Youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and who identify with other sexual orientations (LGB +) are at higher risk for illicit drug use and have higher rates of mental illness. The current study examined the prevalence of illicit drug use among LGB+ persons and assessed the moderating effect of mental illness. Cross-sectional data from the 2015,…

Objectives: Nationally, community colleges provide academic instruction to 5.6 million students annually. However, sexual health services, are often lacking. This pilot study was developed to assess the feasibility of implementing screening for sexually transmitted infections in community college settings in New York City where approximately…

Adolescents with food allergies (FA) face unique challenges, including an increased risk of bullying, yet comprehensive national studies on this intersection are lacking. Our study examines the prevalence and association between FA and bullying among US high-school adolescents, utilizing Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2015-2019) data. Analyzing…

A randomized controlled trial established initial efficacy of a novel parent training (PT) intervention for improving oral hygiene and oral health in underserved children with ASD (Fenning et al., 2022), a population at risk for unmet dental needs. The present study describes our emic approach to PT development alongside treatment outcome data…

Objectives: To determine whether actual community-level risk for COVID-19 in the Black community influenced "individual" perceptions of community-level and personal risk and how self-assessment of personal risk was reflected in the adoption of COVID-19 precautionary behaviors. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20…

Background. Health-promoting behaviors and positive lifestyle changes are crucial for effective stroke prevention. However, individuals at high risk of stroke exhibit poor health behavior due to a deficiency of individual motivation. Moreover, there are only a few studies on health-promoting behaviors that have applied behavior change theories in…

The relationship between youth-fitness test items related to cardiorespiratory endurance and body composition and health outcomes is well established. Until recent years, the link between musculoskeletal fitness measures and health markers has been less conclusive. The information provided in this article offers evidence of the health links…

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) experience increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggest that a vaccine against AD may be forthcoming. Parental buy-in is critical to the success of any intervention in this population, as adults with DS often rely on familial support. This study aims to characterize parents' perceptions of…

Drug misuse among people living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is associated with higher mortality. It is a frequently observed reason for treatment abandonment, with people who misuse drugs showing a 10 to 25 times higher risk of HIV than the general population. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the…

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), the nation's first federal nutrition education program for low-income families and youths, remains at the forefront of providing nutrition education to improve the lives of historically underserved populations. EFNEP contributes to food and nutrition security as program families and youths…

This study was intended to analyze the effect of multiple initiations on beliefs about cervical cancer, health responsibility, and screening participation. In total, 134 women aged 40-55 years, who were at risk of cervical cancer and had never had a Pap smear before, were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 67) and control (n = 67) groups.…

The negative health effects of cigarette smoking during pregnancy (SDP) on the foetus are well known. Despite previous reports of poor cognitive performance in offspring exposed to SDP, few studies specifically consider language outcomes according to maternal smoking. In this study, we systematically review the literature to assess the…

"Sexting" (electronic transmission of sexual pictures/messages) among early adolescents is associated with early sexual activity, a marker of increased sexual risk. The current study is a secondary analysis that examined the longitudinal relationship between sexting and first-time sex among a sample of early adolescents deemed "at…

Objective: Alcohol consumption patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic have varied notably. Participants: We examined the acute impact of the pandemic on alcohol use disorder (AUD) in a generalizable sample of college students who were surveyed pre-pandemic and re-surveyed in May 2020. Method: Items assessed pre-pandemic included DSM-5 AUD and…

Skin cancers are the most common malignancy in Australia. Regular sunscreen use can reduce the incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and actinic keratoses and has been associated with reducing the incidence of basal cell carcinomas and melanomas. However, sunscreen effectiveness is limited by the failure of the population to use it…