Adolescent Health News and Research

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Penn experts find that health insurance websites assist patients in choosing health insurance plans

Websites for national and state health insurance marketplaces show evidence of improved efforts to assist patients in choosing health insurance plans, such as providing decision support tools, experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found.

18 Aug 2015

Teens using marijuana for medical reasons more likely to become addicted to it

A new University of Michigan study finds that teens using marijuana for medical reasons are 10 times more likely to say they are hooked on marijuana than youth who get marijuana illegally.

24 Jul 2015

New CHLA study uncovers baseline characteristics of transyouth seeking care for gender dysphoria

Johanna Olson, MD, and her colleagues at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, provide care for the largest number of transyouth in the U.S. and have enrolled 101 patients in a study to determine the safety and efficacy of treatment that helps patients bring their bodies into closer alignment with their gender of identity.

22 Jul 2015

Only two states in U.S. require HPV vaccination

An examination of state vaccination requirements for adolescents finds that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is currently required in only two states, many fewer than another vaccine associated with sexual transmission (hepatitis B) and another primarily recommended for adolescents (meningococcal conjugate), according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA.

15 Jul 2015

Teenagers uncertain about the harmful effects of marijuana or e-cigarettes

Teenagers are very familiar with the risks of smoking cigarettes, but are much less sure whether marijuana or e-cigarettes are harmful, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

24 Jun 2015

Selecting health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov particularly challenging for young adults

When trying to enroll in a health insurance plan through HealthCare.gov during the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health insurance marketplaces, young adults were confused by unfamiliar health insurance terms, concerned about the affordability of plan options, and unsure how to seek good primary care.

17 Jun 2015

CHOP Global Health Center performs first rigorous study of CP outcomes in Africa

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of childhood disability in the world, affecting between 1 and 2 infants per thousand. But the neurological condition tends to be understudied, especially in developing countries.

29 May 2015

Workplace intervention has positive influence on sleep patterns of employees' children

A workplace intervention designed to reduce employees' work-family conflict and increase schedule flexibility also has a positive influence on the sleep patterns of the employees' children.

22 May 2015

Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for new plan to tackle Ebola outbreak at 68th World Health Assembly

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany addressed delegates on the first morning of the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly. "The WHO is the only international organization that has universal political legitimacy on global health issues,” she said.

20 May 2015

Transgender people at greater risk for eating disorders

Transgender and non-transgender lesbian, gay and bisexual students are at greater risk for eating disorders, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

13 May 2015

Online-based sexual health education program promotes positive attitudes about abstinence

It's Your Game (IYG)-Tech, an online-based sexual health education course, promotes more positive attitudes about abstinence, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health.

29 Apr 2015

Underage youth exposure to alcohol advertising affects their drinking behavior

Underage youth who cite alcohol marketing and the influence of adults, movies or other media as the main reasons for choosing to consume a specific brand of alcohol are more likely to drink more and report adverse consequences from their drinking than youth who report other reasons for selecting a specific brand, new research suggests.

21 Apr 2015

Race and gender may influence use of drugs, drinking and smoking among teens

Cigarette use among white teenagers is substantially higher than among black and Hispanic teenagers, especially at 18 years old, according to Penn State researchers. Alcohol and marijuana use are also higher in white teenagers, and the numbers continue to increase until age 20. Throughout their 20s, blacks and Hispanics are more likely to pick up a cigarette-smoking habit, while the numbers start to decrease for whites.

12 Mar 2015

UNICEF and UNAIDS go ‘All In’ to end the AIDS epidemic among adolescents

AIDS has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Just one in four children and adolescents under the age of 15 have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Deaths are declining in all age groups, except among 10–19 year olds.

17 Feb 2015

Study evaluates recent sleep trends for U.S. adolescents

Sufficient sleep is critical for adolescent health, yet the number of hours slept per night has decreased among teenagers in the United States over the last 20 years. A study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that female students, racial/ethnic minorities, and students of lower socioeconomic status are particularly affected, with teens in these categories less likely to report regularly getting seven or more hours of sleep each night compared with their male counterparts, non-Hispanic white teenagers, and students of higher socioeconomic status, respectively.

16 Feb 2015

Howard K. Koh receives CADCA's 2015 National Leadership Award

In recognition of his significant contributions to public health and tobacco prevention, and his long-standing support of community-based drug prevention, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) will present Howard K. Koh M.D., M.P.H. with its 2015 National Leadership Award.

5 Feb 2015

Study: Teens who perceive themselves as overweight are at greater risk of obesity as adults

Teens who mistakenly perceive themselves as overweight are actually at greater risk of obesity as adults, according to research findings forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

2 Feb 2015

Doctoral thesis finds how parental time pressure leads to mental health problems among children

A doctor's thesis at Sahlgrenska Academy has found that children whose parents experience time pressure are more likely to have mental health problems.

28 Jan 2015

New study finds prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure among teens who have never smoked

Many teens who have never smoked are being exposed to the health dangers of tobacco. A new study by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in collaboration with East Tennessee State University, the Indian Institute of Technology and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, estimated the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure worldwide among teens who had never smoked, and found that one third of those teens are exposed to secondhand smoke inside the home.

13 Jan 2015

Higher parental education can increase depression risk in black youth

An investigation into factors related to disparities of depression in young adults has found that higher parental education - which has a protective effect for white youth - can also increase the risk of depression for black youth.

22 Dec 2014