This work would not have been possible without the financial support of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing Centennial Fellowship and I thank Dr. I also thank the rest of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing faculty for their guidance and educational input into my career. The 2010 United States Census Bureau reports that delayed adolescents between the ages of 18-24 make up millions of the total population (United States Census Bureau, 2013a).
Nevertheless, high school dropouts are still associated with high unemployment rates, more likely to live in poverty, higher crime rates, poorer mental health, and more likely to receive government assistance (U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, 2012). However, out of the 10% of "unemployed" youth, approximately 30% are high school dropouts: they do not get adequate education, work experience, or any sources of work income (Snyder & McLaughlin, 2008). Nurses are an integral part of the interdisciplinary health team and are in the best of health.
Nurses are members of the healthcare team who promote interventions to specifically reduce obesity by promoting diet, activity and well-being. What is the prevalence of the selected environmental factors (childhood responsibilities, pet ownership, SES), technological advances (internet use, social media engagement and video games) and personal factors (obesity) in this population.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The transition period from adolescence to adulthood has been extended from trends recorded in the 1950s and 60s. Leaving home and starting a family in the 1950s was considered "normal" and reflected society's expectations of the time period (Settersten & . Ray, 2010). Research has shown that large ethnic differences emerge even at very young ages in the United States.
Many contemporary researchers and theorists have hypothesized how this new era of emerging growth was redefined in the last decade. Meanwhile, Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States (United States Census Bureau, 2013c). Most studies that have examined coping in the late adolescent population are cross-sectional in nature, although case studies, focus groups, and experimental designs were also found.
Experimental and quasi-experimental studies applying coping skills training (CST) programs have also been implemented in this population, although not as readily in the early pediatric population (Santacroce et al., 2010). Most of the obesity literature has focused on the adult population (defined as 18 years and older with mean central tendencies in the 40s and 50s) with an increase in the last decade focusing on early youth in preschool and school-aged children. (The, Suchindran, North, Popkin, & Gordon-Larsen, 2010; Wilfley, Kass, & Kolko, 2011). This model has been used in the late adolescent cohort as well as in obesity studies.
While most research on these variables has only been published in the last.
METHODOLOGY
Over-recruitment was allowed given the web-based nature of the study, and eligible respondents with sufficient data were included in the analysis. These points were asked of the participants at the beginning of the study and emphasized in all recruitment materials. The first page of the survey contains eligibility questions, and the survey ended if participants did not meet the survey parameters.
After seeking IRB approval, the first recruitment method added was to switch the study community page where the FB ads were introduced from a "private" to a "public" profile so that anyone could "like" the page and " Share". These ads specifically include the community page name and cover photo with a button that people can click to "like" the page. Example of the option to "like" the study page which can then become an "organic promotion".
However, REDCap data capture provides a secure online medium for these responses and this was reviewed in the survey overview for participants. When participants clicked on the survey link, the purpose and anonymity of the survey were described. The FB community page was titled “Adolescent Coping Study” and the description of the study was provided in the “about” section of the page.
An introduction to the study including the purpose, goals and the subject's anonymity description was the first page of the study. If participants still wanted to participate in the study, they clicked an “accept” button confirming that they accept the terms of the study and understand the study description. REDCap data were available to the PhD student as PI for the study and the dissertation committee.
The purpose of this question was to describe internet use and was not part of the. The primary and secondary evaluations of the participants will also be considered for the participants. However, one of the key findings of this dissertation study was that delayed transition could not be operationalized as defined and conceptualized in the current literature.
RESULTS
Descriptive statistical summaries of the characteristics of the sample (N=231) included in this study of late adolescents (18-24 years) are shown in Table 6. There were several statistically significant associations of the independent variables with coping styles, which are summarized in Table 12. Two additional variables outside of the “adulthood markers” were included in the descriptive cluster analysis: age and marital status.
More than half of the total sample (N=227) reported being financially dependent but still having income (n=134, 59%). More than half of the participants in this study were employed (where the literature reports that 54% of the late adolescent population is employed (Pew Research Center, 2012b). The current high school dropout rate in the United States is 7 % (US Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, 2012).
There were no statistically significant associations between the number of responsibilities in childhood with any of the coping styles (p > 0.05). This study provides further support for the potential negative effects of Internet use with dysfunctional coping. Most of the research published in the last 6 months on social media has focused on cyberbullying and youth mental health (den Hamer & Konijn, 2015; Na, Dancy, & Park, 2015; Selkie, Kota, Chan, & Moreno, 2015) .
There were no statistically significant associations between BMI score and any of the coping styles (p > 0.05). This study also provided a more recent snapshot of the characteristics of adulthood in late adolescence with respect to living arrangements, employment, and educational attainment. This study aimed to collect data reflective of that of the general population of late adolescents aged 18 to 24 with access to the Internet.
This study contributed to some of the missing gaps in the response to Internet use literature. While this study did not find statistically significant findings for obesity with coping styles or markers of adulthood, over 30% of the study did. Other markers of adulthood should be examined in the current context of the 21st century that include factors unique to this population of emerging adults.
The role of the nurse practitioner in the diagnosis and early treatment of type 2 diabetes. Use of the internet, social media and mobile phones What best describes your internet use.