adolescents health

Waiting room gadget may prove to be a life-saver

harminka — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:37:55 -0500

Technology may be the key to identifying high-risk behaviors among adolescents. Injury risk, depressive symptoms and drug and alcohol use are the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality; yet pediatricians often lack the time to screen for these behavioral concerns.

Overweight in adolescence gives increased mortality rate

harminka — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:01:50 -0500

People who were already overweight in adolescence (14-19 years old) have an increased mortality rate from a range of chronic diseases as adults; endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer and respiratory diseases. There were also many cases of sudden death in this group. This comes from a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).

Preference for alcohol in adolescence may lead to heavy drinking

harminka — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:54:12 -0500

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have shown a connection between early drinking patterns and a tendency to be a heavy drinker in adulthood, in a study of adolescent rats.

Antidepressant ssymptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents

harminka — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:57:17 -0500

Researchers at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA have found that low-dose antidepressant therapy can significantly improve the overall quality of life for adolescents suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

Every fifth adolescent smokes

harminka — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:31:33 -0500

As many as 20% of adolescents from 11 to 17 years of age smoke. This was the result of the nationwide German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), performed by the Robert Koch Institute and presented by the sociologist Thomas Lampert in the current edition of Deutsches Дrzteblatt International.

Drug-related cues may sway adolescent preference more strongly

harminka — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:35:59 -0500

New drug research suggests that teens may get addicted and relapse more easily than adults because developing brains are more powerfully motivated by drug-related cues. This conclusion has been reached by researchers who found that adolescent rats given cocaine – a powerfully addicting stimulant – were more likely than adults to prefer the place where they got it.

Cultural identity shown to influence mental health in adolescents

harminka — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:59:16 -0500

The first prospective study investigating cultural identity and mental health status among adolescents living in a culturally diverse society has revealed that there is an association between the two, and that effects differ by gender and ethnic group. Researchers say the findings, published today (15 April 2008) in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, could inform policies affecting educational and social institutions caring for young people.

Adolescents with chronic insomnia report increase in personal problems

harminka — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:38:14 -0500

Documenting a “twofold to fivefold” increase in personal problems among adolescents with persistent sleeplessness, public health researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston say they have completed the first prospective study demonstrating the negative impact of chronic insomnia on 11 to 17 year olds.

Adolescents at risk of developing a substance-use disorder have deficits in frontal brain activation

harminka — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:09:46 -0600

Children and adolescents at high risk for developing a substance-use disorder (SUD) tend to show deficits in executive cognitive function (ECF). A study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess eye movements in adolescents has found a link between brain functioning and risk for developing an SUD.

Comparison of antipsychotic treatments in adolescents with schizophrenia

harminka — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:08:45 -0600

There is a wealth of scientific literature available on the treatment of adults diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, there is a paucity of data to guide the treatment of children and adolescents with schizophrenia.

Urine protein may be present before hypertension diagnosis

harminka — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:33:58 -0600

A protein that is an early indicator of kidney dysfunction in adults may predict hypertension in black adolescents, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.

Bone mineral content continues to increase in obese adolescents during weight loss

harminka — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:18:10 -0600

Obese teenagers who succeeded in losing weight in a year-long medically supervised weight control program also saw their bone mineral content increase over that period, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The finding was reassuring, because adolescence is a critical period for bone health in later life.