Adolescents News and Research

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Study finds marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy

Following a decade of steady declines, a new national study released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation indicates that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years.

6 Apr 2011

New medical guidelines for diabetes care

Today the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists released new medical guidelines for developing comprehensive care plan for management of diabetes mellitus.

6 Apr 2011

Two reports show drastic increase in opioid prescriptions in America

Two reports by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a drastic shift in prescribing patterns impacting the magnitude of opioid substance abuse in America.

6 Apr 2011

Study links partner controlling behaviors to high relationship violence rates

Having a significant other who exhibits controlling behaviors appears to be associated with increased physical and sexual relationship violence, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, young women experiencing these behaviors are more hesitant to answer questions about relationship violence.

5 Apr 2011

Alcohol binge-drinking in teen years could affect decision-making and related behaviors as adults

Adolescents represent the majority of people who binge drink. This may come as a surprise to some, but recent surveys indicate that episodes of heavy alcohol drinking within the previous two weeks are reported by 12 percent of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, 28 percent of 12th grade seniors and 44 percent of college students.

5 Apr 2011

LifeSpan medicine launches new health and wellness program for kids

LifeSpan medicine is excited to announce the launch of the LifeSpan Healthy Kids Program. There is nothing more important to a lifespan of health than a good start. Who would not want to have a better, healthier childhood for their kids than they themselves had?

1 Apr 2011

Rapid rise in ATV-related injuries and deaths involving kids

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were introduced in this country in the 1970s. Currently, there are approximately 9.5 million ATVs in use and more than 150,000 reported ATV-related injuries in this country annually. The rapid rise in ATV-related injuries is due to increased use and also to the production of larger, faster, and more powerful vehicles, according to a review article that was recently published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS).

1 Apr 2011

Pediatric health care experts to meet at Pediatric Nursing annual conference

Pediatric nurses are the frontline health care providers for children and adolescents, many of whom suffer from serious illnesses. Because the specialty calls for high-level critical thinking skills, nurses must constantly stay on top of the latest advances in care.

1 Apr 2011

Early recognition and treatment can control obsessive-compulsive manifestation

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often diagnosed too late in children and adolescents. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Susanne Walitza and her colleagues point out that appropriate early recognition and treatment can positively affect the course of the disease.

1 Apr 2011

African governments must commit more funds to health to meet previous commitments, WHO, UNFPA say

Ten years "since heads of state of African Union countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, and pledged to set a target of allocating 'at least 15%' of their annual budget to improve the health sector, only Rwanda and South Africa have reached the objective," according to a recent WHO report, BMJ News reports/

1 Apr 2011

Efforts needed to keep students with food allergies safe and included

Food allergy is a growing epidemic in the United States, affecting approximately 12 million Americans. It impacts the food allergic child, the child's family, as well as the people with whom the food allergic child and family interact. We as a nation need to have awareness that food allergens can be life threatening and that avoidance of these foods is often not an easy task. This is a global social issue, which requires shared responsibility to protect the health and self-esteem of these children.

1 Apr 2011

Scientists to develop new techniques for autism detection and treatment

To parents, learning that a child has been diagnosed with autism can be overwhelming. Children with the disorder can seem trapped in a world of their own, without friends or even a conception of friendship. Many prefer to play alone. Some lose the ability to speak more than a few words.

1 Apr 2011

Study: People who have survived diabetes for many decades exhibit few complications

Over time, diabetes can wreak havoc on the body's eyes, cardiovascular system, kidneys and nerves. A major study by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers, however, has found that some people who have survived diabetes for many decades exhibit remarkably few complications—a discovery that points toward the presence of protective factors that guard against the disease's effects.

31 Mar 2011

Researchers suggest link between dopamine-related genes and person's risk of addiction

There is growing evidence that the risk factors for addiction change throughout the lifespan. The risk factors for developing addiction in adolescence are the most intensively studied because this life phase is associated with the highest addiction risk.

31 Mar 2011

Eating disorders - hitting early and hard

Children as young as seven have been admitted to hospitals for eating disorders. A peak support group has reported a doubling of calls about children under the age of 12 in the past decade. Being hit so early with these disorders also means malnutrition leading to retarded growth, osteoporosis, infertility and changes in brain structure say experts.

30 Mar 2011

Facebook depression - a new diagnostic entity

A new study that appears in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, speaks of a “new phenomenon” known as “Facebook depression” in which children can become depressed when they compare such metrics as their number of “friends” and “status updates” to those of their peers.

30 Mar 2011

Study finds global adolescent death rates exceed rates for child, infant deaths

A study published on Tuesday in the Lancet found that in a reversal of historical trends, "death rates among adolescents are now higher than in children," Reuters reports.

30 Mar 2011

Maternal childhood maltreatment can affect offspring's health

Mothers who were maltreated as children have increased risk for giving birth to low birth weight babies. The findings, by researchers at the University of Washington, are the first to show that maternal maltreatment can affect the health of offspring.

30 Mar 2011

Eating disorders tough to conquer

Young people and adolescents have been repeatedly warned regarding eating disorders. Lisa Harmon Mollicone, coordinator of the Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, addressed the topic of eating disorders at a full house during the Dec. 14 meeting of the alliance, held at the Manalapan Senior Center.

29 Mar 2011

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of paediatric bariatric surgery

“Bariatric surgery” refers to several different surgical procedures designed to assist weight loss by limiting the amount of food someone eats or the amount they absorb during digestion. It has been used for several years to treat obesity in adults. A new study published in the journal Clinical Obesity reveals that bariatric surgery can result in significant weight loss in severely obese adolescents.

29 Mar 2011