Social support,self-esteem and depression: Relationship with risk for sexually transmitted infections/HIV transmission

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV are important health problems that affect adolescents. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between 1) depression, self-esteem and perceived social support and 2) sexual risk behaviors according to gender. The sample used in this ex post facto study was composed of 1,005 adolescents of both sexes aged between 14 and 18 years. Participants completed several questionnaires in the classrooms of their secondary education schools. The questionnaires assessed depression, self-esteem and perceived social support and recorded information on sexual behavior and socio-demographic issues. Results showed that, among males, self-esteem predicted higher vaginal risk, depression was related to higher vaginal, anal and oral sexual risk, and perceived support from the family predicted lower vaginal and anal sexual risk. Among females, self-esteem was found to be associated with lower anal sexual risk and perceived support from friends predicted lower anal and oral sexual risk. The study highlights the importance of considering family and friends as well as gender differences in the prevention of STIs/HIV.     

Validation of the Internet and Social Networking Experiences Questionnaire in Spanish adolescents

The aim of this paper is to validate the Internet Related Experiences Questionnaire (IREQ) with a sample of 525 participants from Compulsory Secondary Education, considering the possible addiction to the internet from both interpersonal and intrapersonal dimensions. Besides, associations between CERI scores and several variables such as sex, age as well as selfesteem were analyzed. Results show a good fit of the questionnaire through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), where the interpersonal factor explains a higher percentage of the variance at the expense of the intrapersonal factor. Statistically significant differences between IREQ scores and age and a lineal positive association between self-esteem and possible interpersonal addiction to the internet were found. The possibility of these results to be affected by the social use of the Internet and the generalization in young people's lives is discussed. Moreover, the need of designing and implementing prevention programs for a healthy use of the internet is discussed.     

Autoestima en adolescentes. Estudios sobre su estabilidad y sus determinantes

Resumen

En el marco teórico de un concepto de la autoestima como conjunto global de esquemas evaluativos que el sujeto tiene acerca de sí mismo, se han investigado diferentes relaciones, causales y de asociación, entre la autoestima y otras variables. La investigación se ha desarrollado en trece estudios distintos, con sendos grupos de sujetos adolescentes, en cinco diseños diferentes, unos correlaciónales y otros de naturaleza cuasi-experimental. Principalmente en estos últimos ha aparecido que la autoestima es dependiente de ciertos acontecimientos significativos introducidos o controlados por el investigador. Pese a ello, sin embargo, la autoestima se ha mostrado como relativamente estable a través del tiempo, a la vez que internamente consistente, habiéndose hallado correlaciones significativas entre las mediciones de la misma con distintos instrumentos y en distintos momentos.     

Repercusión de la autoimagen en el diagnóstico de la capacidad de formar imágenes mentales

Resumen

Desde 1909 hasta la actualidad se han construido y utilizado mucho los cuestionarios para medir la capacidad de los sujetos para formar imágenes mentales; sin embargo, han sido muy discutidos, fundamentalmente porque las autopuntuaciones de imagen están contaminadas por las expectativas sociales.

Nosotros estudiamos la relación de la autoestima y la autoimagen con la viveza subjetiva de imagen visual. Presentamos a 93 estudiantes de Formación Profesional un test objetivo de imagen, un test subjetivo de imagen, una medida de autoestima y una de autoimagen. Obtuvimos correlaciones significativas entre la autoestima y la medida subjetiva de imagen, y entre la autoimagen y la medida subjetiva de imagen; sin embargo, la autoestima y la autoimagen no correlacionaron significativamente con un test objetivo de imagen.