, withdrawal, anxiety) as well as CBCL internalizing scores. Fit statistics suggested marginal to adequate fit for the six-factor model for the Chinese youth. The present study provides foundational support for the psychometric properties of the RCADS in a large sample of Chinese youth yet indicates that factor structure might be improved through enhanced sampling of culturally relevant symptom expressions.

Interpersonal theories have suggested that depressive symptoms influence and are influenced by peer relationships, but little is known about how depressive symptoms-peer relationships associations change with age. This study examined the longitudinal associations between both group- and dyadic-level peer relationships and depressive symptoms in a community sample of Chinese youth (n = 2179; 47.9% girls) from grades 6 to 9. Results demonstrated correlations between stable trait-like components of peer acceptance/rejection and depressive symptoms, with no dynamic state-like associations being observed. The results also suggested that conflict with friends operated as a consistent interpersonal risk for subsequent depressive symptoms across late childhood to middle adolescence. Support from friends was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in early adolescence, but influenced and was influenced by depressive symptoms in middle adolescence. This study highlights that depressive symptoms are associated with youth's peer social status and friendship in different ways and that the interactions between friendship and depressive symptoms get strengthened with the transition to adolescence.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the measurement invariance of the Chinese version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA; Gullone and Taffe (Psychological Assessment, 24(2), 409–417, 2011)) across gender. A total of 1388 Chinese adolescents (48.1% males), ranging in age from 11 to 16 years (M = 12.9, SD = 1.09) were recruited from four Chinese middle schools and completed the ERQ-CA. The Cronbach’s α values, omega coefficients, and item-total correlations for the two subscales of the ERQ-CA indicated adequate internal consistency reliability. The results of confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that all configural, metric, scalar, and partial strict invariance models provided acceptable fit to the data. The result of latent means analysis demonstrated statistically non-significant differences between boys and girls. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the ERQ-CA displays appropriate measurement invariance across gender for Chinese youth of ages 11 to 16.

Limited research has explored longitudinal impact of stress on negative health outcomes, including overweight and obesity in Asian societies. Using data from a longitudinal school-based health promotion study conducted in Wuhan, China from 1999 to 2004, this study investigated the longitudinal effects of childhood stress exposure, including stressors related to school, family, peers, violence and health on overweight, and obesity risk during the transition to adolescence among 2179 Chinese adolescents. Results showed that health stressors were consistently related to higher BMI Z score for both boys and girls baseline, it also predicted higher likelihood of overweight status over time for girls. This finding highlights a particularly challenging time period for girls, suggesting a particular challenging time they face at the intersection of puberty and demanding school environment.

Little is known on the extent of weight misperception and its relation with dietary intake among Chinese youth.The study aimed to investigate extent and correlates of weight misperception and its relation with dietary intake among Chinese youth.Data pertaining to Chinese youth, 6-17 years of age, from the 2004-2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey (N = 3,923) were analyzed using STATA version 12.1. The heights and weights of the participants were measured by well-trained health workers at the participants' homes or a local clinic following the reference protocol recommended by the World Health Organization. The dietary intake data of the participants were collected on three consecutive days at both the household and individual levels.Of the children 6-11 years of age, 18.9% were underweight and 15.3% were overweight. Among the children 12-17 years of age, 18.3% were underweight and 8.1% were overweight. Less than 60 % of Chinese youth accurately estimated their weight status. Nutrition knowledge was positively related to a perception of being overweight (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.98, p = .007) among children 12-17 years of age. A perception of being overweight was positively associated with fat and protein intake among children 6-11 years of age (p .05).A discrepancy exists between the actual and perceived weight status of Chinese youth. Efforts are needed in China to promote accurate weight perception, healthy weight, and eating behaviors.

Scant research has examined links between particular emotion socialization processes and child emotion functioning cross-nationally. In this study, we assessed a sample of 55 families from the United States (U.S.; 28 boys and 27 girls) and 49 families from China (27 boys and 22 girls) on family emotional expressiveness and children’s emotional experiences and regulation. Results indicated that children and families from the U.S. reported greater emotional expressiveness than their Chinese counterparts. Children from the U.S. also reported greater undercontrolled emotion than Chinese youth. Family expression of positive emotion was related to effortful emotion regulation in U.S. youth only, whereas family expression of negative emotion was associated with undercontrolled emotion for both U.S. and Chinese children. Our findings advance context-specific models of emotional development by illustrating similarities and differences in emotional functioning among U.S. and Chinese families. From a clinical perspective, the findings suggest that practitioners should consider the cultural variations of emotion communication within families when conducting both assessment and therapy.

The current study examined enduring vulnerability factors and depression as predictors of stress generation in Chinese adolescents. Participants included 622 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in both urban and rural mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of vulnerability factors and depressive symptoms and participated in interviews that assessed lifetime depression and negative life events over the previous 6 months. In addition, high dependency, self-criticism, neuroticism, and low self-perceived competence were associated with stress generation, independent of the effect of depressive symptoms and lifetime diagnosis of depression. Of note, no gender-by-vulnerability interactions were found in the present sample of youth. The findings suggest that the stress generation process may be generalizable to Chinese youth.

This article reports results of a study of self-image among 426 adolescents from the Republic of China (Taiwan). Self-image was studied through use of a Chinese translation of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire. Subjects were from public schools and a factory setting in the Republic of China. Implications for understanding Chinese youth as well as problems in doing cross-cultural research are discussed.