Purpose The present study examined the risk factors of psychological disorders after COVID-19 outbreak and tested the possible mediating role of social support and emotional intelligence on the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic exposure and psychological disorders. Methods We conducted an online survey from May 25, 2020 until June 10, 2020 among Chinese university students who had been quarantined

Purpose COVID-19 has led to soaring unemployment rates and the widespread adoption of working-from-home (WFH) arrangements that have disrupted family relationships and adolescent psychological well-being. This longitudinal study investigated how parental employment status (i.e., job loss and WFH) influenced adolescents' daily affect indirectly through family functioning (i.e., parent-adolescent conflict

Purpose Adolescent mental health has been under-researched, particularly in Africa. COVID-19-related household economic stress and school closures will likely have adverse effects. We investigate the relationship among adolescent mental health, adult income loss, and household dynamics during the pandemic in Kenya. Methods A cross-sectional mobile phone-based survey was conducted with one adult and

Purpose The current longitudinal observational study aimed to explore how chronic pain among schoolchildren changed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how changes in chronic pain were related to changes in psychological wellbeing and COVID-19-related experiences. Methods Data were collected from N = 777 German schoolchildren (aged 9–17 years) at two assessments before and one assessment during

Purpose The purposes of this study were to assess whether mental well-being has changed after introduction of the lockdown measures compared with that before, whether this change differs between boys and girls, and whether this change is associated with COVID-19–related concerns. Methods This is a two-wave prospective study among Dutch adolescents using data collected up to one year before the COVID-19

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated several existing health disparities in the U.S. Sexual and gender minority (SGM) health disparities may also be widening during the pandemic, though few studies have assessed this question. This study examined SGM young adult disparities in health-related behaviors to cope with isolation during the pandemic. Methods Respondents from a prospective cohort

Background Measures to mitigate COVID-19's impact may inhibit development of healthy youth relationships, affecting partnership quality and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods study to understand how COVID-19 affected girls' and young women's relationships in Kenya. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression examined factors associated with relationship

Background Routine adolescent vaccination recommendations in the United States include tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, and human papillomavirus vaccines. Although coverage for these individual vaccines is known, limited data are available on composite completion for all three vaccines. Methods This cross-sectional analysis of pooled 2015–2018

Purpose This study examines the impact of several forms of past-year maltreatment on thoughts of self-harm and suicidal ideation and considers how these effects may vary by gender. Methods Analyses are based on telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 6,364 youth aged 10–17 years, from three waves (2008, 2011, and 2014) of the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence

Purpose Adolescents are among the most frequent users of social media and are highly attuned to social feedback. However, digital stress, or subjective distress related to social media demands, expectations, and others’ approval and judgment, is understudied in adolescents. Methods We conducted a preliminary investigation of self-reported digital stress and its hypothesized correlates (social media

Purpose Major depression is a leading cause of disability and represents a significant health concern for adolescents. Evidence of temporal trends in adolescent depression stratified by sociodemographic characteristics is needed. Methods This study drew on 11 years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 167,783), a nationally representative survey of adolescents aged 12–17 years conducted

Purpose Managing confidential adolescent health information in patient portals presents unique challenges. Adolescent patients and guardians electronically access medical records and communicate with providers via portals. In confidential matters like sexual health, ensuring confidentiality is crucial. A key aspect of confidential portals is ensuring that the account is registered to and utilized by

Purpose New York City (NYC) was the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. A “shelter in place” mandate was issued in March 2020. The effect on vulnerable populations of adolescent and young adult (AYA) females has not been well documented. Methods We administered a monthly online survey between May and November 2020 to AYA females participating in a longitudinal study at Mount Sinai

Purpose Young adults with disability experience barriers to healthcare access and are at risk for not receiving needed services as they transition from pediatric to adult health systems. This study examined patterns of healthcare utilization for young adults with disability and potential barriers to receipt of care. Methods Data from the 2014 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed to

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate associations between police stops and adolescent substance use among a large, representative sample of adolescents in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods Data from the three most recent sweeps of the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative contemporary birth cohort of children born in the UK between September 2000 and January 2002, were analyzed

Purpose Many birth-assigned female/transgender male and nonbinary people (identified as masculine spectrum here) begin gender-affirming testosterone therapy by the age of 24 years. Few data inform assessment of cardiovascular health of masculine spectrum youth as a specific subgroup of the 1.5 million transgender people in the United States. The purpose of this review is to help youth-serving practitioners

Purpose The standards of care for transgender and gender diverse youth (TGDY) experiencing gender dysphoria are well-established and include gender-affirming medical interventions. As of July 2021, 22 states have introduced or passed legislation that bans the provision of gender-affirming medical care to anyone under the age of 18 even with parent or guardian consent. The purpose of this study is to

Purpose To investigate the association between adolescent and young adult (AYA) well-care visits and emergency department (ED) utilization. Methods Vermont's all-payer claims data were used to evaluate visits for 49,089 AYAs (aged 12-21 years) with a health-care claim from January 1 through December 31, 2018. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses to determine the association between well-care

Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the range of emotions reported by youth bystanders, as well as the reactions they received from the at-risk individual engaging in self-directed violence. Methods A national sample of 1,031 youth and young adults (aged 13–23 years) was recruited online between November 27, 2020 and December 4, 2020. Sixty-two percent (n = 638) reported intervening

Purpose Obtaining affirmative consent, a hallmark of sexual violence prevention education on college campuses, may influence sexual communication and behaviors such as condom use. This study examined the relationship between self-efficacy to obtain sexual consent with sexual health communication and behaviors among a sample of U.S. college students. Methods Data were from 2,291 students enrolled in

Considering the urgent need to increase vaccine uptake in Alabama, a rural state with the lowest levels of COVID-19 vaccination in the country, we conducted an exploratory study to elucidate sentiments toward vaccination among African American or Black adolescents. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15-17 year olds in rural Alabama (N=28). About 54% of our sample were female. Nearly a third lived

Purpose This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effect of interventions targeting multiple modifiable health behaviors (i.e., physical activity/sedentary behaviors, nutrition/diet, sleep, substance use) on depression and anxiety in young people. Methods A search of electronic databases from inception until May 2020 was conducted. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that explicitly targeted at least

Purpose We sought to explore characteristics and risk factors associated with transactional sex in a sample of young black and Latinx sexual minority cisgender men and transgender women of age 15 to 24 years who were living with or at high risk for HIV infection and whether these associations vary by gender identity and HIV status. Methods A total of 454 black and Latinx sexual minority cisgender men

Purpose Recent studies have documented worrisome levels of hesitancy and resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine, including within the adolescent population. In this study, we examined attitudinal (perceived severity of COVID-19, vaccine-related concerns) and interpersonal (parent and peer norms) antecedents of adolescents’ intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods Participants were 916 adolescents

Purpose Comprehensive school-based health services were reviewed as part of preparing World Health Organization guidelines. Methods Six databases were searched for controlled trials with schoolchildren aged 5–19 years, involving school-linked health services incorporating 4 of 7 health areas. Results Seventeen quasi-experimental studies conducted in high-income countries found school health services

Purpose The purpose of the study is to assess associations between exposure to a multilevel, socio-ecological health program administered by local education agencies and changes in health behaviors among high school students. Methods This analysis used a multilevel difference-in-differences approach to compare student health experiences and outcomes between schools selected by local education agencies

Purpose The association between acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents and the COVID-19 lockdown has been studied previously in Trieste, Italy. They recommended that emergency services should be prepared for a potential peak of alcohol intoxication–related emergencies among adolescents as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the effects of a peer-led oral health intervention based on the Health Belief Model and the Social Cognitive Theory on improving oral health among Hong Kong adolescents. Methods The study adopted a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, and 1184 students in 12 schools were randomized to intervention or control groups. After baseline assessment, the intervention

Purpose Childhood adversity is associated with adverse health outcomes, in part owing to its effects on healthy lifestyle. We examined whether psychological resilience to adversity may promote healthier behaviors and body weight in young adulthood. Methods Data are from the Growing Up Today Study, a longitudinal cohort of young adults (n = 3,767) who are children of participants of the Nurses' Health

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in early adolescence and heavy smoking in emerging adulthood, focusing on the mediating role of individuals' not in education, employment, or training (NEET) status. Methods Using a retrospective cohort sample from the Taiwan Youth Project, 2,903 participants from the age of 14 years until

Purpose Adolescent cannabis use is associated with adverse health outcomes. The impact of cannabis legalization on adolescent cannabis-related hospitalizations remains unknown. We sought to assess whether state cannabis legalization is associated with adolescent cannabis-related hospitalizations. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adolescent (11–17 years) hospitalizations at children’s

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic changes to the daily lives of U.S. adolescents, including isolation from friends and extended family, transition to remote learning, potential illness and death of loved ones, and economic distress. This study’s purpose is to measure changes in adolescents’ perceived stress and mood early in the pandemic. Methods The present study drew from a racially

Purpose The aim of this article is to study how Covid-19 stress-related factors and changes in social engagement during the pandemic contributed to changes in alcohol use among first-year college students. Methods We used data on 439 first-year students (ages 18–20) at a large public university in North Carolina both before (October 2019 to February 2020) and after (June/July 2020) the start of the

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development and worsening of eating disorder (ED) symptoms in adolescents and young adults. In order to examine COVID-19-related trends in ED care-seeking at our institution. Methods We used interrupted time series regression to examine pre- and postpandemic monthly summary data of the following: (1) ED-related inpatient admissions for medical stabilization;

Purpose The aim of this study is to identify important predictors of emergency department (ED) utilization within a population of transition-aged patients empaneled within a primary care network, particularly with high-risk chronic conditions of childhood (HRC). Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data of patients aged 12–29 within a primary care network (n = 19,989). We used negative binomial regression

Purpose Parents do not always seek timely help for adolescents when the need arises. Although interventions to increase parental help-seeking have been evaluated and published, no systematic review of these interventions has been conducted. The aim of this systematic review is to collate, synthesise, and evaluate research on help-seeking interventions for parents of adolescents. Methods Six electronic

Purpose A host of recent initiatives relating to adolescent health have been accompanied by varying indicator recommendations, with little stakeholder coordination. We assessed currently included adolescent health–related indicators for their measurement focus, identified overlap across initiatives, and determined measurement gaps. Methods We conducted a scoping review to map the existing indicator

Purpose Among U.S. primary care physicians who delivered sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents before the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine (1) changes in availability of in-person SRH services; (2) changes in accessibility and utilization of SRH services; and (3) use of strategies to support provision of SRH services during the pandemic. Methods Data were from the DocStyles provider

Purpose To study how young adult college students are managing their health behaviors and risks related to spreading COVID-19. Methods We created a national cohort of full-time college students in late April 2020 (n = 707), and conducted a follow-up survey with participants in July 2020 (n = 543). Participants reported COVID-19-related health risk behaviors and COVID-19 symptoms, and also responded

Purpose Evaluate changes in early adolescent substance use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic using a prospective, longitudinal, nationwide cohort. Methods Participants were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. A total of 7,842 youth (mean age = 12.4 years, range = 10.5–14.6) at 21 study sites across the U.S. completed a three-wave assessment of substance

Purpose This study describes the results of an impact evaluation of the Linking Families and Teens (LiFT) program, a 5-hour program for families in rural communities. LiFT’s goal is to reduce unplanned teen pregnancies by increasing family connectedness and youth’s self-efficacy, knowledge, and sexual health skills. Methods LiFT was externally evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Purpose Young adults have the highest cumulative incidence of COVID-19 infection in the country. Using March 2021 Household Pulse Survey data, an ongoing, cross-sectional nationally representative survey, we examined U.S. young adult intention to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Methods Young adult (ages 18–25 years) Household Pulse Survey participants were queried on intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine

Purpose This longitudinal investigation assessed how the frequency of parent-adolescent conversations about COVID-19, moderated by adolescents’ stress, influenced adolescents’ empathic concern and adherence to health protective behaviors (HPBs) throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Participants were 181 adolescents (Mage = 15.23 years; 51% female; 47% Latinx) and their parents

Purpose Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents are more likely to become victims of bullying and harassment than heterosexual, cisgender adolescents, but little is known about the contextual details of these victimization experiences. This study aims to examine by whom and where adolescents are bullied or harassed, to whom adolescents report such victimization, and whether these experiences differ

Purpose This study sought to evaluate whether associations between adolescent combustible cigarette smoking and e-cigarette progression were explained by beliefs that e-cigarettes substitute for cigarettes in nonsmoking situations. Methods Adolescents (N = 1,799) from public high schools outside of Philadelphia, PA, completed in-classroom surveys at wave 1 (fall 2016, beginning of ninth grade) and

Purpose The landscape of youth tobacco product use has changed dramatically in recent years; however, little is known about current youth cessation behaviors. This study aims to assess prevalence and correlates of quit intentions and past-year quit attempts among U.S. middle and high school students who report current use of any tobacco product, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes. Methods Data came from

Purpose Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is an effective sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment and prevention practice that allows clinicians to provide treatment to the sexual partner(s) of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia and/or gonorrhea infections without a clinical evaluation. Due to the high incidence of STIs among youth, we sought to understand youth awareness and beliefs about EPT

Purpose Nearly 20% of U.S. adolescents have considered suicide. Yet, gaps remain in understanding correlates of resilience and suicide risk, especially among populations born outside the United States who may face unique migration- and acculturation-related stressors. This study adds to the literature by exploring correlates of suicide ideation among a diverse population. Methods This study analyzes

Purpose The aim of this study is to test the effects of an electronic screening and feedback tool and training for primary care clinicians on care and adolescent health behaviors. Methods We conducted a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial with six clinics randomly assigned to sequential crossover from control to intervention periods with clinician training between periods. Adolescents (ages 13–18)

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine age at menarche across sexual orientation groups. Methods Data were obtained from 131,090 female participants, born 1947–2001, in 3 longitudinal studies—the Growing Up Today Study and Nurses’ Health Study 2 and 3. We estimated the association between sexual orientation and age at menarche using regression models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, birthweight

Purpose While there is a well-established association between depression and cigarette use, the mental health sequelae of vaping nicotine remain unclear. This study examined whether adolescents with depressive symptoms had higher odds of vaping nicotine than others, and how this association differed when examining vaping with cigarette use, vaping without cigarette use, and cigarette use alone. Methods

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to slow the spread of disease have particularly affected the lives of adolescents. Many studies have recently identified the risks to adolescent mental health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet few have identified the markers of resilience to the events and concerns associated with the pandemic's lived experience. This study examined the moderating role of

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare pre/post-COVID-19 changes in mental health–related emergency department visits among adolescents. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of all mental health–related emergency department visits in two large tertiary pediatric hospital centers between January 2018 and December 2020. We described monthly pre/post-COVID-19 changes in frequency and

Purpose The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health is a global concern; however, most research is cross-sectional or started after the pandemic response began, and thus, unable to evaluate within-individual change. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of the initial COVID-19 response on adolescent mental health and ill-health as a natural experiment

Purpose Youth suicide is increasing at a significant rate and is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. There is an urgent public health need to address the youth suicide. The objective of this study is to determine whether adolescents and young adults residing in states with greater mental health treatment capacity exhibited lower suicide rates than states with less treatment capacity

Purpose Using U.S. National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data from 2006 to 2013, we characterized men aged 15–44 years who reported not using a condom at their first vaginal intercourse (coitarche), while in a non-steady relationship with a female partner. Methods Men who reported ever having intercourse were asked about male and female contraceptives used at coitarche. Analysis was restricted to

Purpose The aim of this study is to assess contraceptive use at last intercourse among adolescent girls with and without disabilities. Methods Data were from the 2015 and 2017 Oregon Healthy Teens survey, a state-wide representative sample of 11th grade students. Among respondents at risk for unplanned pregnancy (n = 3,702), we estimated the prevalence of contraceptive method used at last intercourse—including

Purpose The absence of routine health check-ups during adolescence in low- and middle-income countries is a missed opportunity for prevention, early identification, and treatment of health issues, and health promotion. We aimed to codesign the content and delivery for routine adolescent health checkups in Zimbabwe, with adolescents and key adults in their lives. Methods We held participatory workshops

Purpose In low- and middle-income countries, there are limited data on mental disorders among adolescents. To address this gap, the National Adolescent Mental Health Surveys (NAMHS) will provide nationally representative prevalence data of mental disorders among adolescents in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This paper details the NAMHS study protocol. Methods In each country, a multistage stratified

Purpose Transgender/gender-diverse (TGD) youth are treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas) to halt endogenous puberty and prevent the development of secondary sex characteristics discordant with their gender identity. This treatment may have significant impact on growth and height velocity (HV). Methods Participants were recruited prior to GnRHa initiation from four gender specialty