Implementing a youth advisory board to inform adolescent health and medication safety research.

Adolescents are a crucial, yet underrepresented population for health service researchers to study. Nevertheless, youth are rarely included in the design, implementation, and evaluation of research. There is a lack of literature describing adolescents as advisors in health services research in pharmacy. The creation of a youth advisory board (YAB) provides a platform for youth to contribute to the design and implementation of research aimed at improving health and medication use in the pediatric population. This commentary describes the development, benefits, challenges, and lessons learned from the first YAB at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Collaborative Research on MEdication use & family health (CRoME) Lab alongside feedback from the youth members.

Psychometric validation of the AOSL scale using confirmatory factor analysis: A nationally representative sample.

BACKGROUND: The opioid overdose epidemic has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data revealed a 28.5% increase in drug-related overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020. Adolescents often misuse family members' and friends' prescription opioid medications. Furthermore, adolescents may not possess the knowledge or understanding to safely manage opioid medications. There is a need for a validated scale to effectively measure adolescents' opioid misuse knowledge, attitudes, and interest in learning about prescription opioid safety. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to validate the Adolescent Opioid Safety and Learning (AOSL) scale with a nationally representative sample of adolescents and confirm the factor structure of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS: Adolescent participants (aged 13-18 years) completed the 16-item AOSL scale in Qualtrics from November to December 2020. A total of 774 responses were analyzed. A CFA was performed to determine the fit of the data to the 4-factor model proposed by a prior exploratory factor analysis of the AOSL scale. Fit was assessed using the chi-square test, comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and root mean-squared error of approximation (RMSEA). RESULTS: Participants were 50% male and 62% white non-Hispanic. The CFI was 0.984, TLI was 0.980, and RMSEA was 0.048 ([95% CI 0.041-0.054], P-value that RMSEA ≤ 0.05 = 0.712). The chi-square test results were χ2 = 268.752 on 98 degrees of freedom (P < 0.001). Cronbach's alpha, a measure of internal consistency, was high within each factor. CFA indicated good fit of the current study's data to the 4-factor model. CONCLUSION: We found the AOSL scale measures adolescents' knowledge of opioid misuse, knowledge of opioid harm, interest in learning about prescription opioids, and likelihood to practice misuse behaviors. This scale can help researchers understand adolescent perceptions and opinions about opioid safety.

Examining adolescents' opioid knowledge and likelihood to utilize an educational game to promote medication safety.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents' knowledge on opioids is seldom studied, despite the fact young people are one of the groups most affected by the opioid crisis within the United States. There is a need to understand adolescents' perceptions about opioid misuse and safety to create the necessary tools to educate adolescents on safe opioid use. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to understand adolescents' knowledge and perceptions of opioid use and safety as well as their receptiveness to using an educational game for improving medication safety knowledge. METHODS: A 67-item survey was developed to assess adolescents' opioid perceptions, knowledge, and the likelihood of an educational game to enhance their opioid medication safety. A nationally representative sample of US adolescents aged 12 to 18 were recruited via a Qualtrics participant panel to complete the online survey from October through November 2020. Survey questions were grouped into 10 categories to represent key concepts and summarized into concept scores. Concepts were described through means, median, and range as well as percent correct for individual questions. Differences between groups were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Concept scores and their relation to the participant's age were described by the Pearson's correlation coefficient and the linear model coefficient. RESULTS: A total of 592 responses were analyzed. Male and older participants reported greater perceived opioid knowledge than females. White participants reported higher rates of perceived opioid knowledge, behavioral intent, and knowledge of safe medication disposal than any other racial group. About 80% of participants were receptive to the use of an educational game to increase their opioid safety knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: There are discrepancies in adolescents' knowledge on opioid safety and harm amongst genders, race, and age. Study findings support the use of an educational game to increase adolescents' opioid knowledge. Future studies should design an educational game intended for a diverse audience.

Development of the Adolescent Opioid Safety and Learning (AOSL) scale using exploratory factor analysis.

BACKGROUND: While adolescents in the United States are one of the most affected groups by the opioid crisis, their perceptions on opioid misuse and preferences for education are rarely studied. Although it is critical to educate adolescents on proper opioid use and storage, many educational tools need easy measurement scales to systematically document learning of targeted programs. It is essential to understand adolescents' knowledge about opioid risks and perceptions about the opioid crisis to design effective preventive interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an effective scale that measures adolescents' knowledge about opioid misuse and interest in learning about prescription opioid safety. METHODS: Using survey data from 188 high school students in the Midwest, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the underlying structure of an initial 68 items. Items were adapted from a statewide survey previously designed to document awareness of prescription drug misuse and abuse in the state of Wisconsin. Refinement of the scale used factor analysis iterations and internal consistency measures. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine internal consistency among the items. RESULTS: Three exploratory factor analysis iterations resulted in a 16-item four-factor structure describing adolescents' knowledge of misuse and harm, their interest in learning about prescription opioids, and their tendency to practice misuse behaviors. Internal consistency and the correlation among factors were examined and strong (Cronbach's α > 0.8). The final 16-item instrument was termed the Adolescent Opioid Safety and Learning (AOSL) Scale. CONCLUSIONS: When combined with adolescent opioid education tools, the AOSL Scale can help assess and document medication safety learning. The four subscales could support researchers and practitioners in measuring adolescents' orientation towards prescription opioid misuse. The AOSL Scale may also be used in developing targeted educational materials on prevention of opioid misuse for adolescents.

Adolescents' Perceptions About Cancer and Preferences for Cancer Education.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death within the United States. Adolescence remains a critical stage of development in which new cognitive skills and lifestyle factors related to cancer are acquired. It is critical to understand adolescents' knowledge of cancer and preferences for receiving clear and easy-to-comprehend information about cancer and cancer prevention. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescents' perceptions of cancer and cancer risk factors and identify their preferences for receiving cancer prevention education. METHODS: The survey used in this study was based on the Health Belief Model framework, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the Cancer, Clear & Simple (CC&S) Curriculum. The survey evaluated adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and health-related behaviors regarding cancer and cancer prevention among adolescents. Three Midwestern middle and high schools were recruited, and 235 students completed the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Study participants had some basic knowledge of cancer; however, only 66% recognized that individuals have control over their risk of developing cancer. Participants (95%) reported that cancer prevention was important, yet only 37.3% stated they knew how to lower their risk of getting cancer and 50% indicated that they currently try to make decisions that lower their chances of getting cancer. About 82% stated that an educational game would be a useful tool to learn about cancer and prevention. CONCLUSION: Study findings indicate the need for an increase in adolescent knowledge of cancer, specifically how they can control their cancer risk, and prevention strategies through development of game-based education to teach adolescents about cancer-related topics.