Adolescents News and Research

RSS

Early well-child check-ups can help identify children at risk of emotional, behavioral problems

A new study suggests clinicians might be able to identify children at risk of later emotional or behavioral problems by paying attention to a few key signs during early well-child check-ups. Researchers found that boys with early sleep problems and girls with language and speech delays tended to have more emotional problems in adolescence.

5 May 2012

U.N. adopts resolution on young people's sexual and reproductive rights

This RH Reality Check post by the International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region (IPPFWHR) examines a "resolution in support of young people's sexual and reproductive health and human rights" adopted recently by member states at the 45th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.

5 May 2012

Teva announces new data from women's health franchise

Teva Women's Health today announced new data from the Company's expanding women's health franchise will be featured at the 60th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in San Diego, California, May 5-9, 2012.

5 May 2012

Study reveals evidence about harmful effects of glycogen accumulation in neurons

Collaborative research by groups headed by scientists Joan J. Guinovart and Marco Mil-n at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has revealed conclusive evidence about the harmful effects of the accumulation of glucose chains (glycogen) in fly and mouse neurons.

3 May 2012

Preterm babies are born at a higher rate in the U.S.

Preterm babies are born at a higher rate in the United States than in 130 other countries of the world, including many poorer nations, according to the just-released report Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth.

3 May 2012

Energy, sports drinks cause irreversible damage to enamel in adolescents

A recent study published in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, found that an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth-specifically, the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth.

2 May 2012

Overweight and obese teenagers with diabetes may be difficult to treat: Study

According to a major study released Sunday, several ways to manage blood sugar in teens newly diagnosed with diabetes were tested. The researchers found that nearly half of them failed within a few years and 1 in 5 suffered serious complications. This is concerning since there is an epidemic rise of Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity.

30 Apr 2012

Parents attitudes influence adolescents' engagement in fighting

While it may be cute when a 3-year-old imitates his parent's bad behavior, when adolescents do so, it's no longer a laughing matter.

30 Apr 2012

Parents underestimate their daughters' reproductive concerns

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have found that adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer have strong concerns about their ability to have children as cancer survivors. They also found that standard health-related quality-of-life survey tools used to elicit answers from teens with cancer did not accurately reflect these concerns. Parents, who often answer survey questions as proxies, often inaccurately relayed their child's reproductive concerns.

30 Apr 2012

Study links obesity in young people to familiarity with fast-food ads

There is a long-held concern that youths who eat a lot of fast food are at risk for becoming overweight. New research to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston shows that greater familiarity with fast-food restaurant advertising on television is associated with obesity in young people.

30 Apr 2012

Electronic survey facilitates testing for STIs in pediatric emergency department

More than 1 million youths ages 15-24 have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea. Many others, however, are unaware they are infected because they have not been tested.

30 Apr 2012

Link between recognition of television alcohol ads and underage drinking

Minors who were familiar with television alcohol advertisements were more likely to have tried alcoholic beverages and binge drink than those who could not recall seeing such ads, according to a study to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

30 Apr 2012

Girls with high body satisfaction have lower likelihood of unhealthy weight-control behaviors

A study to be published in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health looking at the relationships between body satisfaction and healthy psychological functioning in overweight adolescents has found that young women who are happy with the size and shape of their bodies report higher levels of self-esteem. They may also be protected against the negative behavioral and psychological factors sometimes associated with being overweight.

30 Apr 2012

Youth facing greater health risks today than in past; those in developing world face increasing challenges, Lancet series suggests

"Young people today face greater risks to their physical and mental health than generations past, new research has found, with adolescents in the developing world rapidly acquiring the unhealthy habits of their wealthier counterparts," the Financial Times reports.

27 Apr 2012

Scientists identify linchpin of fat metabolism

Humans are built to hunger for fat, packing it on during times of feast and burning it during periods of famine. But when deluged by foods rich in fat and sugar, the modern waistline often far exceeds the need to store energy for lean times, and the result has been an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related problems.

26 Apr 2012

Text-message intervention may help boost flu vaccination rates in children

Text message reminders to parents about flu vaccinations may help boost the number of children vaccinated, according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Full study findings are reported in the April 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

26 Apr 2012

Researchers discover two new genetic loci for obesity

Obesity is influenced environmental and genetic factors. The genetic predisposition accounts for more than 50 percent of the variance in body weight. Roughly three dozen genes are known to have an influence on body weight regulation. Together with international colleagues, a group of scientists of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) has identified two new genetic loci for obesity. The results are part of a large international study.

26 Apr 2012

Rise of eating disorders among men and boys

There is an alarming rise of eating disorders among men and boys. Psychologist Deanne Jade, founder of the National Centre For Eating Disorders, says while the route into eating disorders may be different for boys and girls, the underlying causes are all the same.

25 Apr 2012

Kids who are abused or bullied may age faster

The study finds that violence-related stress in children affects telomeres - special DNA sequences found at the tips of chromosomes. Telomeres, which prevent DNA from unravelling, get shorter each time cells divide, which limits the number of times cells can divide. Shorter telomeres have been linked to poorer survival and chronic diseases. Previous research has shown that smoking, obesity, mental-health disorders and stress may accelerate the process of telomere loss. This suggests that telomere length may reflect a person's biological age as well as their chronological age.

25 Apr 2012

New paper provides examples of cost-effective NCD policies and programs

As childhood and adolescent deaths from infectious diseases have declined worldwide, policymakers are shifting attention to preventing deaths from noncommunicable causes, such as drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, obesity, traffic crashes, violence and unsafe sex practices.

25 Apr 2012