Articles: adolescent.
-
This article reviews recent medical research on the relationship between young maternal age and the incidence of low birth weight infants. One line of research, "nature," emphasizes biological factors in early adolescence such as immaturity of the female reproductive system and inadequate prenatal weight gain. "Nurture," another research focus, stresses sociocultural attributes of teen mothers such as poverty and minority status. ⋯ Both biological and sociocultural factors, plus lifestyle choices made by adolescents, combine to raise or lower the risk of delivering a low birth weight infant. School health personnel need to link their health promotion efforts to those of other community organizations serving adolescents and their families.
-
Demand is growing in developing countries for sexual and reproductive health programs for young people. However, little scientifically based evidence exists about which program approaches are most effective in shaping healthy behaviors. Careful evaluation and research must be increased, but meanwhile, planners need guidance as they expand programming. ⋯ Behavioral theories and expert opinion agree that adolescents must be taught generic and health-specific skills necessary for adopting healthy behaviors. Constraints on financial and human resources, coupled with the great size of the youth population, highlight the need to find less costly ways to reach young people. These observations generate six programming principles to help planners and communities experiment with a wide variety of programming approaching.
-
Pediatr. Clin. North Am. · Apr 1998
ReviewViolence against children and adolescents. International perspectives.
Selected topics of violence against children and adolescents that occur in countries outside of the United States are discussed. Focus is given to middle-income and low-income countries and emphasis is placed on the epidemiology of this pressing public health problem, particularly on conditions that are peculiar to children and adolescents in international settings, such as female genital mutilations, wars, displacements, and land mines. The discussion of child maltreatment is presented in the context of child rearing and discipline in different cultures. Recommendations for action and violence prevention are offered in the light of vast cultural differences.
-
Teen pregnancy is a multifaceted problem closely connected to economic, education, social, cultural, and political factors. Adolescents in the United States have the highest pregnancy rates in the Western world. ⋯ Prevention of teen pregnancy has become an important national agenda. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of teen pregnancy prevention programs and strategies and to highlight some of the most promising interventions.