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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Smoking trajectories of adolescent novice smokers in a longitudinal study of tobacco use.

PURPOSE: To describe longitudinal trajectories of smoking intensity in adolescent novice smokers and to identify predictors of trajectory class membership. METHODS: Cigarette consumption among 369 novice smokers (mean age 13 years) was measured over a mean 24 months of follow-up after smoking onset. Classes of smoking intensity trajectories were identified using latent class growth modeling. Predictors of trajectory class membership were identified in polytomous logistic regression. RESULTS: There was considerable between-subject heterogeneity in individual trajectories over time. Four classes of smoking intensity trajectories were identified: low-intensity, non-progressing smokers (72.4% of subjects), and slow, moderate, and rapid escalators (11.1%, 10.8%, and 5.7% of subjects, respectively). Gender, poor academic performance, and having more than half of friends who smoke at smoking onset independently predicted development of trajectory pattern. Escalating trajectory patterns were associated with earlier development of nicotine dependence and tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette consumption will not escalate rapidly among three-quarters of adolescent novice smokers. Novice smokers who do escalate rapidly should be targeted for early tobacco control intervention to prevent development of nicotine dependence and sustained smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Adolescent scoliosis: effects of corrective surgery, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and age on activity outcomes.

The effects of spinal fusion surgery and cognitive-behavioral interventions on 88 adolescents' (11-18 years) activity outcomes were examined using a randomized trial with three intervention groups (information only, coping only, coping plus information) and a control group. The effects included a significant drop from baseline (preoperative) in usual activities and social activities at 1 month postsurgery for all groups, indicating that initially postsurgical recovery is particularly disruptive to patients' lives. At 3 months after surgery, all groups showed increased usual activities and social activities. Between the 3- and 6-month assessments, all groups had increases in social activities. Furthermore, the information only group had a significant increase in usual activities from 3 to 6 months. Younger adolescents (ages 11-14) in the combined information plus coping group and the control group had higher social scores over the postsurgery recovery period compared with those in the coping-only group. No differences were found on academic performance. The adolescents did not return to their baseline social activity levels during the 9-month recovery period (typically when long-term recovery is completed), indicating that the surgery itself has a long-term negative effect on patients' social life.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of depressive symptoms and sleep alterations in college students.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that sleep alterations could favor subsequent depression development. In order to identify the simultaneous occurrence of these parameters in young people, in this work we evaluated the prevalence of depressive symptoms, sleep habits, and possible sleep disturbances in college students. METHODS: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and a Sleep Habits Questionnaire were applied to students registered at the Autonomous University of Yucatan, Merida (mean age 20.2 +/- 2.6 years). The final sample was composed of 340 (53%) women and 298 (47%) men. Reliability of the BDI and ESS was assessed by Cronbach's alpha method. RESULTS: Taking 10 as ESS cut-off point, it was found that 31.6% of the students had a high level of sleepiness. Students with depressive symptoms had a greater number of days with somnolence during class (p <0.05) and perceived that this affected their academic performance at a higher level (p <0.001) than the students without symptoms. In comparison to subjects without depressive symptoms, students with those symptoms rated their sleep quality as poor (p <0.001), perceived a greater latency to initiate sleep after going to bed (p <0.03), and experienced a greater number of awakenings (p <0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We found diverse sleep alterations in a large proportion of the studied subjects, which were more severe in those who showed depressive symptoms. Educating students for appropriate sleep hygiene and encouraging them to seek professional advice to treat sleep disturbances may be useful to prevent depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Age and sex differences in factors associated with the onset of cannabis use: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate age and sex differences in factors associated with the onset of cannabis use among adolescents. METHODS: A representative sample of schoolchildren from secondary schools in Barcelona (n=1056) was selected and followed-up from the first to the fourth year of secondary education (7-10th grades). The participants completed a self-administered lifestyle questionnaire each year. Multilevel logistic regression models were used for each year and sex to analyse predictors of cannabis use; the second level was adjusted by school. RESULTS: Onset of cannabis use during follow-up was associated with a prior history of tobacco smoking [odds ratio (OR)=7.7 in boys; OR=3.8 in girls], alcohol consumption (OR=6.4 in boys; OR=3.2 in girls), antisocial behavior (OR=2.8 in boys; OR=2.2 in girls), intention to use drugs (OR=3.5 in boys; OR=4.2 in girls), drug use among friends (OR=2.5 in boys; OR=3.7 in girls) and spending leisure time in bars or discos (OR=2.1 in boys; OR=3.8 in girls). Moreover, among girls, attending state schools (OR=2.9), low academic performance (OR=5.7) and living in a single-parent family (OR=2.0) also independently predicted cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a wide array of predictive factors in cannabis use onset that largely differed by age and sex. The results support the role of tobacco and alcohol, as well as the influence of drug use among friends, and the importance of leisure time patterns as facilitators of cannabis use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Effect of antenatal exposure to maternal smoking on behavioural problems and academic achievement in childhood: prospective evidence from a Dutch birth cohort.

AIM: To examine effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on academic achievement and emotional and behavioural problems during childhood. METHODS: Least squares regression was used to examine associations between maternal smoking prior to delivery and subsequent academic performance and behaviour of 1186 children aged 5.5-11 years. Crude associations were adjusted for risk factors that were significantly related to the respective outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parents and teachers were asked to indicate, on a 10-item questionnaire, whether they regarded the child as more, the same, or less shy/withdrawn (internalising), troublesome (externalising), and attention deficient than the average child. Reading, spelling, and arithmetic performance levels were assessed with short standardised Dutch tests. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounders like socio-economic status and pre- and perinatal complications, children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy showed more signs of attention deficit and displayed higher levels of troublesome (externalising) behaviour than non-cigarette-exposed children. Also, children of smoking mothers performed worse on arithmetic and spelling tasks. Spelling problems were more pronounced when the mother continued to smoke after the child's birth. Excessively withdrawn (internalising) behaviour was not related to maternal smoking but to factors like the mother's use of psychotropic drugs and bottle-instead of breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Perinatal antecedents of internalising behaviour on the one hand and externalising behaviour, attention deficit, and learning problems on the other seem to be distinct. Only the latter are independently associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy and thus potentially amenable to early preventive effort, for instance, through continued health education emphasising the health hazards of nicotine use by pregnant women.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Reliability and validity of a qualitative and quantitative motor test for 5- to 6-year-old children.

Clumsiness in preschool children may be a precursor to impaired academic performance and psychological and developmental problems. It is assumed that in this age group especially the qualitative aspects (=pattern) of a movement reflect variations in motor development. Currently available motor tests for this age group, however, mostly objectify quantitative aspects of a movement alone and do not objectify qualitative aspects. The aim of this study was to develop a new, valid, and reliable tool (Maastricht's Motor Test (MMT)) to objectify qualitative and quantitative aspects of movement in 5- to 6-year-old children. The test covers Static Balance (14 items), Dynamic Balance (20 items), Ball Skills (eight items), and Diadochokinesis and Manual Dexterity (28 items). About 50% of the items measure qualitative aspects and 50% quantitative aspects of movements. In total 487 subjects were recruited from the first year of primary school. To validate the test, one school doctor's global judgment was used as a form of expert validity. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for different cut-off points. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) of inter-rater (N = 42), intra-rater (N = 24), and test-retest (N = 43) agreement were determined. ICCs of the qualitative total score ranged from 0.61 to 0.95 and were comparable with those of the total quantitative score. The MMT can be used to objectify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of movements. The additional value of the qualitative observations has to be determined in children with various developmental problems.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Coordinated school health program and dietetics professionals: partners in promoting healthful eating.

Although research indicates that school meal programs contribute to improved academic performance and healthier eating behaviors for students who participate, fewer than 60% of students choose the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. School meal programs have a difficult time competing with foods that are marketed to young people through sophisticated advertising campaigns. Youth's preferences for fast foods, soft drinks, and salty snacks; mixed messages sent by school personnel; school food preparation and serving space limitations; inadequate meal periods; and lack of education standards for school foodservice directors challenge school meal programs as well. A coordinated school health program offers a framework for meeting these challenges and provides children and adolescents with the knowledge and skills necessary for healthful eating. This article identifies challenges facing school foodservice directors in delivering healthful meals and acquaints dietetics professionals with the coordinated school health program to be used as a tool for addressing unhealthful weight gain and promoting healthful eating.

Advertising↗
PubMed2005

California teachers perceive school gardens as an effective nutritional tool to promote healthful eating habits.

This study assessed elementary school teachers' perceived attitudes and barriers associated with school gardens, as well as the purpose and use of gardens in schools, specifically in relation to the link between gardens and nutrition. The questionnaire was mailed to California fourth-grade teachers at schools with gardens (N = 1,665). The response rate was 36% (n = 592). Teachers perceived the garden to be somewhat to very effective at enhancing academic performance, physical activity, language arts, and healthful eating habits. Nutrition was taught with the use of the garden by 47% of responding teachers. This research provides evidence for needed standards-based curricula materials and teacher training in relation to gardening and nutrition. The results from this study will contribute to development of needed resources and methods by which to encourage the use of gardens and nutrition education in schools.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Initiation of sexual intercourse among middle school adolescents: the influence of psychosocial factors.

PURPOSE: To explore potential psychosocial predictors for initiation of sexual intercourse among middle-school, inner-city youth, using longitudinal data from the Healthy and Alive! project. METHODS: We conducted hierarchical, logistic regression with adjustment for intraclass correlation over two sequential periods, including seventh and eighth grades (N = 3163), to assess the independent influence of psychosocial and demographic factors. Internally reliable scales to assess psychosocial influences were created, based on major theories of behavior. The sample was 52% female, 51% black, 30% Hispanic, 9% white, and 3% Asian. At baseline, 13% of girls and 39% of boys reported already having initiated sexual intercourse. RESULTS: Personal and perceived peer norms about refraining from sex were a strong and consistent protective factor. Alcohol and other drug use, poor academic performance, male gender, and black race were consistent risk factors. Self-efficacy showed a mixed effect: protective in the seventh grade but increasing risk in the eighth grade. Speaking a language other than English was a protective factor in seventh grade. Both psychosocial and demographic factors provided independent explanatory power. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial factors, particularly norms about having sex, influence initiation of sexual intercourse. These data suggest that programs to delay initiation of sexual intercourse should reinforce norms about refraining from sex.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The relationship between physical maltreatment and substance use among adolescents: a survey of 95,788 adolescents in Hong Kong.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of corporal punishment and the infliction of injuries from a beating occurring without provocation in the previous 6 months among secondary school children in Hong Kong, and to examine the associations between these two forms of physical maltreatment with substance-use-related behaviors and attitudes. METHODS: Using secondary data, a cross-sectional, self-administered, anonymous survey of 95,788 secondary school students was conducted in Hong Kong. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical maltreatment showed statistically significant associations with younger age, attendance in Chinese-speaking day schools, temporary housing, residence with only one parent, poorer parental relationship, greater peer influence, perceptions of excessive academic pressure, and feelings of being blamed for poor academic performance. Adolescents who had experienced corporal punishment were more likely to be current users of alcohol (OR = 1.11), tobacco (OR = 1.31), psychoactive substances (OR = 1.60), or heroin (OR = 1.90). Those who had been beaten to injury by a family member without provocation within the past 6 months also were more likely to be current users of alcohol (OR = 1.35), tobacco (OR = 1.65), psychoactive substances (OR = 2.39), and heroin (OR = 3.07). Additionally, students who experienced physical maltreatment were more likely to be acquainted with habitual substance users, have better access to psychoactive substances, to have engaged in sex after abusing drugs, have obtained money from illegal sources to purchase drugs, and believe that psychoactive substances are not harmful or addictive. CONCLUSIONS: Physical maltreatment showed strong associations with drug-related behaviors and attitudes, after adjusting for potential confounders. Further longitudinal studies are required to understand the causal direction of the relationship.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Suicidality and correlates among rural adolescents of China.

PURPOSE: Despite high rates of suicide in rural youths of China, little is known about the epidemiological characteristics of suicidal behaviors among this group of population. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of suicidality among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: An epidemiological survey was conducted in a sample of 1,362 adolescents from 5 high schools in a prefecture of Shandong, China. We obtained data using a structured questionnaire asking about suicidal behaviors, life stress, locus of control, depression, aggression, and individual and family characteristics. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Overall, 19% of the sample reported having suicidal ideation, and 7% reported having made a suicide attempt during the past 6 months. The prevalence rates of suicidal behaviors significantly increased over age. Female adolescents were more likely to report suicidal ideation than males, and older females (ages 16-18) were more likely to report suicide attempts than older males. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that female gender, older age, boarding in school, life stress, depression, and external locus of control were significantly associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation, while older age, life stress, external locus of control, poor academic performance, depression, and aggression were related to suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal behaviors are common problems in rural adolescents of China. Female adolescents are particularly prone to report suicidal ideation and suicide attempts as they age. Multiple psychosocial factors are associated with suicidal behaviors, and psychopathology and life stress may play major roles in suicidal behaviors among rural adolescents of China.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Life experiences of people who stutter, and the perceived impact of stuttering on quality of life: personal accounts of South African individuals.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of the study was to investigate the life experiences of a group of South African adults who stutter and the impact of stuttering on their quality of life. Participants were 16 adults with a mean age of 28.9 and ranging from 20 to 59 years. Methods involved individual interviews designed to explore the life domains of education; social life; employment; speech therapy; family and marital life; and identity, beliefs and emotional issues. Main findings of the study indicated that the majority of participants perceived their stuttering to have impacted on their academic performance at school, and relationships with teachers and classmates. Although their stuttering was not perceived to adversely influence their ability to establish friendships, people generally reacted negatively to their stuttering. Many felt that their stuttering did not have an adverse effect on their choice of occupation, ability to obtain work, and relationships with managers and co-workers, although it was perceived to influence their work performance and hamper their chances for promotion. Although the majority viewed their speech therapy experiences as being negative; more than half the sample believed that speech therapy had, nevertheless exerted a positive effect on their quality of life. Overall, stuttering did not appear to have influenced participants' family and marital life. Most participants felt that stuttering had affected their self-esteem and self-image, and had evoked strong emotions within them. Findings are taken to suggest the need to incorporate subjective feelings about stuttering into the clinical practice of speech-language therapy; to provide information and coping strategies for teachers and employers; and for further research. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: After completing this activity, the reader will be able to: (1) describe and explain the perceived impact of stuttering on quality of life in terms of education; social life; employment; speech therapy; family and marital life; and identity, beliefs and emotional issues; (2) to interpret and utilize the subjective meanings that individuals attach to their stuttering to improve stuttering treatment, counseling and research.

Achievement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rose tea for relief of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial in Taiwan.

Primary dysmenorrhea occurs in as many as 50% of female adolescents and is associated with significant decreases in academic performance, sports participation, and socialization with peers. Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options are of interest to patients and health care providers. The use of rose tea to alleviate menstrual pain has long been a part of folk knowledge around the world but has not been studied scientifically. To determine the effectiveness of drinking rose tea as an intervention for reducing pain and psychophysiologic distress in adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea, 130 female adolescents were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 70) and a control (n = 60) group. Preintervention and postintervention data at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months were gathered on the biopsychosocial outcomes of dysmenorrhea. The results showed that compared with the control group, the experimental group perceived less menstrual pain, distress, and anxiety and showed greater psychophysiologic well-being through time, at 1, 3, and 6 months after the interventions. Findings suggest that drinking rose tea is a safe, readily available, and simple treatment for dysmenorrhea, which female adolescents may take to suit their individual needs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Factors influencing nursing students' preference for a hybrid format delivery in a pathophysiology course.

A growing number of courses in higher education are adopting a hybrid format of course delivery. Hybrid courses use both online learning activities with traditional classroom teaching and thus offer the efficiency and flexibility of online delivery without the complete loss of face-to-face contact. This paper explores students' satisfaction with a hybrid course delivery format, where students were required to attend the traditional tutorial session as well as complete the prescribed web-based learning activities. The study also sought to determine if age, part-time employment or academic performance were associated with satisfaction levels of the hybrid format. Participants were 143 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a final year pathophysiology course at a university in Sydney, Australia. A survey design was used to evaluate hybrid versus traditional face-to-face classroom instruction, resulting in a high overall satisfaction with the hybrid course delivery format. Students' age and the hours they spent in part-time employment were not associated with satisfaction levels of the hybrid format. Students who achieved higher marks in the final examination expressed stronger preference for the traditional format of course delivery indicating a perceived reliance on teacher-based instruction. It is recommended that additional support be provided to students while they make the shift to a more active independent mode of learning when using web-based formats.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Perceptions of student nurses regarding the use of a popular autobiography as a teaching tool.

Recent studies encourage educators in nursing to use innovative and non-traditional teaching methods, such as using popular movies, posters, portfolios and surfing the internet, to stimulate students' interest, participation and interaction to enhance academic performance as well as knowledge retention. In this, descriptive cross-sectional study, we used self-administered questionnaires with statements graded on 5-points Likert scale (quantitative measures) and open-ended questions (qualitative measures), to assess the feasibility and students' perceptions regarding the use of Lance Armstrong's autobiography of surviving against cancer as a teaching tool. At the beginning of the lecture copies of selected chapters from: "It's Not About the Bike; My Journey Back to Life" [Armstrong, L., Jenkins, S. 2001. It's Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life. Yellow Jersey Press, Random House (Pty) Limited, Great Britain], were given to students. Willing students were requested to read for the whole class while the lecturer interjected periodically to explain and expound on certain pharmacological concepts. Eighty percent (80%) of participants felt that the use of an autobiography stimulated their interesting in cancer drugs and 84% agreed/strongly agreed that it contributed to their knowledge of pharmacology. Using Lance Armstrong's autobiography of survival to teach cytotoxic drugs is a worthwhile and rewarding exercise from the student nurses' perspective.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Substance abuse on the college campus.

Substance abuse is a major health and behavioral concern in college students. Alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly abused drugs on college campuses. Others include tobacco, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), lysergic acid, ketamine, methamphetamine, phencyclidine, cocaine, and psilocybin mushrooms. This article reviews the use of these drugs by college students. Substance use is a major contributing factor in poor academic performance and failure to successfully complete a college education.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Visual perceptual skills in children born with very low birth weights.

INTRODUCTION: A disproportionate number of very low birth weight (VLBW; < or =1500 g) children require special education services and have school-related problems even when they are free from major disabilities and have average intelligence quotient scores. Visual-perceptual problems have been suggested as contributors to deficits in academic performance, but few data are available describing specific visual-perceptual problems. This study was designed to identify specific visual-perceptual skills in VLBW children. METHOD: Participants were 92 VLBW children aged 4 through 5 years who were free from major disability and appropriate for gestational age at birth. The Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor)-Revised was used. RESULTS: Despite intelligent quotient scores in the average range, the majority (63% to 78.3%) of the children performed below age level on all seven subscales of a normed assessment of visual perceptual skills. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that visual perceptual screening should be considered as a part of routine evaluations of preschool-aged children born prematurely. Early identification of specific deficits could lead to interventions to improve achievement trajectories for these high-risk children.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2004

Psychosocial correlates of substance use among adolescents in Mersin, Turkey.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of psychosocial factors such as peer group, family and academic self-perception on smoking, alcohol and substance use by adolescents living in Mersin, Turkey. The study included a total of 3282 students from the sixth and tenth grades and college. The number of participating students required from each school was obtained through stratification, and by weighing the enrolled student population in each subgroup. The final sample was derived using a simple random sampling technique. A 45-item self-administered questionnaire was used. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic characteristics and lifetime and current (i.e. within the past month) use of cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, inhalants and other illicit drugs (heroin, cocaine, sedative-hypnotic drugs, etc.). This study found that: (1) higher socio-economic status of the family increased the likelihood of smoking and alcohol use in adolescents; (2) the prevalence of alcohol use was higher in adolescents whose mothers had a higher educational level and whose mothers and fathers drank alcohol; (3) there was a significant association between substance use and having a peer who used a substance; and (4) the prevalence of smoking was significantly higher in students who perceived their academic performance to be poor. Understanding the role and importance of psychosocial factors associated with smoking, alcohol and substance use will be crucial to develop preventive measures for adolescents.

Adolescent↗