Pilot study of abuse of asthma inhalers by middle and high school students

During a school-based survey, middle and high school students (n = 1536) reported on their nonprescribed, lifetime use of asthma inhalers. Approximately 15% of 8th and 9th graders reported using nonprescribed asthma inhalers; the odds for this behavior were significantly higher for these students (2.25 and 2.30, respectively) and the nonprescribed use of asthma inhalers was significantly associated with higher rates of other drug use.     

2003～2005年永州市青少年学生乙肝感染动态分析

目的分析近3年来乙肝病毒在不同类群青少年学生中的感染状况及动态变化。方法以酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）法，检测2003-2005年永州市参加中考、高考各类青少年学生共7605名的乙肝表面抗原（船sAg）及“乙肝两对半”指标，参考其他因素和其他城市情况，逐年分组进行分析。结果3年船sAg平均阳性率为11．65％，2003～2005年每年的船sAg阳性率分别为10．20％、11．75％、13．36％，男女生阳性率分别为12．10％、10．28％，城乡学生阳性率分别为10、92％、13．16％，住校生、走读生阳性率分别为12．83％、11．15％，初、高中毕业生阳性率分别为10．88％、12．01％。886例HgsAg阳性学生中乙肝e抗原阳性者占61．52％。结论我市中青少年学生的乙肝感染率不但偏高，而且有不断增高趋势，其中传染性强的人群较大。农村学生、男生、住校生为乙肝重点感染人群，需给予特别关注。     

青少年自愿戒毒者的特征及治疗对策

目的:了解青少年自愿戒毒者的特征,充分发挥戒毒机构在禁吸戒毒中的作用.方法:以2000年9月-2004年3月收治的3 035例自愿戒毒者的病案为原始资料,采用自行设计的项目进行统计分析.结果:本期收治的病例具有青少年男性、低文化程度、无业闲散人员占多数等人口学特征.吸毒类别以海洛因为主(97.24%)有多药滥用趋势.再次住院率约为33.31%.结论:充分发挥自愿戒毒机构的作用,对青少年加强禁吸戒毒宣传教育.     

Asthma and mental health among youth in high-risk service settings

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of asthma and mental health problems among representative samples of youth in high-risk service settings and the community, and to examine the relationship between asthma and mental health in these groups. Methods: Data were drawn from the Alternative Service Use Patterns of Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance Study (SED) (n?=?1181), a combined representative, cross-sectional sample of youth in various clinical settings and the community. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between asthma and mental disorders. Demographic characteristics were investigated as potential confounders. Results: Asthma was common among 15.2% of youth in service settings and 18.8% of youth in the community. The prevalence of mental disorders was extremely high among youth with and without asthma in all service settings, and asthma was associated with increased prevalence of mental disorders among youth in the community, but not among youth in service settings. The relationship between asthma and internalizing disorders among youth in the community does not appear entirely attributable to confounding by demographics. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with and extend previous data by showing that both asthma and mental disorders are disproportionately common among youth in high-risk service settings. Almost half of youth with asthma in service settings meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. Clinicians and policy makers who are responsible for the health care of youth in these high-risk groups should be aware that asthma is common, and that the prevalence of internalizing disorders are especially common among those with asthma.     

Health and social situation of adolescents in Hanoi,Vietnam

Abstract

Primary education in Vietnam is free and compulsory for five years. The majority of school-aged children continue into lower secondary school, but significant numbers drop out. This study investigated the health and social situation of adolescents aged 11–16 years (between primary education and legal employment age) to compare the situation of adolescents in school with those working, including possible gender differences. The data were collected by questionnaire on a randomly selected sample of adolescents, aged 11–16 years, living in Hanoi. A total of 1547 adolescents were interviewed. Adolescents from Hanoi were healthy, continuing their education, lived with parents, and only a few reported behaviour detrimental to their health. They knew about HIV, but their knowledge about prevention was poor. The working adolescents had moved to Hanoi to earn an income. The girls were staying mainly with relatives, while the boys lived with employers or in rented rooms. Very few were homeless and these were exposed to more risks to their health due to a more risky lifestyle and less knowledge about HIV prevention. For urban adolescents, their right to education, basic health and to be cared for by their parents was fulfilled. More of the rural adolescents had left school early, were responsible for their own daily life and were exposed to greater risks and a more risky lifestyle. The living and working conditions of these rural adolescents need further investigation and action to ensure their rights to welfare, development and health are met.     

Exposure to Tobacco Retail Outlets and Smoking Initiation among New York City Adolescents

This study was designed to estimate the relationship between exposure to tobacco retail outlets and smoking initiation in a racially diverse urban setting. Using data from the 2011 NYC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the exposure–initiation relationship and test for effect modification, while controlling for covariates. The predicted probability of smoking initiation from the multivariable model increased from 7.7 % for zero times a week exposed to tobacco retailers to 16.0 % for exposure seven times or more per week. The odds of initiation were significantly higher among adolescents exposed to tobacco retail outlets two times or more a week compared with those exposed less often (AOR = 1.41; 95 % CI: 1.08, 1.84). Risk-taking behavior modified the relationship between exposure and initiation, with the odds of initiation highest among those low in risk-taking (AOR = 1.78; 95 % CI: 1.14, 1.56). These results are consistent with past research, showing that frequent exposure to tobacco marketing in retail settings is associated with increased odds of initiation. Reducing exposure to tobacco retail marketing could play an important role in curtailing smoking among adolescents, especially those less prone to risk-taking.     

Family-Based Interventions for Substance Use and Misuse Prevention

Because “substance abuse” is a “family disease” of lifestyle, including both genetic and family environmental causes, effective family strengthening prevention programs should be included in all comprehensive substance abuse prevention activities. This article presents reviews of causal models of substance use and evidence-based practices. National searches by the authors suggest that there is sufficient research evidence to support broad dissemination of five highly effective family strengthening approaches (e.g., behavioral parent training, family skills training, in-home family support, brief family therapy, and family education). Additionally, family approaches have average effect sizes two to nine time larger than child-only prevention approaches. Comprehensive prevention programs combining both approaches produced much larger effect sizes. The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is the only one of these programs that has been replicated with positive results by independent researchers with different cultural groups and with different ages of children. Few research-based programs have been adopted by practitioners, partly because of technology transfer issues. Overall, research on ways to improve dissemination, marketing, training, and funding is needed to improve adoption of effective prevention programs.