International journal of adolescent medicine and health
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Int J Adolesc Med Health · Jan 2013
Developmental outcomes of economically disadvantaged adolescents in Hong Kong: a replication.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between economic disadvantage and adolescent and developmental outcomes as well as perceived family qualities in 3580 Secondary 2 students in Hong Kong. Developmental outcomes include positive youth development constructs, problem behavior and drug taking behavior, whereas perceived family qualities include perceived family interaction and parental parenting. Generally speaking, poor and non-poor adolescents differ in terms of overall positive youth development and family life quality. Although adolescents experiencing poverty do not display significant differences from non-poor adolescents in terms of risk behavior and psychosocial competencies, adolescents with economic disadvantage show lower levels of positive identity, family interaction, and perceived paternal parenting than do those without economic disadvantage.
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Int J Adolesc Med Health · Jan 2012
ReviewAdolescent suicide in New York City: plenty of room for new research.
The act of adolescent suicide continues to threaten adolescent populations in New York City (NYC). Consistent positive correlations have been found between a plethora of risk factors present in NYC adolescent populations and suicidal ideations and behaviors. Psychiatric conditions that may contribute to the rate of adolescent suicide in NYC include depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse and schizophrenia. ⋯ Longitudinal studies in NYC have found that physical and sexual abuse is highly predictive of adolescent suicidality, with variations by ethnic group. Currently, there is a disturbing lack of sufficient research on adolescent suicide in NYC, specifically regarding causal factors, the effects of television on suicide, comorbid suicidality and drug abuse, and cultural factors contributing to suicide. This dearth of literature may be related to the ethical problems inherent in suicide research, self reports and/or post mortem analyses.
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Advertising plays a major role in smoking behavior and forming brand preferences. Additionally, the most advertised tobacco brands have also been the most preferred. Maintaining brand loyalty in Latin America remains a priority for the tobacco industry. ⋯ Findings indicate that there are ongoing shifts in youth brand preference in Mexico, and that these shifts might be related to marketing and advertising practices. There is an ongoing need for monitoring marketing and advertising practices in an effort to protect adolescents from tobacco company exploits.
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Int J Adolesc Med Health · Jan 2011
Text messaging: one step forward for phone companies, one leap backward for adolescence.
The increasing popularity of text messaging has made this mode of communication the preferred interaction portal for teens. Virtually every teenager has a cell phone with an unlimited text messaging plan. Text messaging easily facilitates communication between individuals without much interruption into daily life. ⋯ The anxiety and uneasiness felt by early teens about speaking with others has led to deficits in the ability to communicate in social settings, which could prove troublesome later. This study looks at only a few developmental issues associated with text messaging use among teens. It would be relevant and appropriate to study other ways that text messaging affects our youth in addition to exploring the more long-term effects of using this technology.
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against HPV-related disease. The aim of this study was to assess acceptance of HPV vaccination among female Greek students. A sample of 573 students aged 18-25 years participated in the present study. ⋯ Of the subjects, 10.47% had been administered the HPV vaccine. Of the respondents who had not been administered the vaccine, 43.86% were not willing to accept it because of the rumors of serious side effects. The results highlight the need for additional education and health promotion regarding HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.