Research on teenage health, behavior, and development. Covers vaping and smoking, youth mental health, social media, and emergency-care trends.
A study by the University of Granada found that teenagers in Spain, Italy, and Greece have lower cardiorespiratory capacity, strength, and speed-agility than their northern European peers. The researchers also discovered higher levels of total and abdominal fat among southern adolescents, which may be linked to reduced physical activity.
According to a recent study by NYU researchers, nearly 1 in 5 high school seniors use hookah. Hookah use is more common among students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and those living in cities. Researchers caution that the increasing popularity of hookah pens may normalize their use, leading to potential health consequences.
A European teen imaging study has identified 40 predictor variables, including genetics, brain function, and personality, that can predict teenage binge-drinking with 70% accuracy. The study found that having a family history of drug use, sensation-seeking traits, and impulsivity were among the key predictors.
A study found that one in six adolescents who visited the emergency department experienced dating violence. Factors associated with dating violence included African-American race, alcohol misuse, and depression. The study highlights the need for screening and intervention among youth to prevent future adult intimate partner violence.
A recent study published in Pediatrics found that young teens who received sexts were six times more likely to report being sexually active. Young teens who send over 100 texts a day also showed increased likelihood of sexual activity.
The new Review from the Countdown to 2015 collaboration summarizes results from the 2014 report, highlighting progress and challenges in women's and children's health. The study emphasizes the need for continued action to achieve the global targets of improving survival rates and reducing disparities in health outcomes.
A nationwide study found a small but statistically significant cardiovascular risk associated with stimulant treatment in children with ADHD. The researchers also reported on the relationship between specific stimulant dose and risk of a cardiovascular event.
An evidence-based behavioral intervention appears to increase supervised practice for teen drivers, leading to improved safety outcomes. The study found that for every 11 teenagers who use the Teen Driving Plan (TDP), one additional teenager would be prevented from failing the tODA assessment.
A new study found that cardiorespiratory capacity and motor ability are strongly related to academic performance, with motor ability being the most important factor. The study suggests that promoting physical activities that enhance these abilities can improve academic development and reduce the risk of school failure.
Two studies found that adolescents' brains respond to glucose with increased blood flow in reward-motivation regions, unlike adults. Additionally, obese children as young as six years old develop larger and more dysfunctional fat cells, leading to inflammation and insulin resistance.
A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that brief bouts of exercise can significantly improve attention and reading comprehension in low-income adolescents. This finding has important implications for schools serving low-income populations, suggesting they should incorporate physical activity into their daily schedules.
A decade-long study found that teens who acted cool in early adolescence were more likely to experience problems in early adulthood, including substance abuse and criminal activity. By age 22, these teens were rated as less competent in social relationships and had engaged in more serious behaviors.
A new study published in Frontiers in Neurology found that eight-session gist-reasoning training can significantly improve higher-order thinking and other key frontal lobe functions in chronic recovery stages. Participants showed improved abstraction of meanings, executive functions, and memory for facts.
Adolescents are more influential in getting friends to start smoking than helping them quit. Nonsmoking friends lack resources to aid quitting efforts, making self-quitting methods less successful.
A study of adolescent friendship networks and smoking use over time found that friends exert influence on both starting and quitting smoking, but the influence to start is stronger. Nonsmoking friends are unlikely to provide resources needed to help their smoking peers quit, making peer pressure a significant barrier to cessation.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that US school psychologists help adolescents with mental disorders navigate the healthcare system, but specialist access remains limited. The research suggests that collaboration between school psychologists, psychotherapists, and doctors could improve care for these adolescents.
Studies indicate that bullies, victims, and bully-victims are more likely to carry weapons. The study found stronger associations between being a bully-victim and weapon-carrying in US studies compared to other countries.
A recent study by San Francisco State University's Jeff Cookston found that adolescents receiving a reason for their father's behavior or a better understanding of who is at fault feel better about themselves and dad. This, in turn, is linked to a lower risk of depression for youth.
Research highlights dangers of elderly gun ownership due to dementia, depression, and suicide risks. Proposed '5 L's' questions aim to identify guns in homes with vulnerable individuals.
Global obesity rates have increased substantially over the last three decades, with nearly 30% of the world's population affected. The study found that children and adolescents are particularly at risk, with rates increasing by nearly 50% between 1980 and 2013.
A recent Rutgers University study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that young rats who mastered a learning task had newborn brain cells survive for longer periods. The study suggests that learning helps keep brain cells alive and could impact how the brain functions after puberty.
A comparative study published in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found a 72.1-fold higher discharge rate for PBD in youth in the US compared to England. The disparity remains significant even after controlling for length of stay.
A Pitt-led research team developed seven design recommendations to mitigate online bullying behaviors on social media. The seven recommendations include Design for Attention, Design for Consequence, and others, which aim to provide a range of active and passive features to alleviate and prevent inappropriate harassment online.
A study by Michigan State University researchers suggests that poverty and crime in neighborhoods are significant predictors of cyberbullying. The findings contradict the notion that cyberbullying is a middle-class problem and highlight the need for targeted prevention efforts in low-income communities.
A new study finds that immigration before adolescence can lead to risky behavior, but cultural values are less solidified. Hispanic immigrants have lower rates of alcohol- and drug-related problems than U.S.-born counterparts.
The Global Matrix, a first-of-its-kind report, assesses 15 countries' physical activity levels in children. Scotland ranks poorly in two categories: overall physical activity and sedentary behavior, with grades of F.
A new study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that technology can improve the transition of adolescents with chronic diseases into adulthood. Patients in an intervention group received a secure web site and automated text messages to help them perform various tasks, resulting in improved...
Recent studies found that duloxetine and fluoxetine showed no significant difference in response rates when treating major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and teens. The authors suggest that complexity of the studies may be a factor, but also offer valuable insights for designing future investigations.
Researchers may underestimate disparities between groups due to 'mischievous responders' who intentionally provide inaccurate answers on surveys. A new sensitivity-analysis procedure identifies and reduces bias in research data, ensuring sound conclusions for policymaking and effective support for marginalized groups.
Researchers pinpointed five subgroups of adolescents most susceptible to specific risk factors for delinquency. The largest subgroup, accounting for 60%, was influenced by peer pressure, while the smallest, at 1%, had no identifiable risk factors despite committing high numbers of acts of delinquency.
A new study finds that sports drink and energy drink consumption among adolescents is associated with higher levels of screen media use and cigarette smoking. The study suggests that these sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to a clustering of unhealthy behaviors, including increased physical inactivity.
Research found that snacking frequency and diet quality differ by age in schoolchildren, with younger kids benefiting from snacks and teens negatively affected. Nutrient-rich snacks can be a key to improving diet quality in children, especially as they enter adolescence.
Higher rates of binge drinking among lesbian and gay adolescents may be linked to minority stress caused by discriminatory experiences, leading to poor health outcomes. The study found internalized homophobia and community connectedness as significant predictors of binge drinking.
A longitudinal study found that working memory differences existing at age 10 persist through adolescence, with parents' education being a significant predictor. Neighborhood characteristics were not related to working memory performance.
A new study suggests that adolescents who find pleasure in pro-social activities are less likely to become depressed than those who engage in risk-taking behaviors. The research found that activity in the ventral striatum brain region predicted whether depressive symptoms would worsen or lessen over time.
A new study at Rhode Island Hospital compared data from states with and without medical marijuana laws, finding no significant increase in adolescent marijuana use. The research suggests that state medical marijuana policies do not have a downstream effect on teenage drug use, contrary to concerns from the public.
A new study from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center found that teen drivers are six times more likely to have a serious incident when there's loud conversation in the vehicle. Having multiple passengers in the car also leads to more serious incidents, three times more often than alone.
New research explores the causes of distracted driving among teens, highlighting the role of brain immaturity, technology, and peer influence. Practical recommendations include extended driver training and behavioral change programs to reduce crashes.
A new study found that teenage girls who identify as feminine are more likely to use tanning beds, while boys who identify as masculine are more likely to chew tobacco. These behaviors increase the risk of cancer and can be attributed to socially constructed ideas of masculinity and femininity.
Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder exhibit atypical connectivity in theory of mind and mirror neuron system networks, associated with social impairment. The study suggests a link between abnormal ToM-MNS connectivity and sociocommunicative symptoms of ASD.
A new study found that teenagers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion are at significantly greater odds of attempting suicide, being bullied and engaging in high-risk behaviors. They also have a higher likelihood of becoming bullies themselves and experiencing anxiety or depression.
A new study reveals that for adolescent girls, having a romantic relationship play out differently than they imagined it would has negative implications for their mental health. Relationship inauthenticity increases the risk of severe depression, thoughts of suicide, and suicide attempt among girls.
A UT Dallas study found that serious youth offenders who lack hope for the future are more likely to offend at high rates and commit serious offenses. The study suggests that youths who believe they will die earlier tend to focus on short-term gains, leading to impulsive behavior.
The percentage of Australian adolescents who don't drink alcohol has surged from 33% in 2001 to over 50% in 2010. This trend is linked to deep cultural beliefs and increasing public concerns about adolescent drinking.
A study of over 800 Swedish teenagers found no significant differences in fantasy content or attitudes towards pornography between boys and girls. However, the most sexually experienced adolescents showed a perception that both boys and girls are equally interested in sex.
A national survey of 2,500 teens and young adults found that those who liked and identified music with alcohol-brand references were more likely to binge drink and have problems related to alcohol. The study suggests that policy interventions targeting these references in popular music could help reduce teen drinking.
Researchers found strong associations between liking, owning, and identifying music containing alcohol branding and early problematic alcohol outcomes. The study suggests policy or educational interventions to reduce the impact of these exposures.
A study reveals that nearly one-third of ADHD-diagnosed foster care youth aged 2-17 received atypical antipsychotics, highlighting a critical trend in pediatric psychiatry. The most common medications given were risperidone, aripiprazole, and quetiapine.
A study found that teenage drivers with a higher response to stress, as measured by cortisol levels, had lower crash and near-crash rates. Cortisol levels were measured at baseline and over time from saliva samples, and in-vehicle cameras and sensors allowed continuous observation of driving.
Research published in Diabetologia suggests Sweden may have 2-3 times more adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes than estimated. The study used a new method to estimate incidence rates among young people, finding a significant disparity between previous estimates.
A University of California, Davis study found that popular adolescents are at high risk of being bullied and experience worse psychological and social consequences compared to less popular peers. The research revealed that victims of harassment often suffer anxiety, anger, and depression.
A new study suggests that popularity among adolescents increases their risk of getting bullied and worsens the negative consequences. The researchers found that students in the middle to upper social hierarchy are more likely to be victimized, with the likelihood increasing by over 25% for those who reach the top of the social ladder.
Researchers found that dogs' attentiveness peaks in mid-adulthood and decreases with age, with adolescent dogs exhibiting the steepest learning curve. This study provides insights into canine cognitive development and its potential applications in understanding human psychological diseases such as ADHD and Alzheimer's.
A study found that popular students are more likely to be bullied and experience severe consequences, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Meanwhile, girls who date are at increased risk of physical violence, highlighting the complexities of social dynamics in bullying cases.
Researchers have discovered an experimental anticancer compound that reverses schizophrenia-like behaviors and restores brain cell function in adolescent mice with a rodent version of the devastating mental illness. The compound, FRAX486, works by halting an out-of-control biological pruning process in the schizophrenic brain.
Adolescent girls are more sensitive to untrustworthy faces due to a weaker limbic system connection with the rest of the brain. This leads to heightened responses and a greater disconnection from brain regions involved in regulating responses.
A recent study published in Pediatrics reveals that early strengthening activities can lead to a decrease in cardiometabolic health risks in children and adolescents. The research team found that boys and girls with greater strength-to-body mass ratios had lower BMIs, lower percent body fat, and higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.
Research by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory finds that early-life chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and decreased social interaction in adulthood. In contrast, young mice subjected to social defeat stress showed resilience, but still experienced increased aggression as adults.
A nationwide study found that overweight and obese teenagers in Israel had no significant improvement in survival rate over four decades, compared to normal-weight peers. Mortality rates among these teens were higher than those observed in the 1960s and 1970s.
A new study finds that teenagers can be persuaded to cut back on sugary soft drinks, especially with peer support. The 'Sodabriety' challenge, led by Ohio State University researchers, reduced sugar-sweetened drink use and increased water consumption among high school students.