Analysis of Candy Tobacco Imitation Products Available Online in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Youth tobacco use remains a critical public health concern, and childhood use of candy tobacco imitation products (CTIP) is associated with cigarette use among youth. However, no research has examined the full extent of CTIP available for purchase in the United States. AIMS AND METHODS: We conducted a content analysis of CTIP available on English-language, US-based websites. We identified sites that marketed CTIP utilizing Google and candy retail websites, examining each product for product names, the tobacco product being replicated (eg, cigar and cigarette), manufacturer, candy flavor, images, product rating, pack color, and if the product had packaging that may appeal to youth. RESULTS: We found 66 CTIP available. The most popular CTIP were cigars, with 39 separate products (59%), followed by candy cigarettes-14 products (21%), candy pipes-8 products (12%), and chewing tobacco-5 products (8%). In the 52 products where packaging design was available, 39 (75%) had packaging that may appeal to youth. CONCLUSIONS: CTIP, many of which contain packaging appealing to youth, are widely available for purchase online across the United States. These findings could stimulate policy actions, such as removal of CTIP from popular retail websites, labeling of CTIP as potentially dangerous to youth, or age verification requirements for purchasing CTIP. IMPLICATIONS: CTIP continues to be sold on the internet despite research indicating candy cigarette product use by youth increases their likelihood of smoking. We conducted research to understand the extent to which CTIP are sold on the internet and whether these products are being marketed to youth. The results provide evidence that some of the largest retail companies in the world continue to sell CTIP, and the majority are sold in packaging that likely appeals to youth. The results suggest that further research into the market for these products is needed, and regulatory measures should be considered to prevent CTIP from leading to youth tobacco use.

Multiple Perspectives on Motivating Parents in Pediatric Primary Care to Initiate Participation in Parenting Programs.

OBJECTIVE: To use multiple perspectives to identify the key components of pediatric primary care conversations for motivating parents to utilize parenting programs. We aim to develop an actionable framework that primary care clinicians (PCCs) can follow for effective conversations with parents. METHODS: We conducted focus groups and interviews with researchers (n = 6) who have experience delivering parenting interventions through primary care, clinical personnel in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) (n = 9), parents of 3-5-year olds who receive services at a FQHC pediatric clinic (n = 6), and parent educators (n = 5). Groups and interviews were informed by nominal group technique, and researchers triangulated consolidated strategies across the groups. RESULTS: Key strategies for PCCs to motivate parents to utilize parenting programs followed three steps: 1) learning about a parent's questions and concerns, 2) sharing resources, and 3) following up. PCCs can learn about parents' needs by empathizing, listening and responding, and asking questions that acknowledge parents' expertise. When sharing resources, PCCs can motivate participation in parenting programs by explaining each resource and its benefits, providing options that support parents' autonomy, and framing resources as strengthening rather than correcting parents' existing strategies or skills. Finally, PCCs can continue to engage parents by scheduling follow-up conversations or designating a staff member to check-in with parents. We provide examples for each strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide guidance from multiple perspectives on strategies to motivate parents in pediatric primary care setting for utilizing parenting programs.

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Primary Care Provider-Delivered Social Media Counseling Intervention.

PURPOSE: Evidence and clinical policy support that providers screen and counsel for media use for youth, but most pediatricians lack this training. The purpose of this study was to test a primary care provider (PCP)-delivered intervention to promote safe social media use among youth. METHODS: We enrolled pediatric PCP practices for this clinical trial to test a social media counseling intervention (SMCI) between 2011 and 2013. Youth were recruited during clinic visits; follow-up interviews were conducted at 6 months. Outcomes included media behaviors and caregiver communication. Multivariate regression models examined associations between social media counseling and PCP counseling score. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated four social media behavior outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 120 practices enrolled; PCPs in the SMCI were more likely to provide social media counseling (B = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.7). Youth whose PCP received the SMCI were twice as likely to report a decrease in online "friending" of strangers (adjusted odds ratio = 2.23, 95% CI 1.17-4.25) and were more likely to report communication with their caregivers about their social media use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) compared to youth whose PCPs were in the active control group. DISCUSSION: Youth whose PCP had received social media counseling training reported a higher receipt of counseling about social media and improved safety behaviors.

Provider Facilitation of Parent-Adolescent Health Communication: Findings From a National Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Primary care providers are well-positioned to facilitate parent-adolescent health communication. We examined provider-facilitated parent-adolescent health communication prevalence and associations with parent-adolescent health communication. METHOD: Using data from a national survey of parent-adolescent dyads (n = 853), we calculated the prevalence of provider-facilitated parent-adolescent health communication about 11 topics as a result of adolescent's last preventive visit. We examined correlates of of provider-facilitatedparent-adolescent communication and associations with with parent-adolescent communication. RESULTS: Eighteen percent of adolescents reported that a provider helped them talk with their parent about a health concern, with little variability by adolescent, parent, or provider characteristics. Prevalence of parent-adolescent communication because of an adolescent's last preventive visit ranged between 38.4% and 79.5%. Provider facilitation was positively associated with parent-adolescent communication for all topics. DISCUSSION: Given the low prevalence of provider-facilitated-parent-adolescent health communication and positive associations between provider facilitation and parent-adolescent communication about multiple important health-related topics, efforts to improve this practice could be beneficial.

Opportunities to Improve Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Primary Care Clinics.

Primary care providers are well positioned to address the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents; however, gaps often exist in the delivery of quality SRH services in primary care. Our objective was to identify specific opportunities to improve the delivery of adolescent SRH services in primary care. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 primary care providers from various disciplines across rural and urban areas of Minnesota and conducted thematic analysis of transcribed data. Participants identified salient opportunities in three areas: (1) training and resources for providers (e.g., related to minor consent laws or addressing sensitive subjects), (2) practices and procedures (e.g., time-alone procedures and policies for confidential screening and sharing test results), and (3) education for adolescents (e.g., knowing their rights and accessing confidential SRH services). Study findings provide actionable opportunities to improve delivery of adolescent SRH services in primary care.

Advocacy for Global Tobacco Control and Child Health.

Tobacco and secondhand smoke remain leading threats to public health. Evidence since the 1950s has shown that the tobacco industry has acted in bad faith to deceive the public about the health effects of smoking. They have specifically targeted vulnerable populations including children and adolescents with various-and often misleading-marketing efforts and promotions. The increased popularity and weak regulation of electronic cigarettes have created a new generation of smokers who mistakenly believe they are "safer" from harm. Continued research, advocacy, and government action are needed to protect public health. Public health advocates must know the evidence, build coalitions, and prepare for industry countermeasures. Persistence is key, but public health efforts have successfully decreased tobacco-related deaths.

Indirect effects of COVID-19 on child and adolescent mental health: an overview of systematic reviews.

INTRODUCTION: To control the spread of COVID-19, mitigation strategies have been implemented globally, which may have unintended harmful effects on child and adolescent mental health. This study aims to synthesise the indirect mental health impacts on children and adolescents globally due to COVID-19 mitigation strategies. METHODS: We included relevant reviews from MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, LILACS, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science until January 2022 that examined the impact of COVID-19-related lockdown and stay-at-home measures on the mental health of children and adolescents. Data extraction and quality assessments were completed independently and in duplicate by BC and LH. A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2 was used to assess the methodological quality. RESULTS: Eighteen systematic reviews, comprising 366 primary studies, found a pooled prevalence of 32% for depression (95% CI: 27 to 38, n=161 673) and 32% for anxiety (95% CI: 27 to 37, n=143 928) in children and adolescents globally following COVID-19 mitigation measures. Subgroup analyses also uncovered important differences for both depression and anxiety by World Health Organization regions with few studies from Africa and relative high burden of anxiety and depression in the Eastern Mediterranean region. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a high prevalence of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, globally, compared with prepandemic estimates. These findings highlight the urgency for governments and policymakers to strengthen mental health systems in the COVID-19 recovery, especially in low-and middle-income countries where compounding psychological stress, access and affordability of care and discrepant reporting of mental health in this population remains a challenge. We also provide insight into how to alter mitigation strategies to reduce the unintended negative consequences for the health and well-being of children and adolescents in future pandemics. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022309348.

Cross-sectional online survey of clinicians' knowledge, attitudes and challenges to screening and counselling adolescents and young adults for substance use.

OBJECTIVE: To examine adolescent healthcare clinicians' self-reported screening practices as well as their knowledge, attitudes, comfort level and challenges with screening and counselling adolescents and young adults (AYA) for cigarette, e-cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, hookah and blunt use. DESIGN: A 2016 cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Academic departments and community-based internal medicine, family medicine and paediatrics practices. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent healthcare clinicians (N=771) from 12 US medical schools and respondents to national surveys. Of the participants, 36% indicated male, 64% female, mean age was 44 years (SD=12.3); 12.3% of participants identified as Asian, 73.7% as white, 4.8% as black, 4.2% as Hispanic and 3.8% as other. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Survey items queried clinicians about knowledge, attitudes, comfort level, self-efficacy and challenges with screening and counselling AYA patients about marijuana, blunts, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah and alcohol. RESULTS: Participants were asked what percentage of their 10-17 years old patients they screened for substance use. The median number of physicians reported screening 100% of their patients for cigarette (1st, 3rd quartiles; 80, 100) and alcohol use (75, 100) and 99.5% for marijuana use (50,100); for e-cigarettes, participants reported screening half of their patients and 0.0% (0, 50), (0, 75)) reported screening for hookah and blunts, respectively. On average (median), clinicians estimated that 15.0% of all 10-17 years old patients smoked cigarettes, 10.0% used e-cigarettes, 20.0% used marijuana, 25.0% drank alcohol and 5.0% used hookah or blunts, respectively; yet they estimated lower than national rates of use of each product for their own patients. Clinicians reported greater comfort discussing cigarettes and alcohol with patients and less comfort discussing e-cigarettes, hookah, marijuana and blunts. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified low rates of screening and counselling AYA patients for use of e-cigarettes, hookahs and blunts by adolescent healthcare clinicians and points to potential missed opportunities to improve prevention efforts.

Receipt of Private Time Among Adolescents and Young Adults With and Without Special Healthcare Needs.

PURPOSE: Private time is an opportunity for the adolescent patient to speak directly to a healthcare provider and a marker of quality preventive health care. Little is known about whether adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with special healthcare needs (SHCNs) are afforded private discussions with their primary care clinicians. METHODS: We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,209 adolescents (13-18 years) and 709 young adults (19-26 years) about whether they had SHCNs and whether they had ever had private, one-on-one time with their healthcare providers. RESULTS: SHCNs were reported by 20.3% of adolescents and 15.6% of young adults. Among adolescents, older age was associated with more SHCNs. Among young adults, women and blacks were more likely to report SHCNs than men and those reporting other race categories. For both AYAs, those with SHCNs more often received private time than those without SHCNs: 54.2% of adolescents and 88.1% of young adults with SHCNs reported ever having received private time, compared with 29.6% of adolescents and 62.1% of young adults without SHCNs. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of private time continues to impact quality primary care for AYAs; however, AYAs with SHCNs are more likely to have received private time than AYAs who do not have SHCNs. Further research is needed to understand whether increased number of clinical visits, clinician-related factors, or other factors lead to more opportunities for young people with SHCNs to receive private time from their clinicians.

Barriers and Motivators for Smoking Cessation Among Caregivers of Inpatient Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine perceived barriers and motivators for smoking cessation among caregivers of inpatient pediatric patients. METHODS: From December 2014 to June 2018, trained tobacco counselors conducted motivational interviews (MI) with caregivers of inpatient pediatric patients ages 0 to 17, who participated in the intervention arm of a smoking cessation randomized controlled trial. By using NVivo 12 software, the first MI session with each caregiver was evaluated by 3 individuals to identify and categorize motivators and barriers; agreement among reviewers was reached. Barriers and motivators were examined in bivariable analysis with χ2 or Fisher's exact tests for categorical factors and with t-tests for continuous factors by using SAS 9.4 software. RESULTS: Of the 124 caregivers randomized to intervention, 99 subjects (80%) completed ≥1 MI sessions. The most prevalent barriers to cessation were stress (57%) and social influence (37%).The most prevalent motivators were desire to lead a healthy life (54%) and desire to improve the child and family's well-being (47%). Older parent age was associated with wanting to lead a healthy life, and younger child age was associated with wanting to improve the child and family's well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding barriers and motivators to cessation among caregivers is crucial in reducing pediatric secondhand smoke (SHS). When developing caregiver cessation programs in an inpatient clinic encounter, caregiver barriers and motivators may help in targeting education and strategies to help counselors and clinicians better identify and support caregivers who wish to quit smoking.

Correlates of Sexual and Reproductive Health Discussions During Preventive Visits: Findings From a National Sample of U.S. Adolescents.

PURPOSE: This study examines characteristics of healthcare delivery, providers, and adolescents associated with provider-adolescent discussions about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) during preventive visits. METHODS: Data were from a 2019 national internet survey of U.S. adolescents ages 11-17 years and their parents. Adolescents who had a preventive visit in the past 2 years (n = 853) were asked whether their provider discussed each of eight SRH topics at that visit: puberty, safe dating, gender identity, sexual orientation, whether or not to have sex, sexually transmitted infections including human immunodeficiency virus, birth control methods, and where to get SRH services. Eight multivariable logistic regression models were examined (one for each SRH topic as the outcome), with each model including modifiable healthcare delivery and provider characteristics, adolescent beliefs, behaviors, and demographic characteristics as potential correlates. RESULTS: Provider-adolescent discussions about SRH topics at the last preventive visit were positively associated with face-to-face screening about sexual activity for all eight topics (range of adjusted odds ratios [AORs] = 3.40-9.61), having time alone with the adolescent during that visit (seven topics; AORs = 1.87-3.87), and ever having communicated about confidentiality with adolescents (two topics; AORs = 1.88-2.19) and with parents (one topic; AOR = 2.73). Adolescents' perception that a topic was important to discuss with their provider was associated with provider-adolescent discussions about seven topics (AORs = 2.34-5.46). CONCLUSIONS: Findings that provider-adolescent discussions about SRH during preventive visits were associated with modifiable practices including time alone between providers and adolescents and screening about sexual activity can inform efforts to improve the delivery of adolescent SRH services within primary care.

Parents' Sources of Adolescent Sexual Health Information and Their Interest in Resources From Primary Care.

OBJECTIVE: To examine sources of information used by parents to facilitate parent-adolescent communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), parents' preferences for receiving SRH information through primary care, and factors associated with parents' interest in primary-care-based SRH information (ie, resources recommended or offered in the primary care setting). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a nationally representative sample of 11-17-year-old adolescents and their parents (n = 1005 dyads) were surveyed online; 993 were retained for these analyses. Parents were asked about their use of 11 resources to help them talk with their adolescents about SRH and rated the likelihood of using specific primary-care-based resources. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine characteristics associated with parent interest in primary-care-based SRH resources. RESULTS: Only 25.8% of parents reported receiving at least a moderate amount of SRH information from primary care; half (53.3%) reported receiving no SRH information from their adolescent's provider. Parents received the most information from personal connections (eg, spouse/partner, friends). Most parents (59.1%) reported being likely to utilize a primary-care-based resource for SRH information. Parents who previously received SRH information from primary care sources had greater odds of reporting they would be likely to utilize a primary-care-based resources (AOR = 4.06, 95% CI: 2.55-6.46). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into parents' sources of information for communicating with their adolescents about SRH and ways primary care practices might increase support for parents in having SRH conversations with their adolescents. Future studies are needed to establish clinical best practices for promoting parent-adolescent communication about SRH.