Ethnoracial differences in cannabis use among native-born and foreign-born high school students in Ontario

The objective of this study was to examine the association of ethnoracial background and immigrant status to cannabis use among students in Ontario, Canada. Data were derived from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a school-based, province-wide survey of students in Grades 7–12. The survey utilized a stratified two-stage cluster design. Analyses were based on a pooled subsample of 12,527 students in Grades 9–12 during the 2011 and 2013 survey cycles and included adjustments for the complex sample design. Results indicate that youth who were of South Asian or East/Southeast Asian background were at lower odds of cannabis use than those who were White, Black, or mixed-race backgrounds. Youth who were of mixed-race background (i.e., White and another group) were at higher odds of cannabis use than youth who were of White background. The association between ethnoracial background and cannabis use also varied for some foreign-born and native-born youth. These findings suggest that ethnoracial background should be an important consideration in investigations of cannabis use among foreign- relative to native-born youth.     

The impact of child welfare legislation on domestic violence‐related homicide rates

State‐specific statutes providing legal consequences for perpetrating domestic violence in the presence of a child have been enacted across the United States between 1996 and 2012. This paper examines the impact of this child welfare legislation, using a difference‐in‐differences approach. We find a significant drop in domestic violence‐related homicide rates, when considering a wide range of victim–offender relationships. However, this result does not hold for marital homicides, suggesting that for this subpopulation, the risk of reprisal and consequent reduction in reporting may be counterbalancing the hypothesized deterrent impacts of the legislation.     

Co-Construction of an Intervention Model Using Sports in a Rehabilitation Setting: A Collaboration Between Researchers and Practitioners

The objective of this article is to develop an explanatory model of how a rehabilitation intervention functions within a sports context. Participants include three Coach-Educators (CEs) who organize and set up a rehabilitation intervention using ice hockey. In order to develop the model, two focus groups using the co-modeling methodology of Basque and Pudelko (2004) were conducted. Based on their experiences, the CEs illustrated and modeled the functioning of their intervention. A concept mapping software was projected on a screen to follow the co-modeling in real time. The first discussion group provided a first draft of the model which served as a starting point for the second. The data were analyzed in light of the Theory of change (Weiss, 1998). The CEs report that the objective of the intervention is social integration. This objective can be achieved either through the interaction of the activity components (i.e., youth, group, CEs, ice hockey, structured aspects), or by the CEs’ interventions involving four mechanisms: strengthening self-esteem, moving focus from oneself to others, destigmatization, and learning of prosocial behaviors. Many factors, such as gender, expertise and participants’ experiences were identified as having a positive or negative effect on achieving the objective of the program. Practical considerations and future research avenues are presented. For example, practitioners who use sport in the context of rehabilitation should be familiar with the characteristics and difficulties of the adolescents in Youth Centers and have a clinical rationale in relation to the problem underlying the intervention and its objective.     

Engagement in care among youth living with parenterally-acquired HIV infection in Romania

ABSTRACT

Transition from adolescent to adult care can be challenging for youth living with HIV. We conducted a cohort study of youth born between 1985 and 1993 and infected with HIV parenterally, followed by the same medical team from age 15 years or first clinic visit until age 25 years or 30 November 2016. A longitudinal continuum-of-care was constructed, categorizing individuals’ status for each month of follow-up as: engaged in care (EIC); not in care (NIC: no clinic visits within past year); lost-to-follow-up (LTFU: NIC and did not return to clinic); or died. Five hundred and forty-five individuals (52% male) were followed for 4775 person-years. At age 15, 92% were EIC, decreasing to 84% at age 20 and 74% at age 25. Of those EIC, HIV outcomes improved with age: 79% and 52% had a CD4 ≥200 cells/µl and VL <400 cps/ml at age 15; increasing to 86% and 73% at age 20 and 87% and 80% at age 25. We conclude that youth infected during early childhood tended to disengage from care, even when followed by the same medical team for a lengthy period of time. For those that did engage in care, HIV-related outcomes improved from adolescence through adulthood.     

Suicide Among Young People in the Americas

PurposeTo examine suicide mortality trends among young people (10–24 years of age¹) in selected countries and territories of the Americas.MethodsAn ecological study was conducted using a time series of suicide mortality data from 19 countries and one territory in the Region of the Americas from 2001 to 2008, comprising 90.3% of the regional population. The analyses included age-adjusted suicide mortality rates, average annual variation in suicide mortality rates, and relative risks for suicide, by age and sex.ResultsThe mean suicide rate for the selected study period and countries/territory was 5.7/100,000 young people (10–24 years), with suicide rates higher among males (7.7/100,000) than females (2.4/100,000). Countries with the highest total suicide mortality rates among young people (10–24 years) were Guyana, Suriname, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile, and Ecuador; countries with the lowest total suicide mortality rates included Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. During this period, there was a significant increase in suicide mortality rates among young people in the following countries: Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Suriname; countries with significant decreases in suicide mortality rates included Canada, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, and Venezuela. The three leading suicide methods in the Americas were hanging, firearms, and poisoning.ConclusionsSome countries of the Americas have experienced a rise in adolescent and youth suicide during the study period, with males at a higher risk of committing suicide than females. Adolescent and youth suicide policies and programs are recommended, to curb this problem. Methodological limitations are discussed.     

Residential Trajectories of Street Youth—the Montréal Cohort Study

Little is known about the course of homelessness among youth between the ages of 18 and 25 despite the many characteristics distinguishing them from adolescents and from older street-involved populations. We examined the residential trajectories of homeless young adults in Montréal over a 21-month period and identified determinants of various trajectory profiles. The 365 study participants (79 % men, mean age 21.9 years) were followed for an average of 515 days (range 81–630 days). We assessed housing status with a questionnaire based on the residential follow-back calendar designed by the New Hampshire Dartmouth Research Center. Using latent growth analysis to examine achievement of residential stability over time, we observed three different trajectories: group 1 presented a low probability of housing throughout the entire study period; group 2 showed a high probability of early and stable housing; group 3 displayed a fluctuating pattern. Protective correlates of residential stability included high school education, birth in Canada, and presence of mental health problems. Drug abuse or dependence was associated with a decreased probability of housing.     

青年胰腺恶性肿瘤33例临床病理分析

目的 探讨青年胰腺恶性肿瘤（pancreatic malignant tumor,PMT）的临床病理表现,以提高其诊治水平.方法 回顾33例青年PMT的临床病理资料,结合文献综合分析.结果 33例PMT中,实性假乳头状瘤10例,导管腺癌8例,内分泌肿瘤7例,黏液性囊腺癌4例,导管内乳头状黏液癌3例,淋巴瘤1例;TNM分期：Ⅰ期13例,Ⅱ期6例,Ⅲ期6例,Ⅳ期8例.临床表现以腹痛、腹胀、腹部包块、食欲减退等为主,4例内分泌肿瘤出现血糖增高等内分泌症状,10例出现皮肤黄染.手术治疗26例,其中根治性手术21例.随访9～ 33个月,14例死亡,17例存活,2例失访.结论 青年胰腺恶性肿瘤早期多无特殊症状,且预后不良,应重视对青年胰腺恶性肿瘤的早期诊治.