AIMS To identify early onset cannabis users by measuring basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, which may be a risk factor for early onset substance use when showing low activity. DESIGN In a prospective cohort study, adolescents who initiated cannabis use at an early age (9-12 years), those who initiated at a later age (13-14 years) and those who did not use cannabis by th...

Östgård-Ybrandt, H. (2003). Self-concept, inner residue of past relationships, and social functioning in adolescence: A study of age and gender differences in groups of normal and antisocial adolescents. Doctoral dissertation from the Department of Psychology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden: ISBN 91-7305-595-6. This thesis presents several studies of normative development in adolescen...

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between academic stress and depression among adolescents. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted at higher secondary schools in Tamil Nadu. 1120 adolescents were included in the study after screening by MINI-kid tool. Modified Educatonal Stress Scale for Adolescents was administered to all children. RESULTS Adolescents who had academic stress wer...

For some children, the early adolescent years mark the beginning of a downward spiral in school-related behaviors and motivation that often lead to academic failure and school dropout. Although these declines are not so extreme for most adolescents, there is sufficient evidence of gradual decline in various indicators of academic motivation, self-perceptions, and school-related behaviors over t...

since the report from the national high blood pressure (bp) education program working group on bp in children and adolescents and the introduction of a new description called prehypertension many data have been provided on its rate of progression to hypertension, its prevalence and association with other cardiovascular (cv) risk factors and its therapy. making a diagnosis of prehypertension in ...

Improving mental health and reducing the burden of mental illness are complementary strategies which, along with the treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders, significantly improve population health and well-being. A Institute of Medicine report describes a range of interventions for mental disorders that included treatment and maintenance, reserving the term "prevention" fo...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of physician recommendation of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in early (ages 11-12), middle (13-17), and late adolescent/young adult (18-26) female patients by physician specialty, and to identify factors associated with recommendation in early adolescents. METHODS A 38-item survey was conducted April 2009 through Aug...

Unequal power and gender norms expose adolescent girls to higher risks of HIV, early marriages, pregnancies and coerced sex. In Uganda, almost half of the girls below the age of 18 are already married or pregnant, which poses a danger to the lives of young girls. This study explores the social construction of gender norms from early childhood, and how it influences adolescents' agency. Contrary...

In this survey of early Norwegian school adolescents, the prevalence, course, and incidence of self-harm behavior with or without suicide intent were examined, in addition to predictors of self-harm for a 1-year follow-up period. Lifetime prevalence rates of self-harm without suicide intent and suicide attempts were 2.9% and 3.0%, respectively, while 1-year incidence rates were 3.6% and 1.7%, r...

It is not known whether birth weight and early childhood growth are associated with the development of cardiac left ventricular mass (LVM) in healthy adolescents. Left ventricular growth and geometric remodeling may have long-term consequences on cardiovascular health later in life. We studied the determinants of LVM and patterns of geometric remodeling in adolescents with specific emphasis on ...