Healthy Teens Research Articles

An innovative mobile app for educating teens and young adults about reproductive health and wellness including sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and contraception

Objective: The authors studied the use of a new mobile app technology platform to offer easy access to accurate, evidence-based comprehensive reproductive health information with links to resources for teens and young adults to enhance wellness and reduce the risks of HIV, other STIs, pregnancy, and complications such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.Methods: The Healthy Teens Mobile App was designed, developed, tested, and implemented to deliver up-to-date sexual and reproductive health education based on science and written by experts. Initial testing was done for useability, readability and ease of navigation of the app.Results: Beta testing among teens, young adults, parents, health educators, and nurse clinicians (n = 32) revealed the app was valuable, engaging, and could be revised to improve flow and functionality. 60% strongly agreed and 40% agreed the app was valuable, with important information and resources on sexual health and wellbeing. 55% strongly agreed and 45% agreed the images improved the experience of using the app and the text size was adequate for readability. Other comments were utilized to enhance the app, add more images, and decrease the amount of white space on certain sections of the app. The app was released in June 2024 in both the Apple & Google App Stores.Conclusions: Utilizing a mobile app to delivery evidence-based sexual and reproductive health information for teens and young adults is practical and well accepted by teens, young adults, parents, health educators, and nurse clinicians. Plans are underway to disseminate the app widely. Future plans include translating the app into Spanish, French and other languages to promote global sexual and reproductive health and wellness and reduce the risks of HIV, other STIs, pregnancy, and complications such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.

The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Adolescent Iraqi Children Infected with Toxoplasmasis

Toxoplasmosis affects various biochemical markers, which has garnered attention recently. Toxoplasmosis biochemical marker values were the focus of this study. To evaluate the infection-related marker TNF alpha, TNF-α regulates inflammation, anti-tumor responses, and homeostasis via interacting with TNF-R1 and TNF-R2. TNF-α has a vital function in treating T. gondii by regulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell development. Despite therapeutic usage of anti-TNF-α medications, adverse effects such lymph proliferative disorders have been known to occur. This also suggests that one major mechanism by which cytokines operate is by inhibiting parasite invasion. TNF-α has the ability to directly influence the proliferation of intracellular parasites to different extents. The study included one hundred patients with toxoplasmosis, aged between eighteen and thirty years old. Among them, seventy had confirmed cases of infection, with forty samples from both male and female patients, while the remaining thirty samples were taken from healthy individuals serving as a control group. Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, and many outpatient clinics will treat patients from different Iraqi governorates from November 2022 and October 2023. Additionally, we utilized the ELISA technique to determine the quantity of TNF-alpha present. With this study, there were no significant changes in blood levels of TNF-α between the control group and teens of different ages and genders, according to the results. The mean ±SE values of the level in healthy teens (80.57 ±5.27) and T. gondii patients (123.59 ±4.35, 158.85 ±10.26) were not statistically different. The findings indicated that the mean values for healthy teenagers were 66.02 ±5.89 and 87.84 ±3.24, respectively. There was no significant gender difference, with mean values of 149.65 ±11.98 and 133.25 ±3.96, respectively. Patients with toxoplasmosis exhibited substantially higher TNF-α levels than the control group (P ≤0.01). The average ± SE TNF-alpha levels in teenagers infected with T. gondii were 136.86 ±5.96, whereas the control group had 87.84 ±3.24. Our research suggests that Toxoplasma gondii have the capability to exert effect on certain indicators, such as TNF-alpha. The findings indicate that adolescents are prone to a significant prevalence of toxoplasmosis diagnoses. Consequently, prioritizing health education for those with a heightened susceptibility to developing the disease is imperative.

Healthy and Respectful Relationship Education: Differences by Disability Status and Associations With Sexual Abuse.

Education about healthy and respectful relationships (HRR) is a key component of comprehensive sexual health curricula and is supposed to be universally provided in Oregon. This study: (1) assesses the extent to which high school students with disabilities received HRR education, and (2) examines associations between HRR education and experiences of sexual abuse. Using data from the 2019 Oregon Healthy Teens survey, we conducted multivariable Poisson regression to compare 11th grade students with and without disabilities on self-reported receipt of school based HRR instruction (N=10,992), and to measure associations between HRR education and sexual abuse experiences among teens with (N=3736) and without (N=7256) disabilities. Students with disabilities were 41% more likely than students without disabilities to say they had never been taught in school about HRR (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.25-156). Experiences of sexual abuse victimization were more common for all students who did not receive HRR education (34.1% vs 21.6% among students with disabilities; 16.2% vs 7.5% among students without disabilities). Students with disabilities are less likely to have received school-based HRR education than their peers without disabilities. Providing inclusive HRR education may help reduce risk of sexual abuse and is essential for addressing health disparities affecting youth with disabilities.

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Development and Evaluation of Internet-based Health Technology in Pediatric Oncology: A Scoping Review.

Objective:There is an increased awareness to identify symptomatic experiences in children undergoing chemotherapy. An Internet-based health technology accessible and friendly for children and parents to report health problems during chemotherapy has been well-developed in developed countries. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide a comprehensive view of relevant research related to the emergence of health applications in pediatric oncology so that it can provide information for design and evaluation in the future. Methods:Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines support this scoping review. To investigate the evidence on the development of Internet-based health technology, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOHOST Medline, IEEEXplore, ProQuest, and Nature databases were searched between 2015 and 2021. Results:14 articles met the inclusion criteria with nine Internet-based health technologies. Moreover, four of nine mobile health apps use a theoretical foundation (SPARK for children and family member, Empower Stars!, THRIVE, and Facebook-based “Healthy Teens for Soaam”), three apps apply four stages of development and testing, and all apps have met the category of the degree of attachment of patients to the application. Conclusion:The effect of Internet-based health technology through a scientific process by paying attention to the underlying theories, user needs, developer passion, application testing, and evaluation methods is the key to success.

Impact of Reduced School Exposure on Adolescent Health Behaviors and Food Security: Evidence From 4-Day School Weeks.

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDFour‐day school week (FDSW) use has increased substantially among US districts in recent years, but limited data exist on health impacts of this school schedule. This study examined associations of reduced school exposure via FDSWs with adolescent health and risk behaviors, obesity, and food security.METHODSSelf‐report data from 8th‐ and 11th‐grade students from the Oregon Healthy Teens survey across 5 survey years (odd years 2007‐2015, total N = 91,860‐104,108 respondents depending on the survey question) were linked to a FDSW indicator. Regression analyses controlling for student and school characteristics compared outcomes between students in 4‐ and 5‐day schools overall (without school fixed effects) and outcomes associated with switching to a FDSW (with school fixed effects).RESULTSWhen controlling for multiple student‐ and school‐level factors, we observed adolescents in FDSW schools report they consume sugar sweetened beverages more frequently and water less frequently, have access to fewer days of physical education, are more likely to be food insecure, and are more likely to report the use of any drugs and specifically marijuana than 5‐day school week students.CONCLUSIONSLimiting exposure to the school environment via FDSWs may impact adolescent health behaviors, including diet, physical activity, and drug use.

Quality of life and emotional vulnerability in a national cohort of adolescents living with Fontan circulation.

To investigate quality of life and mental health after Fontan completion, we aimed to characterise outcomes in a representative group of adolescent patients. The study was part of the pre-transition clinical work-up in adolescents with Fontan-type palliation of univentricular CHD. The programme covers the entire paediatric Fontan patient population in Norway. Our cross-sectional study included 42 adolescents with Fontan circulation aged 15-18. We recruited a control group of 29 healthy peers. Quality of life was measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaire, while mental health was assessed with the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Fontan patients scored lower than healthy controls on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory total (p = 0.004), the physical (p < 0.001) and social (p = 0.001) functioning subscale, and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire subscale of emotional symptoms (p = 0.035). Compared to two of the healthy teens (7%), seven patients (16%) in the Fontan group scored as having impaired mental health (p = 0.224). The female/male ratio for individuals with impaired health was 7:2 (p = 0.003). Compared to healthy controls, adolescents after Fontan-type palliation in Norway have good health-related quality of life and mental health, despite having slightly lower score than healthy individuals, mainly in physical domains and school functioning. Compared to healthy controls and healthy teenagers, these adolescents have somewhat more emotional problems, and compared to male patients, female patients more often have impaired mental health.

Contraceptive Use Among Adolescents With and Without Disabilities

PurposeThe aim of this study is to assess contraceptive use at last intercourse among adolescent girls with and without disabilities. MethodsData were from the 2015 and 2017 Oregon Healthy Teens survey, a state-wide representative sample of 11th grade students. Among respondents at risk for unplanned pregnancy (n = 3,702), we estimated the prevalence of contraceptive method used at last intercourse—including intrauterine device, implant, Depo-Provera, oral contraceptive pills, patch, ring, condoms, withdrawal, and emergency contraception—by disability status. We used multivariable Poisson regression to measure the association between disability status and use of any contraceptive. ResultsGirls with disabilities were more likely to report having had intercourse compared to girls without disabilities (49.2% vs. 37.4%). Girls with disabilities were less likely to use oral contraceptive pills (32.8% vs. 36.6%) or condoms (51.9% vs. 59.7%) compared to their non-disabled peers. After adjusting for demographic factors, 92.3% of girls with disabilities reported using any contraceptive method compared to 94.7% of girls without a disability (adjusted prevalence difference −2.6%, 95% CI −.26%, −4.9%; adjusted prevalence ratio .97, 95% CI .95–1.00, p = .03). ConclusionsWe observed high levels of contraceptive use among Oregon high school girls. Still, girls with disabilities were slightly less likely to report contraceptive use compared to their non-disabled peers. Given the high proportion of teens with disabilities who are sexually active, the magnitude of the difference in contraceptive use could be of concern on a national scale and further research is warranted.

Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Ill Effects of Substance Use Among School Going Children, Golaghat

Adolescent starts with early healthy teens and ends up with the many unhealthy issues if not taken care of One of the high risk health issues of adolescence is related to substance use. It is a decade ago worldwide problem where India too has fallen into this viscous cycle. It has not only affected the health of adolescence but has also affected the future of the entire nation. Objectives: The study aimed to find out knowledge and attitude on ill effects of substance use among school going children. Material and Methods: The study adopted cross sectional descriptive design. The study was conducted in three School of Golaghat, Assam for a period of 2 weeks among 265 school going children who were selected using purposive sampling technique after taking the consent. Tool knowledge questionnaire related Substance Use and Attitude scale related Substance Use was used. Results: It was found that 94% of the school going children was having high knowledge level on the ill effects of substance use and their attitude varies towards the substance use. There was no significant association found between knowledge score and selected socio demographic variable. Conclusion: It was found that even after having sufficient knowledge and negative attitude towards the substance use, many adolescent are trapped in this phenomena. It may be because of lack of assertiveness and weaken coping ability of the adolescence. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Substance use, School Going Children.

Sexual Health Experiences Among High School Students With Disabilities

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual experiences of adolescents with and without disabilities. MethodsData were from the 2015 and 2017 Oregon Healthy Teens survey, a state-wide representative sample of 11th grade students. We compared teens with and without disabilities on whether or not they had ever had sexual intercourse (N = 20,812). Among those who had ever had intercourse (N = 8,311), we used multivariable Poisson regression to measure the association between disability status and the prevalence of five sexual experiences. ResultsAfter adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, the prevalence of ever having had intercourse was 25% higher among teens with disabilities than among those without (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–1.30). Among students who had had intercourse, the prevalence of having had intercourse before the age of 15 years (aPR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.14–1.47), having ≥ 2 lifetime sexual partners (aPR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.19), having ≥ 2 sexual partners in the previous three months (aPR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.00–1.52), having used alcohol and/or drugs at the last intercourse (aPR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10–1.48), and having condomless sex at the last intercourse (aPR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08–1.27) was higher among students with disabilities than among students without disabilities. After accounting for sexual abuse, each of these associations was attenuated and most were no longer significant. ConclusionsYouth with disabilities are sexually active. Findings highlight the need for increased attention to sexual abuse prevention, sexual health promotion, and risk reduction efforts for this population.

Gender Differences in Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Condoms and Birth Control Among Chicago Adolescents

Research shows that gender norms play a notable role in pregnancy prevention, often placing responsibility on females and allowing some males to pursue sexual encounters without considering the consequences of unprotected sex. This paper examines gender differences in attitudes and behaviors related to condom use and birth control among adolescents using survey, focus group, and interview data gathered from the evaluation of Chicago Healthy Adolescents and Teens (CHAT), a comprehensive sexual health education program implemented with adolescents in Chicago Public High Schools. Results indicate that safe sex attitudes and behaviors differ between male and female adolescents, specifically those related to condoms and birth control. Our findings suggest that (i) females have higher knowledge and presumed responsibility for pregnancy prevention, (ii) infrequent condom use among adolescents prioritizes male pleasure over female health needs, and (iii) social norms discourage females, but not males, from accessing and using birth control. We use the Theory of Gender and Power to show how our findings reflect gender dynamics within the United States and explain the potential health implications for adolescent sexual health.

Interpersonal Predictors of Suicide Ideation and Attempt Among Early Adolescents

Despite the growing epidemic of suicide ideation and attempt in adolescents, there is a lack of theory-based, empirical research to shed light on these issues in this population and inform school counselors’ preventive and responsive practices. We utilized Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) to examine the extent to which the interpersonal constructs of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness predicted adolescent suicide ideation and attempt by conducting two binomial logistic regressions on archival data from the 2017 eighth-grade Oregon Healthy Teens Survey. Six of the seven selected proxy items were statistically significant in each logistic model, with slight variance between the two. Our findings suggest that the interpersonal constructs of the IPTS are applicable to early adolescents and may be used to inform suicide prevention and intervention efforts among this population in school settings.

Design of Healthy Youth Edition Teens Based Game

In Indonesia, there are many promiscuity cases such as brawl, drug dealers and free sex among students. Therefore, the importance of having the social skills to dare to take a firm stance, to reject the negative offer of the environment needs to be owned by a teenager. In addition to the importance of self-awareness, to keep teenagers in Indonesia is not easy to fall into a healthy association it is also necessary to help socialize and provide education about healthy association for today's teenagers. Through the design of the game Teen Society, adolescents aged 11-24 years provided education about healthy association through mobile games.

Development and Usability Evaluation of a Facebook-Based Intervention Program for Childhood Cancer Patients: Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundChildhood cancers previously considered to be incurable now have 5-year survival rates up to 84%. Nevertheless, these patients remain at risk of morbidity and mortality from therapy-related complications. Thus, patient education and self-management strategies for promoting a healthy lifestyle are of tantamount importance for improving short- and long-term health outcomes. A Facebook-based “Healthy Teens for Soaam” (a Korean term for childhood cancers) program was developed to help improve knowledge and self-management practices of teens with cancer related to their disease and treatment.ObjectiveThe two-fold purpose of this usability study was (1) to describe the process of developing an 8-week Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer, and (2) to evaluate its usability to refine the program.MethodsMultiple phases and methods were employed to develop and evaluate the usability of the program. Study phases included: (1) needs assessment through focus group interviews and qualitative content analysis, (2) development of module content, (3) expert review and feedback on module content, (4) Facebook-based program development, (5) usability evaluation by heuristic evaluation, (6) usability evaluation by targeted end-user testing, and (7) modification and final version of the program. Usability of the final version was confirmed through feedback loops of these phases.ResultsBased on 6 focus group discussion sessions, it was determined that teens with cancer were interested in seeing stories of successful childhood cancer cases and self-management after discharge, and preferred multimedia content over text. Therefore, each Facebook module was redesigned to include multimedia materials such as relevant video clips tailored for teens. Usability assessed by heuristic evaluation and user testing revealed several critical usability issues, which were then revised. Potential end users tested the final program and perceived it to be usable and useful for teens with cancer.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, “Healthy Teens for Soaam” is the first Facebook-based intervention program for teens with cancer. We actively worked with current childhood cancer patients and survivors to develop and improve this program, achieved good usability, and met the expressed needs and preferences of target end users. This 8-week Facebook-based educational program for teens with cancer, developed as the first step of an upcoming intervention study, will be useful for improving knowledge and self-management strategies of teens.

0269 Restricting Sleep Increases Teens’ Sedentary Behavior Without Impacting Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity

Abstract Introduction Short sleep duration has been linked to obesity risk in adolescence. However, most research has focused on potential changes in appetite/intake, rather than physical activity or sedentary behaviors. It remains unknown if, in the daily lives of adolescents, sleep restriction increases moderate- to-vigorous physical activity (e.g., by providing more time for it) or discourages such activity (in favor of sedentary behaviors). This was the first study to use gold-standard objective measures to assess cause-and-effect relationships between sleep duration and the resulting activity levels of adolescents in the naturalistic environment. Methods N=104 healthy teens (ages 14–18) completed the 3-week within-subjects crossover sleep manipulation experiment during the summer. Following a 7-night a sleep stabilization week, teens were randomly assigned to 5 nights in Short Sleep (6.5hrs sleep opportunity) or Healthy Sleep (9.5hrs sleep opportunity). Following a 2-night “washout” period, they crossed over to the alternate sleep condition. Throughout the study, they wore validated waist-worn accelerometers to objectively measure sedentary and physical activity levels, and wrist-worn actigraphs to confirm adherence to their sleep condition. Results When in Short Sleep (vs. Healthy Sleep), teens on average slept 112 minutes less (p&amp;lt;.0001, d=1.72) per wrist actigraphy. Waist-worn accelerometers reflected 99 more minutes in sedentary behavior (p&amp;lt;.0001, d=.97), and 16 more minutes in light physical activity (p=.002, d=.31) during short sleep. Teens did not differ in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity between conditions (p=.95, d=.03). Conclusion Among healthy adolescents, a realistic dose of sleep restriction did not affect moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels, but did sharply increase time in sedentary behavior. Given the negative weight and health consequences of sedentary behavior, these results have practical implications for obesity prevention/intervention efforts. They suggest that extending teen sleep may neither encourage nor discourage healthy physical activity, but may help curb unhealthy behaviors (e.g., sedentary behavior). Support R01 HL120879

Effects of the Dating Matters\xae Comprehensive Prevention Model on Health- and Delinquency-Related Risk Behaviors in Middle School Youth: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Teen dating violence (TDV) is associated with a variety of delinquent behaviors, such as theft, and health- and delinquency-related risk behaviors, including alcohol use, substance abuse, and weapon carrying. These behaviors may co-occur due to shared risk factors. Thus, comprehensive TDV-focused prevention programs may also impact these other risk behaviors. This study examined the effectiveness of CDC’s Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships (Dating Matters) comprehensive TDV prevention model compared to a standard-of-care condition on health- and delinquency-related risk behaviors among middle school students. Students (N = 3301; 53% female; 50% black, non-Hispanic; and 31% Hispanic) in 46 middle schools in four sites across the USA were surveyed twice yearly in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. A structural equation modeling framework with multiple imputation to account for missing data was utilized. On average over time, students receiving Dating Matters scored 9% lower on a measure of weapon carrying, 9% lower on a measure of alcohol and substance abuse, and 8% lower on a measure of delinquency by the end of middle school than students receiving an evidence-based standard-of-care TDV prevention program. Dating Matters demonstrated protective effects for most groups of students through the end of middle school. These results suggest that this comprehensive model is successful at preventing risk behaviors associated with TDV. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01672541

Impact of Video-games on Social Intuition among Teenagers

Background: Playing games is not only a favorite past time but it is also an inherent behavior in humanbeings that promotes cognitive and social development. With changing lifestyle, outdoor games have beenreplaced by electronic games like video-games, which are fast gaining popularity among teenagers, with theprevalence rate being as high as 75% in some of the industrialized countries. The popularity of video-gameshas raised concern over their possible impact on the social and emotional development of teenagers whoregularly indulge in video-gamingAims and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of regular competitive videogamingon social intuition among teenagers.Materials and Method: The present study was conducted in GIMS, Gadag, after being cleared by theEthical committee. Fifty healthy teens in the age group of 17-19 years who regularly played competitivevideo-games acted as subjects and fifty age and gender matched students were controls. Information relatedto type and duration of video-gaming was assessed using comprehensive questionnaire. Social intuition wasevaluated using emotional styles questionnaire. Comparison between the groups was done using studentst-test. Effect size was calculated.Results: Social intuition was found to be decreased in teenagers who regularly played competitive videogames,when compared to their peers who didn’t play video-games. The difference was statisticallysignificant (P &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Competitive video-gaming has a negative effect on social intuition among teenagers.

Middle School Effects of the Dating Matters\xae Comprehensive Teen Dating Violence Prevention Model on Physical Violence, Bullying, and Cyberbullying: a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Few comprehensive primary prevention approaches for youth have been evaluated for effects on multiple types of violence. Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships (Dating Matters) is a comprehensive teen dating violence (TDV) prevention model designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and evaluated using a longitudinal stratified cluster-randomized controlled trial to determine effectiveness for preventing TDV and promoting healthy relationship behaviors among middle school students. In this study, we examine the prevention effects on secondary outcomes, including victimization and perpetration of physical violence, bullying, and cyberbullying. This study examined the effectiveness of Dating Matters compared to a standard-of-care TDV prevention program in 46 middle schools in four high-risk urban communities across the USA. The analytic sample (N = 3301; 53% female; 50% Black, non-Hispanic; and 31% Hispanic) consisted of 6th–8th grade students who had an opportunity for exposure to Dating Matters in all three grades or the standard-of-care in 8th grade only. Results demonstrated that both male and female students attending schools implementing Dating Matters reported 11% less bullying perpetration and 11% less physical violence perpetration than students in comparison schools. Female Dating Matters students reported 9% less cyberbullying victimization and 10% less cyberbullying perpetration relative to the standard-of-care. When compared to an existing evidence-based intervention for TDV, Dating Matters demonstrated protective effects on physical violence, bullying, and cyberbullying for most groups of students. The Dating Matters comprehensive prevention model holds promise for reducing multiple forms of violence among middle school-aged youth. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01672541

Goals and Strategies to Solve Peer Conflict: Comparison by Aggression Trajectories

Objective.&#x0D; Prior research identified three trajectories of adolescent aggressive behavior from Grades 6 to 12:&#x0D; Low, Medium Desisting, and High Desisting Aggression. This study examined whether youth in these trajectories&#x0D; differed in their goals and strategies to solve conflict.&#x0D; Method.&#x0D; The sample consisted of 620 randomly selected&#x0D; students participating in the Healthy Teens Longitudinal Study. Participants attended schools in Northeast&#x0D; Georgia, USA. Mean scores were plotted for the seven years, and analysis of variance was used to examine&#x0D; whether student endorsement of goals and strategies differed by aggression trajectories.&#x0D; Results.&#x0D; Self-reported&#x0D; student goals and strategies were stable over time. At Grade 6 and 12, significantly more students in the Low&#x0D; Aggression trajectory endorsed positive goals and strategies to resolve peer conflict, and significantly more&#x0D; students in the two more aggressive trajectories endorsed aggressive goals and strategies. Youth in the two&#x0D; more aggressive trajectories did not differ in goals or strategies. Seeking help from a teacher did not vary by&#x0D; aggression trajectory or grade level.&#x0D; Conclusion.&#x0D; Given the stability of goals and strategies, school should&#x0D; implement programs early to enhance social-cognitive factors affecting students’ behavior in peer conflict&#x0D; situations, and thus prevent violence and enhance a positive school climate.

Prediction of vital capacity by BMI and tidal volume in healthy teens.

Vital Capacity is an essential mirror of a person's respiratory health that can be measured through spirometer. Objectives: To analyze the relation of Body Mass Index (BMI) and Tidal Volume (TV) on Vital capacity (VC) in healthy young adults and also to observe any gender differences in this regard. Study Design: An analytical cross sectional research. Setting: Using convenience sampling on First year MBBS students of Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Period: From May 2017 to November 2017. Material and Methods: Thirty healthy participants with fifteen males and fifteen females, aged 20-22 years were taken in the study after their consent, all were not involved in any endurance training or body-building activity. All of them were the First year MBBS students of Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Weight and height of each student was measured via Adult weighing scaleto calculate BMI. Tidal volume and vital capacity were measured through “Power Lab 2005-07, Model 26T” linked to a spirometer pod. Multivariate regression analysis was done by Microsoft excel. Results: Linear regression analysis depicted insignificant statistical correlation between VC and BMI in both genders (p&gt; 0.05). However, the regression model between VC and TV showed a decrease of 1.14 units in VC with 1 unit increase in TV in male students. Conclusion: BMI and TV both negligibly affect the vital capacity in both genders, however Vital capacity is somewhat reduced in healthy males with rise in TV.