Adolescent Health News and Research

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Researchers examine how online social network activities influence smoking, alcohol use

Teenagers who see friends smoking and drinking alcohol in photographs posted on Facebook and Myspace are more likely to smoke and drink themselves, according to a new study from the University of Southern California (USC).

3 Sep 2013

Study: Overweight perception is independent predictor for suicidal ideation

Seeing oneself as overweight or obese may be an important, independent predictor of suicidal thoughts, especially in young girls, reports a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

30 Aug 2013

Even with access to health care, racial variances in HPV vaccine initiation still exist

Even with access to health care, African-American women are less likely to receive the vaccine for human papillomavirus, which reduces the risk for cervical cancer, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

28 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Republican patient takes GOP health message to task; the deadlines the administration has missed

In recent months, President Obama and his subordinates have waived or delayed a number of Obamacare's notable features, such as the law's employer mandate, and its procedures for protecting taxpayers from fraud and identity theft.

21 Aug 2013

GSA policies have positive effect on students' binge drinking

Canadian high schools with anti-homophobia policies or gay-straight alliances (GSAs) that have been in place for three years or more have a positive effect on both gay and straight students' problem alcohol use, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

16 Aug 2013

Household debt may impact on mental and physical health of young Americans

If young people are drowning in debt, their blood pressure may be on the rise and their health could suffer. A new Northwestern Medicine- study has found that high financial debt is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and poorer self-reported general and mental health in young adults.

16 Aug 2013

Study: Teenagers seriously injured in fight show reduction in cognitive ability

Teenagers who have been seriously injured in a fight show a reduction in intelligence and cognitive ability, according to a large study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

14 Aug 2013

UW researchers find that abused children smoke more as adolescents

Researchers have long suspected some kind of link between childhood abuse and smoking. But in an interesting twist, a new study from the University of Washington finds a connection not between whether or not an abused child will ever begin smoking, but to how much they smoke once they do start.

6 Aug 2013

New study explores connection between physical fights, cognitive decline

A new Florida State University study has found that adolescent boys who are hurt in just two physical fights suffer a loss in IQ that is roughly equivalent to missing an entire year of school. Girls experience a similar loss of IQ after only a single fighting-related injury.

3 Aug 2013

Health care providers are missing opportunities to improve teens' vaccination coverage

Health care providers are missing opportunities to improve teens' vaccination coverage, reports a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

2 Aug 2013

Sensitive parenting can increase premature child's academic achievement

Sensitive parenting helps protect against the negative effects of being born prematurely on children's school success, a new study has found.

1 Aug 2013

USF professor receives grant to study ways to reduce HIV/AIDS risk in college-aged black women

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) awarded $267,732 to the University of South Florida College of Nursing to study ways to reduce HIV/AIDS risk in college-aged black women, who are disproportionately affected by the disease. Rasheeta D. Chandler, PhD, ARNP, FNP-BC, assistant professor of nursing at USF, will lead the study.

31 Jul 2013

Social networks of homeless youth can be highly influential in reducing risky behaviors

Homeless young women may be at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than homeless young men because of the structure of their social groups and friendships, according to new research from UC San Francisco. The findings underscore how the social networks of homeless youth can be highly influential, affecting their participation in risky and protective behaviors.

30 Jul 2013

Study shows 90% of East Asian adolescents in BC are not sexually active

A new study by University of British Columbia researchers shows that although 90 per cent of East Asian adolescents in British Columbia are not sexually active, those who are may engage in high-risk sexual behaviours.

17 Jul 2013

YES workshop for adolescents to manage stress and control impulsive behavior

In May 2013, the Los Angeles school board voted to ban suspensions of students for "willful defiance" and directed school officials to use alternative disciplinary practices. The decision was controversial, and the question remains: How do you discipline rowdy students and keep them in the classroom while still being fair to other kids who want to learn?

11 Jul 2013

Good physical shape at teenage linked with reduced risk of suicide attempts later in life

Being in good physical shape at 18 years of age can be linked with a reduced risk of attempted suicide later in life. So says a study of over one million Swedish men conducted by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

27 Jun 2013

Survey finds at least 20% of Ontario adolescents had TBI in their lifetime

One in five adolescents surveyed in Ontario said they have suffered a traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for five minutes or required them to be hospitalized overnight, a statistic researchers in Toronto say is much higher than previously thought.

26 Jun 2013

MGHfC physicians describe how pediatric practices can help address parental smoking

Finally some good news for parents who smoke: you may now be able to get help quitting from an unlikely source, your child's doctor. A study in the journal Pediatrics, which has been posted online, shows that it is feasible for pediatric practices to incorporate into their normal routine efforts to inform patients' parents about services available to help them quit smoking.

25 Jun 2013

Research identifies risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior in youth being bullied

New research out of the University of Minnesota identifies significant risk factors for suicidal behavior in youth being bullied, but also identifies protective factors for the same group of children.

20 Jun 2013

Study says public health strategies can be applied to prevent bullying and suicide

Recent studies linking bullying and depression, coupled with extensive media coverage of bullying-related suicide among young people, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assemble an expert panel to focus on these issues. This panel synthesized the latest research about the complex relationship between youth involvement in bullying and suicide-related behaviors.

19 Jun 2013