Browsing by Subject "Emerging adults"
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Item Associations between energy drink consumption and dietary behaviors among emerging adults(2012-05) Poulos, Natalie Shepherd; Pasch, Keryn E.The energy drink market increased 240% between the years 2004 and 2008 and is expected to continue to grow. Growth of this market is concerning because energy drink consumption has been associated with a variety of health risk behaviors including increased marijuana use, sexual risk-taking, fighting, alcohol consumption, but little research has explored the relationship between energy drinks and dietary behaviors of emerging adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between energy drink consumption and diet among a sample of emerging adults. Participants included 585 undergraduate students from a large, public US university (m age=18.7; 47% non-Hispanic White, 20.9% Hispanic, 25.5% Asian, 2.7% non-Hispanic Black, and 4.4% other; 56% Female). Using an online survey, students self-reported energy drink consumption and dietary behaviors. Past week and past month energy drink consumption was measured with single items asking the number of times and the number of days the student consumed an energy drink, respectively. Dietary behaviors measured included soda, diet soda, milk, sweet snacks, salty snacks, fruits, vegetables, breakfast, frozen food meals, fast food meals, and restaurant meals consumption in a usual week. Summing responses to items including weekly consumption of milk, fruits, vegetables, and breakfast created a healthy eating index. Similarly, summing responses on items including weekly consumption of soda, diet soda, sweet snacks, salty snacks, frozen food, fast food, and restaurant food created an unhealthy eating index. Linear regression analyses were run to determine the associations between energy drink consumption and the individual dietary behaviors as well as the healthy and unhealthy eating indices. All analyses controlled for gender, race/ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Additional models were run with gender as a moderator to determine if the associations between energy drink consumption and dietary behaviors differed by gender. Overall, 17.5% of students consumed energy drinks at least one time in the past week (12.6% male, 5.0% female), and 38.1% consumed energy drinks on at least one day in the past month (22.7% male, 15.4% female). Increased past month energy drink consumption was associated with a higher score on the unhealthy eating scale (B=0.25 (SE =0.13), p=0.001), soda consumption (B=0.11 (SE =0.05), p=<0.001), and diet soda consumption (B=0.07 (SE =0.04), p=0.007), and a lower score on the healthy eating scale (B=-0.27 (SE=0.17), p<0.05). Increased past week energy drink consumption was associated with a higher score on the unhealthy eating score (B=0.80 (SE =0.28), p=<0.001), soda (B=0.25 (SE =0.10), p=0.003), diet soda (B=0.20 (SE =0.09), p=0.003), pre-packaged salty snacks (B=0.16 (SE =0.09), p=0.04), and frozen meal consumption (B=0.16 (SE =0.05), p=<0.002). No moderation effect was found by gender. Results suggest that those students who consume more energy drinks also consume more unhealthy foods and beverages. Given these associations, it is important that interventions aimed at addressing diet quality, overweight, or obesity rates within this population also consider the implications of energy drink consumption as a risk factor.Item Create to live : perceptions of contemporary art in reality TV(2016-05) Macknight, Lauren; Bolin, Paul Erik, 1954-; Bain, ChristinaWithin the field of art education, there has been little to no research into the knowledge afforded by discourses around popular culture, especially those specific to reality television, into how the public conceptualizes contemporary art and artists. This kind of foundational knowledge is critical to our own development and evolution as a field as we learn how to most effectively reach our students and advocate best for the value of arts in education. Through an investigation of the television program Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, I asked: is the perception of contemporary art and practice altered by the lens of popular culture and, specifically, the reality television format? Is this an entryway to a broader dialogue about art’s value in the 21st century and to young individuals’ lives and careers? Results from this study were threefold. First, results pointed to a pattern of progressively nuanced insight and descriptive talk, indicated alternative access to art’s interpretability through the lens of popular culture. Talk in the focus groups functioned as a way for participants to perform access to interpretive authority over subjects of contemporary art to varying degrees of success, whether that meant adopting art terminology or modeling the language of judges and artist-contestants. Secondly, analysis displayed the discursive work involved in the meaning-making around understanding the artist as a figure, as a myth, and as a profession. Participants’ interactional speech performed a balancing act between critically examining the competing discourses of the artist—as contestant and creative laborer—and an understanding of who they are and their own identity in relation to the character of the artist. Lastly, analysis uncovered situated meaning of art and its value, where participants conducted a critical negotiation of what is and what was not art unfettered by lack of art historical knowledge of access to art’s interpretability.Item Factors influencing dietary fat intake among Black emerging adults(2015-05) Horton, Shalonda Estelle; Timmerman, Gayle M.; Acton, Gayle; Brown, Adama; Musick, Marc; Rew, LynnCurrently more than 1/3 of the adult U.S. population is obese. Obesity has been linked to dietary fat intake (DFI). Black emerging adults have a higher prevalence of obesity and DFI compared to other races/ethnicities, which increases their risks for cardiovascular disease. In order to reduce risks for long-term chronic illnesses linked to lifestyle choices, it is important for Black emerging adults to develop healthy eating habits while transitioning into adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of individual characteristics (gender, body mass index, income adequacy, and religious commitment) and behavior-specific cognitions and affect (perceived barriers for healthy eating, perceived self-efficacy related to managing dietary fat intake, perceived family social support, perceived friend social support, and perceived generalized stress) on the behavior outcome of DFI. Pender’s Health Promotion Model was the theoretical framework that guided this study. A convenience sample of 251 participants, recruited from sites frequented by Black emerging adults, such as universities, churches, and social media, used a web link to complete an online self-report survey regarding factors that influence their DFI. The survey contained a demographic questionnaire and eight established instruments, which measured the previously mentioned individual characteristics, behavior-specific cognitions and affect, and DFI. Gender (r[subscript pb] = -.22, p < .001) (higher fat intake among males), perceived barriers for healthy eating (r = .32, p < .001), and perceived self-efficacy related to dietary fat intake (r = -.33, p < .001) were the only variables studied that were significantly correlated with DFI. These variables were also significant predictors for DFI, explaining 20.1% of the variance. Gender had the greatest effect on DFI (b = -5.671, p = .000). Religious commitment influenced the effects of perceived stress on dietary fat intake. This study addresses the gap in the literature by examining factors influencing DFI among Black emerging adults, an understudied population. Findings from this study may lead to culturally age-appropriate and gender-specific interventions to help Black emerging adults adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles well into their older adult years.Item Health information sharing behaviors on Facebook among emerging adults(2015-08) Liang, Ming-Ching; Kahlor, LeeAnn; Eastin, Matthew; Loukas, Alexandra; Mackert, Michael; Stout, PatriciaWhile more and more practitioners have started to use social networking sites (SNS) as a way to communicate with young audiences about health topics, not much is known about why emerging adults share health information on those platforms. Drawing from the theory of planned behavior, the situational theory of problem solving, and the uses and gratifications approach, this study proposes and tests a model that highlights proactive and reactive information sharing behaviors and the motivational factors that predict these behaviors. In the context of sharing influenza-related information on Facebook, a survey study (N=338) was conducted. The results of structural equation modeling and regression analyses confirmed the applicability of the proposed information sharing model in the current research context. Despite some insignificant relationships, the features of emerging adults were empirically examined, with possibilities and instabilities recognized as potential contributors to information sharing behaviors. In addition, it was observed that the differences between proactive and reactive information sharing behaviors related to the roles of perceived control over the information sharing behavior. Specifically, the perceived norms of information sharing, the need for self-presentation on SNSs, and the sense of virtual community were identified as the more prominent predictors for both proactive and reactive information sharing behaviors. The framework and findings of this study present future opportunities for researchers who work on health information behaviors, emerging adulthood, and digital health communication. The implications in health intervention development are also discussed.Item Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, hope, and social connectedness: examining the predictors of future orientation among emerging adults(2009-12) Herrera, Denise E.; Loukas, AlexandraDecisions made during the transitional age of 18-30, may influence the health and well being of individuals for many years to come. Perhaps more than any earlier life stages, emerging adults have the potential to explore new opportunities, develop their own autonomy, and play a more conscious role in shaping their own development, while overcoming difficulties that may have contributed to their vulnerability in an earlier period of life or the present. To date, few studies have focused on the positive or health promoting, psychosocial factors that contribute to future orientation, particularly among emerging adults. Guided by the Theory of Possible Selves and Social Capital Theory, this quantitative study explored the contribution of perceived discrimination, hope, and social connectedness to future orientation, using a web-based survey. The present study found that perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and social connectedness were significantly and hope was marginally related to the future orientation of 151 emerging adults who were current or former members of the AmeriCorps program in the state of New Mexico. The findings remained significant after controlling for race/ethnicity. Social connectedness served as a resource factor in its association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and the outcome of future orientation. Social connectedness also served a protective function, thereby moderating the association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation. Findings suggest that further examination of the potential buffering effects that may offset the negative effects of a risk, such as perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, is warranted. Attention should be given to other potential moderating and/or mediating effects in the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation in subsequent studies. Given the uniqueness of the sample in this study, future researchers should continue to examine populations participating in programs such as AmeriCorps. Results from the current study may have important implications for the value of programs that aim to build civic engagement, social connectedness, and leadership among its members and the communities that are served.Item Perceived stress, stress management, and vigorous physical activity among college students(2013-05) Yingling, Camille E; Pasch, Keryn E.Obesity is a public health concern and obesity rates increase from adolescence to adulthood. Therefore, the period between 18-24, known as emerging adulthood, may be a crucial period in the development of obesity. Physical activity (PA) is one component of obesity and levels of physical activity decline significantly during emerging adulthood. Additionally, stress is inversely associated with PA, with greater levels of PA associated with lower levels of stress. While most research has focused on whether or how PA may improve stress, much less has focused on how the experience of stress may be related to levels of PA. The limited existing research with a focus on the latter has found that stress negatively impacts PA. However, even less research has examined the associations between stress and vigorous PA (VPA) in emerging adulthood, a crucial period in the development of obesity. Additionally, research as not explored the potential role of perceived stress management ability in the relationship between perceived stress and VPA. Linear regression analyses were run to examine the relationship between perceived stress and days and minutes of past week VPA among first-year college students and to test whether the relationship between perceived stress and VPA was moderated by perceived stress management ability. In unadjusted models, perceived stress was significantly negatively associated with both minutes and days of VPA, indicating that perceived stress may be a barrier to VPA, but in models adjusted for gender and body mass index (BMI), these associations were no longer significant, indicating that there was no association between perceived stress and VPA taking into account gender and BMI. Moderation of the relationship between perceived stress and VPA was not found, indicating that and that the relationship between perceived stress and VPA did not differ by perceived stress management ability in this population. These results are inconsistent with previous research that has found a significant negative relationship between perceived stress and physical activity. Additionally, gender was significantly associated with minutes of VPA. Possible reasons for the inconsistency of these findings and previous research, along with limitations of the current study and future directions are discussed.Item There’s something about health : understanding everyday talk about health within families(2016-12) Scheinfeld, Emily Nicole; Donovan-Kicken, Erin E.; Mackert, Mike; Whittaker, Tiffany; Dailey, Rene; Vangelisti, AnitaIt is imperative to explore how family members disclose information, as it is necessary in order to receive support, which allows people to more effectively cope with the health situation at hand. But to understand why and how people decide to disclose personal health information to loved ones, there is a need to explore the role the parent-child relationship and family environment have in these communicative processes. Relational quality and family communication patterns have been useful in past research to explain or predict conflict, invasion perception, problem solving, and emotional climate, to name a few. Past research has yet to fully untangle the motivation for a person to disclose health information to a family member. This project aimed to explicate the differences between everyday family health communication and the relationship it has with more targeted and challenging health communication (e.g., that about alcohol, cigarettes, and sex). A qualitative pilot study explored the narrative of how emerging adults (EAs) talk about health with families. This pilot study was used as the foundation to develop an instrument of everyday family health communication. Self-report surveys provided evidence for valid scale development. Results also argued the frequency of everyday family health communication and breadth of topics was positively and significantly associated with more targeted communication about alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. These results, and their implications, are discussed further.