Adolescent Children Research Articles

Associations between parent-adolescent health-related conversations and mealtime media use among Hispanic families.

Whereas parents play an important role in shaping the home environment, it is unknown whether health-related parent-adolescent conversations may be associated with different health-promoting parenting practices, such as limiting adolescent mealtime media use in Hispanic families. For this cross-sectional analysis, Hispanic parents (n = 344; 40.4 ± 6.6 years; 89.2% female) of sixth- to eighth-grade adolescents self-reported the frequency of having health- or weight-related conversations with their adolescent child, and the frequency of adolescent mealtime media device use. Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess whether parent-adolescent health-related conversations are associated with mealtime media device use by adolescents. Over 75% of parents reported having conversations about healthy eating and being physically active at least a few times per week. Fewer parents reported having frequent weight-related conversations. Frequency of mealtime media use was low, except for television/movie watching (only 30% of parents reported their child rarely/never watching television during family meals). Having conversations related to the adolescent weighing too much was correlated with the mealtime use of television (r = .207; p < .001), cellphones (r = .134; p = .018), and headphones for music listening (r = .145; p = .010). Conversations about exercising to lose weight were correlated with television/movie watching during mealtimes (r = .129; p = .035). Findings suggest the co-occurrence of less health-promoting parenting behaviors, such as focusing on weight-related conversations and allowing the use of media devices during mealtimes. Focusing on health- rather than weight-related parent-adolescent conversations and implementing mealtime media use rules may have the potential to shape a home food environment which ultimately could improve an adolescent's overall health outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring human papillomavirus vaccination decision making through mother and adolescent dyad interviews.

The purpose of our research was to explore how parents and their adolescent children make decisions about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and to inform future interventions that aim to facilitate inclusive decision-making processes. Purposive and snowball sampling strategies targeted parents and their adolescent children (ages = 11-13) in a large city in Australia. We conducted separate and joint semistructured interviews in 2013 with six mother-adolescent dyads (50% female adolescents and 50% male). Interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Factors that both facilitate and impede decision making emerged, including: background knowledge, values, historical experiences, parenting style, and opinion weights. New interventions, strategies, and tools that are informed by these decision-making factors can be used to aid productive, mutual decision making between parents and adolescents and support adolescent autonomy and self-sufficiency in health decision making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Perception of parents and caregivers about the need for dental appointments for adolescents from a Brazilian birth cohort.

To investigate the perception of parents or caregivers regarding the need for dental appointments for adolescents aged 12-13 years and associated factors. Data from the Pelotas 2004 Birth Cohort were used. The outcome variable was the need for dental appointments for young adolescents perceived by parents or caregivers. Demographic and economic exposure variables were obtained from the first (2004) and sixth general follow-up (2015), respectively. The exposure variables 'previous history of dental pain', 'self-rated oral health', clinical variables and the outcome variable were obtained from the second oral health follow-up (2017). Unadjusted and adjusted multivariate Poisson regression analyses provided prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CI). At the first oral health follow-up (2009), 1303 five-year-old children were recruited, 996 of whom were reassessed and underwent oral health examinations at 12 and 13 years of age (response rate: 76.4%). The findings showed that 72.4% of parents/caregivers perceived that the adolescents needed dental appointments. No associations were found between the outcome and sociodemographic or economic variables. After adjustments, the outcome remained positively associated with previous history of toothache (PR 1.22; 95% CI 1.14-1.32), self-rated oral health as fair or poor (PR 1.26; 95% CI 1.15-1.39), the presence of dental caries (PR 1.27; 95% CI 1.20-1.38) and severe or disabling malocclusion (PR 1.14; 95% CI 1.05-1.25). The perception of parents/caregivers regarding the need for dental appointments on the part of their adolescent sons and daughters was associated with oral health problems, and these findings can serve as the basis for creating and improving oral health programmes that seek a better understanding on the part of parents and caregivers regarding the importance of integral care for their adolescent children.

Motivations for and interests in health-enhancing exercise of adolescent girls with different body weight

The article discusses the issue of development of motives and interests in adolescent children with different body weights (normal and underweight) when involving them in programs of physical activity based on the use of health fitness means. The aim of the study was to assess the motives and interests of adolescent girls with different body weights for participation in health-enhancing physical activities in order to increase the level of their involvement in regular physical activity classes. Methods: analysis of theoretical material, comparative analysis (comparison and comparison), sociological methods (questionnaires), and methods of mathematical statistics. The study involved 138 girls aged 12-13 years. Results. Priority types of physical activity of 12-13-year-old girls during their leisure time were: walks, dance fitness, roller skating, mental fitness, functional training, and aqua fitness. The choice of types of health-enhancing recreational physical activity did not differ significantly among normal weight and underweight adolescent girls aged 12-13 years. When choosing health-enhancing physical activities, the main objectives were: aesthetic motives (increasing physical attractiveness and body weight management), achievement of prestigious motives (desire to increase prestige, to be accepted in society), recreational motives (active leisure time, emotionally attractive organization of free time, satisfaction from activity). For most adolescent girls, health reasons (improvement of health status and functional capabilities of the body) were not a priority. The difference in answers between normal weight and underweight girls was found to be significant. Conclusion. In the rating of motives of underweight girls, the first places were occupied by aesthetic, prestigious, recreational, and personal motives, whereas in girls with a normative body weight, psychological, aesthetic, and health-recreational motives prevailed.

Exploring the culturally sensitive sexual and reproductive health information communication skill needs of parents in Ghana.

Parents play a vital role in the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents. Parents' communication with their adolescents regarding SRH is considered an important part of adolescent development, as this contributes to optimising safe SRH. This phase of the study explored the culturally sensitive SRH information communication skill needs of parents, based on their personal and social motivation, within the Ghanaian context. The study was conducted at the Asante Akyem North Municipality of Ghana. This article describes the second phase of an explanatory, sequential, mixed-method study. Following on from the first phase systematic review, this second phase comprised a qualitative descriptive study where 10 purposively sampled parents of adolescents participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit data. Braun and Clarke's thematic data analysis process was applied. Data were saved and managed in Atlas.ti (version 23.0.7). Four themes emerged on communication skills: SRH information, parent and adolescent factors, contextual factors and communication skill needs. Parent and adolescent communication on SRH takes place occasionally. Parents lack the skills to communicate with adolescents regarding SRH. Parents in this context require skills to communicate SRH information with their adolescent children. A culturally appropriate intervention that supports SRH information communication between parents and adolescents may have value in guiding this communication process.Contribution: The findings of this study can contribute to the adaptation of a culturally sensitive SRH information communication intervention in Ghana which will promote adolescent SRH.

Children and adolescent's self-reported gaming habits – An exploratory, cross-sectional study of gaming among 9–15-year-old school children

BackgroundGaming is one of the most common leisure activities among children and adolescents: virtually every child in Sweden plays some form of internet games. However, concerns have been raised regarding the risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as internet gaming disorder. A significant amount of research has been focused on evaluating hours spent gaming and the negative effect the activity has on children's lives, but few studies have focused on children's self-evaluation of their gaming and their perception of good and bad gaming habits. AimsThe first aim of this exploratory study was to describe children's and adolescents’ self-evaluation of their gaming habits. Secondly, we investigated how children and adolescents perceive their parents’ involvement in gaming, and whether this has any effect on their own, self-reported gaming habits. MethodsChildren and adolescents aged 9–15 (N = 541) attending public schools in Malmö, Sweden completed a digital survey. The data were collected between October 26 and December 3, 2021. ResultsTwo variables emerged as significant predictors of wanting help with reducing gaming: younger age and classification as an excessive gamer. Four variables emerged as significant predictors of wanting to game more: being a girl; being classified as an immediate gamer; having ever had arguments with their parents about gaming; and rating gaming as a highly valued activity. ConclusionOur findings contribute to the understanding of what factors influence children's and adolescents’ desire to either increase their time spent gaming or their willingness to get help regarding gaming behaviors. Overall, our findings may be used to guide further, more in-depth research in this domain.

Are we on the same page? Exploring the relationships between environmental values, self-identity, personal norms and behavior in parent-adolescent dyads

Environmental values, self-identity and personal norms are relevant factors predicting individuals' environmentally-friendly behaviors. These environmental motivations do not form in solitude but in social interactions, and as such could be shaped by the family context. Yet, we do not know to what extent environmental motivations among family members are related, such as between parents and their adolescent children. Adolescents in particular could potentially hold different environmental motivations than their parents because of age-specific tendencies to rebel against the norms and values of parents and to seek their own unique identity. We studied the relationships between environmental motivations and behaviors in a representative sample of 492 adolescent-parent dyads in Lithuania (N = 984). We found positive relationships between parents' and their adolescent children's environmental values, self-identity and personal norms. Furthermore, adolescents' environmental motivations were associated with parents' pro-environmental behaviors, and parents' environmental motivations were associated with adolescents' pro-environmental behaviors. The study supports and extends the accumulating evidence that environmental motivations, in particular environmental values, self-identity and personal norms, are positively related between parents and their adolescent children and can potentially predict each-others’ pro-environmental behavior.

EHRs can identify mental health risks in children

Electronic health records (EHRs) can be used to identify children who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and to capture the full spectrum of mental health disorders and symptoms in patients under 21, researchers have found. Because EHRs can collect patient data rapidly, aggregating EHRs across institutions can enable rapid identification of pediatric disease cohorts with mental illness and those at risk. The study, conducted throughout a 13‐year period, used a type of her developed by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in informatics and child and adolescent psychiatry. For the study, aggregated, standardizherEHR data for the full spectrum of mental disorders involved comparing patients with and without the disorders (and without ACEs) by age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance, and chronic physical conditions. In addition, patients with ACEs alone (no disorders or symptoms) were compared with patients who did have disorders and symptoms. The study data set included 7,852,081 patients under 21 years of age. Of this group, 1,552,726 (19.8%), without exposure to ACEs, had mental health disorders or symptoms at some point. Annual prevalence estimates of those with disorders or symptoms (but without ACEs exposure) rose from 10.6% in 2010 to 15.1% in 2023, a 44% relative increase, peaking at 15.4% in 2019, prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Those with exposure to ACEs had the largest increase in mental disorders. The categories of mental health problems with the largest increases were those with exposure to ACEs (1.7), anxiety disorders (2.8), eating/feeding disorders (2.1), gender dysphoria/sexual dysfunction (43.6), and intentional self‐harm/suicidality (3.3). Median age of detection was 8.1 years with all standalone symptoms recorded earlier than the corresponding MH disorder categories. [Elia, J., Pajer, K., Prasad, R., et al. (2023, Sep 14). Electronic health records identify timely trends in childhood mental health conditions. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health, 17(1), 107. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13034‐023‐00650‐7.]

Esketamine has no effect on cognition compared to midazolam

Little is known about the effect of ketamine, which has a rapid and robust effect on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, on cognition in adolescents. Researchers in China conducted a randomized controlled trial on 51 participants 13–18 years old with major depression disorder (MDD) and suicidal ideation. The participants received esketamine or midazolam in three intravenous infusions. Processing speed, working memory, verbal learning, and visual learning were assessed at days 0, 6, and 12. The researchers found that cognition was not harmed by the esketamine, and in fact esketamine improved processing speed. [Lan, X., Wang, C., Zhang, F., et al. (2023, Sep 14). Short‐term cognitive effects of repeated‐dose esketamine in adolescents with major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation: A randomized controlled trial. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health, 17(1), 108. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13034‐023‐00647‐2.]

Barriers and facilitators to reproductive health service utilization in Cote d’Ivoire: A community-based qualitative study

Improving Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) indicators is a challenge for health systems, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of RMNCAH+N services in areas with low indicators in Cote d’Ivoire. A qualitative case study was conducted in September 2021, with 76 beneficiaries of RMNCAH+N services in the health districts of Boundiali, Toulepleu and Tanda. Individual interviews (09) and focus groups (09) were conducted with community leaders/tradi-practitioners/midwives and pregnant women/ women of childbearing age/men who have or are responsible for a child under the age of 5, respectively. A thematic analysis was performed after coding the data in NVivo 12. Barriers to utilization of RMNCAH+N services were unavailability of certain equipment/amenities, disrespectful care in some RMNCAH+N services, women’s lack of financial autonomy, lack of autonomy in decision making, and male healthcare providers. Facilitators identified were geographic accessibility, men’s involvement in the mother-child dyad’s health, and community awareness. Improving utilization of RMNCAH+N services requires the implementation of interventions that address these barriers and facilitators, such as raising community awareness of RMNCAH+N services and promoting respectful, patient-centered, humanized care among healthcare providers.

Cortical growth from infancy to adolescence in preterm and term-born children.

Early life experiences can exert a significant influence on cortical and cognitive development. Very preterm birth exposes infants to several adverse environmental factors during hospital admission, which affect cortical architecture. However, the subsequent consequence of very preterm birth on cortical growth from infancy to adolescence has never been defined; despite knowledge of critical periods during childhood for establishment of cortical networks. Our aims were to: chart typical longitudinal cortical development and sex differences in cortical development from birth to adolescence in healthy term-born children; estimate differences in cortical development between children born at term and very preterm; and estimate differences in cortical development between children with normal and impaired cognition in adolescence. This longitudinal cohort study included children born at term (≥37 weeks' gestation) and very preterm (<30 weeks' gestation) with MRI scans at ages 0, 7 and 13 years (n = 66 term-born participants comprising 34 with one scan, 18 with two scans and 14 with three scans; n = 201 very preterm participants comprising 56 with one scan, 88 with two scans and 57 with three scans). Cognitive assessments were performed at age 13 years. Cortical surface reconstruction and parcellation were performed with state-of-the-art, equivalent MRI analysis pipelines for all time points, resulting in longitudinal cortical volume, surface area and thickness measurements for 62 cortical regions. Developmental trajectories for each region were modelled in term-born children, contrasted between children born at term and very preterm, and contrasted between all children with normal and impaired cognition. In typically developing term-born children, we documented anticipated patterns of rapidly increasing cortical volume, area and thickness in early childhood, followed by more subtle changes in later childhood, with smaller cortical size in females than males. In contrast, children born very preterm exhibited increasingly reduced cortical volumes, relative to term-born children, particularly during ages 0-7 years in temporal cortical regions. This reduction in cortical volume in children born very preterm was largely driven by increasingly reduced cortical thickness rather than area. This resulted in amplified cortical volume and thickness reductions by age 13 years in individuals born very preterm. Alterations in cortical thickness development were found in children with impaired language and memory. This study shows that the neurobiological impact of very preterm birth on cortical growth is amplified from infancy to adolescence. These data further inform the long-lasting impact on cortical development from very preterm birth, providing broader insights into neurodevelopmental consequences of early life experiences.

The state of psycho-emotional status in adolescent children with chronic gastroduodenitis, associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in the period of exacerbation and remission

Relevance. In the pathogenesis of chronic gastroduodenitis, along with an infectious factor (Helicobacter Pylori infection), an important role is played by the state of the patient’s psycho-emotional status, which is characterized by a high incidence of anxiety and subdepressive states in adolescence. Goals: to assess the state of the psycho-emotional status and quality of life in adolescent children with chronic gastroduodenitis associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in the period of exacerbation, after 1 month and 6 months after successful eradication therapy. Materials and methods. The prospective case-control study included 60 adolescent children with morphologically proven chronic gastroduodenitis associated with Helicobacter pylori infection (main group) in the period of exacerbation, in 1 month. and 6 months. after successful eradication therapy. As a comparison group, 22 schoolchildren with the first health group were taken, comparable in age and gender with the children of the main group. All children underwent psychological testing (Spielberger test to assess the levels of reactive and personal anxiety, Zung test to determine the level of depression) and assessed the quality of life. Results. During the period of remission, more than half of the children with chronic gastroduodenitis had complaints common for asthenic syndrome: weakness, mental exhaustion, and headaches. In the period of exacerbation, the highest rates were noted on the scales of personal and reactive anxiety, depression, followed by improvement during treatment and worsening of indicators after 6 months after eradication therapy. Quality of life indicators, characterized by improvement after eradication therapy, after 6 months. showed a statistically significant decrease on the scales of physical functioning (RP), general health (GH), vitality (VT) and mental health (MH). Conclusion: Adolescent children with chronic gastroduodenitis characterized by changes in the psycho-emotional status in the form of subdepression and increased anxiety, both reactive and personal. These changes are not completely stopped after the use of traditional therapy for chronic gastroduodenitis and persist in the period of remission, worsening the quality of life, increasing the negative perception of the disease and treatment prospects.

FIXING THE DECLINING FOUNDATIONS - SPECTRUM AND MANAGEMENT OF PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH

This medical research study will follow a cohort of 100 individuals for an entire year to evaluate the range and management of pediatric and adolescent health concerns. The study aims to comprehend the prevalence of a-etiology, clinical presentation, and therapy of prevalent pediatric and adolescent health disorders. This study aims to enhance children's and adolescents' general healthcare outcomes and well-being by analyzing data gathered through various clinical and diagnostic techniques. A Prospective Cohort Study was conducted at the Department of Obs &amp; Gynae, MTI LRH, Peshawar, from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023 With 100 patients aged 0 to 18, this study used a prospective cohort design to examine children's and adolescents' health over a year. A wide range of healthcare facilities within a particular urban area were used to enroll patients, resulting in a representative sample. Numerous data points were collected, including demographic data, medical histories, physical and mental health evaluations, socioeconomic level, and parental engagement. Interventions and techniques for health management were also documented. While qualitative data underwent thematic coding, quantitative data were analyzed using statistical software. Informed consent was acquired after ethical issues were addressed. This approach sought to thoroughly grasp pediatric and adolescent health problems and how to treat them. Physical health problems predominated among the 100 pediatric and teenage patients investigated over one year, with infections (23%), chronic diseases (15%), and injuries (18%) standing out. There were considerable mental health problems, with 26% exhibiting symptoms of depression and 18% exhibiting anxiety symptoms. Socioeconomic characteristics, such as income and education levels, influence health outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach, preventive programs, and increased accessibility to healthcare effectively managed these problems. Finally, the multidimensional nature of health issues in this demographic was underscored by our one-year study on 100 pediatric and teenage patients. Early intervention and comprehensive care were required for physical and mental health issues, frequently influenced by socioeconomic conditions. To successfully address these issues, a multidisciplinary approach, preventative initiatives, and improved access to healthcare have become essential methods.

SHAP-based Prediction of Mother's History of Depression to Understand the Influence on Child Behavior.

Depression strongly impacts parents' behavior. Does parents' depression strongly afect the behavior of their children as well? To investigate this question, we compared dyadic interactions between 73 depressed and 75 non-depressed mothers and their adolescent child. Families were of low income and 84% were white. Child behavior was measured from audio-video recordings using manual annotation of verbal and nonverbal behavior by expert coders and by multimodal computational measures of facial expression, face and head dynamics, prosody, speech behavior, and linguistics. For both sets of measures, we used Support Vector Machines. For computational measures, we investigated the relative contribution of single versus multiple modalities using a novel approach to SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Computational measures outperformed manual ratings by human experts. Among individual computational measures, prosody was the most informative. SHAP reduction resulted in a four-fold decrease in the number of features and highest performance (77% accuracy; positive and negative agreements at 75% and 76%, respectively). These fndings suggest that maternal depression strongly impacts the behavior of adolescent children; diferences are most revealed in prosody; multimodal features together with SHAP reduction are most powerful.

Female Genital Mutilation and Sexual Risk Behaviors of Adolescent Girls and Young Women Aged 15–24 Years: Evidence From Sierra Leone

PurposeConsidering the high levels of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone with over 83% of girls and young women aged 15–24 years having undergone the practice, the study explores the potential influence of FGM on sexual behaviors of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Sierra Leone. MethodsCross-sectional data from the 2019 Demographic Health Survey were utilized to examine the association between FGM and three sexual behaviors; sexual debut before 18 years, child marriage and adolescent motherhood. To model this association, a generalized estimation equation technique was employed, while controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Additionally, the study corrected for multiple-hypothesis testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with a specified false discovery rate of 0.05. Finally, percentage predicted probabilities of occurrence of the sexual risk behaviors in the presence of FGM were also calculated. ResultsOf the 5524 AGYW, 76% had undergone FGM. FGM was associated with all three sexual risk behaviors. Sexual debut before 18 years had the highest predicted probability increase (+18.00 ppt, 95% CI: 14.41 to −21.59), followed by adolescent motherhood (+13.38 ppt, 95% CI: 10.16–16.60) and child marriage (+12.61 ppt; 95% CI: 10.22–15.01). Education was found to be protective against all three sexual risk behaviors. DiscussionThe findings of this study demonstrate that FGM remains a prevalent practice in Sierra Leone, even among the younger generation. This practice is strongly associated with sexual behaviors that pose a significant risk to the health outcomes of AGYW. Investments in education by removing barriers to access for AGYW could lead to multiple gains.

FRI325 Pituitary Stalk Interruption Syndrome Presenting As Short Stature: A Case Report

Abstract Disclosure: S. Ravindra: None. S. Tirupati: None. Background: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare congenital pituitary anatomical defect that leads to a variable degree of pituitary hormone deficiency. The classic neuroimaging findings of this condition include thin or interrupted stalk, absent or ectopic posterior pituitary, and hypoplastic anterior pituitary gland. The reported incidence of PSIS is 0.5 per 1,00,000 live births. The exact pathophysiology of this syndrome is not fully understood, but chromosomal microdeletions and perinatal asphyxia have some established roles in the literature as primary miscreants. Here we report a case of an adolescent male child who presented with complaints of short stature and absent secondary sexual characters development, diagnosed with PSIS following an MRI. Clinical Case: A 16-year-old male child was referred to the endocrinology department for the evaluation of short stature and delayed secondary sexual character development. This patient was born out of a non-consanguinous marriage and delivered at term by the vaginal route, with no other significant perinatal or family history. Psychomotor milestones were attained appropriately as per age but had poor linear growth. On examination, he had short stature - height 146cms (-2.7 SDS), weight: 53.5kg BMI: 23.5 Kg/m2 with normal vitals. Head-to-toe examination revealed immature facies, deep-seated eyes, broad nasal bridge, bilateral lipomastia, high-pitched voice, Tanner stage: A1P1, SPL:4cms, the testicular volume of 3cc bilaterally, with rest of the system-wise examinations being normal. Routine laboratory investigations (CBC, RFT, LFT, Electrolytes) were within normal limits. Bone age: 13years. The hormonal assessment showed central hypothyroidism, hypocortisolemia, and GH insufficiency, with pre-pubertal gonadotropin levels- suggestive of pan-hypopituitarism (Table 1). MRI pituitary showed anterior pituitary hypoplasia with interrupted stalk, and ectopic posterior pituitary, with no other brain anomalies which is consistent with the diagnosis of PSIS. The patient was initiated on hormone replacement therapy, currently taking hydrocortisone, growth hormone, levothyroxine, and testosterone. Conclusion: PSIS is a rare condition, that can present with various spectrum of clinical features. Signs and symptoms may not be evident in the neonatal and infancy period, therefore diagnosis is often delayed. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for preventing adverse effects of long-term hormonal deficiencies and improving the quality of life. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Validation of Italian students' self-ratings on the SSIS SEL brief scales.

Despite increasing interest in measuring social and emotional learning (SEL), there is a lack of European-validated tools for assessing the efficacy of SEL programs. The aim of this study was to validate an Italian version of the social skills improvement system (SSIS) SEL brief scales-student form. Participants were 1,175 students (mean age: 11.02 years; SD: 2.42; range: 8-16 years; males: 46.8%) recruited at schools in Northern Italy. Initial confirmatory factor analysis encountered a series of challenges, implying non-convergence of the original five-factor measurement model (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) based on the Collaborative on Academic Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) competency framework established with students in the United States. Further exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a four-factor model that remained partially invariant across gender groups. The Italian version of the SSIS SEL brief scales was thus shown to be an efficient measurement tool for estimating social and emotional learning in students. We discuss the implications of findings in relation to selecting valid and reliable instruments for assessing children's and adolescents' SEL competencies, while considering the culturally-situated nature of the constructs under study.

Transition to adulthood of adolescents with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: Content validation of the SGU-PIMD to support families.

For families with adolescent children, the transition to adulthood is usually challenging. This period may be extra demanding for families with a child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities due to the child's strong and persistent support needs. To support these families during this phase and to facilitate the transition process of these adolescents, we adapted the Canadian skills for growing up (SGU) into the skills for growing up-profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (SGU-PIMD). The aim of this study is to determine its content validity. A Delphi study with family members and healthcare professionals was conducted. Results showed good content validity. However, the Delphi panel suggested minor adjustments to improve relevance, comprehensibility and comprehensiveness. The current SGU-PIMD can be used in practice for supporting adolescents with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. However, there are also recommendations for research into the feasibility and acceptability of the instrument.

Psychological Features of Adolescent Children's Tolerance Development as an Actual Problem of Inclusive Practice

One of the indicators of psychological safety of an inclusive educational environment is the tolerance of adolescent children. The article presents the consideration of this indicator through the prism of tolerance, which allowed us to identify three types of attitude of junior schoolchildren with normotype development to those developing atypically: intolerant (negative), neutral, tolerant (positive). The identified types of tolerant attitude of junior schoolchildren are correlated with the levels of interaction: pre-subject, subject-object, subject-subject (activity-value and polysubject). The empirical research that allowed to reveal the prevailing types of attitude and corresponding levels of interaction of junior schoolchildren: neutral attitude - subject-object type of interaction and tolerant attitude - activity-value type of interaction with obvious deprivation of the polysubject type of interaction is presented. The article clarifies the concept of tolerance towards children with special educational needs. The article reveals the indicators and levels of teacher's competence in fostering tolerance of junior schoolchildren in relation to peers with special educational needs. The article defines the psychological features of adolescent children with different types of pathological disorder; investigates the role of psychological safety of inclusive educational environment in the formation of tolerance of adolescent children; makes a structural and functional analysis of tolerance of adolescent children as a relevant problem of inclusive practice; defines the role of the teacher in the formation of tolerance of adolescent children as a relevant problem of inclusive practice.

Adolescent pregnancy is associated with child undernutrition: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adolescent pregnancy is associated with poor fetal growth and development which, in turn, increases the risk of childhood wasting and underweight. However, evidence on how young maternal age affects childhood anthropometry beyond the neonatal period is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined associations between adolescent pregnancy and child wasting and underweight and explored potential underlying social and biological factors. Peer-reviewed literature published in English since 1990 was systematically searched. Eligible studies presented data on wasting and/or underweight in children (≤59 months) born to adolescent mothers (10-19, or ≤24 years where applicable) from low- and middle-income countries. Data extraction used a predefined extraction sheet. Both meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis were performed. Of 92 identified studies, 57 were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that children born to adolescent versus adult mothers were at a higher risk of moderate (odds ratio [OR]: 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.26 p = 0.04) and severe underweight (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08-1.35 p < 0.01). Associated risk of wasting was not statistically significant: (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.98-1.12 p = 0.17); severe wasting (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.68-1.96 p = 0.59). These findings were supported by the qualitative synthesis. Evidence on the potential role of biological/social factors was limited, but suggested an intermediary role of maternal nutritional status which warrants further exploration. Particularly in contexts where adolescent pregnancy remains common, interventions to both delay adolescent pregnancy and improve adolescent nutritional status could help reduce the risk of undernutrition in children and contribute to breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.