Healthy Adulthood Research Articles

La alimentación preescolar, educación para la salud de los 2 a los 6 años

The infant feeding and nutrition is one of the most important areas regarding the Health Education (HE). This health-promoting action must start at the early stage of the development and learning, such as the pre-school period. A valuable tool to initiate successfully the HE could be infant nutrition, which can and must be also approached in the educational area.Our objective of the investigation was to gather, from the main Spanish manuals of nutrition, the basic and nutritional characteristics of the stage from 2 to 6 years, in order to be used by educational personnel instead of health personnel in the school area. By the analysis of bibliographical documented review, related to the nutritional characteristics at this stage of growth.The results indicate that the Recommendations Dietary Allowance (RDA) from 2 years are very different with regard to the breast-fed stage, the contribution moves towards the carbohydrates in 50 %, in decline of fats <30 % and proteins. In addition, the preparation and incorporation of new ingredients to the daily foods is already regular, obtaining, in this way, a balanced and healthy diet. For that, we will follow a guideline of 3 daily foods, with 2 intermediate of minor quantity, and the breakfast will have a well-deserved importance.To conclude, we must indicate that the educator has to inculcate healthy habits of feeding in pre-school stage by means of the Health Education. The mentioned infant diet will be the base for a healthy adulthood, since during the infant stage, future pathologies may emerge such as diabetes, cancer of colon and hypertension.

La alimentación preescolar: educación para la salud de los 2 a los 6 años

The infant feeding and nutrition is one of the most important areas regarding the Health Education (HE). This health-promoting action must start at the early stage of the development and learning, such as the pre-school period. A valuable tool to initiate successfully the HE could be infant nutrition, which can and must be also approached in the educational area. Our objective of the investigation was to gather, from the main Spanish manuals of nutrition, the basic and nutritional characteristics of the stage from 2 to 6 years, in order to be used by educational personnel instead of health personnel in the school area. By the analysis of bibliographical documented review, related to the nutritional characteristics at this stage of growth. The results indicate that the Recommendations Dietary Allowance (RDA) from 2 years are very different with regard to the breast-fed stage, the contribution moves towards the carbohydrates in 50 %, in decline of fats <30 % and proteins. In addition, the preparation and incorporation of new ingredients to the daily foods is already regular, obtaining, in this way, a balanced and healthy diet. For that, we will follow a guideline of 3 daily foods, with 2 intermediate of minor quantity, and the breakfast will have a well-deserved importance. To conclude, we must indicate that the educator has to inculcate healthy habits of feeding in pre-school stage by means of the Health Education. The mentioned infant diet will be the base for a healthy adulthood, since during the infant stage, future pathologies may emerge such as diabetes, cancer of colon and hypertension.

A review of guidelines for use of growth hormone in pediatric and transition patients

Growth hormone (GH) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in pediatric patients with disorders of growth failure or short stature and in adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and HIV/AIDS wasting and cachexia. For pediatric patients, guidelines for the use of GH have been developed by several organizations that have identified specific criteria for initiating GH therapy for each FDA-approved indication. Guidelines for adults have also been developed and include recommendations for transition (adolescent) patients with GHD. These patients are often treated with GH as children but may require continued treatment as young adults to attain full skeletal mineralization and improve cardiovascular risk factors. Adult and pediatric guidelines are supported by efficacy and safety studies, which show that, when started at an early age, GH treatment can increase growth velocity and that GH is safe and well-tolerated. We summarize the guidelines that are available for all FDA-approved indications among pediatric and transition patients. Adherence to these guidelines will help to ensure that patients with disorders of growth failure or short stature receive the necessary therapy to increase linear growth and transition smoothly to healthy adulthood.

P1-531 Estimation of incidence rate of hepatitis B virus horizontal infection in the Japanese population in 2005

IntroductionThere have been noted that not only hepatitis B virus (HBV) vertical but horizontal infection elicits a risk of persistent HBV infection even in healthy adulthood. There is little information...

Tragedy and delight: the ethics of decelerated ageing

Biogerontology is sometimes viewed as similar to other forms of biomedical research in that it seeks to understand and treat a pathological process. Yet the prospect of treating ageing is extraordinary in terms of the profound changes to the human condition that would result. Recent advances in biogerontology allow a clearer view of the ethical issues and dilemmas that confront humanity with respect to treating ageing. For example, they imply that organismal senescence is a disease process with a broad spectrum of pathological consequences in late life (causing or exascerbating cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and many others). Moreover, in laboratory animals, it is possible to decelerate ageing, extend healthy adulthood and reduce the age-incidence of a broad spectrum of ageing-related diseases. This is accompanied by an overall extension of lifespan, sometimes of a large magnitude. Discussions of the ethics of treating ageing sometimes involve hand-wringing about detrimental consequences (e.g. to society) of marked life extension which, arguably, would be a form of enhancement technology. Yet given the great improvements in health that decelerated ageing could provide, it would seem that the only possible ethical course is to pursue it energetically. Thus, decelerated ageing has an element of tragic inevitability: its benefits to health compel us to pursue it, despite the transformation of human society, and even human nature, that this could entail.

The HIV-Infected Adolescent

HIV-infected adolescents represent a unique, yet diverse, population requiring specialized medical and psychosocial HIV care. Perinatally infected and behaviorally infected adolescents often have differing therapeutic needs, but may share common difficulties, including medication nonadherence, high-risk sexual behavior, psychosocial stressors, and concomitant psychiatric disorders. Addressing these needs within a culturally sensitive framework and in the context of a population-specific approach to treatment is paramount to optimizing care. Harm reduction for this group to maximize their health and limit HIV transmission to others is also critical with respect to the rising incidence of newly diagnosed HIV-positive adolescents. Implementing a formal, multidisciplinary program that involves individual youths and their families for improved transition to adult HIV care will afford such adolescents a better chance for a healthy adulthood.

Personal Accounts: Rodolph H. Turcotte, M.D.: Another Perspective

Personal Accounts: Rodolph H. Turcotte, M.D.: Another Perspective

Personal Accounts: Rodolph H. Turcotte, M.D.: Another Perspective

Personal Accounts: Rodolph H. Turcotte, M.D.: Another Perspective

The Psychology of Antecedents to Adult Reproductive Disorders in Adolescent Girls

The normal developmental tasks and roles of adolescence are altered by a diagnosis of a reproductive disorder. The crisis of impaired fertility affects both parent and child, stressing the family system. For the adolescent girl, a reproductive disorder has an impact on her developing sense of self, body-image, and sexuality, which, in turn, can affect her self-esteem and relationships with others. Because of the sexual nature of a reproductive disorder, feelings of embarrassment or protectiveness are often engendered that can make it difficult for families to discuss. Nonetheless, families do best with openness and honesty regarding the condition and should be discouraged from keeping the diagnosis a secret. Adolescence encompasses a broad spectrum of emotional maturity, which needs to be considered by parents and clinicians when communicating information. Understanding that the family is an emotional unit, a family systems approach to deal with health issues is most appropriate. In this context, parents need to first deal with their own feelings about the diagnosis, before they can help their child. Secondly, parents must be provided with tools to build an ongoing conversation with their child that will avoid stigmatizing her condition and handicapping her growth into healthy adulthood. The goal for parent and clinician is to help the adolescent girl formulate positive self-esteem and body image, despite impaired fertility.

Effects of lifestyle habits and eating meals together with the family on the prevalence of obesity among school children in Tokushima, Japan: a cross-sectional ques-tionnaire-based survey

Obesity in children has become a major global public health concern. The prevention of obesity must start from early childhood in order to establish sound lifestyle habits and promote healthy adulthood. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with the prevention of obesity and the development of healthy lifestyle habits in children. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was performed in elementary and junior high school students in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, during the summer of 2004. The questionnaire consisted of 30 items such as physique, sleep, eating habits, diet, exercise, free time, and attending after-school lessons. Our study revealed that eating meals as a family every day is associated with a lower rate of obesity as well as getting good lifestyle habits such as eating balanced meals and getting enough sleep. Of the 3,291 students who responded to the questionnaire, 2,688 (81.7%) reported that they eat meals with their family every day. The percentage of students who eat meals with their family every day decreased with increasing school grade, with the lowest percent in the junior high school students. However, the results regarding female junior high school students revealed a marked association between eating meals with the family every day and good lifestyle habits. We recommend that parents and school teaching staff encourage the establishment of sound, healthy lifestyle habits in children from early childhood as an effective measure for the prevention of obesity.

Connectedness within Social Contexts: The Relation to Adolescent Health

International studies have shown that the more developmental assets adolescents possess, the greater their likelihood of engaging in health-enhancing practices and the lesser their likelihood of engaging in practices that put health at risk. Logistic regressions were conducted on data from the 2000-2001 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) for 12- to 15-year-old Canadian youth to examine which of five assets accounts for the most variance in positive health outcomes and participation in risky health behaviours. Connectedness within social contexts, particularly to family and school, was associated with several self-reported positive health outcomes and behaviours (excellent or very good health, high self-worth, and less alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use). Connectedness among peers was associated with better self-assessed health and higher self-worth but also with more use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. A comprehensive approach to healthy youth development that emphasizes and increases positive relationships in these contexts may facilitate the transition of Canadian youth into healthy adulthood.

Physical activity in adolescence. A review with clinical suggestions

Despite some inconsistencies in research methodologies, most findings support a positive correlation between participation in physical activities and well-being in adulthood. The results are consistent across the life span of both genders. Favorable connection between physical exercise to physical, psychological, emotional and educational benefits has been constantly proven. Despite such results a comparison between present to past findings show a global tendency for sedentary life style and reduced physical activities in many countries across ages and genders. There are claims that achieving an adult healthy life style is rooted in habits acquired at early ages, thus pointing at childhood and adolescence as the starting point of an active and healthy adulthood. The present article reviews the current literature and findings relating to physical activity with better health and an emphasis on adolescence. Factors correlated to participation of adolescents in physical activities are presented and some clinical issues to promote such activity are discussed. The authors strongly recommend enhanced initiation of community based easily accessed physical exercise programs, for children and adolescents.

CASASTART: A Community-Based, School-Centered Intervention for High-Risk Youth

During the past decade, increasing numbers of drug- and alcohol-related delinquency cases have entered the juvenile justice system. The majority of these young people face multiple challenges and risks, yet have few resources to mitigate these risks. This article suggests that the skills, competencies and supports, and protective factors needed to help young people grow into healthy adulthood are not readily available to high-risk youth. We offer lessons from the development, implementation, and institutionalization of one promising model of an evidence-based, community-, and school-centered program for high-risk youth (CASASTART). The experience with this program thus far suggests that program models that encompass a youth development, strength-based, and community-focused approach can intervene successfully with many high-risk youth and their families, reduce use of drugs and alcohol, reduce violent crime, and achieve funding and programmatic stability.

Active Childhood for Healthy Adulthood.

Dear Editor, Apropos commentary on the modern day epidemic of obesity by Yadav [1]. We are increasingly being confronted with the younger generation, having a strong tendency towards corpulence. It is now appreciated that the foundation for an unhealthy adulthood is being laid at a very early stage in life. The primary culprit, would probably be the attitude of sloth that has crept into the psyche of youth, with satellite television and now the internet partaking in the blame. Combined with the easy access to high calorie and processed foods this leads to apprehensions of an epidemic of malnutrition, with obesity being one end of the spectrum. It has been accepted that moderate physical activity can reduce substantially the risk of developing or dying from heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure [2]. On an average, physically active people outlive those who are inactive. The current Public Health recommendations are reviewed below for ease of reference. One must begin by acquainting a child with what could be the possible benefits of physical activity [3], namely that regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence improves strength and endurance; helps build healthy bones and muscles; helps control weight; reduces anxiety and stress and increases self-esteem. The greatest impact of exercise is on the retention of weight loss. This is widely supported by the prospective and retrospective studies reviewed by Votruba et al [4]. Individuals who exercise experience a significantly smaller amount of weight regain. On the flip side, the evil consequences of physical inactivity [3] must be brought to the fore for impressionable young individuals to make a decision (encouraged of course, by parents!) – inactivity and poor diet cause at least 300,000 deaths a year in the United States; only tobacco use causes more preventable deaths; overweight persons have physical complaints like feet, knee and back problems; obese individuals are perceived to be unattractive; adults who are less active are at greater risk of dying of heart disease and developing diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. Young people can build healthy bodies and establish healthy lifestyles by including physical activity in their daily lives. However, many young people are not physically active on a regular basis, and physical activity declines dramatically during adolescence. School programs, and parental encouragement and involvement can help young people get active and stay active. The World Health Day theme for 2002 “Move for Health” was thus an apt rallying point. It has been recommended that the combination of reductions in energy intake and increase in energy expenditure, through structured exercise and other forms of physical activity, be a component of weight loss intervention programs. Significant health benefits can be recognized with participation in an accumulated minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week and overweight and obese adults should progressively increase to this initial exercise goal [5]. Everyone can benefit from a moderate amount of physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Young people should be encouraged to select activities they enjoy, to fit into their daily lives. Examples of moderate activity adapted from CDC Guidelines [3] include – walking 3.2 km in 30 minutes or running 2.4 km in 15 minutes (The Satisfactory grading in PPT of the Army may possibly have preceded this recommendation by years); bicycling 8 km in 30 minutes or 6.4 km in 15 minutes. Dancing fast for 30 minutes or jumping rope for 15 minutes; playing basketball for 15-20 minutes or volleyball for 45 minutes. Increasing the frequency, time, or intensity of physical activity can bring even more health benefits – up to a point. Too much physical activity can lead to injuries and other health problems. Hence caution is to be advocated. Key Messages : Physical activity for young people is most likely to be effective when the emphasis is on enjoyable participation in physical activities that are easily done throughout life, for example walking is a sustainable activity, while running may not be Parents and the schools have an important responsibility to give young people the skills and confidence they need to be physically active Promotion of physical activity through a coordinated school health program may play a very important role in our urban Indian milieu, with the lack of space in our cities, where only schools might have the open spaces and playgrounds. The most important lesson that is to be imbibed is that some form of physical activity must be indulged in, on most days of the week, preferably daily.

What does health literacy mean to children?

This study employed the Delphi technique to define the meaning of health literacy to children and to investigate possible ways lead to them to become health literate. According to the experts’ perspectives, the meaning of health literacy to children is “to perform physical and psycho-social activities with appropriate standards; being able to interact with people; cope with necessary changes and demand reasonable autonomy so as to achieve complete physical, mental and social well-being”. In order to assist children develop healthy physical, psycho-social well-being so as to demonstrate that they are health literate, parents, teachers and significant others have to support and guide the children by demonstrating good practices regarding health-related behaviors. The study serves as a reference for developing healthy childhood that leads to healthy adulthood and healthy elderly.

Text and Turbulence

This article examines constructions of adolescence and pathology and their relation to human service intervention. The author locates a history of discourses of adolescence and pathology along a trajectory of 20th-century capitalism. Particular attention is paid to racialized, gendered and classbased aspects of this history. The historic context sets the stage for a close reading of representations of youth pathology used to market treatment facilities to human service professionals. The author argues that the youth treatment industry may not be preparing adolescents for healthy adulthood but rather for their place in a continuum of care, control and containment.

The clinical spectrum in a large kindred with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome caused by a Fas mutation that impairs lymphocyte apoptosis.

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is characterized by chronic, histologically benign splenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy, hypergammaglobulinemia, and autoantibody formation. ALPS has been attributed to defective programmed cell death of lymphocytes, most often arising as a result of mutations in the gene encoding the lymphocyte apoptosis receptor Fas/APO-l/CD95. We identified a novel mutation in the intracellular apoptosis signaling domain of Fas in 11 members of a family, individual members of which have been monitored for up to 25 years, with 1 or more features of ALPS. This study of a large number of family members carrying the same Fas defect demonstrates that ALPS is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion but with a high degree of variability in clinical expression. Although 1 affected individual died of postsplenectomy sepsis and 1 has been treated for lymphoma, the Fas mutation in this family has been compatible with a healthy adulthood, as clinical features of ALPS have receded with increasing age.

Antiandrogen cyproterone acetate as an alternative treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome, acne and hirsutis in adolescence

Period of adolescence has been identified as age group of otherwise healthy population, but at risk. During maturational processes of hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis menstrual dysfunction and anovulatory cycles are common and often short lived; yet in some cases they may lead into persistent hyperandrogenism like PCOS, acne and hirsutism. In the Adolescent Clinics in National University Hospital and School Health Services long follow-up of cases with menstrual disorders has been conducted, also relating to 150 adolescents with PCOS, 52% of them had acne and hirsutism. Uniform investigations of patients included clinical features, hormonal investigations, ultrasound findings and psychological screening. Typical features for the group, treatment options and prognosis for future reproductive abilities are discussed in detail. The majority of patients (82.6%) were treated with anti-androgen cyproterone acetate in a preparation containing 2mg + 35ug ethinyl Estradiol in three weeks course per month. Following treatment acne resolved completely or showed visible improvement in 93.7%. Varying degree of improvement in hirsutism were noted in 60.8% of girls. Importantly cyclic function either was normalised or improved in 62.7% of girls. However the situation remained unchanged in 11.3% and in 26% worsened. In our opinion complete management of adolescent PCOS should include medical correction of hormonal disbalance, body weight correction and psychological intervention to ensure healthy adulthood and normal reproductive function. Implications of hyperandrogenism in adolescence are multifaceted. Immediate concerns are menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and acne associated with PCOS, but long standing possible hazards in adult life are impaired fertility, oestrogen dependent maJignancies and insulin resistance related conditions. In addition to mentioned health hazards it has become clear that adolescent girls with PCOS show low self-esteem and high degrees of psychological distress.

Deviant Children Grown Up

Abstract This follow-up, after 30 years, of a large sample of juvenile clients of a St Louis psychiatric clinic, together with a matched control group, showed that those treated for neurotic disorders generally achieved healthy adulthood. In contrast, juvenile conduct disorders and antisocial behaviour were often followed by adult disturbances mostly of a sociopathic type. The study has influenced concepts of persisting antisocial personality disorder, contributed to the development of diagnostic interviewing techniques and shown the importance of longitudinal surveys.

Homosexuality and Adolescence

Pediatricians should be aware that some of the youths in their care may be homosexual or have concerns about sexual orientation. Caregivers should provide factual, current, nonjudgmental information in a confidential manner. These youths may present to physicians seeking information about homosexuality, STDs, substance abuse, or various psychosocial difficulties. The pediatrician should ensure that each youth receives a thorough medical history and physical examination (including appropriate laboratory tests), as well as STD (including HIV) counseling and, if necessary, appropriate treatment. The health care professional should also be attentive to various potential psychosocial difficulties and offer counseling or refer for counseling when necessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirms the physician's responsibility to provide comprehensive health care and guidance for all adolescents, including gay and lesbian adolescents and those young people struggling with issues of sexual orientation. The deadly consequences of AIDS and adolescent suicide underscore the critical need to address and seek to prevent the major physical and mental health problems that confront gay and lesbian youths in their transition to a healthy adulthood.