Factors influencing familial decision-making regarding human papillomavirus vaccination.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to summarize the research regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake among families with adolescent/preadolescent daughters. METHODS: Literature searches (utilizing PubMed and PsychInfo databases) were conducted and research examining psychological and environmental factors which relate to HPV vaccine uptake and intentions was reviewed. RESULTS: Factors such as physician recommendations, perceptions of the beliefs of peers and significant others, history of childhood immunizations, and communication with adolescents regarding sexual topics appear to influence HPV vaccination outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although primary prevention of cervical and other cancers is available for preadolescent and adolescent girls, rates of HPV vaccine uptake are low. Future interventions should target vaccine intent and physician/family communication as a means to increasing HPV vaccination.

Sperm cryopreservation practices among adolescent cancer patients at risk for infertility.

To assess sperm cryopreservation among males newly diagnosed with cancer aged 13 years and older, attending oncologists assigned infertility risk (yes/no) to patients and reported whether their patients engaged in sperm cryopreservation. Only 28.1% of informed at-risk patients banked sperm. Utilization of sperm banking was significantly associated with a diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) malignancy or non-CNS solid tumor diagnosis, higher socioeconomic status, and not being a member of an Evangelical religious group. These results suggest that sperm banking is underutilized among adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer, and that strategies to increase the engagement in this fertility preservation method are needed.

The Influence of Trauma History and Relationship Power on Latinas' Sexual Risk for HIV/STIs.

A community sample of Latinas completed surveys that included measures of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence history, relationship power, negotiating power regarding condom use, perceived HIV/STI risk of sexual partner, and sexual behavior. Over half of the women reported a history of intimate partner violence in the past year and/or sexual abuse in their lifetime. Intimate partner violence was correlated with lower overall sexual relationship power scores, while sexual abuse was correlated with lower condom use negotiating power. More extensive intimate partner violence had the strongest association with higher HIV/STI risk, controlling for relationship status, sexual abuse, and relationship power.

Lifestyle interventions for youth who are overweight: a meta-analytic review.

OBJECTIVE: Clear evidence suggests that lifestyle interventions can be helpful in the treatment of youth who are overweight, but translational research is needed to address the gap between treatment research and clinical care. DESIGN: This meta-analysis integrated the results of 66 treatment-control comparisons and 59 alternate treatment comparisons evaluating lifestyle interventions for children and adolescents who were overweight. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Between-groups differences in weight-related outcomes and other health-related behaviors at the end of treatment. RESULTS: Lifestyle interventions were effective in a range of settings and with a range of participants. Even relatively brief programs had benefits apparent months after the end of treatment. A key component appeared to be the expectation that parents would be actively involved in treatment. Program benefits included not only better weight management but also better eating habits. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that lifestyle interventions can be effective under a wide range of conditions not limited to the highly controlled conditions of efficacy studies. Parent involvement is associated with significantly better results.

Moderators of physical activity and obesity during adolescence.

The purpose of this study was to examine possible moderators of the relation between physical activity and obesity in adolescence. Adolescents (N=168; mean age=15.20 years; 52.4% girls; 76.8% African American) were recruited from low-income primary care medical facilities in a large southern city. Measures included Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile, physical activity, shared family physical activity, and self-efficacy for healthful eating. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate a) independent contributions of physical activity, shared family activity, and self-efficacy for healthful eating to the prediction of adolescent BMI percentile; b) interactions between shared and individual physical activity in the prediction of BMI percentile; c) interactions between self-efficacy for healthful eating and physical activity in the prediction of BMI percentile; and d) interactions among all three variables. Findings revealed self-efficacy for healthful eating was a significant moderator of the adolescent physical activity and BMI percentile relation. Conclusions emphasize the interactive nature among obesity risk factors.

Human papillomavirus vaccination in survivors of childhood cancer.

Effective vaccination is now available to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection and the cause of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. HPV vaccine uptake is particularly important for females surviving cancer, some of whom are at high risk for HPV complications because of the direct and indirect effects of cancer treatment. Thus, version 3.0 of the Children's Oncology Group's Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer recommends HPV vaccination for all eligible females surviving childhood cancer. Because this vaccine was only approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2006, little is known regarding the complexity of vaccination uptake among those surviving cancer. The purpose of this article was to describe the HPV vaccine and its usefulness in the survivorship population, provide a rationale for describing cancer survivors as being at increased risk for HPV complications, identify factors associated with HPV vaccination, and discuss the utilization of these predictors in designing strategies to promote adherence to HPV vaccination recommendations within the survivorship context.