Family Relationships May Influence Well-Being of Poor Taiwanese Adolescents
A study of Taiwanese adolescents in poverty suggests that family relationships may play a key role in explaining the link between material deprivation and psychological distress, as well as substance use.
A study involving more than 1,300 Taiwanese adolescents living in poverty found that their relationships with family members, teachers, and peers may help explain the link between material deprivation and substance use (1). The research, published in Behavioral Sciences & the Law, analyzed data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, which includes information on a national sample of students from poor families in Taiwan (1). The participants, who were between the ages of 10 and 17, mostly came from non-intact families, and more than two-thirds were from households receiving government assistance for low- and lower-middle-income households (1). [1]
The survey used to collect data included 17 yes-or-no questions assessing material deprivation, such as whether adolescents skip meals to save money or avoid socializing due to a lack of pocket money (1). It also assessed the quality of relationships with family, peers, and teachers, as well as psychological distress and substance use (1). The findings revealed that adolescents who reported more material deprivation tended to have slightly worse relationships with peers, very slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, and somewhat higher psychological distress (1). [1]
However, material deprivation was not directly associated with substance use, and adolescents who reported more substance use tended to have slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, but not peers, and very slightly higher psychological distress (1). The study suggests that family relationships may serve as a pathway linking material deprivation to psychological distress, but not necessarily to substance use (1). The authors note that the study’s design does not allow for causal inferences, and all data were collected using self-reports, which may introduce potential biases (1). [1]
A study involving more than 1,300 Taiwanese adolescents living in poverty found that their relationships with family members, teachers, and peers may help explain the link between material deprivation and substance use (1). The survey used to collect data included 17 yes-or-no questions assessing material deprivation, such as whether adolescents skip meals to save money or avoid socializing due to a lack of pocket money (1). However, material deprivation was not directly associated with substance use, and adolescents who reported more substance use tended to have slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, but not peers, and very slightly higher psychological distress (1). [1]
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The study, conducted by Zewei Liu and Ji-Kang Chen of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, analyzed data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty (1). The data, collected in 2013 and 2014, included information from 1,329 middle school and high school students who provided complete responses (1). The participants, aged 10 to 17 with an average age of 15, included about half who were girls and most who came from non-intact families (1). [1]
The researchers tested a statistical model in which material deprivation was linked to poorer social relationships, which were in turn linked to substance use and psychological distress (1). The results were consistent with family relationships serving as a pathway: adolescents facing more deprivation reported poorer family relationships, which were associated with greater distress (1). Relationships with peers and teachers did not appear to play this role for distress, while material deprivation remained directly linked to higher distress (1). [1]
A study involving more than 1,300 Taiwanese adolescents living in poverty found that their relationships with family members, teachers, and peers may help explain the link between material deprivation and substance use (1). The survey used to collect data included 17 yes-or-no questions assessing material deprivation, such as whether adolescents skip meals to save money or avoid socializing due to a lack of pocket money (1). However, material deprivation was not directly associated with substance use, and adolescents who reported more substance use tended to have slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, but not peers, and very slightly higher psychological distress (1). [1]
The study, conducted by Zewei Liu and Ji-Kang Chen of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, analyzed data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty (1). The researchers tested a statistical model in which material deprivation was linked to poorer social relationships, which were in turn linked to substance use and psychological distress (1). The analysis used survey data collected in 2013 and 2014 from 1,329 middle school and high school students who provided complete information (1). [1]
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The survey also assessed psychological distress, using items adapted from the Brief Symptom Rating Scale covering symptoms such as low mood, tension, and trouble sleeping during the past week, and substance use, asking whether adolescents had recently smoked cigarettes, drunk alcohol, or chewed betel nuts (1). Although selling betel nuts to minors is prohibited in Taiwan, they remain the third most popular substance in the country after alcohol and tobacco (1). [1]
A study of more than 1,300 Taiwanese adolescents living in poverty found that their relationships with family members, teachers, and peers may help explain the link between material deprivation and substance use (1). The study, conducted by Zewei Liu and Ji-Kang Chen of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, analyzed data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty (1). The researchers tested a statistical model in which material deprivation was linked to poorer social relationships, which were in turn linked to substance use and psychological distress (1). [1]
The survey included 17 yes-or-no questions assessing material deprivation, such as whether adolescents skip meals to save money or avoid socializing due to a lack of pocket money (1). It also assessed the quality of relationships with family (using items adapted from the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scale), peers (three items, e.g., “My classmates/peers and I share our good and bad moods”), and teachers (six items, e.g., “My teacher cares about me”) (1). [1]
The survey also assessed psychological distress, using items adapted from the Brief Symptom Rating Scale covering symptoms such as low mood, tension, and trouble sleeping during the past week, and substance use, asking whether adolescents had recently smoked cigarettes, drunk alcohol, or chewed betel nuts (1). Betel nuts are the seeds of the areca palm, chewed for their stimulant effects in parts of Asia and the Pacific, and their use is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer (1). [1]
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Adolescents who reported more material deprivation tended to report slightly worse relationships with peers, very slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, and somewhat higher psychological distress (1). However, material deprivation was not associated with substance use (1). Adolescents who reported more substance use tended to have slightly worse relationships with family and teachers, but not peers, and very slightly higher psychological distress (1). [1]
Sources
Prepared with AI assistance from the cited sources.
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