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While peer influences have often found to be a risk factor in terms of adolescent substance use, parental variables may continue to serve as an adaptive and protective function, although the role of parents is more latent and controversial. Therefore, the main goal of this paper was to investigate the role of authoritative parenting style and other family variables in adolescents' smoking and drinking. Using a sample of Hungarian youth (N=2072; age range between 12 and 22; Mean=15.4years, S.D.=1.8years; 49,2% males) logistic regression analyses confirmed that authoritative parenting style (particularly responsiveness) and positive identification with parents may serve as a protection, whereas negative family interactions may act as a risk factor. These relationships are particularly decisive in case of monthly prevalence of drinking and both lifetime and current prevalence of smoking. Gender differences are slight (namely, parental control for boys, whereas responsiveness for girls seem to be more relevant), however, the role of certain parental variables may change with age. Although parental control tends to decrease among high school students, it even serves as a greater protection for those whose parents continue providing parental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depressive symptomatology contributes to morbidity and mortality across the life course. Among factors predicting adolescent depressive symptomatology, it has become increasingly important to identify factors that prevent or minimize it, i.e., protective factors. This study examines protective factors operating in three contextual domains (parental, school-related and individual) that hold promise for explicating their role in the prevention of depressive symptomatology among a non-clinical adolescent population in Hungary. Data from this cross-sectional survey were gathered using self-administered questionnaires from adolescents (N = 881; aged between 14 and 20 years; 44.6% females) from five randomly selected high schools in Szeged, Hungary. Multiple regression analyses revealed that individual level variables (i.e., life satisfaction and optimism) were important predictors of adolescent depressive symptomatology. Among parental variables, social support from the same-sex parents lowered depressive symptoms. In addition, having dinner together with one's family was a significant protective factor for boys, whereas talking about problems with parents was significant for girls. In our study, school-related factors played only a limited role in reducing depressive symptoms; being happy with school was a protective factor only for boys. As a consequence, our findings draw attention to important gender differences in the structuring of protective factors and their role in reducing depressive symptoms, which will likely continue to be an important part of the prevention conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes beliefs and knowledge of harmful environmental factors and environment-borne disease in 9- to 11-year-olds' (N=448) using the 'draw-and-write' technique as a method of data collection. Most respondents described the man-made environmental risks (such as car transportation or noise pollution) as direct effects; however, in their interpretations, lifestyle (e.g., smoking) and other effects (e.g., pollen pollution) also received considerable emphasis. Although many did not describe a specific disease as environment-borne diseases, the most mentioned among the children were infectious diseases followed by allergy. The results of this study draw the attention to the relationship between health and environmental consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether the effects of self-regulatory cognitions and social influence variables on healthy behaviors - nutrition and physical activity - vary across countries. Adolescents (N = 2387) from Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and the USA participated in the study. Measures included self-efficacy, future orientation, social comparison orientation (SCO), perceived behaviors of peers, as well as age and gender. These variables were included in the path model as predictors of healthy behaviors. The role of a country as a moderator was also examined. Results showed that self-efficacy, SCO, and perceived behaviors of peers predicted both health-promoting behaviors in all four countries. Some differences were found regarding the role of future orientation and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that cigarette smoking in East Europe is a major health problem, no effective health policy responses have been developed thus far. Health care professionals represent a valuable resource for tobacco control. Therefore, we wanted to obtain information about the acceptance of smoking among medical, nursing and pharmacy students (n = 270) in Szeged, Hungary. The self-administered questionnaire contained items on smoking behavior, beliefs and attitudes related to smoking. Chi2-test were used to determine differences in the attitudes among students. Smoking was the most frequent among nursing students, followed by medical students. Pharmacy students not only reported smoking the least but they also showed the most acceptable attitudes toward smoking. The high frequency of smoking among students suggests that they themselves are unable to cope with avoiding the dangers of smoking. Moreover, responses reflect a generally poor appreciation of responsibility that health care professionals have in prevention. There is a need for an increasing emphasis on smoking-related attitude formation among medical and nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]