High School Adolescents Research Articles

Effects of Taekwondo Poomsae Training on Lower Limb Reaction Ability and Balance Performance in Adolescents

<p>背景：學習跆拳道運動有助於兒童與青少年成長與體適能表現，但學習跆拳道品勢的研究較少，因此本研究希望了解學習跆拳道品勢訓練後的身體適能表現。目的：探討從事8週跆拳道品勢訓練後，對國中少年下肢爆發力、反應能力與平衡能力的影響。方法：招募未有運動習慣及跆拳道訓練經驗之男性國中生16名，隨機分配實驗組 (n = 8)(參與學校體育課程+跆拳道品勢訓練)，控制組 (n = 8)(學校體育課程)，進行8週的訓練課程。訓練前後進行身高體重及腿長測量、動態平衡能力、反應能力及下肢爆發力的測驗，並以混合設計二因子變異數分析，比較兩組別反應能力與平衡能力之差異，當交互作用達顯著時，以LSD法進行事後比較。以獨立樣本t檢定考驗實驗組與訓練組進步百分比是否有達顯著性，並以皮爾森績差相關分析與受試者下肢平衡能力與反應能力的相關性。結果：實驗組與控制組在爆發力與平衡表現上組別因子上達到顯著差異 (p < .05) 且實驗組與控制組進步百分比也達顯著差異 (p < .05)。反應能力組別因子與時間因子未達顯著差異 (p > .05)，進步百分比也未達顯著差異 (p >.05)。訓練前反應能力與平衡表現為低度相關 (r = .352 , p = .10)，訓練後反應能力與平衡表現之間達中度相關 (r = .665，p < .05)。結論：跆拳道品勢訓練可以顯著提升國中少年的下肢爆發力與下肢平衡能力。爆發力、反應能力、平衡表現進步幅度都大於控制組。訓練後反應能力與平衡表現之間存在相關性，可能是跆拳道品勢訓練提升了學童身體協調與感覺統合。未來可針對不同跆拳道訓練方式與不同年齡層了解訓練與身體發展的差異。</p> <p> </p><p>Background: Learning Taekwondo can contribute to the growth and physical fitness performance of children and adolescents. However, there is limited research on learning Taekwondo Poomsae. Therefore, this study aims to understand the impact of learning Taekwondo Poomsae on physical fitness performance. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of Taekwondo Poomsae training on lower limb explosive strength, reaction ability, and balance in junior high school adolescents. Methods: Sixteen male junior high school students with no prior sports experience or Taekwondo training were recruited. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 8) (participating in school physical education classes plus Taekwondo Poomsae training) or the control group (n = 8) (participating only in school physical education classes). Both groups underwent an 8-week training program. Before and after the training, all participants underwent measurements of height, weight, leg length, dynamic balance ability, reaction ability, and lower limb explosive strength. The participants’ data were analyzed using a mixed-design two-factor analysis of variance to compare the differences in reaction ability and balance ability between the two groups. When the interaction effect was significant, post hoc comparisons were performed using the LSD method. Independent sample t-test was used to test the significance of improvement percentage between the experimental and control groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between lower limb balance ability and reaction ability. Results: The experimental group showed significant differences in explosive strength and balance performance compared to the control group (p < .05). Moreover, the improvement percentages in both explosive strength and balance performance were significantly different between the two groups (p < .05). However, there were no significant differences in reaction ability between groups or in the improvement percentage (p > .05). Before the training, there was a low correlation between reaction ability and balance performance (r = .352, p =.10). After the training, there was a moderate correlation between reaction ability and balance performance (r = .665, p < .05). Conclusion: Taekwondo Poomsae training can significantly improve lower limb explosive strength and balance in junior high school adolescents. The improvement in explosive strength, reaction ability, and balance performance was greater in the experimental group than the control group. The correlation between reaction ability and balance performance after training suggests that Taekwondo Poomsae training may enhance the students’ body coordination and sensory integration. Future studies could explore the differences in training and physical development across different Taekwondo training methods and age groups.</p> <p> </p>

Why am I always lonely? The lasting impact of childhood harsh parental discipline on adolescents' loneliness

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined the mechanism of the effect of childhood harsh parental discipline on the developmental trajectory of loneliness among adolescents.BackgroundMore and more adolescents experience the problem of loneliness. The effect of early parenting on the developmental change of adolescent loneliness has not been sufficiently determined.MethodA total of 1,214 Chinese high school adolescents responded to a series of questionnaires about loneliness, childhood harsh parental discipline, and core self‐evaluation three times at intervals of six months. The latent growth modeling and the structural equation model were established to investigate the developmental change of adolescent loneliness and the mechanism of childhood harsh parental discipline that affected the trajectory of adolescents' loneliness.ResultsThere was a linear growth pattern in loneliness among high school adolescents. Childhood parental psychological aggression and corporal punishment positively predicted the initial level of loneliness, and childhood parental corporal punishment negatively predicted the changing slope of loneliness. Core self‐evaluation mediated the effect of childhood parental psychological aggression on the trajectory of loneliness.ConclusionChildhood parental corporal punishment directly affected the trajectory of adolescents' loneliness while childhood parental psychological aggression indirectly affected the trajectory of adolescents' loneliness through core self‐evaluation.ImplicationsThis study further enriched the research content on the developmental change of loneliness among high school adolescents and revealed the long‐term effect and mechanism of childhood harsh parental discipline on the trajectory of adolescent loneliness, providing new ideas for preventing and alleviating loneliness among adolescents.

The Development of Self-Acceptance in Adolescents (Descriptive Study of Grade XI High School Student in Subang)

Self-acceptance is a positive attitude towards oneself, awareness and acceptance of various aspects such as the good and bad of oneself as well as past life experiences. A phenomenon that occurs in adolescents, there are still many adolescents who have low self-acceptance, especially high school students. Therefore, this research is aimed to examine self-acceptance in high school adolescents. This research is a quantitative descriptive. Participants in this research were 381 students grade XI. The data using self-acceptance instruments that developed and gone through expert feasibility tests and empirical tests using Rasch model. From the data obtained, that there are 66 students who have high self-acceptance, 259 people in the medium category and 56 people in the low category. The conclusion is that students are not yet fully able to accept themselves regarding the conditions they are experiencing and this can be the basis for implementing services to develop students' self-acceptance. Keywords: self-acceptance, adolescents, development

Mathematics self-efficacy, self-concept and anxiety in relation to Mathematics achievement: The case of Kafa Zone School adolescents, Ethiopia

Background It is significant to investigate students’ mathematical self-efficacy, self-concept and anxiety constructs since they have an effect on not only the process of acquiring mathematics, and academic achievement but also potential professional choices and general welfare. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of mathematical self-beliefs, namely self-concept, self-efficacy, and math anxiety on the mathematics achievement of high school adolescents. Methods The sample contains 384 randomly selected grade 12 students (M=199, F= 185) from three preparatory schools in Kafa zone. Tools were adapted from Butler (2016) and Al Mutawah (2015). The Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was administered to get information on mathematics achievement. Confirmatory factor analysis along with structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results The results reveal that self-concept and self-efficacy have a positive and significant association with math achievement whereas anxiety has a negative relationship with math achievement but is not significant. Conclusions From the results, we conclude that self-concept and self-efficacy have significant and positive effects on mathematics achievement. We recommend that every concerned body should pay concerted effort to these motivational variables so as to encourage students’ achievements in mathematics.

Promoting Self-disclosure Using Associative Cards in High School Adolescents

The Self-disclosure for adolescents is important for their interpersonal relationships as well as future social development. Adolescents tend to increase their self-disclosure when they communicate with their peers. Associative cards serve as a tool that closes the distance between people and builds an emotional connection with others during communication. Previous research has showed that associative cards could facilitate the self-disclosure of patients with psychological problems. This study aims to test the effectiveness of associative cards on adolescents self-disclosure in school settings. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design with non-randomized samples, 14 volunteer students were invited to join in the associative cards activity. The Self-Disclosure Inventory was used to measure participants self-disclosure. Participants finished the same inventory before and after the activity. The results showed that score differences between the pretest and posttest indicated a significant difference, which suggested that using associative cards can promote adolescents self-disclosure in the school environment. The conclusion provided a novel way to facilitate peer relationships in school. Educators can use associative cards more in the future to promote adolescents self-disclosure to peers. The associative cards activity in this research can be improved and extended to study whether the promotion of adolescents self-disclosure can last long term.

The Dietary Patterns of High School Students in Medan City are Influenced by Perceptions of Stunting

Introduction: Data from WHO shows that Indonesia ranks third in the highest prevalence of stunting in Southeast Asia with an average prevalence of 36.4%. This study aims to explore the relationship between perceptions of stunting and dietary patterns of high school students in Medan city, Indonesia. Methods: This research is a non-experimental descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design by observing primary data through questionnaires and then analyzing using Chi-Square. Results: The results of this study from 110 samples found that there were significant results (P=0.031) between the relationship between perceptions of stunting and female diet patterns. The result above shows that 77 high school youth (70%) have a poor perception of stunting in Medan City, and 33 people (30%) are good. Meanwhile, the dietary patterns of high school adolescents in Medan City who were classified as poor were 76 people (69.1%), and as good were 34 people (30.9%). All samples were tested with purposive sampling of 110 students. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between perceptions of stunting and diet patterns of high school students in Medan City.

The Influence of a Supervised and Unsupervised Strength and Conditioning Program for Elite Adolescent Freestyle Swimmers

Introduction: Adolescent high school swimmers, aged 13-16 years, are an athletic population that can benefit from a strength and conditioning (S&C) program which caters for their developmental and sports-specific needs. The aim of this case study was to analyze the adherence to and subsequent effect of a short-term (12-week) combined supervised and unsupervised S&C program in elite adolescent swimmers during a competitive season. Methods: Seven elite adolescent swimmers (4 females, 3 males) completed the study (age: 15.2 ± 0.5 years; mass: 64.5 ± 5.1 kg; stature: 1.76 ± 0.07 m). The participants were required to adhere to one supervised S&C session and two unsupervised S&C sessions per week that were performed on non-consecutive days while maintaining their traditional swimming training schedules. The unsupervised component was delivered digitally with participant feedback monitored. The S&C program consisted of upper- and lower limbs exercises with low loads and low volume as well as bodyweight exercise. Adherence to both programs was measured by attendance with correlational analysis conducted from total S&C program adherence to swim performance. The effect of the S&C training protocol was assessed using performance time pre and post the S&C intervention during the 50-m freestyle swim. Results: The S&C training program intervention resulted in significant improvements in the 50-m freestyle swim (p < 0.001, d = >1). Total adherence to the supervised and unsupervised parts of the S&C program was 88% while adherence to the digital only component was 76%. Although a correlation was observed between total adherence to the combined supervised and unsupervised S&C program (r = 0.8, p = 0.0243) and improved 50 m freestyle swim performance, this was not the case when the unsupervised component was compared to swim time performance (r = 0.4, p = 0.679). Conclusions: This case study demonstrated that a 12-week S&C intervention has a positive effect on elite adolescents’ 50 m freestyle swim performance. Furthermore, swim performance was improved when participant adherence to both formats of the S&C program were met. This study supports the development of S&C interventions to develop these correlates and increase adherence.

Sex Stereotypes of Adolescents in Traffic: The Role of Sex and Family Relationships

Studies have shown a number of differences between male and female drivers, such as male drivers committing more offenses and female drivers making more errors. Related to this persistent sex difference, relatively little research has been conducted to examine the presence of gender stereotypes and determinants in the context of driving. This study examined the perceptions of female and male drivers among adolescents in Türkiye and how sex differences and relationships with parents contributed to the endorsement of sex stereotypes. The study was conducted with 128 high school adolescents aged 15-20 years (M = 16.25, SD = 1.32) who completed a questionnaire package consisting of the Sex Stereotypes Associated with Driving (SSAD) and a demographic information form. In terms of sex stereotype endorsement indices, female adolescents reported female drivers as more polite and risk-averse, whereas male adolescents reported male drivers as more skilled. While a positive relationship with fathers reduced the endorsement of courtesy and risk-avoidance stereotypes, a better relationship with mothers resulted in a lower endorsement of the driving skills stereotype. The results provide evidence for the existence of sex stereotypes among adolescents and for the importance of family relationships in relation to sex stereotype endorsement. The findings can be used to design training and education that focuses on stereotypes at an early age.

Ergenlerin Bilişim Teknolojileri Kullanımı ve Psikolojik İhtiyaçları Arasındaki İlişkinin Öz-Belirleme Kuramı Açısından İncelenmesi

In this study, it was examined whether there is a relationship between adolescents' information technology use and basic psychological needs levels with some demographic characteristics of adolescents and their frequency of social media use. In addition, it was aimed to determine whether adolescents' basic psychological needs predict their use of technology. In this study, relational survey model, one of the quantitative research techniques, was used. Personal Information Form (PIF), Information Technology Use Scale (ITUS) and Need Satisfaction Scale (NSS) were used in the study. The data were collected from 508 adolescents in secondary education institutions in Mamak and Çubuk districts of Ankara province and Tarsus and Yenişehir districts of Mersin province during the 2019-2020 academic year. The relationship between the average scores of the adolescents on the NSS and the ITUS and their ages, number of siblings and grade point averages were analysed. Significant positive and negative relationships were found between the social networks used by adolescents (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tiktok, WhatsApp), basic psychological needs and information technology use. It was determined that the scores obtained from the Information Technologies Usage Scale were predicted by age and basic psychological needs.

Psychoactive substances use among Tunisian adolescents: Trend analysis 2013-2021

Abstract Introduction Psychoactive substances (PAS) use among adolescents has been a growing concern in Tunisia in recent years. Their use can have a serious impact on the physical and mental health of young people, leading to addiction, academic difficulties and a range of social problems. We aimed to study the prevalence of PAS use among Tunisian high school adolescents and assess significant trends from 2013 to 2021. Methods Pooled data from Mediterranean school surveys on PAS conducted in 2013, 2017, and 2021 were used. Based on three-stage stratification sampling method, first and second grade secondary education students were enrolled. Were not included students enrolled in vocational training centers and out-of-school adolescents. Self-administered standardized questionnaire was used in data collection. We studied weighted lifetime prevalence of PAS use (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy) and performed global trend analysis. STATA software was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 14,723 students were enrolled with sex ratio (M/F) equal to 0.61 and mean age of 16.2±0.8 years. The prevalence of cigarettes use increased from 22.6%, to 25.1% then to 30.7% for 2013, 2017 and 2021 respectively (p < 10-3). Trend analysis concluded to significant increase in alcohol use (5.8%, 6,3% and 8% respectively in the three years) (p < 10-3). The greatest increase was in cannabis use (1.5% in 2013, 3.0% in 2017 and 7.9% in 2021) (p < 10-3). However, there was no significant change in cocaine and ecstasy use (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although restrictive legislative measures have been reinforced, there has been a significant increase in the use of PAS among high school adolescents in Tunisia. Thus, it is crucial to delve deeper into this issue and its potential risk factors. The findings can help shed light on the scope of the problem and guide targeted efforts to mitigate the harm caused by these substances. Key messages • Trend analysis confirmed the significant increase in psychoactive substances use in high school adolescents in Tunisia. • This alarming public health issue requires urgent legislation review and close multisectoral collaboration to reduce the impact of this phenomenon.

Effectiveness of Physical-Literacy-Based Online Education on Indices of Physical Fitness in High-School Adolescents: Intervention Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

There is a global consensus that physical literacy (PL) is an important determinant of physical fitness (PF), but studies have rarely examined the effects of PL-based interventions on PF. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of specific online video-based PL intervention on PF indices in high-school students from Croatia. Participants were 423 high-school adolescents (295 girls, 128 boys; 14-to-18 years of age), divided into an intervention group (n = 230) and a control group (n = 193). The intervention lasted 12 weeks. Educational video materials were disseminated to the intervention group by the closed social network during the pandemic period. Variables included height, mass, BMI, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and power, strength, and flexibility indices. Pre- to post-testing design was applied, with two-way analysis of variance for repeated measurement (Time × Group). Applied intervention induced positive effects in CRF (the intervention group improved their capacities, while no changes occurred in the control group) and BMI (the intervention group retained their BMI levels at the pre-testing level, while BMI of the control group slightly increased over the course of the study), with better effectiveness in girls than in boys. No effects were evidenced for other variables. The positive effects of applied educational intervention on BMI and CRF are encouraging knowing that both indices are related to health status.

Association between allergic rhinitis and despair, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in Korean adolescents: a nationally representative study of one million adolescents.

There is a lack of studies establishing the association between allergic rhinitis (AR) and despair, suicidal thinking, and suicide attempts in adolescents and children at a population level. This study aimed to investigate whether there are associations between allergic rhinitis and despair, suicidal thinking, and suicide attempts. The study utilized data from middle through high school adolescents from 2005-2021 who enrolled in the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS; 1,067,169). We assessed despair, suicidal thinking, and suicide attempts in the context of both non-atopic and atopic AR. Multivariable analysis was used to determine the association of variables. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 28.0%. 1,067,169 enrolled participants were included in the final analysis. There were 299,468 individuals with allergic rhinitis and 767,701 without. In the context of AR, adolescents were more likely to have despair [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.16; 95% CI, 1.15-1.17], suicidal thoughts (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.11-1.13 for model 2), and suicide attempts (aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.10-1.15 for model 2). Individuals with atopic AR were more likely in almost all measures to have despair, suicidal thinking, and suicide attempts than individuals with non-atopic AR. Females with AR were more likely to have suicide attempts and middle school students were more likely to have despair, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts. The results of this study warrant future studies investigating why AR is so closely associated with despair, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts, with the goal of establishing suicide prevention strategies as well as improving overall mental health for adolescents.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kesehatan Reproduksi Pada Remaja SMP Di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Tanjung Unggat Kota Tanjungpinang Kepulauan Riau

The biggest problem faced by teenagers in Indonesia is adolescent reproductive health problems, including unwanted pregnancy (UTD), abortion, early marriage and marriage, STDs or STDs and HIV/AIDS (Marmi et al, 2020). The aim of this research is to determine the factors that influence reproductive health in junior high school adolescents in the Tanjung Unggat Community Health Center working area. This type of research is quantitative descriptive with a cross sectional approach. The sampling method in this research is total sampling or saturated sampling. The sample in this study consisted of 83 junior high school teenagers. Data collection methods and tools use questionnaires. The conclusion from the data analysis is that there is a relationship between knowledge and family support and reproductive health in junior high school adolescents in the Tanjung Unggat Community Health Center Working Area, Tanjungpinang City with a significant p value = 0.000 <0.05. Suggestions for health workers to provide education about adolescent reproductive health, so that adolescents avoid problems related to adolescent reproductive health.

Parental support: prevention of cyber grooming in junior high school adolescents

Parental support: prevention of cyber grooming in junior high school adolescents

Longitudinal associations between popularity, peer acceptance, and academic performance in adolescents

Longitudinal associations between popularity, peer acceptance, and academic performance were examined in Chinese 7th ( n = 880; 400 girls; Mage = 13.33, SD = .64) and 10th grade ( n = 646; 342 girls; Mage = 16.76, SD = .75) adolescents across three academic years. Growth curve analysis revealed parallel changes in popularity and academic performance in both middle- and high-school students whereas a positive association between the trajectories of peer acceptance and academic performance was found only in high school. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that popular students increased their academic performance 1 year later, and that improved academic performance positively predicted subsequent popularity. Changes in peer acceptance were not associated with longitudinal changes in academic performance nor did baseline aggression moderate the effect of initial popularity on the trajectory of academic performance. The positive between-person associations of academic performance with popularity and peer acceptance were greater in middle- than in high-school adolescents. These results have implications for understanding the positive and negative effects of peer status on academic adjustment.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in the Adolescent Population: Injury Demographics and Risk of Reinjury Among High School Athletes.

The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is increasing among the adolescent population with a peak occurring in the high school age range. To characterize recent epidemiologic trends of ACL injuries, ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and retear rates in high school adolescents based on age, participating sport, and mechanism of injury. Retrospective case series. A prospectively maintained institutional database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients 18 or younger who underwent primary ACLR between 2015 and 2020. Odds ratios were calculated for baseline patient characteristics and their association with risk of retear. Multivariate regression analysis was also performed to identify the relationship between retear and specific categorical variables. A total of 482 patients were included, with a mean follow-up time of 13.0 ± 11.8 months. Patients were an average age of 16.1 ± 1.3 years old (range: 13 to 18 y). Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurred at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. One hundred three patients (21.6%) completed at least 2 or more years of follow-up after ACLR. Of these patients, 38.8% received a bone-tendon-bone (BTB) autograft, 36.9% hamstring autograft, 14.6% quadriceps tendon autograft, and 3.9% received hamstring allograft or other graft (eg, tibialis anterior and BTB allograft), respectively. There were 25 ipsilateral ACL retears that occurred in the patient cohort (5.2%). Thirteen (52%) of retears were females. Football and soccer were the most common sports played by patients with a retear of the ipsilateral knee (31.8% and 27.3%, respectively). Patients who were 13 to 14 or 18 years old ( P = 0.009 and 0.035, respectively) or who received a tibialis anterior/BTB allograft ( P = 0.002) were found to have increased risk of ACL retear compared with other age groups. When evaluating by sex, female soccer players had a greater risk of retear compared with male soccer players ( P = 0.007). When adjusting for multiple variables, (including age, sex, body mass index, primary reconstruction graft choice, sport, and length of follow-up), the odds of ipsilateral retear in patients who received hamstring autograft ( P = 0.02), sustained a contralateral ACL tear ( P = 0 .04), or a contact injury ( P = 0.01) were increased. Initial presentation of ACL injuries in high school athletes often occurs at 16 years old regardless of the sport played. Based on age, high school freshmen and seniors are found to have an increased risk of ACL retear. However, the overall rate of ACL retear in high school athletes of all ages is low. Patients who underwent ACLR with hamstring tendon autograft had a greater risk of retear compared with other graft types. Female soccer players also had a greater risk of ACL retear. High school athletes must take caution when in the early high school years (underclassman) and more senior years (upperclassman), as susceptibility for ACL retears is elevated. Level IV.

Consumo de marihuana y violencia filioparental en adolescentes

Introduction: marijuana use has repercussions among members of the family nucleus; it is related to child-to-parent violence due to the neurological and behavioral effects that it originates in the adolescent, which can trigger violent behavior of sons and daughters towards the father and mother. Objective: to analyze the relationship between marijuana consumption and child-to-parent violence in high school adolescents. Method: correlational study in 318 high school adolescents of both sexes, between 14 and 19 years old. The instruments used were a Sociodemographic File and the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), programmed on the Microsoft Forms platform. Results: there is a positive relationship between marijuana use and verbal and economic violence towards both parents (p () .05). The Multiple Linear Regression Model, it was significant (p () .05) on the verbal and economic violence towards both parents. Discussion and conclusions: marijuana consumption in adolescence is a risk to the health of adolescents and family parents. It is proposed to design early care strategies in the family core, with emphasis on the prevention of marijuana use or misuse and the different types of child-to-parent violence.

The intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender and the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors

The prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors across distinct intersections of race/ethnicity and gender among adolescents remains understudied. The current study seeks to address this important gap in suicide scholarship using a statewide representative sample of U.S. Florida middle school and high school adolescents. Data drawn from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N = 41,764) were analyzed to examine disparities in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts among 26 racial/ethnic and gender subgroups of middle school and high school aged adolescents. Survey-weighted prevalence estimates for both suicidality outcomes were generated, and binary contrasts were used to assess the statistical significance of the differences in the probabilities between members of each subgroup and youth belonging to all other subgroups. Our results indicate that the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts was highly gendered and varied according to racial/ethnic subgroups. Native American girls reported more suicidal thoughts (49.9%) and attempts (16.5%) in the past 12 months than any race/gender group. Other racial/ethnic and gender groups that reported particularly high rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts were West Indian/Caribbean female adolescents (48.8% and 13.4%, respectively), Puerto Rican female adolescents (48.5% and 14.7%, respectively), and Black/non-Hispanic female adolescents (19.9% and 15.6%, respectively). Because certain gender and race/ethnic subgroups are at an increased risk for suicidality, more research is needed to better understand the risk and protective factors to determine which suicide prevention strategies might best serve each group.

Stress and Anxiety among High School Adolescents: Correlations between Physiological and Psychological Indicators in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

Our aim is to understand the anxiety levels and associated factors among high school students and compare the results of psychological tests measuring anxiety with the cortisol levels obtained from biological sampling. In our longitudinal follow-up study, we involved 125 individuals in May 2019. Validated measurement tools were used during questionnaire data collection, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Clear Communication Scale, Multiple Social Perceived Support Scale, and related HBSC questions. As objective data, we collected hair samples for cortisol level measurement. At the end of the school year, the anxiety levels measured by psychological tests were significantly higher (p = 0.001) compared to the anxiety levels at the beginning of the next school year. Anxiety levels were higher among girls and were influenced by the type of school and parental expectations. Both state anxiety and trait anxiety showed a strong correlation with psychosomatic symptoms (p < 0.001) and anxiety arising from school expectations (p < 0.05). The changes in cortisol levels did not follow the changes in psychological tests. Cortisol level increased (p = 0.01) in the second sample.

Internalizing and externalizing behaviors in high school adolescents in a northern border city of Mexico and their type of family

ObjectiveIdentify externalizing and internalizing behaviors in high school adolescents in three schools in a northern border city in Mexico and their type of family. DesignCross-sectional survey. LocationThree schools in the city of Tijuana, Mexico: two public and one private. Participants454 baccalaureate students 14–19 years old. Main measurementsWe utilized Youth Self Report Scale, adapted and validated in Spanish, that measure internalization behaviors (anxiety, depression, isolation or somatic complaints), and externalization behaviors (verbal aggressiveness, delinquent behavior and attention-seeking). For dichotomous discrimination between deviant and nondeviant scores, we use the borderline clinical range by classifying YSR scale's T scores≥60, and to analyze the relationship between behavior problems or competencies and living or not in a nuclear family we utilized multiple logistic regression. Results55% were female, mean age 16.4 years±0.98, and 62.3% came from a nuclear family. Prevalence of internalizing behaviors was 15.6%, and externalizing behaviors 14.8%. Women had statistically higher mean scores in depressive, anxious and verbally aggressive behavior, somatic complaints, and thought problems. The prevalence of internalizing behaviors in adolescents with nuclear family was 11.7% (n=33), and for adolescents with another type of family was 22.2% (n=38), OR 2.17 (CI 95% 1.30–3.61, p=0.003), but no differences was observed for externalizing behaviors and family type. When adjusted for sex, age, and public or private school, internalizing behaviors and specifically depressive behavior remained significant. ConclusionsWe detected a moderate prevalence of internalizing behaviors in Mexican adolescents, predominantly among women, and also observed that not living with a nuclear family increases the odds of presenting internalizing behaviors. It is important that parents, teachers, and healthcare workers remain vigilant to detect these problems in a timely manner and develop interventions to improve the mental health and well-being of adolescents.