Research into child poverty and juvenile delinquency shares two features: both involve children and sensitive topics. This article focuses on the critical problem of the quality of children’s participation in research. Some of the ethical and methodological challenges faced in two research projects, a self-report survey on juvenile delinquency and a multi-method study of low-income families, will be discussed. The construct of engagement is proposed as a rationale to address these challenges.

Leisure is a context for both risk and protection of adolescent well-being. Using a person-centered analysis, the present study examined the links between after-school time use and the adjustment of an urban sample of 7th–12th graders (n = 3,808), who self-reported on their leisure activities, school achievement, problem behaviors, and happiness. Results indicated that time use patterns were distributed in five clusters: Creative/Social, Productive/Home, High-Social/Sports, Uninvolved/Sports, and Uninvolved/Home. These patterns of time use varied by age, gender and SES, and were linked with adolescent outcomes in a way that adolescents involved with multiple constructive activities presented better adjustment compared with their either uninvolved or socially oriented counterparts. Specific groups of adolescents were at higher risk for problem behaviors linked to after-school time use. These findings have relevant implications for evidence-based interventions and policies aiming at promoting adolescent well-being and targeting at-risk populations of youth.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of poverty on child well-being and family functioning among low-income families. Specifically, it explored the role of parental stress, family dynamics, and contextual strain on children’s behavioral and emotional outcomes. Using a sample of families receiving welfare support, the research sought to assess the impact of conditional cash transfer programs and the involvement of Child Protective Services on child development and family well-being. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 99 children aged 8–12 from low-income, welfare-assisted families recruited from the Porto Metropolitan Area. Parental stress, parenting attitudes, family functioning, and child outcomes were assessed using standardized questionnaires. Families with and without Child Protective Services involvement were compared, and a cumulative index of contextual strain was developed to measure the multidimensional impact of stressors on child outcomes. Results: The results revealed that 53% of children exhibited clinical or borderline internalizing behaviors, 47% showed externalizing behaviors, and 39% experienced low psychological well-being. High levels of parental stress, low parenting competence, and significant contextual strain were associated with poorer child outcomes. Families involved with Child Protective Services showed no significant differences in parent or family characteristics, but children from these families exhibited fewer behavioral problems. Conclusions: The study highlights the pervasive impact of poverty and contextual strain on child development, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive interventions. Family functioning and parental stress are critical factors influencing child well-being, pointing to the importance of addressing these areas through targeted welfare and support programs to reduce the intergenerational transmission of poverty and improve child outcomes.

Aims/hypothesis: This study aimed to investigate acculturation’s direct and mediated effects on HbA_1c levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes from Arabic-speaking countries that are members of the Arab League who have emigrated to Australia. Methods: In this multicentre cross-sectional study, we recruited 382 Arabic-speaking immigrants who were born in any of the 22 countries of the Arab League and who had type 2 diabetes from different healthcare settings in Australia. HbA_1c levels were retrieved from medical records. A validated self-report questionnaire was used to assess behavioural and psychosocial outcomes. Acculturation was measured using the General Acculturation Index and the Adherence to Traditional Values tool. We used structural equation modelling to test mediation hypotheses. Results: Participants had a mean HbA_1c value of 63.9 mmol/mol (8.0%), a low acculturation level (mean±SD: 1.9±0.6; range: 1–5) and highly adhered to traditional values (mean General Acculturation Index value: 3.7±0.7; range: 1–5). Higher HbA_1c was associated with lower acculturation levels (Pearson correlation coefficient [r] = −0.32, p<0.01) and higher adherence to traditional values (r=0.35, p<0.01). Self-efficacy, health literacy and self-care activities partially mediated the relationship between acculturation and HbA_1c. Conclusions/interpretation: Among Arab immigrants in Australia with type 2 diabetes, the degree of acculturation is related to glycaemic control, suggesting possible avenues for new interventions. Graphical

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence is rising globally. Arab immigrants with T2DM, one of the least studied ethnic minorities, have a higher diabetes prevalence and more prominent management-related challenges compared with mainstream host societies. Acculturation’s impact on self-care activities and diabetes distress (DD) is understudied globally. Purpose: To examine how acculturation affects self-care practices and DD in first-generation Arab immigrants with T2DM and how health literacy, illness perceptions, and self-efficacy mediate these associations. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. Eligible patients were invited while waiting for their appointments. The questionnaire included validated tools to assess DD, self-care activities, health literacy, self-efficacy, and acculturation. We tested mediation hypothesis using path analysis, with a maximum likelihood estimation to calculate total, direct, and indirect effects and bias-corrected accelerated 95% CI. Results: Overall, 382 Arab immigrants with T2DM participated, with an average age of 57.9 years (SD = 8.0). Half were males, most had low education, and were married. Participants lived in Australia for a mean of 19.1 years (SD = 8.3) and had diabetes for 7.1 years (SD =4.7). Higher acculturation was directly associated with decreased DD. Illness perceptions (p = .002) and self-efficacy (p = .001) mediated the association of acculturation with self-care activities, while health literacy did not. Additionally, self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between acculturation and DD (p = .001). Conclusions: This research provided valuable insights into the complex interplay between acculturation, diabetes management, and psychosocial factors. Interventions targeting self-efficacy and illness perceptions may improve self-care activities and reduce DD among Arab immigrants with T2DM.