Friendship as Medicine.

Social isolation is a risk factor for many diseases and overall increased mortality. Alternatively human connection has been noted to lead to healthier lives and longevity. Medical clinicians need to be more aware of this condition and consider how to prescribe friendship. This is not just an issue for the elderly; many Americans are being ravaged by being alone. There are many organizations that we can refer our patients to in order to make connections. This lesson is one we as physicians need to embrace ourselves as loneliness during our busy days is affecting us too.

Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (T-SEL): The Experiences of Teenagers Participating in Volunteer Club Activities in the Community.

Beginning with social inequities in terms of access to quality, inclusive education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially rural teenagers who leave school early, the Holtis Association, with the support of the UNICEF Representative in Romania, developed a number of interventions intended to facilitate the transition from lower to higher secondary education of students from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. One of the interventions was the establishment of teenagers' clubs for volunteer activities, leadership development, and participation in the community to encourage social and emotional learning. (1) Background: This study aims to investigate the extent to which participation in the Holtis club projects contributed to the development of transformative social and emotional learning (T-SEL), as observed from the perspective of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) competencies among adolescents. (2) Methods: The study was qualitative and used focus groups for data collection. Out of the 65 active clubs, 18 were selected, and their representatives participated in the focus groups. (3) Results: Participating in the club activities, which were organized in the school, with the aim of organizing activities outside the school space stimulated and developed T-SEL competencies among adolescents. (4) Conclusions: The data, which were collected through the voices of teenagers, underlined the personal transformation from the perspective of the CASEL model competencies of SEL, and the study privileged their perspectives.

Facilitating discharge planning: the Risk Assessment of Complex Discharge Index.

BACKGROUND: Untimely social interventions prolong hospitalizations, suggesting discharge planning should begin early. This study aimed to create a tool to identify, already in Emergency department, patients at risk of complex discharge for social reasons. METHODS: We developed the Risk Assessment of Complex Discharge Index (RACDI). In Emergency department, we administered RACDI to patients destined to hospitalization. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of RACDI in identifying patients who need a social intervention. RACDI was compared with simplified BRASS. A multivariable logistic regression explored social intervention predictors (P-value < 0.05). RESULTS: RACDI was administered to 296 patients. There were significant associations between classes of risk defined by RACDI or by simplified BRASS and social intervention. The sensitivity of RACDI and simplified BRASS was, respectively, 0.59 and 0.43; the specificity 0.81 and 0.83. Chances of social intervention were higher for patients at high risk with RACDI (adjOR:3.13, 95% CI: 1.23-8.00, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The reduced items and mostly dichotomous answers made RACDI a tool easy to be used in daily practice. RACDI helps in classifying patients needing discharge planning for social care and is a starting point to standardize the evaluation of social context early in hospitalization. Further work is needed to overcome limitations and assess additional outcomes.

Patient Barriers to Accessing Referred Resources for Unmet Social Needs.

INTRODUCTION: Many primary care clinics screen patients for their unmet social needs, such as food insecurity and housing instability, and refer them to community-based organizations (CBOs). However, the ability for patients to have their needs met is difficult to evaluate and address. This study explores patient-reported barriers to accessing referred resources using a conceptual framework that identifies opportunities for intervening to optimize success. METHODS: Patients who participated in a social needs screening and referral intervention at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) were called 2 weeks after the clinic encounter. We conducted a directed content analysis across 6 domains of access to examine responses from patients who reported barriers. RESULTS: Of the 462 patients that were reached for follow-up, 366 patients reported 537 total barriers. The most frequent challenges related to resource availability (24.6%, eg, patients waiting for submitted application to process) and approachability (23.8%, eg, patients lacking information needed to contact or access resources). Barriers in the domains of acceptability (21.6%, eg, competing life priorities such as medical issues, major life events, or caretaking responsibilities) and appropriateness (17.9%, eg, resource no longer needed) largely represented patient constraints expressed only after the clinical encounter. It was less common for patients to identify accommodation (eg, physical limitations, language barriers, transportation barriers, administrative complexity) or affordability of community resources as barriers (11.2% and 0.9%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest opportunities for improvement across the access continuum, from initial referrals from primary care staff during the clinical encounter to patients' attempts to accessing services in the community. Future efforts should consider increased collaboration between health and social service organizations, and advocacy for structural changes that mitigate system-level barriers related to resource availability and administrative complexity.

Reproductive justice and black lives: A concept analysis for public health nursing.

BACKGROUND: Inequities in maternal mortality in the United States are a form of structural violence against Black women. The concept of reproductive justice has been employed in the social sciences for almost 30 years, yet nursing has been slow to adopt this concept in promoting maternal-child health. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the concept of reproductive justice as used in peer-reviewed publications with the aim of reframing black maternal health in public health nursing scholarship, research, practice, and advocacy. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review of the social science literature. We analyzed selected articles though a principle-based concept analysis focusing on epistemological, pragmatic, linguistic, and logical principles. SAMPLE: Eight articles were selected from a pool of 377. RESULTS: Race was identified as a source of power for understanding reproductive justice through individual knowledge, collective knowledge, and praxis. Pragmatically, reproductive justice is a social justice-oriented platform that bridges the pro-choice/pro-life divide; aids coalition building; and promotes inclusion. Linguistically, the concept is distinct from both reproductive health and reproductive rights. Reproductive justice is logically situated within intersectionality theory and the cumulative embodiment of oppressions Black women experience based on race, class, and gender. CONCLUSION: Reproductive justice reframes public health nursing actions for Black women by focusing on uncovering systems of oppression, recognizing past historical injustices, and advancing cultural safety in health promotion. Multilevel interventions are needed to simultaneously address these injustices particularly in the areas of preconception health, maternal health, infant and child health, and Black family well-being across the reproductive lifespan.

[The social health of family with disabled child during period of early childhood and school years].

The purpose of the study is to compare social health of families with disabled children of early childhood and school age. The social health of family with disabled child is defined as satisfaction of family members with their position in society, their opportunities for social functioning, self-realization and interaction with social institutions that ensure their social security and support, accessibility of social environment and medical and social services. The results of original sociological surveys of parents implemented in 2017 and 2020 were applied. The emphasis is made on the peculiarities of functioning of families depending on the age of disabled child. The article demonstrates the problems of social health of families with disabled children of early childhood and families whose disabled children reached school years. The particular resources for solving these problems are discussed. The changes in social status and life strategies of parents are considered. The dynamics of medical social and other related family problems depending on the age of the «special¼ child is discussed. The problems of insufficient accessibility of social environment and medical and social services are revealed. The need of families with disabled children in early assistance and comprehensive support from the state services at the level of interdepartmental interaction is determined. The main directions of such support are established depending on life situation of parents and their expectations, the state of health and the degree of disability of the child. The article highlights the need to organize comprehensive support centers for families with disabled children and/or a system of personal supervision of such families involving volunteers. The main functional responsibilities of personal supervisors are defined. The practical recommendations are developed to improve the system of comprehensive support for families with disabled children.

People-environment relations in the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: contributions from a critical Latin American Environmental Psychology / Relações pessoa-ambiente na pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil: contribuições de uma Psicologia Ambiental crítica latino-americana / Relaciones persona-ambiente en la pandemia de COVID-19 en Brasil: contribuciones desde una psicología ambiental latinoamericana crítica

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed several sectors of society in the face of the urgent need to rethink people's relations with their surroundings. This article proposes a possible framework for reading the person-environment relations in the pandemic context, considering the Brazilian scenario. Our argument focuses on analyzing the spatialization of social and racial inequalities, determining factors for the spread of COVID-19, and the differences in its impacts, parallel to other readings that environmental psychology has presented for this context. We assume that more traditional approaches have limitations for understanding Latin American specificities, requiring revisions and reorientations of a theoretical-epistemological character and an ethical-political nature. In the end, we outline some propositions, from a critical perspective.

A pandemia de COVID-19 tem colocado diversos setores da sociedade diante da urgência de repensar as relações das pessoas com seus entornos. Neste ensaio propomos um quadro possível para a leitura das relações pessoa-ambiente no contexto da pandemia, considerando o cenário brasileiro. Nosso argumento se centra na análise da espacialização das desigualdades sociais e raciais, como fatores determinantes da disseminação da COVID-19 e das diferenças em seus impactos, em paralelo a outras leituras que a psicologia ambiental vem apresentando para esse contexto. Assumimos que abordagens mais tradicionais apresentam limitações para a compreensão das especificidades latino-americanas, demandando revisões e reorientações de caráter teórico-epistemológico, e de cunho ético-político. Ao final, esboçamos algumas proposições, a partir de uma perspectiva crítica, para a construção de conhecimentos mais condizentes com a materialidade da vida da maior parte da população.

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha convocado a varios sectores de la sociedad ante la urgente necesidad de repensar las relaciones de las personas con su entorno. En este ensayo, proponemos un posible marco para leer las relaciones entre las personas y el medio ambiente en el contexto de la pandemia, considerando el escenario brasileño. Nuestro argumento se centra en el análisis de la espacialización de las desigualdades sociales y raciales, como factores determinantes para la propagación de COVID-19 y las diferencias en sus impactos, en paralelo a otras lecturas que la psicología ambiental ha presentado para este contexto. Suponemos que los enfoques más tradicionales tienen limitaciones para comprender las especificidades latinoamericanas, que requieren revisiones y reorientaciones de carácter teórico-epistemológico y de naturaleza ético-política. Al final, delineamos algunas propuestas, desde una perspectiva crítica, para la construcción de conocimiento más consistente con la materialidad de la vida de la mayoría de la población.

Factores biológicos y sociales que influyen en la salud de la mujer durante el climaterio y la menopausia / Biological and social factors that influence women's health during climacteric and menopause

RESUMEN La menopausia es una tapa en la vida de la mujer sujeta a muchos cambios. Se sabe que es el cese completo de la menstruación, pero a menudo se menosprecian los síntomas producidos por esta, incluso por el personal de salud. A través de diferentes épocas, ha sido motivo de menciones históricas, literarias, culturales, etc. Alrededor del climaterio y la menopausia existen muchos factores que la condicionan. El objetivo de esta revisión es compilar información sobre los aspectos biológicos y sociales que influyen en la salud de la mujer en esta etapa de su vida.

ABSTRACT Menopause is a period in a woman's life subject to many changes. It is known that it is the complete cessation of menstruation, but the symptoms produced by it are often underestimated, even by health personnel. Through time, it has been mentioned in history, literature, culture, etc. There are many factors which condition the climacteric and menopause. The objective of this review is to compile information on the biological and social aspects that influence women´s health at this stage of their lives.

Processo de criação da Comissão de Saúde de Londrina e região, Estado do Paraná, Brasil / Process of creation of a region Health Commission in the city of Londrina, state of Paraná, Brazil

Este artigo descreve a ação de um grupo de gestores em saúde Londrina-PR e região que se reuniu com o objetivo fortalecer a integração e abordagem sistêmica para os problemas experimentados no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Trata-se de um relato de experiência, estruturado por meio de uma abordagem crítico-reflexiva, descrevendo as fases e ferramentas utilizadas no projeto, que ao longo de 2018 resultou na conformação de 5 (cinco) eixos de atuação: Apostar na Atenção Primária à Saúde; Fortalecer a produção assistencial na média e alta complexidade; Qualificar a capacidade instalada da atenção hospitalar; Aprimorar a integração, regulação e comunicação no cuidado e Garantir o financiamento e alocação eficiente de recursos. A partir destes caminhos, o grupo busca construir uma unidade entorno de uma agenda comum, com soluções inovadoras de médio e longo prazo. (AU)

This article describes the action of a group of health managers in the city of Londrina, state of Paraná, and in the region, who met with the objective of enhancing the integration and systemic approach to problems in the Unified Health System (SUS). This is an experience report, structured through a critical-reflexive approach, describing the phases and tools used in the project in 2018 that resulted in the creation of five axes of action: Invest on Primary Health Care; Strengthen care production in medium and high complexity services; Qualify the installed capacity of hospital assistance; Improve integration, regulation and communication in health care; and Ensure funding and efficient allocation of resources. The group seeks a common agenda to act on the identified axes, with innovative medium- and long-term strategies.(AU)

Community Interventions to Promote Mental Health and Social Equity.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We review recent community interventions to promote mental health and social equity. We define community interventions as those that involve multi-sector partnerships, emphasize community members as integral to the intervention, and/or deliver services in community settings. We examine literature in seven topic areas: collaborative care, early psychosis, school-based interventions, homelessness, criminal justice, global mental health, and mental health promotion/prevention. We adapt the social-ecological model for health promotion and provide a framework for understanding the actions of community interventions. RECENT FINDINGS: There are recent examples of effective interventions in each topic area. The majority of interventions focus on individual, family/interpersonal, and program/institutional social-ecological levels, with few intervening on whole communities or involving multiple non-healthcare sectors. Findings from many studies reinforce the interplay among mental health, interpersonal relationships, and social determinants of health. There is evidence for the effectiveness of community interventions for improving mental health and some social outcomes across social-ecological levels. Studies indicate the importance of ongoing resources and training to maintain long-term outcomes, explicit attention to ethics and processes to foster equitable partnerships, and policy reform to support sustainable healthcare-community collaborations.

Targeted social care for highly vulnerable pregnant women: protocol of the Mothers of Rotterdam cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Social vulnerability is known to be related to ill health. When a pregnant woman is socially vulnerable, the ill health does not only affect herself, but also the health and development of her (unborn) child. To optimise care for highly vulnerable pregnant women, in Rotterdam, a holistic programme was developed in close collaboration between the university hospital, the local government and a non-profit organisation. This programme aims to organise social and medical care from pregnancy until the second birthday of the child, while targeting adult and child issues simultaneously. In 2014, a pilot in the municipality of Rotterdam demonstrated the significance of this holistic approach for highly vulnerable pregnant women. In the 'Mothers of Rotterdam' study, we aim to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of the holistic approach, referred to as targeted social care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Mothers of Rotterdam study is a pragmatic prospective cohort study planning to include 1200 highly vulnerable pregnant women for the comparison between targeted social care and care as usual. Effectiveness will be compared on the following outcomes: (1) child development (does the child show adaptive development at year 1?) and (2) maternal mental health (is maternal distress reduced at the end of the social care programme?). Propensity scores will be used to correct for baseline differences between both social care programmes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The prospective cohort study was approved by the Erasmus Medical Centre Ethics Committee (ref. no. MEC-2016-012) and the first results of the study are expected to be available in the second half of 2019 through publication in peer-reviewed international journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR6271; Pre-results.

Self-esteem in Early Adolescence as Predictor of Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Motivational and Social Factors.

Ample research has shown that low self-esteem increases the risk to develop depressive symptoms during adolescence. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains largely unknown, as well as how long adolescents with low self-esteem remain vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms. Insight into this mechanism may not only result in a better theoretical understanding but also provide directions for possible interventions. To address these gaps in knowledge, we investigated whether self-esteem in early adolescence predicted depressive symptoms in late adolescence and early adulthood. Moreover, we investigated a cascading mediational model, in which we focused on factors that are inherently related to self-esteem and the adolescent developmental period: approach and avoidance motivation and the social factors social contact, social problems, and social support. We used data from four waves of the TRAILS study (N = 2228, 51% girls): early adolescence (mean age 11 years), middle adolescence (mean age 14 years), late adolescence (mean age 16 years), and early adulthood (mean age 22 years). Path-analyses showed that low self-esteem is an enduring vulnerability for developing depressive symptoms. Self-esteem in early adolescence predicted depressive symptoms in late adolescence as well as early adulthood. This association was independently mediated by avoidance motivation and social problems, but not by approach motivation. The effect sizes were relatively small, indicating that having low self-esteem is a vulnerability factor, but does not necessarily predispose adolescents to developing depressive symptoms on their way to adulthood. Our study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between self-esteem and depressive symptoms, and has identified avoidance motivation and social problems as possible targets for intervention.

The proliferation of sexual health: Diverse social problems and the legitimation of sexuality.

Especially since the 1990s, the term sexual health has flourished in professional, commercial, and lay domains. Yet the more the phrase has become visible, the greater the mutability in its meanings. These developments matter for an understanding of healthism-the idea that modern individuals are enjoined to recognize a moral obligation to maximize their health. Theorists of healthism have paid relatively little attention to sexuality and its frequent rendering as controversial, illegitimate, or stigmatizing. We argue that because pairing "sexual" with "health" serves to legitimize and sanitize sexuality, the framing of sexual issues as matters of sexual health is widely appealing across multiple social arenas, and this appeal helps to explain both the proliferation of the term and the diversification of its uses. Secondly, we argue that while the polysemy of sexual health might suggest that the phrase lacks a clear meaning, in another sense the term is quite meaningful: content analysis of journal articles, newspaper articles, and websites shows that the semantics of sexual health can be categorized into six social problem niches, within which sexuality and health are construed in distinctive ways. For each social problem framing, we identify the implied meanings of both sexuality and health, the "opposite" of sexual health, the institutional action plans, the individual injunctions, and the presumed ontologies of bodies and selves. By focusing on how the conjoining of "sexual" and "health" changes the meanings of both terms, our analysis adds nuance to discussions of healthism: it challenges a singular conception of healthism and points to the need for clearer consideration of its different forms. At the same time, we call attention to the significance of "sexual healthism" as a particular example of the "will to health" while also highlighting implications of characterizing sexual issues as matters of health.

La violencia como problema de salud pública en Venezuela: algunas reflexiones desde la perspectiva del profesional de seguridad ciudadana / Violence as public health problem in Venezuela: some reflections from the perspective of the citizen security professional

En este artículo se efectúa una valoración crítica acerca de la violencia como problema de salud en Venezuela y cómo afecta a la seguridad ciudadana, debido a la importancia que ha adquirido en la actualidad esta temática, relacionada con los derechos humanos, la participación ciudadana, la necesaria convivencia y la capacidad que tengan las comunidades para mejorar su salud y condiciones de vida. Además, se profundiza en el estado actual de la formación del profesional de seguridad ciudadana en la Universidad Nacional Experimental de la Seguridad, en Caracas, Venezuela, y se exponen ciertas limitaciones en dicho proceso que demandan un replanteamiento didáctico

A critical valuation about the violence as health problem in Venezuela and how it affects the citizen security is carried out in this work, due to the importance that this thematic has acquired at the present time, related to the human rights, the citizen participation, the necessary coexistence and the capacity that have the communities to improve their health and life conditions. Also, it is deepened in the current state of the citizen security professional training in the Experimental National University of Security, in Caracas, Venezuela, and certain limitations in this process that demand a didactic reconsideration are exposed.

The Role of the Psychosocial Dimension in the Improvement of Quality of Care: A Systematic Review.

The aim of our systematic review was to analyse the published literature on the psychosocial dimension of care in family medicine and its relationship with quality of care. We wanted to find out whether there is any evidence on the psychosocial approach in (family) medicine. The recommended bio-psycho-social approach, besides the biomedical model of illness, takes into account several co-influencing psychological, sociological and existential factors. An online search of nine different databases used Boolean operators and the following selection criteria: the paper contained information on the holistic approach, quality indicators, family medicine, patient-centred care and/or the bio-psycho-social model of treatment. We retrieved 743 papers, of which 36 fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Including the psychosocial dimension in patient management has been found to be useful in the prevention and treatment of physical and psychiatric illness, resulting in improved social functioning and patient satisfaction, reduced health care disparities, and reduced annual medical care charges. The themes of patient-centred, behavioural or psychosocial medicine were quite well presented in several papers. We could not find any conclusive evidence of the impact of a holistic bio-psycho-social-approach. Weak and variable definitions of psychosocial dimensions, a low number of well-designed intervention studies, and low numbers of included patients limited our conclusions.

Building a Foundation to Reduce Health Inequities: Routine Collection of Sociodemographic Data in Primary Care.

INTRODUCTION: Detailed data on social determinants of health can facilitate the identification of inequities in access to health care. We report on a sociodemographic data collection tool used in a family medicine clinic. METHODS: Four major health organizations in Toronto collaborated to identify a set of 14 questions that covered a range of social determinants of health. These were translated into 13 languages. This survey was self-administered using an electronic tablet to a convenience sample of 407 patients in the waiting room of a primary care clinic. Data were uploaded directly to the electronic medical record. RESULTS: The rate of valid responses provided for each question was high, ranging from 84% to 100%. The questions with the highest number of patients selecting "do not know" and "prefer not to answer" pertained to disabilities and income. Patients reported finding the process acceptable. In subsequent implementation across 5 clinics, 10,536 patients have been surveyed; only 724 (6.9%) declined to participate. CONCLUSION: Collecting data on social determinants of health through a self-administered survey, and linking them to a patient's chart, is feasible and acceptable. A modified survey is now administered to all patients. Such data are already being used to identify health inequities, develop novel interventions, and evaluate their impact on health outcomes.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health in a Clinic Setting: The WellRx Pilot in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Although it is known that the social determinants of health have a larger influence on health outcomes than health care, there currently is no structured way for primary care providers to identify and address nonmedical social needs experienced by patients seen in a clinic setting. We developed and piloted WellRx, an 11-question instrument used to screen 3048 patients for social determinants in 3 family medicine clinics over a 90-day period. Results showed that 46% of patients screened positive for at least 1 area of social need, and 63% of those had multiple needs. Most of these needs were previously unknown to the clinicians. Medical assistants and community health workers then offered to connect patients with appropriate services and resources to address the identified needs. The WellRx pilot demonstrated that it is feasible for a clinic to implement such an assessment system, that the assessment can reveal important information, and that having information about patients' social needs improves provider ease of practice. Demonstrated feasibility and favorable outcomes led to institutionalization of the WellRx process at a university teaching hospital and influenced the state department of health to require managed care organizations to have community health workers available to care for Medicaid patients.

How to Improve Patient Safety Culture in Croatian Hospitals?

Patient safety culture (PCS) has a crucial impact on the safety practices of healthcare delivery systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of PSC in Croatian hospitals and compare it with hospitals in the United States. The study was conducted in three public general hospitals in Croatia using the Croatian translation of the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC). A comparison of the results from Croatian and American hospitals was performed using a T-square test. We found statistically significant differences in all 12 PSC dimensions. Croatian responses were more positive in the two dimensions of Handoff s and Transitions and Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety. In the remaining ten dimensions, Croatian responses were less positive than in US hospitals, with the most prominent areas being Nonpunitive Response to Error, Frequency of Events Reported, Communication Openness, Teamwork within Units, Feedback & Communication about Error, Management Support for Patient Safety, and Staffing. Our findings show that PSC is significantly lower in Croatian than in American hospitals, particularly in the areas of Nonpunitive Response to Error, Leadership, Teamwork, Communication Openness and Staffing. This suggests that a more comprehensive system for the improvement of patient safety within the framework of the Croatian healthcare system needs to be developed. Our findings also help confirm that HSOPSC is a useful and appropriate tool for the assessment of PSC. HSOPSC highlights the PSC components in need of improvement and should be considered for use in national and international benchmarking.

Food Insecurity and the Burden of Health-Related Social Problems in an Urban Youth Population.

PURPOSE: Our study objectives were to (1) determine the prevalence of food insecurity; (2) examine the association between presence and level of food insecurity with other health-related social problems; and (3) assess the predictive values of a two-item food insecurity screen in an urban youth population. METHODS: Patients aged 15-25 years completed a Web-based screening tool. Validated questions were used to identify problems in seven health-related social domains (food insecurity, health care access, education, housing, income insecurity, substance use, and intimate partner violence). Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests and logistic regression models controlled for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, assessed the association between food insecurity and health-related social problems. Predictive values of a two-item food insecurity screen compared with the United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey were calculated. RESULTS: Among 400 patients (mean age 18 years; 69.2% female; 54.6% black; 58.9% public insurance), 32.5% screened positive for food insecurity. Increasing food insecurity level was significantly associated with cumulative burden of social problems (p < .001). In adjusted analyses, food insecurity was associated with problems with health care access (aOR = 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-4.1), education (aOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-5.1), housing (aOR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.8-4.4), income insecurity (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.5), and substance use (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.5-4.3). The two-item screen demonstrated sensitivity of 88.5% and specificity of 84.1%. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of youth in sample experienced food insecurity, which was strongly associated with presence of other health-related social problems. The two-item screen effectively detected food insecurity. Food insecurity screening may lead to identification of other health-related social problems that when addressed early may improve adolescent health.