Adolescents with chronic conditions: Engagement with children's mental health systems during the Covid-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: The Covid-19 pandemic contributed to adverse adolescent mental health outcomes globally. Adolescents with chronic conditions have four times the odds of self-harm than peers. Little evidence exists to guide pediatric nurses on how to engage this vulnerable population with mental health support as the pandemic continues. In adults with chronic conditions, positive health assets (health access literacy, health self-efficacy, and emotional well-being) are directly related to improved patient engagement. The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of engagement with mental health supports in adolescents with chronic conditions to inform practice. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using mixed methods, we surveyed and interviewed adolescents with chronic conditions aged 10-20 years. Random sampling was applied to avoid bias. Valid and reliable scales were used to measure health access literacy, health self-efficacy, and emotional well-being. Textual data were collected using a semistructured interview guide. Integrated data analysis was conducted using structural equation models and interpretive phenomenology. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-four participants provided numerical data and 17 participants provided textual data (mean age 15.5 years; 56% female, 5.8% agender; 56% White; 16.9% Black or African American, 4.5% Asian; 51.9% Hispanic or Latinx; 23.4% LGBTQ+). The structural model was an acceptable fit for the data (comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.97, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.95). Participants reported higher levels of health access literacy (M = 3.88, SD = 0.848) than health self-efficacy (M = 2.98, SD = 0.646), and engagement (M = 1.78, SD = 1.71). Health access literacy predicted emotional well-being (ß = .33, p < .001, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.20, .50]) and health self-efficacy (ß = .52, p < .001, 95% CI [0.42, .062]). Emotional well-being positively predicted health self-efficacy (ß = .21, p < .003, 90% CI [0.10, 0.033]). Health self-efficacy predicted engagement (ß = .20, p < .01, 90% CI [0.07, 0.034]). Participants reported not engaging until "it was really, really bad" citing fear, stigma, and lack of connectedness with providers as barriers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Regardless of health access literacy and health self-efficacy, adolescents with chronic conditions may not engage until crisis levels. Pediatric nurses can aim to engage with this vulnerable population proactively.

The role of housing type and housing quality in urban children with asthma.

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between type and quality of housing and childhood asthma in an urban community with a wide gradient of racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics. A parent-report questionnaire was distributed in 26 randomly selected New York City public elementary schools. Type of housing was categorized using the participants' addresses and the Building Information System, a publicly-accessible database from the New York City Department of Buildings. Type of housing was associated with childhood asthma with the highest prevalence of asthma found in public housing (21.8%). Residents of all types of private housing had lower odds of asthma than children living in public housing. After adjusting for individual- and community-level demographic and economic factors, the relationship between housing type and childhood asthma persisted, with residents of private family homes having the lowest odds of current asthma when compared to residents of public housing (odds ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.22, 1.21). Factors associated with housing quality explain some of the clustering of asthma in public housing. For example, the majority (68.7%) of public housing residents reported the presence of cockroaches, compared to 21% of residents of private houses. Reported cockroaches, rats, and water leaks were also independently associated with current asthma. These findings suggest differential exposure and asthma risk by urban housing type. Interventions aimed at reducing these disparities should consider multiple aspects of the home environment, especially those that are not directly controlled by residents.

Adnexal Masses in Adolescents.

Adnexal masses in adolescents, such as functional cysts, are often benign and can usually be managed expectantly since they typically regress on their own. The most common ovarian neoplasm in adolescents is a benign cystic teratoma. Both functional cysts and benign cystic teratomas are associated with ovarian torsion. Of concern, ovarian torsion requires a high level of suspicion when adolescents present with acute abdominal pain, as almost one-half of cases have no associated adnexal masses. The most common malignant adnexal masses in this age group include germ cell tumors, followed by epithelial cell tumors. Finally, ectopic pregnancy and tubo-ovarian abscesses must be considered in the differential diagnosis of adnexal mass, as delays in treatment may seriously affect an adolescent's health and future fertility. Obtaining an accurate history, including a sexual history, requires reviewing this history with the adolescent privately. Management of adnexal mases should prioritize fertility preservation. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(4):e183-e187.].

Toward a smoke-free Harlem: engaging families, agencies, and community-based programs.

The aim of this collaborative public health study was to engage families, agencies, and programs in reducing secondhand smoke exposure in Central Harlem, New York City. Baseline interviews (n=657) and focus groups (n=4) were conducted with adult members of households with children who had asthma and asthma-like symptoms in the Harlem Children's Zone Asthma Initiative. The interviews concerned the prevalence and determinants of exposure of enrolled children to secondhand smoke. Key findings were that participants: (1) were generally aware of the hazards of secondhand smoke; (2) used strategies to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in their homes; (3) believed that outdoor pollutants are sometimes just as bad for the health of their children as secondhand smoke; and (4) used smoking to provide stress relief and help diffuse otherwise volatile situations in their homes. The Harlem Smoke-Free Home Campaign was launched in October 2007 based in part on these findings.

Sexual Violence in Adolescents.

Sexual violence and intimate partner violence are common among adolescents, especially for those who are developmentally disabled. Pediatricians have a critical role in treating and preventing sexual violence in adolescents. As medical providers, they possess trusted access to identify sexual violence in adolescents and to intervene to help prevent further violence and mitigate associated health effects. Therefore, it is imperative that pediatricians are aware of the scope of sexual violence in adolescents. Specific sexual violence screening recommendations for sexual assault, intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, and sex trafficking are reviewed in this article. In addition, recommendations for the comprehensive treatment of adolescents exposed to sexual violence are examined. National and local resources for victims and promising strategies to prevent sexual violence, including sex trafficking, are identified. Through collaboration with community partners in multidisciplinary efforts, pediatricians can most effectively promote the health of adolescents and prevent further victimization. [Pediatr Ann. 2019;48(2):e58-e63.].

Reproductive Coercion in High School-Aged Girls: Associations with Reproductive Health Risk and Intimate Partner Violence.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of reproductive coercion, a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) including contraceptive sabotage and pregnancy pressure, among urban high school-aged girls and to examine its associations with reproductive health risks. DESIGN AND SETTING: A self-administered survey completed by high school-aged girls living in high-poverty neighborhoods while awaiting medical care in a pediatric emergency room, inpatient service, school-based, and hospital-based clinic. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-nine sexually active girls aged 14-17 years. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To determine the prevalence of reproductive coercion and to examine associations with unprotected sex, sexually transmitted infections, physical IPV, and risk factors for abusive relationships. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 149 (19%) of girls reported reproductive coercion, most frequently that a romantic or sexual partner had ever: "told them not to use any birth control" (n = 23; 79%); "took off a condom during sex so they would get pregnant" (n = 12; 43%); and "said he would leave them if they didn't get pregnant" (n = 6; 21%). Girls reporting reproductive coercion were nearly 3 times more likely than those not coerced to have had chlamydia (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-7.19) and nearly 5 times more likely to report IPV (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.0-11.8). In addition, girls reporting coercion were less likely to have high recognition of abusive behaviors (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.8) and less likely to have high comfort communicating with their sexual partners (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7) than girls not reporting coercion. CONCLUSION: Reproductive coercion is experienced by 1 in 5 high school-aged girls in a high-poverty community and is associated with chlamydia infection and IPV. Awareness of the high prevalence and health risks of coercion might allow for intervention.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: An Under-recognized Cause of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in Adolescents Admitted to a Children's Hospital.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether ovulatory dysfunction due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common underlying etiology of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in adolescents who require hospitalization and to explore etiology, treatment, and complications of AUB with severe anemia in adolescents. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We identified female patients aged 8-20 years admitted to a children's hospital for treatment of AUB from January 2000 to December 2014. Our hospital protocol advises hormonal testing for PCOS and other disorders before treatment for AUB. We reviewed medical records and recorded laboratory evaluations, treatments, and final underlying diagnoses as well as recurrences of AUB and readmissions in the subsequent year. RESULTS: Of the 125 subjects, the mean age was 16.5 ± 2.9 years; mean hemoglobin level was 7.0 ± 1.8 g/dL; 54% were overweight/obese; and 41% sexually active. PCOS accounted for 33% of admissions; hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis immaturity 31%; endometritis 13%; bleeding disorders 10%. Girls with PCOS were more likely to be overweight/obese (74% vs 46%; P < .01) and girls with hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis immaturity had lower hemoglobin levels (6.4 g/dL vs 7.4 g/dL; P < .05), than girls with all other etiologies of AUB. Treating physicians failed to diagnose endometritis as the etiology for AUB in 4 of 8 girls with positive tests for sexually transmitted infection and no other etiology. CONCLUSION: PCOS was the most common underlying etiology in adolescents hospitalized with AUB. Screening for hyperandrogenemia is important for early diagnosis of PCOS to allow ongoing management and prevention of comorbidities. Endometritis was frequently underestimated as an etiology for AUB.