Research on teenage health, behavior, and development. Covers vaping and smoking, youth mental health, social media, and emergency-care trends.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center found that adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer have strong concerns about their ability to have children as cancer survivors. Parents often inaccurately relayed their child's reproductive concerns and underestimated their daughters' desires for future parenthood.
The largest generation of adolescents worldwide faces significant health risks, including high rates of tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, and physical inactivity. The study highlights the need for better coordination across UN agencies and countries to produce regular reports on adolescent health.
The Lancet series highlights the major challenges facing adolescents today, including disparities in access to resources and services. Sexually transmitted infections with protracted courses are of particular concern, exacerbated by poverty and social inequalities in countries of all incomes.
A new paper recommends cost-effective policies and programs to prevent behavior problems and conditions contributing to poor health. The initiatives have been tested in high-income countries and shown to reduce smoking, drinking, and other substance use among adolescents.
A randomized controlled trial found that targeted text messages increased influenza vaccination coverage among low-income, urban children and adolescents. The study showed a higher proportion of vaccinated individuals in the intervention group, with 93.9% receiving vaccines outside of Saturday clinics compared to 97.2% in usual care.
The Lancet emphasizes the importance of measuring adolescent health and behavior, setting goals for healthy development, and implementing preventive interventions. By prioritizing adolescent health, policymakers can harness young people's energy, innovation, and productivity to drive progress.
Structural changes to improve access to education and employment are crucial for improving adolescent health, with studies showing completion of secondary school provides great benefits. Education also improves survival rates, reduces injury mortality, and lowers HIV prevalence among adolescents.
Prevention programmes in adolescents are vital to prevent problems in adolescence and into adulthood. Successful policies include providing minors with free contraception, raising taxes on alcohol, and graduated licensing policies.
The Lancet comments urge major investments in adolescent health, with a focus on preventive interventions. The authors argue that adolescence is critical for global health goals and that investing in the second decade of life will determine economic success and quality of life.
The Lancet Series on Adolescent Health highlights the worsening health status of adolescents worldwide, who face new challenges such as social media. The authors emphasize the need for improved adolescent health, considering factors like poverty, education, and digital media.
The report emphasizes the need for more attention and resources devoted to issues facing older children. Adverse trends include early marriage and birth among girls, and high adolescent birth rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
A new study found that exposure to alcohol use in Bollywood movies is directly associated with alcohol consumption among Indian adolescents. The study, presented at the World Congress of Cardiology, reveals that students who were highly exposed to such content were 2.78 times more likely to have tried alcohol.
A five-year study involving Quebec secondary school students found that recreational MDMA and meth/amphetamine use places teenagers at greater risk of experiencing depressive symptoms. The study suggests long-term negative influences of synthetic drug use on mental health.
A new blood test can diagnose major depression in teens with high accuracy, distinguishing between subtypes such as major depression with anxiety disorder. The test's development holds promise for tailored treatments and reduced stigma around the disease.
Research found that adolescent attendance and involvement in 12-step meetings, such as AA and NA, promote greater abstinence among young people. Attending meetings at least once a week or more significantly improves substance use outcomes.
A study found that adolescents are more likely to drink when their peers have pro-alcohol norms, but less likely when they have anti-alcohol norms. Popular peers' anti-alcohol views were most influential in reducing drinking behavior.
A large-scale study will analyze the content of Facebook posts from a sample of 200 adolescents to examine relationships, social adjustment, and psychological health. The research aims to better understand the potential benefits and risks of social media use among teens.
A UBC study involving 17,000 Vancouver students found that 25-30% experience or participate in cyberbullying, compared to 12% for schoolyard bullying. Online behavior is often underestimated, with youth downplaying harm and failing to recognize its consequences.
A review article highlights the need for more comprehensive health assessments in young adult cancer survivors, who are living longer and experiencing late effects from treatment. The study concludes that traditional tools created for adult-onset cancer are insufficient for this population, requiring a broader range of measurement.
A study by Yale researchers found that about 25% of classic autism diagnoses and 75% of Asperger's Syndrome diagnoses may not meet the new DSM-5 criteria. The study suggests that higher-functioning individuals with intellectual disabilities may be more likely to qualify for a diagnosis.
A systematic review of 17 studies found that low-energy-density diets improve weight loss and maintenance in adults. In children and adolescents, moderately strong evidence shows a relationship between higher energy density diets and increased weight. Lowering energy density is associated with enhanced satiety and reduced calorie intake.
A study published in Archives of General Psychiatry found that most teenagers who use alcohol and drugs start using them during adolescence, with the median age of onset at 14 years old. By late adolescence, nearly three-quarters of teens reported having consumed alcohol, and one-fifth had met criteria for lifetime abuse.
A study found that waist measures, including waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, are associated with lipid and blood pressure assessments in overweight and obese adolescents. In contrast, body mass index alone did not show strong associations with these health markers.
Suicide rates in Canada are increasing among girls aged 10-19, with suffocation being the most common method. The rate for females increased from 0.6 to 6.2 per 100,000 between 1980 and 2008, while deaths by suffocation rose by an average of 8% annually.
Research reveals that Asian Canadian LGBTQ+ teens are 30 times more likely to face harassment than their heterosexual peers, with higher rates of substance use and stress. Social supports from family, school, or peers may help buffer the stress of harassment for these adolescents.
A structured coaching program called Coaching Boys into Men has been found to improve male high school athletes' ability to recognize and intervene in dating violence. The program, delivered by coaches, increases positive bystander behaviors and encourages athletes to be leaders in their communities.
A recent study found that teachers and parents significantly influence adolescent engagement in school, contrary to the widely-held belief that peers do. The researchers analyzed data from over 1,500 teens and found that social support from adults can counteract the negative effects of peers.
Adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease exhibit poor dental hygiene practices despite better overall health behaviors. Substance use increases with age in these patients, but they also tend to have lower rates of binge drinking compared to their peers.
Researcher Russell Chesney hypothesizes that 18th century London's crowded living conditions, poor diets, and low sunlight exposure contributed to high rates of rickets and tuberculosis in children like Tiny Tim. Improved nutrition, vitamin D from sunlight and cod liver oil could have prevented the boy's fatal condition
A study found that young adolescents exposed to smoking in movies are at a greater risk of smoking compared to older peers. Early exposure to smoking depicted in movies is associated with an increased risk of becoming established smokers.
Archaeologists have uncovered a slave burial ground on St Helena, containing the remains of around 5,000 enslaved people. Osteological analysis reveals that most victims were children or young adults, with scurvy and violence being common causes of death.
Researchers found that chronic stress in adolescence leads to a loss of glutamate receptor expression and function, resulting in impaired memory and recognition. Disrupting the enzymes responsible for this loss may prevent cognitive impairment induced by repeated stress exposure.
More than 2 million US teenagers suffer from depression, with few receiving adequate treatment. New research highlights the need for more effective treatments and better therapeutic strategies.
The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care published new evidence-based guidelines to overcome barriers to optimal HIV care. The guidelines address key areas such as entry into care, monitoring adherence, and education, with a focus on special populations like children and adolescents.
Children with mild traumatic brain injuries are at higher risk for long-term cognitive and somatic complaints, including inattention and headaches. The study found that children with mild TBI were more likely to exhibit reliable increases in both cognitive and somatic symptoms.
A new study from UCSF identifies a broad number of evidence-based recommendations for young adult preventive care. The transition to young adulthood is associated with increased engagement in health-damaging behaviors and preventable health problems. Primary care visits present an opportunity to improve the health of this population.
A study of 6,712 preadolescent and adolescent girls found that higher vitamin D intake was associated with a lower risk of developing stress fractures. In contrast, dairy and calcium intakes were unrelated to the risk of stress fractures.
A recent study found that boys' initial enthusiasm for upper secondary school gives way to cynicism and negativity as they progress. Girls experience a sense of inadequacy, which may lead to depression later in life. The study highlights the importance of effective stress management and supportive environments to promote positive growth.
Researchers have developed a web-based therapeutic programme called Fatigue In Teenagers on the interNET (FITNET) that is substantially more effective than standard treatment in reducing symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. After 6 months, 63% of adolescents receiving FITNET reported recovery, compared to 16% on standard care.
Research by Université de Montrêl neuropsychologist Dave Ellemberg shows that adolescents are more sensitive to the effects of a sport-related concussion than adults or children. The study found that a first concussion can result in six months to a year of neurophysiological side effects for adolescents, adults, and children alike.
Researchers used eye-tracking to measure relationship between cognitive and social disability in children with autism spectrum disorders. The study found that children with ASD were less likely to look at others' eyes and faces, but varying observation patterns were associated with different levels of social disability.
New studies by a Yale team reveal that interfering with the adolescent brain's defensive reaction to cocaine increases sensitivity to the drug. This finding may help explain why risk of drug abuse and addiction peaks during teenage years.
A Kaiser Permanente study found that computer-assisted decision tools in electronic health records substantially improve the identification and diagnosis of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased sharply, with at least 18 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds now considered obese.
Hospitalizations for US underage drinkers are common, with an estimated 700,000 young people hospitalized in 2008. The majority were drunk upon arrival, and the average age of those with alcohol-related discharges was 18 years old.
Adolescents who feel supported by their families and have caring friends are less likely to consider ending their lives. Conversely, those who experience victimization due to being gay are at a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm behaviors.
A study by Nationwide Children's Hospital found that children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience more school difficulty than healthy children, mainly in regard to school absences. Internalizing problems are a significant predictor of absences and school-related quality of life.
A study by the University of Seville found that 60% of Spanish adolescents do not take drugs and rarely drink alcohol. The friendship group is a key factor in their behavior, with teenagers who take drugs being less satisfied at school and with family but feeling more satisfied in their friendships.
A new study of middle schoolers found that teammates' smoking affects youths' decisions about smoking, with adolescents in more sports smoking less. Peer-led interactive programs can now be expanded to include sports teams to prevent teens from smoking.
A new study by Arizona State University finds that adolescents suffering from depression are more likely to develop difficulty in peer relationships, including being bullied at school. The research suggests that depression symptoms can predict negative peer relationships.
A new study by the RAND Corporation suggests that a voluntary after-school program focusing on substance use can help middle school-aged children avoid alcohol. The CHOICE program, presented in five 30-minute sessions, was found to reduce alcohol use among all students at intervention schools.
Researchers Lorette I. Winters and Paul C. Winters found that while black teens are twice as likely to be pregnant, rates for minor whites have increased and surpassed those of poor black minors. In better economies, the difference between black and white teen pregnancies nearly disappears.
Researchers found that parents tend to blame their children more when they are sexually abused by an adolescent, rather than an adult. This bias may be due to cultural and societal expectations surrounding adolescent sex offenders, leading parents to doubt their child's ability to prevent the abuse.
Researchers analyzed data from an observational study to examine the relationship between HIV illness severity and psychiatric disorders. The study found limited evidence of associations between specific antiretroviral therapy and psychiatric symptoms, but noted associations with quality of life and cognitive functioning.
A widely used behavioral prevention model in schools appears to reduce bullying and peer rejection. The School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) model promotes positive changes in staff and student behaviors, reducing the likelihood of engaging in bullying behavior.
Young people worldwide are at risk of depression, which can lead to serious health problems if left untreated. Research suggests that prevention strategies targeted at high-risk individuals, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal therapy, have shown promise in reducing depressive symptoms.
Research finds that financially impoverished schools significantly predict adolescent weight problems, regardless of parental education level. Well-educated parents can mitigate this effect by recognizing health issues and teaching healthy food choices.
A retrospective study by Nationwide Children's Hospital found significant weight loss and improvement in obesity-related diseases in morbidly obese adolescents after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Four of five patients with high blood pressure resolved their condition within two years.
A study by UT Dallas criminologist Dr. J.C. Barnes found that genetic influences play a larger role in life-course persistent offending than environmental factors. For adolescent-limited offenders, environmental factors were more prominent.
A new study finds that adolescents from unstable families experience reduced academic success in rigorous high schools due to the mismatch between their family history and school characteristics. The study suggests that policymakers and educators must clarify college preparation processes and provide resources for disadvantaged students.
A study by University of Missouri researcher Micah Mazurek found that 64% of adolescents with ASD spent most of their free time watching TV and playing video games, while only 13.2% used socially interactive media.