Cohort Of Young People Research Articles

The Association Between Smoking and Electronic Cigarette Use in a Cohort of Young People

PurposeElectronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is associated with smoking initiation among young people; however, it is also possible that smoking is associated with e-cigarette initiation. This study explores these associations among young people in Great Britain. MethodsA longitudinal survey of 1,152 11- to 18-year-olds was conducted with baseline in April 2016 and follow-up between August and October 2016. Logistic regression models and causal mediation analyses assessed whether (1) ever e-cigarette use and escalation were associated with smoking initiation (ever smoking at follow-up) among baseline never smokers (n = 923), and (2) ever smoking and escalation were associated with e-cigarette initiation (ever e-cigarette use at follow-up) among baseline never e-cigarette users (n = 1,020). ResultsAt baseline, 19.8% were ever smokers and 11.4% were ever e-cigarette users. Respondents who were ever e-cigarette users (vs. never users, 53% vs. 8%, odds ratio [OR] = 11.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.56–39.72) and escalated their e-cigarette use (vs. did not, 41% vs. 8%, OR = 7.89, 95% CI = 3.06–20.38) were more likely to initiate smoking. Respondents who were ever smokers (vs. never smokers, 32% vs. 4%, OR = 3.54, 95% CI = 1.68–7.45) and escalated their smoking (vs. did not, 34% vs. 6%, OR = 5.79, 95% CI = 2.55–13.15) were more likely to initiate e-cigarette use. There was a direct effect of ever e-cigarette use on smoking initiation (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.05–1.72), and ever smoking on e-cigarette initiation (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01–1.17); e-cigarette and smoking escalation, respectively, did not mediate these effects. ConclusionsAmong young people in Great Britain, ever e-cigarette use is associated with smoking initiation, and ever smoking is associated with e-cigarette initiation.

Impact of educational interventions on adolescent attitudes and knowledge regarding vaccination: A pilot study.

BackgroundCurrent immunisation levels in England currently fall slightly below the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization, and the three-year trend for vaccination uptake is downwards. Attitudes towards vaccination can affect future decisions on whether or not to vaccinate, and this can have significant public health implications. Interventions can impact future vaccination decisions, and these interventions can take several forms. Relatively little work has been reported on the use of vaccination interventions in young people, who form the next generation of individuals likely to make vaccination decisions.MethodWe investigated the impact of two different types of educational intervention on attitudes towards vaccination in young people in England. A cohort of young people (n = 63) was recruited via a local school. This group was divided into three sub-groups; one (n = 21) received a presentation-based intervention, one (n = 26) received an interactive simulation-based intervention, and the third (n = 16) received no intervention. Participants supplied information on (1) their attitudes towards vaccination, and (2) their information needs and views on personal choice concerning vaccination, at three time points: immediately before and after the intervention, and after six months.ResultsNeither intervention had a significant effect on participants’ attitudes towards vaccination. However, the group receiving the presentation-based intervention saw a sustained uplift in confidence about information needs, which was not observed in the simulation-based intervention group.DiscussionOur findings with young people are consistent with previous work on vaccination interventions aimed at adults, which have shown limited effectiveness, and which can actually reduce intention to vaccinate. Our findings on the most effective mode of delivery for the intervention should inform future discussion in the growing “games for health” domain, which proposes the use of interactive digital resources in healthcare education.

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction predicts increasing albumin excretion in type 1 diabetes.

To determine the potential role of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in the development of renal complications in young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this prospective study, 199 children and adolescents recruited to the Oxford Regional Prospective Study underwent assessment of autonomic function ~5 years after diagnosis, and were subsequently followed with longitudinal assessments of HbA1c and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) over 8.6 ± 3.4 years. Autonomic function was assessed with 4 standardized tests of cardiovascular reflexes: heart rate (HR) response to (1) Valsalva Maneuver, (2) deep breathing, (3) standing, and (4) blood pressure (BP) response to standing. Linear mixed models were used to assess the association between autonomic parameters and future changes in ACR. Independent of HbA1c , each SD increase in HR response to Valsalva Maneuver predicted an ACR increase of 2.16% [95% CI: 0.08; 4.28] per year (P = .04), while each SD increase in diastolic BP response to standing predicted an ACR increase of 2.55% [95% CI: 0.37; 4.77] per year (P = .02). The effect of HR response to standing on ACR reached borderline significance (-2.07% [95% CI: -4.11; 0.01] per year per SD increase, P = .051). In this cohort of young people with T1D, enhanced cardiovascular reflexes at baseline predicted future increases in ACR. These results support a potential role for autonomic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.

Changes in Young Europeans’ Values During the Global Financial Crisis

We investigate the impact of the global financial crisis (GFC) on the personal values of youth and young adults (age 16–35 years) from 16 European countries. Using time series cross-sectional data from seven waves (2002–2014) of the European Social Survey, we examined (1) whether the GFC led to value shifts between cohorts of young people and (2) whether welfare state provision moderate the expected value shifts. Multilevel analyses showed that, following the GFC, the importance of security, tradition, benevolence, and, to a lesser extent, conformity values increased. In contrast, hedonism, self-direction, and stimulation values decreased. In line with our moderation hypothesis, power, and, to a lesser extent, achievement values increased following the GFC in countries low on welfare expenditures but decreased in countries high on welfare expenditures. Contrary to expectations, increases in tradition and benevolence values were more pronounced in high-welfare countries.

Prosociality from early adolescence to young adulthood: A longitudinal study of individuals with a history of language impairment

BackgroundLongitudinal research into the development of prosociality contributes vitally to understanding of individual differences in psychosocial outcomes. Most of the research to date has been concerned with prosocial behaviour in typically developing young people; much less has been directed to the course of development in individuals with developmental disorders. AimsThis study reports a longitudinal investigation of prosocial behaviour in young people with language impairment (LI), and compares trajectories of development to typically developing age-matched peers (AMPs). Methods and proceduresParticipants were followed from age 11 years to young adulthood (age 24 years). Outcomes and resultsParticipants with LI perceived themselves as prosocial; their ratings – though lower than those for the AMPs – were well within the normal range and they remained consistently so from 11 to 24 years. Two different developmental trajectories were identified for the LI group, which were stable and differed only in level of prosociality. Approximately one third of participants with LI followed a moderate prosociality trajectory whilst the majority (71%) followed a prosocial trajectory. We found evidence of protective effects of prosociality for social outcomes in young adulthood. Conclusions and implicationsThe findings indicate that prosociality is an area of relative strength in LI. What this paper adds?To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine developmental changes in levels of prosociality from early adolescence to young adulthood in a cohort of young people with LI. Approximately one third of participants with LI followed a moderate prosociality trajectory whilst the majority (71%) followed a prosocial trajectory. We argue that prosociality is different to other areas of functioning in LI. Prosociality appears to be an area of relative strength and can act as a protective factor in social functioning. Prosociality was associated with better community integration in young adulthood and was significantly protective against friendship difficulties for individuals with LI. This paper also raises the thought-provoking issue of potential distal effects of early identification and intensive support for LI. It is important to note that all of the participants with LI in this study had been identified as having language difficulties in childhood and had received intensive intervention for their difficulties in language units attached to mainstream schools across England. The early identification of language difficulties and the context of early, intensive language support received in educational contexts such as language units may have nurtured socialisation processes and the development of emphatic concern, which in turn influence the development of prosociality later in young adulthood. More individual differences in prosociality have been reported for other samples drawn from a variety of schools with different educational provision and levels of language support and younger age groups, such as primary school-aged children with LI.

Solid or Flexible? Social Trust from Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood

The belief that people are generally fair and trustworthy has generated plenty of scholarly attention in recent decades, particularly in the Scandinavian countries, which are often known for high levels of social trust. This article draws attention to the current discussion in the literature on whether social trust is a stable cultural trait marked by persistence or is based on experiences and subject to change throughout life. Based on unique longitudinal data from five different cohorts of young people in Sweden, ranging in age from 13 to 28 years, this article provides an empirical contribution on how social trust develops over time. The results show that there is a greater degree of instability in social trust between 13 and 15 years of age than in other age groups, and that social trust appears to stabilize with age. Findings also indicate that there are substantial inter‐individual differences in social trust among young people within the same age group, both in initial levels and in the rates of change over time. The article concludes that although social trust is relatively stable it tends to crystallize in early adulthood, highlighting the relevance of the impressionable‐years hypothesis.

Adolescent Empowerment through Life Skills Education

In the age of rapid globalization, industrialization, economic liberalization, expansion of information technology and rise in consumerism, the children and especially adolescents are exposed to lot of psycho social issues. Adolescents aged 10–19 years constitute about one-fourth of India’s population and young people aged 10–24 years about one-third of the population. This large cohort of young people represents a great demographic dividend with the potential to contribute to India’s economic growth and development. Violence and hostility are the hall marks of day today living and women and children are the worst affected section of the society. Changes in social, moral, cultural and religious values have made life stressful for children especially for adolescents. This can be observed in the rise of crime and suicide rates etc. Stress faced by children and adolescents are enormous and life skills are essentially those abilities that help to promote mental well-being and competence in young people for to challenge the diversities and ensure their empowerment. In order to realize this potential to the fullest, young people must be healthy, educated and equipped with information skills and confidence that would enable them to contribute to their communities and the country’s socio-economic growth. In the present paper the investigator goes through the importance of life skills, various life skills and adolescent’s empowerment through the life skills based education.

A Demographic Peace? Youth Bulges and Other Population-Related Causes of Domestic Conflict

AbstractThe following article analyzes violent political conflicts. Starting from theoretical debates on the determinants of violent conflicts, it focuses on intrastate conflicts. The main explanatory factors which are analyzed from different perspectives are demographic factors. Not only the size of the population or the population density is relevant, but also the so-called youth bulge. Youth bulges, i.e. large cohorts of young people, are the main driving forces of war. Especially variants like male youth bulges are highly significant in the empirical analysis. The article uses different data sets for the analysis, like the Global Peace Index and the CONIS data. Various statistical methods are used in the analysis. The article also draws attention to intervening factors, which might intensify or lessen the impact of the youth bulge.

A generation lost?: Prolonged effects of labour market entry in times of high unemployment in the Netherlands

After the economic crisis of the 1980s, concerns arose about whether the high youth unemployment at that time would produce a ‘lost generation’ of young people in the Netherlands. The same concerns have recently arisen about the potential effects of the current high rate of youth unemployment. The issue is just how justified such concerns are. In order to answer this question, we investigated the permanence of initial labour market disadvantages for cohorts of young people in the Netherlands. Repeated cross-sections of the Dutch Labour Force Survey (1993–2011) were used and a synthetic cohort analysis was applied in order to ‘follow’ cohorts of young people throughout their early years on the labour market. Negative effects of high initial unemployment on later chances of work and attained level of occupation were detected. However, these negative effects started to dissipate after a few years on the labour market. These findings show the average negative effects of high initial unemployment on labour market entry to not be permanent: young people in the Netherlands experience negative effects of initially high unemployment on labour market entry, but these effects do not produce a lost generation.

Opportunity without Equity: Educational Inequality and Constitutional Protections in Egypt

The claim that the law can be an inequality-reducing weapon is a staple of legal and political discourse. Although it is hard to dispute that legal provisions sometimes work to reduce inequality, we argue that, at least in the domain of equal opportunity in education, the pattern of these effects can be more perverse than has typically been appreciated. Positive laws implemented in the name of promoting equality of opportunity may yield only a narrowly formal equality, with the goal of substantive equality undermined because a high-profile reform will often expose the pathway to educational success. The pathway, once exposed, can then be navigated and successfully subverted by the socioeconomically advantaged. We illustrate such pitfalls of a positive legal approach by examining educational inequality in Egypt, a country with long-standing constitutional protections for equality of opportunity in education. Using data recently collected from a cohort of young people, we show that despite the institutional commitments to equality of opportunity present in Egypt, privileged families have a range of options for subverting the aims of positive legal provisions. We argue that the pattern of educational inequality in Egypt is distinctive relative to countries without similar legal protections.

‘We are connected, but constrained’: internet inequality and the challenges of millennials in Africa as actors in innovation

One of the biggest news stories in the past decade has been the increasing impact of the internet and information technology on young people, from first-generation mission countries in North America and Western Europe to the global south—particularly in Africa. This advancement has fueled the growth of a “connected” and “plugged in” cohort of young people known as millennials, who are utilizing this medium to improve their social status and create potential for economic and professional growth. However, while the Internet has created opportunities for growth and development on the continent, many online platforms and services continue to restrict full access to certain parts of the global south. Hence, in some African countries, for example, opportunities for scaling innovation and development can be very difficult to access. Consequently, as our daily activities sync with technology, concerns over access to the Internet economy and the undue restrictions over internet services persist. Using the storytelling research methodology, this paper seeks to highlight why geo-restrictions and regional lockouts over internet-related services seem to be a major challenge for millennials in Africa, who are actors in innovation by virtue of their contribution to the growth of the internet technology. We argue that this enforced regional lockout not only deflates the productivity and creativity of African millennials, but also points to a functionalist view of internet inequality constituted through the divides of accessibility, censored participation, and acceptability in the internet economy. Understanding the staggering nature of this problem would require telling the stories of young internet entrepreneurs and innovators in Africa, who continue to be marginalized while investing and contributing to the internet economy.

Removing the barriers; adolescent coping and attitudes towards mental health services in custodial settings – Can we improve services?

Young people in custodial care are known to have high levels of mental health and emotional problems, and recent policy and service developments have sought to improve their access to services. However, little is known about how they cope or about what would increase their uptake of services (when such services are available). This study aimed to develop, validate and use a standardised measure to examine the coping, help-seeking and attitudes of a larger cohort of young people in custody. There was a marked reluctance to seek help for any but the most serious of problems, but there were also indicators of what would make services more acceptable to this population, with implications for both commissioning and delivering services. In particular, greater involvement of parents and carers, offering a wider range of interventions and offering them more flexibly, and challenging stigma within the secure environment may increase uptake of services.

Conversion from depression to bipolar disorder in a cohort of young people in England, 1999–2011: A national record linkage study

ObjectiveTo estimate the conversion rate from unipolar depression (ICD10 codes F32–F33) to bipolar disorder (BP) (ICD10 codes F31) in an English national cohort. It was hypothesised that early-onset BP (age <18 years) is a more severe form of the disorder, with a more rapid, and higher rate of conversion from depression to BP. MethodThis record linkage study used English national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) covering all NHS inpatient and day case admissions between 1999 and 2011. ResultsThe overall rate of conversion from depression to BP for all ages was 5.65% (95% CI: 5.48–5.83) over a minimum 4-year follow-up period. The conversion rate from depression to BP increased in a linear manner with age from 10–14 years – 2.21% (95% C: 1.16–4.22) to 30–34 years – 7.06% (95% CI: 6.44–7.55) (F1,23=77.6, p=0.001, R2=0.77). The time to conversion was constant across the age range. The rate of conversion was higher in females (6.77%; 95% CI: 6.53–7.02) compared to males, (4.17%; 95% CI: 3.95–4.40) (χ2=194, p<0.0001), and in those with psychotic depression 8.12% (95% CI: 7.65–8.62) compared to non-psychotic depression 5.65% (95% CI: 5.48–5.83) (χ2=97.0, p<0.0001). LimitationsThe study was limited to hospital discharges and diagnoses were not standardised. ConclusionsIncreasing conversion rate from depression to bipolar disorder with age, and constant time for conversion across the age range does not support the notion that early-onset BP is a more severe form of the disorder.

Millennial children of immigrant parents: Transnationalism, disparities, policy, and potential.

At 11% of their generational cohort, second-generation millennials account for the larger number of children of immigrants than any other generation before them. Second-generation millennials belong to a cohort that comprises about 80 million people, the largest cohort of young people that the United States has ever seen. The "creators" of the millennial generation, Neil Howe and William Strauss, proposed seven core millennials' traits that are now overwhelmingly accepted as being factual: They are special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented, conventional, achieving, and pressured. In contemporary discourse, millennials have been described as tech savvy, open to change, compassionate, inclusive, and politically active, but also self-centered and lacking attachment or direction. Although it is true that many second-generation millennials fit these descriptions and are doing as well financially and educationally as their nonimmigrant peers, a significant proportion are struggling. The diverse outcomes raise questions about why some children of immigrant parents fare better than others. If these factors can be identified, efforts can be undertaken to promote the wellbeing of these young adults

Predictors Of Dental Disease Among Youth Incarcerated At A Toronto-Area Youth Centre

ABSTRACT Canadian correctional institutions provide dental services to a vulnerable cohort ofyoung people: incarcerated youth. Published data on the oral health of thiscohortis not available. Objective To determine the oral health status of youth in a closed-custody facility in a large Canadian centre Methods A cross-sectional study of youth incarcerated ata Toronto-area facility was conducted from September 2010 till July 2011. Participants completed a survey on social, correctional and oral health histories, and underwent oral examination. Results Of 101adolescent participants, 81.2% had permanent teeth affected by tooth decay. In this group, an average of 4.39 teeth were affected and. the proportion of decayed teeth was 0.51. Race, custody history and case status were predictors of poor oral health. CONCLUSIONS By quantifying the need for oral health services and by identifying variables associated with greater dental disease, these findings may assist health care providers in youth correctional facilities with their program planning for their high-needs wards.

Long-term outcomes of young people who attempted suicide.

IMPORTANCE Suicidal behavior has increased since the onset of the global recession, a trend that may have long-term health and social implications. OBJECTIVE To test whether suicide attempts among young people signal increased risk for later poor health and social functioning above and beyond a preexisting psychiatric disorder. DESIGN We followed up a cohort of young people and assessed multiple aspects of their health and social functioning as they approached midlife. Outcomes among individuals who had self-reported a suicide attempt up through age 24 years (young suicide attempters) were compared with those who reported no attempt through age 24 years (nonattempters). Psychiatric history and social class were controlled for. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS The population-representative Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, which involved 1037 birth cohort members comprising 91 young suicide attempters and 946 nonattempters, 95% of whom were followed up to age 38 years. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcomes were selected to represent significant individual and societal costs: mental health, physical health, harm toward others, and need for support. RESULTS As adults approaching midlife, young suicide attempters were significantly more likely to have persistent mental health problems (eg, depression, substance dependence, and additional suicide attempts) compared with nonattempters. They were also more likely to have physical health problems (eg, metabolic syndrome and elevated inflammation). They engaged in more violence (eg, violent crime and intimate partner abuse) and needed more social support (eg, long-term welfare receipt and unemployment). Furthermore, they reported being lonelier and less satisfied with their lives. These associations remained after adjustment for youth psychiatric diagnoses and social class. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Many young suicide attempters remain vulnerable to costly health and social problems into midlife. As rates of suicidal behavior rise with the continuing global recession, additional suicide prevention efforts and long-term monitoring and after-care services are needed.

Substance use in people at clinical high-risk for psychosis.

BackgroundSome high-risk (HR) mental states for psychosis may lack diagnostic specificity and predictive value. Furthermore, psychotic-like experiences found in young populations may act not only as markers for psychosis but also for other non-psychotic psychiatric disorders. A neglected consideration in these populations is the effect of substance misuse and its role in the development of such mental states or its influence in the evolution toward full psychotic presentations. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to thoroughly describe past and current substance use profiles of HR individuals by comparing a consecutive cohort of young people at high risk referred to a population-based early intervention clinical service with a random sample of healthy volunteers (HV) recruited from the same geographical area.MethodsWe compared alcohol and substance use profiles of sixty help-seeking HR individuals and 60 healthy volunteers (HV). In addition to identification of abuse/dependence and influence on psychotic-like experiences, differences between HR individuals and HV were assessed for gender, ethnicity, occupational status, age of lifetime first substance use, prevalence and frequency of substance use.ResultsThere were no cases of substance use disorder or dependence in either groups. HR individuals were significantly younger than HV when they first started to use substances (p = 0.014). The prevalence of overall HR substance use was similar to that of HV. Although HR individuals reported less cannabinoid use than HV currently (15% vs. 27%), and more in the past (40% vs. 30%), the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.177 & 0.339 respectively). Current frequency of use was significantly higher for HR individuals than HV for alcohol (p = 0.001) and cannabinoids (p = 0.03). In this sample, only 5% of HR individuals converted to psychosis over a two-year follow-up.ConclusionsCertain profiles of substance use could potentially play a significant part in the evolution of HR presentations. Therefore, substance use may well represent a clinical domain that requires further emphasis and more detailed consideration in future studies.

Risk factors for HCV infection among young adults in rural New York who inject prescription opioid analgesics.

We investigated a cluster of new hepatitis C cases in rural New York among a cohort of young people who inject drugs (PWID) and misuse prescription opioid analgesics (POA). We recruited a purposive sample of PWID from Cortland County for an in-person survey and HCV rapid antibody test (March-July 2012). We examined sociodemographics, drugs currently injected, and lifetime and recent injection behaviors to ascertain associations with HCV antibody (anti-HCV) positivity. Of 123 PWID, 76 (61.8%) were younger than 30 years, and 100 (81.3%) received HCV rapid testing. Of those tested, 34 (34.0%) were positive. Participants who reported injecting POA in the past 12 months were 5 times more likely to be anti-HCV positive than those who injected drugs other than POA, and participants who reported sharing injection equipment in the past 12 months were roughly 4 times more likely to be anti-HCV positive than those who did not. Our analysis suggests people injecting POA may be at higher risk for HCV infection than people who inject heroin or other drugs but not POA.

Studying Refugee Settlement through Longitudinal Research: Methodological and Ethical Insights from the Good Starts Study

Research involving resettled refugees raises methodological and ethical complexities. These complexities typically emerge within cross-sectional research that focuses on refugee experiences at a specific point in time. Given the long term and dynamic nature of refugee settlement, longitudinal research is valuable, yet it raises distinct complexities within the research process. This article focuses on the methodological and ethical insights that emerged in a longitudinal study of settlement and wellbeing with a cohort of young people from refugee backgrounds in Australia. It considers: engagement and retention of a cohort over time; the need to adapt research tools to changing settlement contexts and life stages; participants’ experiences of long-term involvement in the study; and the challenge of timely translation of findings into evidence for policy and practice. The article contributes to a growing understanding of the practical, ethical and epistemological challenges and opportunities presented by longitudinal research, in this case, with resettled refugee background youth.

199 Arterial stiffness in an ageing cystic fibrosis (CF) population attending the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre (AWACFC)

196 Prevalence of undiagnosed pre-diabetes and diabetes in a UK cohort of young people with cystic fibrosis L. Selby1, T. Rootsey1, R.M. Williams2,3, K.K. Ong4, D. McShane3. 1University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom; 2University of Cambridge, Paediatrics, Cambridge, United Kingdom; 3Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Childrens Services, Cambridge, United Kingdom; 4University of Cambridge, MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom