Adolescent Health News and Research

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What risk factors influence teenagers to start experimenting with marijuana?

Involvement with other substances (alcohol and cigarettes), delinquency and school problems have been established as the three most important risk factors in identifying teenagers at risk of continued involvement with marijuana by a Cardiff University scientist, in collaboration with a colleague in the USA.

16 Mar 2005

Smoking prevention programs in junior high or high school have little influence on whether teens choose to light up

"Our study shows there is little evidence to suggest that existing school-based smoking prevention programs produce long-term reductions in smoking prevalence among youth," says the study's first author, Sarah Wiehe, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of pediatrics, Division of Children's Health Services Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

3 Mar 2005

Natural mentoring relationships positively impact teens

Natural mentoring relationships positively impact teens, but these relationships do not meet all the needs of at-risk youth, according to a study by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers. The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

2 Mar 2005

Several causes for concern regarding children's health in general practice in Britain

An editorial in this weeks BMJ highlights several causes for concern regarding children's health in general practice in Britain. Once greatly admired, the British model of general practice raises concern over the future of children's health.

27 Feb 2005

Sociologists create a love map for an entire high school

For the first time, sociologists have mapped the romantic and sexual relationships of an entire high school over 18 months, providing evidence that these adolescent networks may be structured differently than researchers previously thought.

25 Jan 2005

New publication on adolescent health

The Pan American Health Organization has just released a new publication on adolescent health and positive behavior change greatly enhances the knowledge base on this important public health issue. It presents the firstever systematic collection and reporting of the application of behavioral change theories and models specifically to adolescents.

11 Jan 2005

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in young children can be confirmed by a straightforward sputum test

Diagnosis of tuberculosis is difficult in infants and young children and can be complicated by HIV infection. Heather Zar (School of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues studied 250 children aged 1 month to 5 years who were admitted for suspected pulmonary tuberculosis in Cape Town. Sputum induction and gastric lavage were done on three consecutive days according to a standard procedure.

7 Jan 2005

Guidebook helps adults identify and cope with teen stress

Returning to school can be a stressful time, especially for teens. Many teens face stress from the new demands of school, puberty, changing relationships, family responsibilities and safety issues in their neighborhoods. However, teen stress is not always recognized by adults.

20 Oct 2004

Parents play an important role in their children’s underage drinking

The study, published this month in the Journal of Adolescent Health, shows that teens are more likely to binge drink if their parents or friends’ parents provide alcohol at their home for a party.

30 Sep 2004

Teens who engage in high-risk behaviors involving sex and drugs have significantly higher odds of depression

Teens who engage in high-risk behaviors involving sex and drugs have significantly higher odds of depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than teens who say no to sex and drugs, according to a study.

10 Sep 2004

Kids who grow up with poor single mothers are more likely to get into trouble

Kids who grow up with poor single mothers are less likely to expect to go to college and more likely to get into trouble in school and to perform poorly academically, according to a study by a Rice University sociologist

17 Aug 2004

Survey reveals surprising insights into parental attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior

As an estimated four million American children make the transition from junior high/middle school to high school this fall, a new national survey conducted by the Society for Adolescent Medicine reveals parents' primary concerns as they ready their teenagers for the new school year.

11 Aug 2004

Report shows promising findings on adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

A new report by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University Bloomington presents promising findings on adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

5 Aug 2004

Not enough being done for girls who sexually abuse say researchers

Researchers at the University of Canterbury say a common belief that sexual abuse of children by young females is harmless, has resulted in under-reporting of cases and a lack of appropriate rehabilitation services.

9 Jul 2004

UN focus on child rights in Sao Tome and Principe

The Committee, having considered the initial report of Sao Tome and Principe, welcomed the adoption of laws and the establishment of various mechanisms aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of children such as

7 Jun 2004

Revealing new insights into young people's health

A report published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe gives revealing new insights into aspects of young people's lives that can help or harm their health.

7 Jun 2004

Data from Indiana youth health survey released

Indiana State health officials today released data from a 2003 health survey of Indiana youth in grades 9 through 12 that assess whether teens are engaging in certain risk behaviors.

23 May 2004

National day to prevent teen pregnancy

On Wednesday, May 5, 2004, tens of thousands of teens nationwide are expected to participate in the third annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy by taking an online quiz.

3 May 2004

Immunization back on agenda as whooping cough increases

Immunization for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, began in the mid-1940s and resulted in a sharp decline of this serious illness over the next 25 years. Over the last two decades, however, as immunity has waned, pertussis has re-emerged in the United States, with the greatest increase seen in adolescents, adults and young infants.

1 May 2004