Preterm birth poses a major public health challenge, with significant and heterogeneous developmental impacts. Latent profile analysis was applied to the National Institutes of Health Toolbox performance of 1891 healthy prematurely born children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (970 boys, 921 girls; 10.00 ± 0.61 years;…

There is a public health epidemic in adolescents' use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDSs), also known as electronic cigarettes, vaping products, or JUULs. However, little is known about the level of knowledge school staff have about ENDS. The purpose of this study is to examine outcomes of a nurse-led educational intervention designed…

Mass media campaigns are an effective population-level intervention for preventing tobacco use. However, little evidence exists for whether these campaigns similarly influence demographic subgroups. This study examined the effects of the truth® campaign to reduce tobacco use among demographic subgroups. We used data from a national, continuous,…

Policymakers, educators, and families throughout the world are concerned about the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on school-aged youth. Schools are working to help students readjust to school routines and regain lost ground on academic skill development while also addressing the wounds caused by the pandemic. This study describes one…

Community implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is greatly lacking. A recent randomized community-based trial of an EBP for ADHD (Supporting Teens' Autonomy Daily; STAND) demonstrated suboptimal implementation and effectiveness outcomes. In the present study, we conducted an…

In Australia, where high temperatures, excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation and an outdoors lifestyle is commonplace, adherence to sun protection by adolescents is poor. As a group of sun-seekers, adolescents have the highest incidences of sunburns and repeat sunburns. This health-compromising behaviour occurs despite the knowledge that simple…

This research brief is a new addition to an annual series of five briefs that provide an overview of available evidence shown in the Campbell-UNICEF Mega-Map of the effectiveness of interventions to improve child well-being in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This brief provides an overview of available evidence syntheses that may inform…

Psychiatric disorders, particularly substance use disorders, are an impactful and highly prevalent public health concern in youth from low-income neighborhoods (YLINs). Indeed, prevention and intervention programs for mental health disorders that have evidenced improvements in youth from general population are not well integrated into community…

Social determinants of health are the key to understanding and addressing persistent disparities in adolescent pregnancy in the United States. However, there is little guidance on what concrete steps organizations can take to work at the intersection of social determinants of health (SDoH) and sexual and reproductive health (SH). Two…

Background: Project Connect is a national program to build partnerships among public health agencies and domestic violence services to improve the health care sector response to partner and sexual violence. Pennsylvania piloted the first school nurse-delivered adolescent relationship abuse intervention in the certified school nurses' office…

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised huge concerns for the mental health of an entire generation of children. But the pandemic may represent only the tip of a mental health iceberg -- an iceberg we have ignored for far too long. For the first time, "The State of the World's Children" examines the mental health of children and adolescents.…

This monograph describes how an SOC approach, coupled with specialized early psychosis intervention, can create a sustainable infrastructure, significantly decrease the duration of untreated psychosis, and improve service delivery and outcomes for youth and young adults with early signs of psychosis. [This product was made possible, in part, with…

Youth homelessness in the United States is a serious challenge. Recent national research by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found concerning rates of homelessness among adolescents and young adults ages 13-25. An estimated one in 30 adolescents (ages 13-17) and nearly one in 10 young adults (ages 18-25) experienced some form of…

Internet addiction (IA) is prevalent among adolescents and imposes a serious public health threat. Familial risk and protective factors may co-exist and interact with each other to determine IA. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 9,618 Secondary 1 to 4 students in Hong Kong, China. About 16% of the surveyed students were classified as…

Background: Adolescent juvenile offenders are at high risk for problems associated with drug use, including polysubstance use (i.e., use of a variety of drugs). The combination of juvenile offending and polysubstance use presents a significant public and child health concern. Objective: This study explored polysubstance use among a sample of youth…