Adolescents News and Research

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Long-acting HIV drug emerges from decades of research and advocacy

In the hunt for a remedy, when the baton is passed from dedicated academic scientists to an innovative company to trusted community advocates, outcomes for society can be especially powerful.

8 May 2025

Eating avocado in pregnancy cuts infant food allergy risk by nearly half

Pregnant women who ate avocado were significantly less likely to have children with food allergies at 12 months of age. The association held even after adjusting for maternal diet quality, lifestyle, and perinatal factors in a large Finnish cohort.

8 May 2025

Study highlights the link between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent suicidality

A recent doctoral dissertation reveals that adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect, predisposes adolescents to suicidality.

8 May 2025

Researchers trace origins of aggressive childhood brain tumors

Medulloblastoma is one of the most common malignant tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) in children and adolescents. It develops in the area of the cerebellum, which is responsible for movement coordination, among other things.

7 May 2025

Healthy diet in childhood linked to later onset of menstruation

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

6 May 2025

Norwegian study shows teens who move more cut their depression risk

Norwegian researchers found that increasing physical activity in adolescence reduces future depression risk, especially from ages 14 to 18. Within-person analysis showed that higher activity protected against depressive symptoms, while sedentary time had no such effect.

6 May 2025

Social media hurts teens with anxiety and depression more than healthy peers

Adolescents with mental health conditions spend more time on social media and engage differently online than their mentally healthy peers, particularly in social comparison and emotional reactivity to feedback. These differences vary by condition type, with internalizing disorders showing stronger effects across key engagement measures.

6 May 2025

Adolescents with mental health conditions show different social media habits

Young people with a diagnosable mental health condition report differences in their experiences of social media compared to those without a condition, including greater dissatisfaction with online friend counts and more time spent on social media sites.

6 May 2025

Study finds key genetic differences between male and female placentas

The genes of male and female placentas have marked differences in how they are expressed, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other institutions.

1 May 2025

High fructose diets impair brain function and appetite control, study shows

Review highlights how excessive fructose intake disrupts brain energy balance, appetite regulation, and cognitive function. Processed sources, such as sugary drinks, may overwhelm metabolic pathways and induce neuroinflammation, particularly during adolescence.

30 Apr 2025

Study: Nicotine pouch use nearly doubles among U.S. high school students

The use of nicotine pouches - small, easily concealed sachets of nicotine and additives that are placed between the gum and lip - nearly doubled among U.S. high school students between 2023 and 2024, according to a new USC study.

30 Apr 2025

ADHD and anxiety show different patterns in boys and girls

ADHD can exacerbate anxiety, and anxiety can exacerbate ADHD. Girls are particularly vulnerable to developing anxiety disorders, but researchers have recently discovered something that may help slow down – or prevent – the development of these types of disorders.

29 Apr 2025

Measles makes a deadly comeback in Europe as vaccine gaps widen

In 2024, measles cases in Europe soared to the highest levels in decades, with over 35,000 reported cases, 87% from Romania alone. Most affected were unvaccinated children, revealing critical immunity gaps and suboptimal vaccination coverage across the EU/EEA.

29 Apr 2025

Largest study to date reveals high blood sugar accelerates heart damage in healthy youth

In the present study, 1,595 adolescents drawn from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s cohort were followed up from age 17 until 24 years. To assess the prevalence of prediabetes, which refers to high fasting blood glucose levels, two alternative cutpoints were used, a stricter cutpoint of ≥5.6 mmol/L recommended by the American Diabetes Association, and ≥6.1 mmol/L , which is the present recommendation in many countries.

29 Apr 2025

Ultra-processed foods make up nearly half of US grocery purchases, raising public health concerns

A 2025 study of nearly 60,000 US households found that almost half of grocery purchases were ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with major disparities based on income, education, and race. Non-Hispanic white households led in UPF purchases, especially in beverages, reversing earlier trends.

28 Apr 2025

Weill Cornell Medicine leads effort to catalog the normal human virome

A major new effort at Weill Cornell Medicine seeks to catalog the normal human virome, the immense ecosystem of viruses that lives in and on us.

25 Apr 2025

What’s behind Gen Z’s skepticism about Ozempic and Wegovy

A U.S. study of over 500 youth aged 14–24 found high awareness but widespread hesitation about using semaglutide for weight loss. Concerns focused on safety, social stigma, and a preference for lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

24 Apr 2025

Global immunization progress threatened by misinformation and funding cuts

Immunization efforts are under growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises and funding cuts jeopardize progress and leave millions of children, adolescents and adults at risk, warn WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi during World Immunization Week, 24–30 April.

24 Apr 2025

Varenicline found to help teens and young adults quit vaping

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham showed that teens and young adults who took varenicline-an FDA-approved, twice-daily smoking cessation pill for adults-are more than three times as likely to successfully quit vaping compared to those who received only behavioral counseling. Results are published in JAMA.

23 Apr 2025

WHO launches new guidelines to tackle adolescent pregnancy and related health complications

In a bid to tackle the leading cause of death globally among 15–19-year-old girls, the World Health Organization (WHO) today released a new guideline aimed at preventing adolescent pregnancy and its significant related health complications.

23 Apr 2025