Youth Research Articles

Exploring the impact of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and antiviral interventions to reduce vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health burden. In HBV endemic regions, high prevalence is also correlated with the infections acquired in infancy through perinatal transmission or early childhood exposure to HBV, the so-called mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Children who are infected with HBV at a young age are at higher risk of developing chronic HBV infection than those infected as adults, which may lead to worse clinical outcome. To reduce the incidence of HBV MTCT, several interventions for the infants or the mothers, or both, are already carried out. This review explores the newest information and approaches available in literature regarding HBV MTCT prevalence and its challenges, especially in high HBV endemic countries. This covers HBV screening in pregnant women, prenatal intervention, infant immunoprophylaxis, and post-vaccination serological testing for children.

A systematic review of condition-specific preference-based measures used in young people and their valuation methods.

Condition-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments can be more responsive and sensitive to specific conditions and diseases than generic HRQoL instruments. This systematic review aims to identify the condition-specific preference-based instruments that have been used with young people and identify how preference values have been obtained for these instruments. This review will inform future researchers about the methods used to elicit utilities for condition-specific HRQoL instruments. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify condition-specific HRQoL instruments used in young people and the methods used to value these instruments. Published medical and health economic databases were searched from January 1990-March 2022. Articles were deemed eligible for inclusion if a condition-specific preference-based instrument was used in young people (age < 18). Screening, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by at least two reviewers. After deduplication, a total of 4273 articles were eligible for title and abstract screening. Of these, 98 articles were eligible for full-text screening. After full-text screening, 18 articles were included in the review. Valuation studies were the most prevalent study design in the review (44%), followed by mapping studies (38%) and then other designs (18%). Among the valuation studies, the choice of HRQoL instrument, preference elicitation method, anchoring method and perspective varied considerably. To our knowledge, this review is the first to explore what condition-specific HRQoL instruments have been used in young people. Findings from this review could inform researchers in their choice of methods for measuring and valuing HRQoL. This review illustrates that to date there does not appear to be clear consensus of how to measure and value HRQoL in young people when using condition-specific instruments. The lack of consensus could be influenced by challenges identified in prior research such as limited guidance, ethical issues, and uncertain normative decisions regarding the choice of preference elicitation method. Ordinal methods such as discrete choice experiment and best-worst scaling appear to be preferable for use in this population.

The Effects of COVID-19 on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese College Students: Chain Mediation of Three Long COVID-19 Symptoms.

Long COVID has become a public health issue, and anxiety and depressive symptoms have been on the rise among young people since the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary purpose of this study was to survey the status of COVID-19 infection, long COVID, and mental health among Chinese college students after China lifted the dynamic zero-COVID policy on December 7, 2022. The secondary purpose was to explore the mediation effect of long COVID on the relationship between COVID-19 and anxiety and depressive symptoms. A total of 958 Chinese college students (Mage=18.68, ages 16-22, 78.2% were female) completed measures of the severity of COVID-19, long COVID somatic symptom, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Four potential chain mediation models was used to examine the role of long COVID somatic symptoms, insomnia, and fatigue as mediators between COVID-19 and anxiety and depressive symptoms. The results showed that ∼80% of Chinese college students suffered COVID-19 in late 2022 and early 2023, and 47.8, 35.4, 43.8, 37, and 54.3% of the participants had at least one somatic symptom, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, respectively, about 2-3 months after onset. This study revealed that the influence of COVID-19 on anxiety and depressive symptoms is not determined by the severity of COVID-19 in acute phase but by long COVID. Long COVID somatic symptoms, insomnia, and fatigue played mediation effects in different degree between COVID-19 and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Interventions that target long COVID may improve anxiety and depressive symptoms of Chinese college students who have had COVID-19.

Endoscopic assessment of gastric emptying in older adults after preoperative administration of 5% glucose solution: a randomized controlled study

BackgroundDelayed gastric emptying of liquids may heighten the risk of aspiration reflux in elderly individuals. To investigate the gastric emptying of an oral supplement containing 5% dextrose solutions before sedation for gastroscopy.Patients and methodsA total of 100 elderly patients who were scheduled for elective gastroscopy were randomly assigned to two groups: the NPO(nil per os ) group and the dextrose solution ingestion group, which ingested a 5% dextrose solution (5 ml/kg) two hours before the procedure. The primary outcome measure was the gastric volume (GV) suctioned and measured during the gastroscopic examination. Secondary outcome measures included GV per weight (GV/kg), post-discharge blood glucose levels, patient discomfort assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), clarity of gastric mucosal visualization during gastroscopy, and the incidence of adverse events. Additionally, linear regression analysis was employed to identify factors influencing gastric volume.ResultsThere were no significant differences in gastric volume (GV) (P=0.258) and GV per weight (GV/W) (P=0.137) between the NPO group and the dextrose solution group. However,the NPO group had higher discomfort scores on the Visual Analog Scale compared to the dextrose solution group, with a statistically significant difference(P<0.001). The clarity of gastric mucosal visualization during gastroscopy was also significantly different between the two groups(P=0.038). Blood glucose levels and the incidence of adverse events showed no significant differences between the two groups.Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that younger age and higher functional dyspepsia symptom diary (FDSD) scores were associated with larger gastric volume, with the regression equation being: GV = 79.922 - 1.186 × age + 0.556 × FDSD.ConclusionIn elderly patients, drinking 5 ml/kg of a 5 % glucose solution two hours prior to gastroscopy does not significantly increase gastric volume compared to midnight fasting.Trial registrationChiCTR2100047031 (date of registration: 7 June 2021).

The WeFEEL Approach: Examining an Emotional Intelligence Curriculum’s Impact on Young Children’s Development and Social Interactions With Their Families

ABSTRACT This study is driven by a collective call from stakeholders and by the occurrence of violent events within society to address the importance of emotional intelligence and emotional awareness in early childhood development. Recognizing the significance of these skills in fostering well-being and success, there is a growing demand for targeted supplemental programs aimed at teaching emotional intelligence from a young age. The WeFEEL Approach is a comprehensive approach based on emotional intelligence facets. It aims to foster self-regulation and empathy with particular emphasis on co-regulation in young children and their at-risk families. The present mixed-method study, examining the impact of the WeFEEL Emotional Intelligence Approach, was informed by ethnographic methods for data collection and grounded theory analysis. Through teacher/family focus groups and video analysis of classroom implementation, the findings suggest a positive impact on students in terms of emotional knowledge growth and application of the WeFEEL framework with generalizability to multiple settings. Further, teachers and families expressed a positive shift in classroom and home emotional climate and an increase in empathy-driven interactions. Implications for the field of early childhood education are discussed.

A prognostic model for predicting functional impairment in youth mental health services.

Functional impairment is a major concern among those presenting to youth mental health services and can have a profound impact on long-term outcomes. Early recognition and prevention for those at risk of functional impairment is essential to guide effective youth mental health care. Yet, identifying those at risk is challenging and impacts the appropriate allocation of indicated prevention and early intervention strategies. We developed a prognostic model to predict a young person's social and occupational functional impairment trajectory over 3 months. The sample included 718 young people (12-25years) engaged in youth mental health care. A Bayesian random effects model was designed using demographic and clinical factors and model performance was evaluated on held-out test data via 5-fold cross-validation. Eight factors were identified as the optimal set for prediction: employment, education, or training status; self-harm; psychotic-like experiences; physical health comorbidity; childhood-onset syndrome; illness type; clinical stage; and circadian disturbances. The model had an acceptable area under the curve (AUC) of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.56-0.81) overall, indicating its utility for predicting functional impairment over 3 months. For those with good baseline functioning, it showed excellent performance (AUC=0.80, 0.67-0.79) for identifying individuals at risk of deterioration. We developed and validated a prognostic model for youth mental health services to predict functional impairment trajectories over a 3-month period. This model serves as a foundation for further tool development and demonstrates its potential to guide indicated prevention and early intervention for enhancing functional outcomes or preventing functional decline.

Analysis of contemporary value and influence of intangible cultural heritage based on online review mining

Purpose The development of new media has enabled intangible cultural heritage to be disseminated through online platforms and attracted the attention of many contemporary young people. Classification and discussion on the value of intangible cultural heritage is an important way to help the inheritance and dissemination. Design/Methodology/Approach Real online reviews were collected based on the Bilibili website as the research data source. A text-based BiGRU-Attention model was conducted to achieve value recognition and classification, and keyword statistics and topic analysis were performed for topic discussion among comments. Findings Using the BiGRU-Attention model to classify intangible cultural heritage’s contemporary values has a performance with precision, recall, and F1 score of more than 77%, the category of CVP (Cultural Value Perception) has the best classification performance. Through the topic analysis of comments and keywords, the cultural value of intangible cultural heritage is its core connotation, social value is the main purpose, and economic value is the power source. Originality A BiGRU-Attention model based on BERT word embedding is proposed to achieve a text contemporary value perception recognition method based on user-generated content.

Does T1c–2N0–1M0 triple negative breast cancer derive a benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

ObjectivesAlthough neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is a standard approach for operable triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the potential risks brought by it should also be noticed. Is the expanding indication of NCT to T1cN0M0 population appropriate? We conducted an investigation to compare the long-term survival of small tumor TNBC between NCT and adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT).MethodsFor this propensity-matched analysis, we used data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We enrolled 1183 cases with NCT and 2550 cases with ACT who are AJCC clinical T1c–T2 N0–N1, diagnosed with invasive triple-negative breast cancer, from 2016 to 2017. The propensity score matching was utilized to minimize baseline characteristics bias. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by the Cox proportional hazard regression model.ResultsCompared with patients receiving ACT, patients with NCT in this study presented a higher proportion of younger age, T2 stage, N1 stage, and underwent more mastectomy. Multivariate analysis in matched patients showed that NCT had no significant survival benefit compared with ACT in T1c–2N0–1M0 TNBC patients. Stratified analyses by T stage and N stage demonstrated NCT mainly presented a survival advantage in patients with N1 stage. Further investigation found that NCT didn’t improve BCSS (HR, 0.472; 95% CI 0.135–1.647; P = 0.239) and OS (HR, 0.392; 95% CI 0.147–1.047; P = 0.062) for patients with T1cN0M0 TNBC; however, it was associated with improved OS (HR, 1.951; 95% CI 1.003–3.797; P = 0.049) only for patients with T2N1M0 TNBC.ConclusionsIn this study, we did not find any profit brought by NCT in the stage I and stage IIa cohorts, but even more unfavorable outcomes appeared in the T1cN0M0 cohort. Therefore, whether the candidates of NCT should be extended to T1cN0M0 still need to be cautious.

Gardening School to Support Youth Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability in Morocco

Youth research has, for decades, focused on examining current societal conditions and their potential shortcomings for young people in areas such as education, income, work, and gender equality. However, it has been less common to integrate planetary boundaries and so-called “overshoot” areas—such as biodiversity loss or climate change—into youth research. This paradigm shift is increasingly necessary, as six out of nine planetary boundaries have already been crossed, and the planet remains on track for approximately 2.7 degrees Celsius (°C) peak warming by 2100. In addition to planetary threats, Morocco faces social challenges, particularly high unemployment. Unemployment is highest among young people aged 15 to 24, reaching 25% over the past decade, nearly double the global youth unemployment rate. This article analyzes a case study we refer to as the “Gardening School” in Morocco, a country facing significant climate stress. It aims to (a) explore new methods for conducting more globally oriented youth research that is ethical and environmentally friendly and (b) examine the wellbeing of young people and their environment, as well as how to support and strengthen both. The findings of this article highlight the potential for youth research to develop new approaches, especially when conducted alongside young people and educational and sustainable environments. These environments enable younger generations to deepen their connection to and understanding of biodiversity, sustainability, and climate change, while learning to use natural resources in a sustainable and ethical manner. This approach ultimately aims to ensure a livable future for the coming generations and foster sustainable employment opportunities.

Mapping young farmers’ choice to pursue Geographical Indication in a rural context: application of fuzzy cognitive map

The shortage of young people in agriculture and the decline of rural areas are increasingly pressing issues that capture the attention of European policymakers and researchers. Despite the low rate of youth involved in agricultural production, recent data reveal a significant proportion of young farmers in Italy that are engaged in geographical indication (GI) production. Statistics provide trend analysis, but they alone are not sufficient in clarifying the motivations behind young people’s decision-making. We conducted a qualitative study of Sicilian youth involved in GI to understand their motivations to pursue GI certification and the implications for youth embeddedness in rural areas. Using a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM), qualitative data have been translated in quantitative, giving evidence on key variables and their inter-relationships that influence young people's decision-making in a GI complex system. A total of twenty-two categorized variables have been identified. Results show how the young entrepreneurs' thinking in GI is structured, based on the cause-effect relationships between the variables. This study finds evidence that the GI system facilitates young generations of farmers in developing a personal approach to modern agribusiness starting from traditions and origins. At the same time, it gives evidence of a new perspective for involving young people in agricultural careers. In this sense, the present research contributes to the literature on factors that add attractiveness to the agricultural sector, to lead researchers and policymakers in dealing with alternative strategies for incentivizing youth involvement in farming.

A Digital Approach for Addressing Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors in Youth Mental Health Services: Observational Study.

Long wait times for mental health treatments may cause delays in early detection and management of suicidal ideation and behaviors, which are crucial for effective mental health care and suicide prevention. The use of digital technology is a potential solution for prompt identification of youth with high suicidality. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a digital suicidality notification system designed to detect and respond to suicidal needs in youth mental health services. Second, the study aimed to characterize young people at different levels of suicidal ideation and behaviors. Young people aged between 16 and 25 years completed multidimensional assessments using a digital platform, collecting demographic, clinical, social, functional, and suicidality information. When the suicidality score exceeded a predetermined threshold, established based on clinical expertise and service policies, a rule-based algorithm configured within the platform immediately generated an alert for treating clinicians. Subsequent clinical actions and response times were analyzed. A total of 2021 individuals participated, of whom 266 (11%) triggered one or more high suicidal ideation and behaviors notification. Of the 292 notifications generated, 76% (222/292) were resolved, with a median response time of 1.9 (range 0-50.8) days. Clinical actions initiated to address suicidality included creating safety plans (60%, 134/222), conducting safety checks (18%, 39/222), psychological therapy (8%, 17/222), transfer to another service (3%, 8/222), and scheduling of new appointments (2%, 4/222). Young people with high levels of suicidality were more likely to present with more severe and comorbid symptoms, including low engagement in work or education, heterogenous psychopathology, substance misuse, and recurrent illness. The digital suicidality notification system facilitated prompt clinical actions by alerting clinicians to high levels of suicidal ideation and behaviors detected among youth. Further, the multidimensional assessment revealed complex and comorbid symptoms exhibited in youth with high suicidality. By expediting and personalizing care for those displaying elevated suicidality, the digital notification system can play a pivotal role in preventing rapid symptom progression and its detrimental impacts on young people's mental health.

The use of new psychoactive substances among young adults in Romania

Background and objectives. The consumption of new psychoactive substances (NPS), particularly among young people, remains a significant public health issue. The principal objective of this study was to identify the incidence and prevalence of NPS use among young people in Romania and the impact of the consumption on their mental health. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 231 Romanian participants on March-April 2023. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using GraphPad and Excel statistical software. Results. The prevalence of NPS use was 38.10% within the sample The analyzed data indicated an increased incidence of NPS use among male participants. Notably, most respondents who reported NPS use were students, accounting for 23.38% of users. Among the total of 88 NPS users, 22.68% consumed synthetic cannabinoids, 14.09% bath salts, and 13.75% used mephedrone. Less frequently consumed substances included synthetic opioids, methamphetamines, synthetic piperazines, Salvia divinorum, and MDPV. A significant proportion of users reported severe psychiatric symptoms including psychosis, depression and anxiety. Among non-users, awareness of the side effects of NPS influenced over half of them to avoid such substances. Conclusions. NPS use impacts predominantly young people. Organizing prevention and information campaigns about the implications of NPS use and its immediate harmful effects could help reduce its prevalence among young individuals.

Investigating the reasons behind a later or missed diagnosis of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in young people: A population cohort study

AbstractBackgroundAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, more often diagnosed in males. In many individuals, particularly females, ADHD is diagnosed later or missed, the reasons for this are not fully understood. Timely diagnosis is needed to provide support, management, and treatment to improve outcomes. This study aimed to understand why some young people with ADHD experience later or missed diagnosis and to consider sex differences.MethodsThis study included 9991 (females = 43.69%) individuals from the Millenium Cohort Study, a UK based population study which defined recognised ADHD by a parent‐reported clinician diagnosis, and unrecognised ADHD by parent‐reported questionnaires. Behavioural and emotional difficulties, engagement in leisure activities, and parental characteristics, were compared between those recognised earlier (by ages 5/7, n = 264, f = 19.3%) versus later (by ages 11/14, n = 260, f = 21.2%), and those recognised (n = 524, f = 20.2%) versus unrecognised (n = 1,138, f = 38.7%) using logistic regression, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) analysed. Sex differences were investigated with an interaction analysis.ResultsThose recognised with ADHD earlier had more peer, conduct, and emotional problems, emotional dysregulation, lower cognitive ability, and poorer prosocial skills compared with those recognised later, ORs ranged from 0.27 (95% CI = 018, 0.41) to 1.20 (95% CI = 1.20, 1.32). Similar findings were seen when comparing those with recognised and unrecognised ADHD; ORs ranged from 0.11 (95% CI = 0.09, 0.15) to 1.31 (95% CI = 1.19, 1.43). Additionally, those recognised were more likely to have diagnosed autism and have less reported physical activity. Sex stratification showed that recognised males had higher emotional dysregulation than unrecognised males, but this was not seen in females.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the need to consider ADHD referral, regardless of cognitive and prosocial ability or comorbidities, if children are displaying ADHD symptoms. Additionally, symptoms of ADHD not traditionally included in screening criteria, such as emotional dysregulation, should be considered to improve gender‐inclusive recognition of ADHD.

No evidence that breast cancer occurs at higher rates among young Arab women

Background: Breast cancer is often thought to occur at a younger age among Arab women based on the mean or median age at diagnosis, or the proportion of women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. Objective: To compare age-specific breast cancer incidence rates among women from selected Arab countries with selected high- and middle-income countries. Methods: We examined population-based, age-specific, national or regional breast cancer incidence data for 2008–2012 and 2013–2017 from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States of America, and compared them with data from Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Results: Breast cancer incidence among young women in the selected Arab countries was comparable to, or even lower than, the selected high- and middle-income countries. In contrast to the continued increase in rates observed in the high- and middle-income countries, the rates tended to plateau or decrease among older Arab women. Age-standardized incidence rates were lower than crude rates in the Arab countries. Conclusion: We found no evidence that Arab women are at higher risk of developing breast cancer at a younger age. The high number of cases among them was probably due to the younger population structure. These findings are important for refining breast cancer screening policies in the region.

Cybercrime victimisation among older adults: A probability sample survey in England and Wales.

Younger people are more likely to report cybercrime than older people. As older people spend more time online, this may change. If similarly exposed, risk factors including social isolation and poor health could make older adults disproportionally susceptible. We aimed to explore whether cybercrime risks and their predictors vary between age groups. We analysed responses from 35,069 participants aged 16+ in the 2019/20 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). We investigated, among people who have used the internet in the past year, risks of experiencing any cybercrime, repeat victimisation and associated financial loss across age groups. Despite being at lower risk of reporting any cybercrime in the past year, people aged 75+ were more likely to report financial loss resulting from cybercrime victimisation (OR 4.25, p = 0.037) and repeat cybercrime victimisation (OR 2.03, p = 0.074) than younger people. Men, those from Mixed or Black ethnic groups, more deprived areas, managerial professional groups, and with worse health were at greater cybercrime risk. While younger adults are more at risk from cybercrime, older adults disclosed more severe cases (repetitive victimisation and associated financial loss), perhaps due to lesser awareness of scams and reporting options. As most people experience declining health as they age, greater understanding of why poor health predicts cybercrime could inform prevention initiatives that would particularly benefit older age groups and mitigate risks of growing internet use among older adults. Health and social care professionals may be well positioned to support prevention.

Associations between violence in childhood, depression and suicide attempts in adolescence: evidence from a cohort study in Luwero district, Uganda

BackgroundMany studies have documented an association between violence victimisation and poor mental health. However, few studies use longitudinal data from low- and middle-income countries with attention to how associations differ by experiencing specific types of violence or alongside different contexts of peer and family support. In this study, we quantify the association between experiences of violence in early adolescence and depression and suicide attempts in late adolescence and explore whether this association is modified by family and peer connectedness.MethodsData came from the Contexts of Violence Against Children (CoVAC) cohort study in Luwero District, Uganda, involving 2773 participants aged 11–14 years at Wave 1 (2014) and 15–18 years at Wave 2 (2018). Physical, sexual, and emotional violence were measured at Wave 1. Mental health outcomes, depression symptoms in the past two weeks, and lifetime suicide attempts were measured at Wave (2) We used logistic regression models, stratified by sex, to estimate adjusted odds ratios with an interaction term to test for effect modification by peer and family connectedness at Wave 1.FindingsAt Wave 1, the prevalence of any violence from any perpetrator was 90% (physical violence: 87%, physical violence excluding caning: 68%, sexual violence: 6.3%, emotional violence: 56.8%). At Wave 2, 13.3% of participants had scores indicative of depression and 4.3% reported ever attempting suicide. Physical violence excluding caning, emotional violence, and sexual violence during early adolescence increased the odds of depression and attempting suicide in late adolescence for both boys and girls. Experiencing any violence (including caning) in early adolescence was not associated with depression in late adolescence, including in sex-stratified models. Childhood experience of any violence was associated with a suicide attempt violence in early adolescence (aOR: 2.60; 95%CI: 1.08, 6.27). High peer support mitigated the effect of any violence and physical violence on depression.ConclusionsFindings highlight the importance of efforts to prevent violence and improve access to response and support services for violence and mental health for young people. Findings also underscore the important role friends and peer networks can play in mitigating the effects of violence as young people grow up.

Engaging adolescents and young adults in decisions about return of genomic research results: study protocol for a mixed-methods longitudinal clinical trial protocol

BackgroundTo protect minors’ future autonomy, professional organizations have historically discouraged returning predictive adult-onset genetic test results and carrier status to children. Recent clinical guidance diverges from this norm, suggesting that when minors have genomic sequencing performed for clinical purposes, parents and children should have the opportunity to learn secondary findings, including for some adult-onset conditions. While parents can currently opt in or out of receiving their child’s secondary findings, the American Society of Human Genetics Workgroup on Pediatric Genetic and Genomic Testing suggests including adolescents in the decision-making process. However, it is not clear what factors young people consider when given the opportunity to learn genetic findings for themselves. In this manuscript, we report on the methods for a clinical trial that examines adolescents’, young adults’, and their parents’ decisions about learning genomic information for the adolescent or young adult.MethodsWe are enrolling assenting (ages 13–17) adolescents and consenting (ages 18–21) young adults in a prospective genomic screening study to assess the choices they make about receiving individual genomic results. Participants use an online tool to indicate whether they want to learn their personal genetic risk for specific preventable, treatable, and adult-onset conditions, as well as carrier status for autosomal recessive conditions. We are examining (1) how choices differ between adolescent and young adult cohorts (as well as between adolescents/young adults and parents) and (2) decisional conflict and stability across study timepoints. Results are returned based on participants’ choices. Qualitative interviews with a subset of participants explore decisional stability, adolescent/young adult engagement with parents in decision-making, and the impact of learning pathogenic/likely pathogenic and autosomal recessive carrier results.DiscussionThis study explores decision making and decision stability between adolescents and parents (where applicable), as well as the ethical implications and impact of return of clinical-grade genetic research results to adolescents and young adults. The results of this study will contribute empirical evidence to support best practices and guidance on engaging young people in genomic research studies and clinical care that offer return of results.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04481061. Registered 22 July 2020.

Factors associated with tobacco use among Saudi Arabian youth: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

The epidemic of tobacco use poses one of the most severe public health challenges globally, responsible for over 8 million deaths annually according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This study investigates the factors associated with tobacco use among Saudi Arabian youth using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. A cross-sectional study used the 2022 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) to assess tobacco use among 5610 Saudi students aged 13-15 years. The structured, anonymous questionnaire collected demographic data and TPB constructs (e.g. attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions) were derived from the validated GYTS questionnaire, with items grouped and scored to represent each construct. One-way ANOVA, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted, with a significance level set at 0.05. Of the surveyed students, 5610 (80.4%) aged 13-15 years met the inclusion criteria. Tobacco use was prevalent, with 31.3% having ever used tobacco and 8.78% currently using it. Negative attitudes toward tobacco were inversely associated with usage (AOR=0.97; 95% CI: 0.970-0.974). Subjective norms, reflecting perceived social pressure, were positively associated with tobacco use (AOR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.170-1.176). Perceived behavioral control, indicating the ease of quitting or avoiding tobacco, was strongly associated with use (AOR=1.87; 95% CI: 1.848-1.888). Stronger behavioral intentions to use tobacco were also associated with a higher likelihood of use (AOR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.226-1.246). The high prevalence of tobacco use among Saudi Arabian youth, early initiation, and significant social influences highlight the need for comprehensive public health strategies. Targeted education, reduced tobacco accessibility, and programs to shift social norms and attitudes are essential. Addressing these factors can help prevent initiation and support cessation efforts among young people.

Gruntowna edukacja a perspektywa uczestnictwa w życiu publicznym w ocenie Ojców Kapadockich

A thorough education of the young was highly valued by parents, who saw it as a foundation for their sons’ success in public life in ancient Rome, both in the Republican and Imperial periods. Every young Roman, through physical training, moral and intellectual education, was prepared from childhood to hold office in both the army and the imperial administration. In the 4th century AD, when the Cappadocian Fathers lived and worked, both in the East and in the West of the Empire there was always a need for people well-prepared for public service, who formed the backbone of the civil and military administration. In home education, not only was the art of reading and writing taught, but – especially in the case of boys – their physical development and skills useful in a future military career were taken care of. Parents were primarily responsible for such education, although the skills of slaves, grandparents from both sides and older siblings were often used, who supported the parents in their educational activities. The next two stages of education were first in public schools at primary and secondary levels, and then able young men were sent to the main schools run by recognized teachers, where they completed their education useful for taking up duties in the public life of the Empire. For young Christians who did not have a well-ordered educational system, the only possibility of obtaining a thorough education was to use the system that had been functioning for centuries in ancient Rome. The Cappadocian Fathers, obedient to the will of their parents, acquired a thorough education by attending lectures by famous representatives of the so-called Second Sophistic with the intention of engaging in the public life of the Empire. However, in a short time, their lives changed and they used their knowledge and skills in the service of the Church, combating heterodox teaching and strengthening the faithful in their fidelity to orthodoxy. They recommended that young people acquire a thorough education, in which they should avoid mythological content that was the content of readings recommended by teachers in public schools. That which ennobled the spirit and supported a virtuous life should be accepted, but everything that was immoral and incompatible with the teachings of Christ should be rejected. The Cappadocian Fathers did not oppose young people studying secular sciences and engaging in public life, but concern for preserving the faith in Christ had to be in the first place.

Prevention and Health Promotion Interventions for Young People in the Context of Digital Well-Being: Rapid Systematic Review.

Increasing digital technology and media use among young people has raised concerns about problematic use and negative consequences. The formal recognition of a technology addiction (eg, gaming disorder) requires an understanding of the landscape of interventions designed to prevent this disorder and related technology addictions. We conducted a rapid systematic review to investigate the current evidence on approaches to prevent problematic technology use and promote digital well-being, defined as the healthy use of digital media and technology and the absence of problems resulting from excessive use. We used a pragmatic and rapid approach to systematically review and synthesize recent literature with a focus on contextual factors that can aid in understanding translatability, making trade-offs appropriate for rapid reviews per the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. We searched multiple databases, including gray literature, for primary studies and systematic reviews of prevention interventions targeting children, adolescents, and youth. We extracted data on study characteristics, quality, and translatability and synthesized evidence through narrative description and vote counting of controlled trials. Data are openly available on our Open Science Framework website. We found 6416 citations, of which 41 (0.64%) were eligible for inclusion (6 reviews and 35 primary studies of 33 interventions). Most interventions (26/33, 79%) combined intervention approaches and included an education component. Synthesis through vote counting showed benefits for all forms of digital well-being. Both included meta-analyses reported small positive effects on reductions of screen time. However, study reporting was overall lacking, impairing the ability to draw conclusions. As digital technology use increases, interventions to prevent problematic technology use and promote digital well-being continue to proliferate. Understanding context factors that influence healthy technology use and understanding the limitations of the current evidence are vital for informing future research. This review demonstrates positive findings for the effectiveness of prevention interventions and describes factors that may contribute to translation and implementation. Future research would benefit from following appropriate reporting guidelines, reporting both the benefits and harms of interventions, and including greater detail on factors informing translation. PROSPERO CRD42023444387; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=444387.