Screen time of adolescents in an economically developing country: the case of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Most studies of screen time of adolescents have been carried out in well-developed countries. There is little information concerning screen time of adolescents in developing countries such as Turkey. AIM: This study examined the screen time of adolescents with regard to gender, school type and sport participation in Turkey, selected as an example of an economically developing country. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 916 high school students participated in this study. The household activities and sport indexes of the Physical Activity Assessment Questionnaire were administered to the participants. RESULTS: Male students had higher screen time (hours/day) than female students and the screen time of the adolescents was longer at the weekends than on weekdays (p < 0.01). The students attending private schools spent more screen time on both weekdays and weekends than those attending public schools (p < 0.01). The results did not reveal significant screen time differences with regard to participation duration in sport activities (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Male adolescents and students attending private schools had a higher screen time rate than their counterparts, both on weekdays and at the weekend. Participating in sport for different durations did not make any difference to the screen time of these adolescents.

The psychological characteristics and health related behavior of adolescents: the possible roles of social physique anxiety and gender

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not the social physique anxiety level and gender have an influence on psychological characteristics and health related behavior of adolescents. Five hundred and ninety eight female (Mage = 14.95, SD = .70 years) and three hundred and eighty four male (Mage = 15.08, SD = .76 years) adolescents voluntarily participated in this study. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), three subscales of the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale as indicators of psychological characteristics were administered to all participants. The Eating Attitude Test and Physical Activity Assessment Questionnaire were used to determine health related behavior. It was found that adolescents with high levels of SPA (HSPA) had more unfavourable eating attitudes, higher scores in socially-prescribed perfectionism, negative global physical self-worth and negative body related perceptions than those with low levels of SPA (LSPA). Physical activity levels of adolescents did not differ in the two SPA groups (high/low level). In addition, male adolescents in the present study were more physically active and had favorable eating attitudes and more positive self-perceptions of body fat and general physical self-worth than their female counterparts (AU)

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar si el nivel de ansiedad física social y el género tienen o no, influencia sobre las características psicológicas y la conducta saludable de los adolescentes. En esta investigación participaron voluntariamente 598 chicas (Mage = 14.95, SD = 0.70 años) y 384 chicos (Mage = 15.08, SD = 0.76 años) en edad adolescente. Como indicadores de las características psicológicas, a todos los participantes se les aplicó la Escala de Ansiedad Física y Social (SPAS), tres subescalas del Cuestionario de Auto-percepción Física, y la Escala Multidimensional de Perfeccionismo. El Test de Actitudes Alimentarias y el Cuestionario de Valoración de Actividad Física fueron utilizados para determinar la conducta saludable. Se descubrió que los adolescentes con altos niveles de ansiedad física social (HSPA) poseían más actitudes alimentarias desfavorables, mayores puntuaciones en perfeccionismo socialmente prescrito, menor autoestima física y percepciones negativas en relación con su cuerpo, que aquellos con bajos niveles de ansiedad física social (LSPA). Los niveles de actividad física de los adolescentes no se diferenciaban en los dos grupos (alto y bajo nivel de ansiedad física social). Además, en el presente estudio, los varones adolescentes eran físicamente más activos, tenían buenas actitudes alimentarias, una más positiva auto-percepción de la grasa corporal y una mejor autoestima física general, que sus homólogas femeninas (AU)

The psychological characteristics and health related behavior of adolescents: the possible of social physique anxiety and gender.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not the social physique anxiety level and gender have an influence on psychological characteristics and health related behavior of adolescents. Five hundred and ninety eight female (M(age) = 14.95, SD = .70 years) and three hundred and eighty four male (M(age) = 15.08, SD = .76 years) adolescents voluntarily participated in this study. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), three subscales of the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale as indicators of psychological characteristics were administered to all participants. The Eating Attitude Test and Physical Activity Assessment Questionnaire were used to determine health related behavior. It was found that adolescents with high levels of SPA (HSPA) had more unfavourable eating attitudes, higher scores in socially-prescribed perfectionism, negative global physical self-worth and negative body related perceptions than those with low levels of SPA (LSPA). Physical activity levels of adolescents did not differ in the two SPA groups (high/low level). In addition, male adolescents in the present study were more physically active and had favorable eating attitudes and more positive self-perceptions of body fat and general physical self-worth than their female counterparts.