A descriptive study of sleep patterns and knowledge among department of juvenile services staff.

Study Objectives: Little is known about sleep health among staff in the US juvenile justice system. Poor sleep health is associated with negative mental and physical health, which may impact daily interactions and treatment of detained youth. The current study explored sleep-wake patterns and sleep health knowledge of Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) staff in Maryland (MD). Methods: DJS Staff (N = 218) were invited to complete a survey that queried staff on their own sleep-wake patterns, job role and schedule, and knowledge of youth sleep needs. Descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses of variance (MANCOVA) were conducted to summarize workers' sleep-wake patterns and examine differences by staff position and schedule. Results: Fifty-one percent of staff served as RAs who directly supervise the youth. Just over half (55%) worked in detention and 45% in treatment facilities. Staff reported sleeping 7.24 hours (SD = 4.10) on workdays and 8.59 hours (SD = 2.69) on non-workdays. RA staff working night/rotating versus day shifts reported the most sleep irregularity with larger weekend oversleep times. A little more than half of the staff (53.9%) were knowledgeable regarding youth sleep health with differences by position type. Conclusions: Findings show that DJS staff are meeting recommended sleep duration guidelines but are still experiencing sleep schedule and time in bed irregularity. Knowledge variability of youth sleep health across staff may necessitate focused educational programming. Overall, this study may inform future development and prioritization of sleep and circadian health interventions and educational campaigns for staff who work with detained juveniles. This paper is part of the Sleep and Circadian Health in the Justice System Collection.

Unequal sexual health--differences between detained youth and their same aged peers.

PURPOSE: To describe sexual health risks in an understudied group, youth in detention, and compare these to sexual health risks among non-detained youth. In addition, variables predicting adverse sexual health outcomes are sought and compared. METHODS: In 2009, a self-administered questionnaire on sexuality was conducted amongst youth in Sweden. In 2010, the same Internet-based questionnaire was applied in a study at Swedish detention centres. In this article, sexually active youth aged 15-20 years in the two groups are compared and bivariate logistic regression analyses are conducted in order to find predictors of adverse sexual health outcomes, among detainees and non-detainees respectively. RESULTS: Major differences between the detained and the non-detained concerning a majority of risk-taking variables exist. CONCLUSIONS: Although detained youth display several risky sexual behaviors, no specific risk factors are found in a logistic regression analysis. However, this is a vulnerable group. The mere fact that an adolescent is placed at a detention centre should be an imperative for professionals to address the subject of sexual health and safer sex. Furthermore, the results will be used in a forthcoming sex education curriculum tailored especially at detained youth. This is one, but by far not the only way to minimize the health inequalities that are presented in this study.

Trichomonas Vaginalis Infections Among Youth in Detention in the Southeastern United States.

Most juvenile detention facilities do not screen for Trichomonas Vaginalis (TV) despite being the most common parasitic STI. We aimed to assess TV prevalence and risk factors among young women in a large urban juvenile detention center. We evaluated a retrospective cohort from April to December 2016. Youth submitted an intake urine sample for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing; we tested remnant urine for TV. Outcomes included prevalence of TV and risk factors for infection. A total of 1009 samples were collected, 374 from young women ages 13 - 17 years old. Among females, 8% tested positive for TV with co-infection of either gonorrhea, chlamydia or both occurring in 12/29 (41%) patients. Compared to youth without TV females with TV were more likely to be African American (76%) and report symptoms (41%) (p<0.05). In our study population, prevalence of TV was 8%. As nearly half of those with TV were asymptomatic, we recommend routine screening among this population.

Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: Preventive Health Services Received Prior to Detention.

Few studies on youth in the juvenile justice system describe preventive services received at community health visits. We determined preventive services received at their most recent visit to a health care provider through a cross-sectional survey of youth at a detention center. Data on their health outcomes were abstracted from medical records. Many did not receive comprehensive screenings for sexual health, mental health symptoms, or substance use at well-child visits in the past year. Health outcomes were not significantly different from those who did not attend a well visit in the past year. Limited preventive screenings could explain why well checks did not influence health outcomes; therefore, providers should incorporate recommended screenings into sick visits as well as preventive visits.

Factors associated with knowledge of where to access health care among youth in juvenile detention: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Mental illness, substance use, and sexual health issues are major health concerns among detained youth compared with the general population. There is a dearth of studies that demonstrate what detained youth in the United States know about where to access health services in the community. Given the magnitude of these health concerns among detained youth compared with youth in the general population, knowing where to access health care in the community could lead to early intervention and better health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study determines what detained youth know about where to access care for mental health symptoms, substance use, and sexually transmitted infections, and identifies the factors associated with knowledge of where to access health care. METHODS: Data were collected using mixed methods from a cross-sectional sample of 301 detained youth. Information was obtained using surveys (which included closed and open-ended questions), and data abstraction from their medical records. Logistic regression analysis, Chi-squared tests and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. Results Having a primary care provider, perceived susceptibility, and previous experiences with health care providers all influenced what youth in our study knew about where to seek health care. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mixed methods including open-ended questions allowed us to gain a better perspective of where detained youth would seek help for health issues. Detained youth have poorer health outcomes yet many did not know where to access health resources. Primary care providers who see youth should provide comprehensive, youth-friendly services.

Does Juvenile Detention Impact Health?

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system represent a medically underserved population. Recidivist youth have poorer health outcomes compared to youth detained for the first time. This study determined differences in immunization history, substance use, mental health symptoms, and sexual behavior between recidivist youth and first-time detainees following improvements in intake screenings at a large, urban juvenile detention center in the Southeastern United States. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that recidivist youth had significantly higher acellular pertussis immunization rates compared with first-time detainees (odds ratio [ OR] = 3.3; p = .02), and recidivist males were less likely to test positive for chlamydia ( OR = 0.6; p = .03) after controlling for age and Black race. There was no significant difference for most other outcomes between recidivist youth and first-time detainees after controlling for age.

Health-Risk Behaviors and Dating Violence Victimization: An Examination of the Associated Risk Behaviors Among Detained Female Youth.

There are many health-risk behaviors that may elevate the risk of adolescents engaging in teenage dating violence. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the health-risk behaviors that are associated with a sample of female juvenile offenders to identify the extent to which those behaviors contribute to dating violence. The survey assessed respondents' health-risk behaviors prior to incarceration, their perceptions of quality of life, post-incarceration expectations, psychosocial factors, and other social determinants. Results indicated youth exposure to dating violence, alcohol, drug, and risky sexual behaviors in the year prior to incarceration. These findings demonstrate the need to address teen dating violence with at-risk adolescents in addition to risky behaviors.

Cognitive and academic functioning of juvenile detainees: implications for correctional populations and public health.

Cognitive functioning affects health. This study assessed cognitive functioning among participants in the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a stratified random sample of 1,829 newly detained juveniles (10 to 18 years old) from Cook County, Illinois. The study examined receptive vocabulary, oral reading, arithmetic computation skills, and general intellectual abilities. The sample exhibited impaired overall intellectual functioning and deficits in all areas. Males performed more poorly than females. More than three quarters of males showed below average overall intellectual functioning, and 9 in 10 had below average receptive vocabulary skills. Hispanic and African American males performed more poorly than non-Hispanic White males. The multiple systems that serve delinquent youth--correctional, health, legal, and rehabilitative--must collaborate to tailor needed services to the cognitive level of youth in the juvenile justice system.

Sexual Sensation Seeking, Drug Use and Risky Sex among Detained Youth.

Sexual sensation seeking has been correlated with drug use and risky sex in a number of populations. However, these relationships have had limited examination among adolescents, and to date, have not been explored among detained youth, a group with some of the highest rates of illicit drug use and STIs. To better understand these relationships we utilized A-CASI to collect data on sociodemographics, sexual sensation seeking, drug use and risky sexual behaviors among a sample of 550 detained youth. A series of multivariable regression models controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and risky peer networks indicated that sexual sensation seeking was associated with alcohol and ecstasy use. Additionally, sexual sensation seeking was associated with having sex while high on drugs; having sex with a partner who was high on drugs; exchanging sex for drugs; exchanging sex for money; having more sexual partners in the last two months; having engaged in unprotected vaginal sex; and a less condom use during oral sex. These data have important implications for STI/drug use prevention interventions among detained adolescents.