Adolescent Δ8-THC and Marijuana Use in the US.

Importance: Gummies, flavored vaping devices, and other cannabis products containing psychoactive hemp-derived Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are increasingly marketed in the US with claims of being federally legal and comparable to marijuana. National data on prevalence and correlates of Δ8-THC use and comparisons to marijuana use among adolescents in the US are lacking. Objective: To estimate the self-reported prevalence of and sociodemographic and policy factors associated with Δ8-THC and marijuana use among US adolescents in the past 12 months. Design, Setting, and Participants: This nationally representative cross-sectional analysis included a randomly selected subset of 12th-grade students in 27 US states who participated in the Monitoring the Future Study in-school survey during February to June 2023. Exposures: Self-reported sex, race, ethnicity, and parental education; census region; state-level adult-use (ie, recreational) marijuana legalization (yes vs no); and state-level Δ8-THC policies (regulated vs not regulated). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was self-reported Δ8-THC and marijuana use in the past 12 months (any vs no use and number of occasions used). Results: In the sample of 2186 12th-grade students (mean age, 17.7 years; 1054 [48.9% weighted] were female; 232 [11.1%] were Black, 411 [23.5%] were Hispanic, 1113 [46.1%] were White, and 328 [14.2%] were multiracial), prevalence of self-reported use in the past 12 months was 11.4% (95% CI, 8.6%-14.2%) for Δ8-THC and 30.4% (95% CI, 26.5%-34.4%) for marijuana. Of those 295 participants reporting Δ8-THC use, 35.4% used it at least 10 times in the past 12 months. Prevalence of Δ8-THC use was lower in Western vs Southern census regions (5.0% vs 14.3%; risk difference [RD], -9.4% [95% CI, -15.2% to -3.5%]; adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.35 [95% CI, 0.16-0.77]), states in which Δ8-THC was regulated vs not regulated (5.7% vs 14.4%; RD, -8.6% [95% CI, -12.9% to -4.4%]; aRR, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.23-0.74]), and states with vs without legal adult-use marijuana (8.0% vs 14.0%; RD, -6.0% [95% CI, -10.8% to -1.2%]; aRR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.35-0.91]). Use in the past 12 months was lower among Hispanic than White participants for Δ8-THC (7.3% vs 14.4%; RD, -7.2% [95% CI, -12.2% to -2.1%]; aRR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.34-0.87]) and marijuana (24.5% vs 33.0%; RD, -8.5% [95% CI, -14.9% to -2.1%]; aRR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.59-0.94]). Δ8-THC and marijuana use prevalence did not differ by sex or parental education. Conclusions and Relevance: Δ8-THC use prevalence is appreciable among US adolescents and is higher in states without marijuana legalization or existing Δ8-THC regulations. Prioritizing surveillance, policy, and public health efforts addressing adolescent Δ8-THC use may be warranted.

Estilos de Vida y su relación con el Índice de Masa Corporal en Estudiantes Universitarios de la zona altiplánica del Perú / Lifestyles and their relationship with Body Mass Index in university studentsfrom the highlands of Peru

Introducción: Los estudiantes universitarios por razonesde tiempo y labores académicas recargadas tienen Estilos devida (EV) poco saludables. Es necesario conocer las características de esta problemática para identificar estrategias de intervención educativa y prácticas más efectivas que mejoren la alimentación y nutrición de los universitarios. Objetivo: El objetivo del estudio es determinar la relación en-tre los estilos de vida y el índice de masa corporal en estudiantes universitarios de la zona altiplánica (3812 msnm) en el Perú.Material y métodos: Estudio con enfoque cuantitativo,de nivel descriptivo, correlacional y de corte transversal. Lapoblación estuvo constituida por los estudiantes de laUniversidad Nacional del Altiplano, se consideró una muestrade 194 estudiantes. Se aplicó una encuesta utilizando comoinstrumento un cuestionario autoadministrado para recogerinformación sobre características sociodemográficas y los EV.Para evaluar el estado nutricional se tomó el peso y la tallacon lo que se estimó el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC). Elanálisis de datos se realizó utilizando el programa SPSS ver-sión 22, aplicando la estimación de estadísticos descriptivos,t student, ANOVA y la prueba Chi cuadradoResultados: El promedio del IMC de los estudiantes uni-versitarios indica que su estado nutricional se encuentra enel rango de normalidad, con 22,57 y 23,32 Kg/m2 para varo-nes y mujeres respectivamente, sin diferencia estadística.Según el IMC el 3,1% tiene déficit nutricional, el 76,3% tieneun estado nutricional normal, el 20,6% tiene sobrepeso yobesidad. El promedio de: peso es 64,06 Kg en varones y55,59 Kg en mujeres y talla es 1,68 m en varones y 1,54 men mujeres. El promedio de peso y talla según sexo es esta-dísticamente diferente (AU)

Introduction: University students, due to time constraint sand overloaded academic tasks, have unhealthy Lifestyles(LE). It is necessary to know the characteristics of this problem to identify educational intervention strategies and more effective practices that improve the diet and nutrition of university student. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the relationship between lifestyles and body mass index in university students from the altiplanic zone (3812 masl) in Peru. Material and methods: Study with a quantitative ap-proach, descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional. The pop-ulation was constituted by the students of the NationalUniversity of the Altiplano, a sample of 194 students was con-sidered. A survey was applied using a self-administered ques-tionnaire as an instrument to collect information on sociode-mographic characteristics and EV. To assess the nutritionalstatus, weight and height were taken with which the Body MassIndex (BMI) was estimated. The data analysis was carried outusing the SPSS version 22 program, applying the estimation ofdescriptive statistics, t student, ANOVA and the Chi-square test.Results: The average BMI of university students indicatesthat their nutritional status is in the normal range, with 22.57and 23.32 Kg/m2 for men and women respectively, with nostatistical difference. According to the BMI, 3.1% have a nu-tritional deficit, 76.3% have a normal nutritional status, and20.6% are overweight and obese. The average of: weight is64.06 Kg in men and 55.59 Kg in women and height is 1.68m in men and 1.54 m in women. The average weight andheight according to sex is statistically different.Conclusions: One in five students is overweight andobese. The EV indicators that are related to BMI are: Bodyperception (p=0.003), alcohol consumption (p=0.011), andquality sleep (p=0.027). The other EV indicators do not havea significant relationship with the BMI (AU)

Factores asociados a la ingesta dietética en universitarios peruanos en tiempos de post pandemia / Factors associated with dietary intake in Peruvian university students in post-pandemic times

Introducción: La ingesta dietética de los universitarios peruanos pueden verse afectados por diferentes factores que determinan una condición de salud física y mental lo cual frus trael desarrollo académico óptimo. Objetivo: Identificar los factores asociados a la ingesta dietética en universitarios del Perú, en tiempos de postpandemia. Material y métodos: El estudio fue de corte transversal, participaron 393 universitarios peruanos, mediante una encuesta de ingesta dietética con 8 grupos de alimentos (tubérculos y raíces, cereales y derivados, menestras, carnes y de-rivados, alimentos ultraprocesados, aceites vegetales, verduras, frutas), 7 factores (convive con la familia, lugar deconsumo de alimentos, consumo de alcohol, consumo de tabaco, cambios económicos en el hogar, horas de sueño, actividad física) y tres categorías (disminuyó, sin cambios, incre-mentó). El análisis bivariado se realizó entre los grupos de alimentos y los factores asociados a la ingesta dietética y seempleó la prueba de Chi-cuadrado. Resultados: Los alimentos tuvieron una asociación directacon ingesta de cereales y tubérculos con la convivencia fami-liar (p=0.037; p=0.01 respectivamente), las menestras conlugar de consumo de alimentos (p=0.002) y convivencia fa-miliar (p=0.001), la ingesta de carnes con lugar de consumode alimentos (p= 0.006), consumo de alcohol (p= 0.028) y cambios económicos en el hogar (p=0.033). La ingesta defrutas con la actividad física (p=0.021), la ingesta de verdu-ras con la convivencia familiar (p= 0.003), lugar de consumode alimentos (p= 0.001), consumo de alcohol (p=0.049) yhoras de sueño (p=0.036). La ingesta de aceites vegetalescon la convivencia familiar (p=0.02) y los alimentos ultrapro-cesados con el lugar de consumo (p=0.002) y consumo de al-cohol (p=0.044) (AU)

Introduction: The dietary intake of Peruvian universitys tudents may be affected by different factors that determine a physical and mental health condition which frustrates optimal academic development. Objective: To identify the factors associated with dietary intake in Peruvian university students in post-pandemic. Material and methods: The study was cross-sectional, 393 Peruvian university students participated in a dietary intake survey with 8 food groups (tubers and roots, cereals andderivatives, vegetables, menestras, meats and derivatives, ul-tra-processed foods, vegetable oils, vegetables, fruits), 7 fac-tors (living with the family, place of food consumption, alco-hol consumption, tobacco consumption, economic changes inthe home, hours of sleep, physical activity) and three categories (decreased, unchanged, increased). Bivariate analysiswas performed between food groups and factors associated with dietary intake and the Chi-square test was used. Results: Food had a direct association with cereal and tuber intake with family coexistence (p=0.037; p=0.01 respectively), menestras with place of food consumption (p=0.002)and family coexistence (p=0.001), meat intake with place offood consumption (p= 0.006), alcohol consumption (p=0.028) and economic changes in the household (p=0.033).Fruit intake with physical activity (p=0.021), vegetable intake with family coexistence (p= 0.003), place of food consump-tion (p= 0.001), alcohol consumption (p=0.049) and hours ofsleep (p=0.036). Vegetable oil intake with family cohabitation(p=0.02) and ultra-processed food with place of consumption(p=0.002) and alcohol consumption (p=0.044).Conclusions: The food intake of Peruvian university stu-dents was directly associated with family coexistence, place offood consumption, alcohol consumption, economic changes inthe home, physical activity and hours of sleep (AU)mes.

Meta-analysis and time trend prediction of the prevalence of hypertension in Chinese college students.

BACKGROUND: To understand the prevalence of hypertension among Chinese college students over the past decade (2010-2020) and predict its future trend, we aim to provide a basis for preventing and controlling hypertension among college students. METHODS: Databases such as Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched, and publications on the prevalence of hypertension among Chinese college students from 2010 to 2020 were collected. Search for publications in both Chinese and English databases using keywords "hypertension," "prevalence," "disease status," "cross-sectional survey," "epidemiology," "China," "adolescents," and "college students." Publication screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were independently conducted by 2 researchers. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16, and trends in the prevalence of hypertension among college students were analyzed using R 4.2.0. RESULTS: A total of 37 publications were included in this analysis, which involved 233,603 Chinese college students. The Meta-analysis results showed significant heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 98.9%, P < .05). Using a random-effects model, the overall prevalence of hypertension among college students was estimated to be 3.3% (95% CI = 2.9%-3.6%), with a higher prevalence among male students (6.2%, 95% CI = 5.4%-7.1%) than female students (1.1%, 95% CI = 0.9%-1.3%). The prevalence of hypertension is notably higher in northern regions than in southern regions. The prevalence of hypertension among college students showed an increasing trend from 2010 to 2020. Trend analysis predicted that the prevalence of hypertension among college students will reach 10% and 14.6% by 2030 and 2040, respectively. The risk of hypertension in male students was 4.63 times higher than that of female students (95% CI = 2.97-7.23). Compared normal weight students, overweight and obese students had 3.08 times (95% CI = 2.48-3.82) and 6.69 times (95% CI = 2.25-19.90) higher risk of hypertension, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension in Chinese college students was about 3.3%. The prevalence of hypertension in male college students was higher than that in females, and the prevalence in northern regions was generally higher than that in southern regions. The prevalence of hypertension among Chinese college students will reach 10.0% in the next 10 years and 14.6% in the next 20 years. Male and BMI ≥ 24 were risk factors for hypertension among college students.

Association between bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress disorders among Chinese adolescents: a multiple mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Research that focused on the mechanisms underlying the relation between school bullying victimization and PTSD ignored the simultaneous effect of emotional and cognitive factors, which may limit our comprehensive understanding of their roles. Besides, most researchers included non-bullying victims in data analysis, and this may mask the true effect among bullying victims. The present study aimed to explore the relation between bullying victimization and PTSD, and the mediating roles of social anxiety, loneliness, and rumination, after filtering out non-bullying victims. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In April 2019, we used convenience sampling to recruit 5013 students from Grade 10 and 11 in two high schools in Anhui Province, China. The mean age of these students was 16.77 (SD = 0.92) years. They completed five self-report questionnaires including the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-Student Chinese Revision (DBVS-S), the modified PTSD Checklist, the Social Anxiety Scale, the Adolescent Loneliness Scale, and the Rumination Scale. Further, a total of 443 bullying victims were screened out for this study according to the critical score of the DBVS-S. RESULTS: The results showed that bullying victimization had a direct and positive association with PTSD among adolescents (ß = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.046-0.252). Bullying victimization was positively associated with PTSD through increasing adolescents' social anxiety (ß = 0.06, 95%CI: 0.017-0.105), as well as through increasing their loneliness (ß = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.109-0.215). In addition, bullying victimization was positively associated with PTSD through social anxiety via loneliness (ß = 0.04, 95%CI: 0.013-0.067), as well as through loneliness via rumination (ß = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.003-0.033). Bullying victimization was also positively associated with PTSD through a three-step path from social anxiety to rumination via loneliness (ß = 0.004, 95%CI: 0.001-0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Social anxiety, loneliness, and rumination have important mediating effects in the relation between bullying victimization and adolescents' PTSD, in which emotional factors (e.g., social anxiety, loneliness) are more crucial than cognitive factors (e.g., rumination). Intervention should pay more attention to timely alleviate victims' emotional problems to reduce the risk of developing PTSD.

How social media usage affects psychological and subjective well-being: testing a moderated mediation model.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature demonstrates that social media usage has witnessed a rapid increase in higher education and is almost ubiquitous among young people. The underlying mechanisms as to how social media usage by university students affects their well-being are unclear. Moreover, current research has produced conflicting evidence concerning the potential effects of social media on individuals' overall well-being with some reporting negative outcomes while others revealing beneficial results. METHODS: To address the research gap, the present research made an attempt to investigate the crucial role of social media in affecting students' psychological (PWB) and subjective well-being (SWB) by testing the mediating role of self-esteem and online social support and the moderation effect of cyberbullying. The data in the study were obtained from a sample of 1,004 college students (483 females and 521 males, Mage = 23.78, SD = 4.06) enrolled at 135 Chinese universities. AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0 as well as the Process macro were utilized for analyzing data and testing the moderated mediation model. RESULTS: Findings revealed that social media usage by university students was positively associated with their PWB and SWB through self-esteem and online social support, and cyberbullying played a moderating role in the first phase of the mediation process such that the indirect associations were weak with cyberbullying reaching high levels. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the importance of discerning the mechanisms moderating the mediated paths linking social media usage by young adults to their PWB and SWB. The results also underline the importance of implementing measures and interventions to alleviate the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on young adults' PWB and SWB.

High school science fair: School location trends in student participation and experience.

The findings reported in this paper are based on surveys of U.S. high school students who registered and managed their science and engineering fair (SEF) projects through the online Scienteer website over the three years 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22. Almost 2500 students completed surveys after finishing all their SEF competitions. We added a new question in 2019/20 to our on-going surveys asking the students whether their high school location was urban, suburban, or rural. We learned that overall, 74% of students participating in SEFs indicated that they were from suburban schools. Unexpectedly, very few SEF participants, less than 4%, indicated that they were from rural schools, even though national data show that more than 20% of high school students attend rural schools. Consistent with previous findings, Asian and Hispanic students indicated more successful SEF outcomes than Black and White students. However, whereas Asian students had the highest percentage of SEF participants from suburban vs. urban schools- 81% vs. 18%, Hispanic students had the most balanced representation of participants from suburban vs. urban schools- 55% vs. 39%. Differences in students' SEF experiences based on gender and ethnicity showed the same patterns regardless of school location. In the few items where we observed statistically significant (probability < .05) differences based on school location, students from suburban schools were marginally favored by only a few percentage points compared to students from urban schools. In conclusion, based on our surveys results most students participating in SEFs come from suburban schools, but students participating in SEFs and coming from urban schools have equivalent SEF experiences, and very few students participating in SEFs come from rural schools.

Changes in Tobacco Product Use Among Students Aged 13 to 15 Years in 34 Countries, Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 2012-2020.

INTRODUCTION: Most adults who currently use tobacco start before age 21. Comprehensive, cost-effective strategies and interventions to prevent initiation and encourage tobacco use cessation among youth are critical aspects of protecting youth from the harms of commercial tobacco. We describe changes in current tobacco product use among youth in 34 sites using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). METHODS: GYTS is a nationally representative school-based survey of students aged 13 to 15 years. The analysis included 34 sites that completed 2 survey waves during 2012-2020. Prevalence of current tobacco use was assessed for each country. Marginal effects in multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence difference (aPD) between waves. RESULTS: The adjusted prevalence of current tobacco product use remained unchanged in more than 60% of the included sites. For any tobacco use, significant decreases were reported for Bhutan (aPD = -8.1; 95% CI, -12.9 to -3.4), Micronesia (aPD = -7.2; 95% CI, -9.7 to -4.7), San Marino (aPD = -7.0; 95% CI, -11.2 to -2.7), Togo (aPD = -2.7; 95% CI, -4.6 to -0.7), and Panama (aPD = -2.2; 95% CI, -4.1 to -0.4); significant increases were reported for Moldova, Albania, and Paraguay. Current e-cigarette use increased significantly in 7 of 10 sites. CONCLUSION: Data show that progress toward reducing tobacco use among youth stalled during 2012-2020, while e-cigarette use increased in a few sites with available data.

Factors Associated With Binge Eating Among Chinese University Students in Hong Kong.

Binge eating (BE), defined as uncontrolled overconsumption of food, is associated with poorer health status. We aimed to characterize the factors associated with BE among Chinese college students. University students from two universities in Hong Kong (n = 267) completed an anonymous online questionnaire that contained background questions, the Binge Eating Disorder Screener-7, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire (ALQ) between June and August 2022. Multiple logistic regression and two-sample independent t-test were conducted to test the association of study variables with BE. In this university sample, 36.8% of males and 21.4% of females were classified as engaging in BE in the last three months. BE was statistically significantly associated with higher body mass index (BMI), more depressive symptoms, and lower ALQ nutrition scores among males and lower BMI, more depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms among females. BE was significantly associated with various factors in both male and female university students in Hong Kong; thereby, university health promotion programs should include the management of BE. BE should be a prominent focus of health promotion interventions in conjunction with mental health promotion in the region.

[The studying of motivation of student youth to healthy life-style].

The article considers motivation of students to maintain healthy life-style. The empirical study was carried out on the basis of the Institute of Social Sciences and Mass Communications of the The Belgorod State National Research University (n=440; proportional sampling was based on characteristics of gender, age and course of education). The study results concerning most preferred sources of information about healthy lifestyle, factors of formation of attitudes and habits of healthy life-style, subjective ideas about one's own health and components of healthy life-style are analyzed. The study established that unstable motivational attitudes to healthy life-style are associated with lacking of awareness of value of health as most important factor of life well-being, conniving attitude to one's own health, lacking of competence in matters of health dependence and various aspects of life, lack of formed behavioral standards of healthy lifestyle. The conclusion is made about necessity of forming sustainable motivation for healthy life-style in students.

Vicarious severe school discipline predicts racial disparities among non-disciplined Black and White American adolescents.

Racial disparities in school discipline may have collateral consequences on the larger non-suspended student population. The present study leveraged two longitudinal datasets with 1201 non-suspended adolescents (48% Black, 52% White; 55% females, 45% males; Mage : 12-13) enrolled in 84 classrooms in an urban mid-Atlantic city of the United States during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years. Classmates' minor infraction suspensions predicted greater next year's defiant infractions among non-suspended Black adolescents, and this longitudinal relation was worse for Black youth enrolled in predominantly Black classrooms. For White youth, classmates' minor infraction suspensions predicted greater defiant infractions specifically when they were enrolled in predominantly non-White classrooms. Racial inequities in school discipline may have repercussions that disadvantage all adolescents regardless of race.

Dermatophytosis and the associated risk factors among primary school children in southern and central Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis, particularly the subtype tinea capitis, is common among African children; however, the risk factors associated with this condition are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with tinea capitis and the prevalence rate of other dermatophytoses among primary school students in the rural and urban areas of the southern and central Côte d'Ivoire. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in seven towns of Côte d'Ivoire from October 2008 to July 2009, among 17,745 children aged 4-17 years and attending urban and rural primary schools; a complete physical examination of the skin and appendages, including nails and hair, was performed by the physicians. Direct microscopic examination using 30% potassium hydroxide solution and culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar supplemented with 0.5 g/L chloramphenicol and 0.4 g/L actidione was performed during sampling. RESULTS: For the 17,745 children clinically examined, 2645 exhibited symptoms suggestive of tinea capitis. Positive cultures for dermatophytes were found in 2635 patients, and the overall prevalence rate of tinea capitis was 14.8%. The following factors, age, sex, pets at home, number of bathing daily, sharing of sponges, combs and towels and hair length, were statistically associated with tinea capitis (p < .001). In addition to tinea capitis, other superficial fungal infections were identified among these children. These included tinea corporis (0.9%), tinea unguium (0.6%) and pityriasis versicolor (0.4%). CONCLUSION: Tinea capitis is common among pupils in rural southern and central Côte d'Ivoire, especially in young boys.

Use of tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products among students in Switzerland.

Introduction: Most people who smoke cigarettes begin in their teens and teens may also be attracted to new tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis products. We describe use prevalence among upper-secondary school students in Switzerland, including daily use, of tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis products. Methods: We invited secondary school students (age 15 to 21) in two Swiss cantons to take an online survey between October 2021 and February 2022. The survey collected demographic information and asked how frequently they used tobacco products (cigarettes in commercial packages, self-rolled cigarettes, hookahs, pipes, cigars and cigarillos, tobacco heating systems, snus, snuff), non-tobacco nicotine products (nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes with and without nicotine), and cannabis products (smoking with and without tobacco, cannabis vaping). Answers were scored on a Likert scale (no use in past month, less than weekly, weekly but not daily, daily use, prefer not to say), then tabulated and reported as descriptive statistics. Results: Of 32,614 students in the schools we contacted, 9,515 (29.2%) completed the survey; 49.5% identified as female and 48.4% as male; 9.5% were under 16, 47% were 16-17, 27.5% were 18-19, and 16% were over 19. Reported daily use was most frequent for tobacco cigarettes in commercial packages (14.2%), snus (4.1%) and cannabis smoking with tobacco (3.6%). Most participants (54.8%) reported they had used at least one product at least once within the last month. Conclusion: Students who used a product were most likely to smoke cigarettes, but many regularly used new tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products, though use frequency varies.

Child protective services involvement and exclusionary school discipline.

The study examined the impact of child protective services (CPS) contact on out-of-school suspensions for 49,918 Wisconsin students (followed from ages 5-6 to 14-15; [school years 2010-2019; 74% White; 7% Black; 11% Hispanic; 8% other; 49% female]). A quasi-experimental design comparing recent CPS contact to upcoming (future) CPS contact shows that both recent CPS contact without foster care and future CPS contact predict higher odds of suspension compared with no contact. Higher odds of suspension emerged prior to CPS contact and did not substantially increase during or after CPS contact, suggesting that system-induced stress is not a primary driver of behavioral problems leading to suspension. Foster care reduced the odds of suspension among White children and children in special education.

Optimizing Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey to Identify Factors Associated With HIV Risk Behaviors Among Student MSM Aged 15 to 19.

Male homosexual behavior dominates the mode of HIV infection among students in China. This study aims to identify factors associated with HIV risk behaviors among male students who have sex with men (student MSM) aged 15 to 19 in China. The online sampling used the standard respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method, with recruitment support from community-based organizations (CBOs) in Tianjin and Guangzhou. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to identify factors associated with multiple HIV risk behaviors. A total of 449 subjects were recruited in this study, including 206 in Tianjin and 243 in Guangzhou. The presence of multiple HIV risk behaviors among student MSM, in many cases, was found to positively correlate with parental or friends' awareness of their same-sex sexual behavior or sexual orientation, with some geographical differences. The prevalence of HIV risk behaviors among student MSM aged 15 to 19 was high and associated with the disclosure of their sexual orientation or their sex with males to parents and friends. These findings highlight the importance of addressing social support in HIV prevention among student MSM when delivering HIV-related education or services.

Health literacy and risk of viral hepatitis among Chinese school children.

INTRODUCTION: Poor literacy is associated with hepatitis morbidity and mortality. Adolescents are especially at risk of hepatitis C. This study investigated viral hepatitis literacy, risk, and influencing factors among Chinese middle and high school students. METHODOLOGY: A supervised self-administered survey was conducted with school children from six schools in Shantou, China. Data on demographics, health literacy, and risk of viral hepatitis were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1732 students (from three middle and three high schools) participated in the study. Their major information resources were the internet (39.5%, 685/1732), television (28.8%, 498/1732), family (27.7%, 479/1732), and school (21.2%, 368/1732). The mean literacy score on the manifestations and risk factors of hepatitis was 3.4 ± 2.2 and 4.0 ± 2.3 (out of 8), respectively. Multiple linear regression models showed being female and in high school, having parents with higher education levels, and school or clinicians as an information resource were independent positive predictors, whereas poor awareness of risk factors was a negative predictor for health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: We report the risk of hepatitis among Chinese middle and high school students due to limited literacy and poor attitudes towards health-risk behaviors. Health education in school is recommended for preventable health risks among Chinese adolescents.

Differential attitudes and outcomes of endodontics education between mainland and non-mainland chinese students during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the learning style and campus life of dental students. This study aimed to evaluate the learning attitudes and outcomes of endodontics among mainland Chinese students and non-mainland Chinese students (students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) during the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022 at the School of Stomatology, Jinan University, utilizing a self-report online questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and attitudes toward the endodontic course and the COVID-19 pandemic. The endodontics scores were collected from recruited students for further analysis. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software, with independent two-sample t-tests to compare continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. RESULTS: A total of 215 dental students completed the survey, with 126 (58.6%) of them being non-mainland Chinese students. Compared to mainland Chinese students, non-mainland Chinese students had lower scores in both theoretical (63.6 ± 13.5 vs. 83.2 ± 8.00) and skill (88.4 ± 5.38 vs. 90.0 ± 4.91) endodontic assessments. Non-mainland Chinese students reported significantly greater impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their learning emotions, personal hygiene, and future career choices compared to mainland Chinese students. CONCLUSIONS: Non-mainland Chinese students had poorer academic performance in endodontics and experienced a greater impact from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of their studies and lives. Dental educators should consider the diversity of students and take necessary measures to support their mental health and enhance learning outcomes in the post-COVID-19 era.

The association between academic performance indicators and lifestyle behaviors among Kuwaiti college students.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle behaviors are developed during young adulthood and carried through life. Accordingly, early detection of unhealthy behaviors can help prevent the increase in non-communicable diseases in the population. College students are an especially vulnerable group who, upon entering a new environment, tend to engage in unhealthy behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to evaluate the lifestyle behaviors of Kuwaiti college students and their association with markers of academic achievements. METHODS: One thousand two hundred fifty-nine students participated in the present study and answered an online questionnaire pertaining to their sociodemographic status, academic performance indicators, body weight and height, and lifestyle behaviors. Data were collected from November 2020 to February 2021. RESULTS: Results of the present study showed that obesity was significantly more prevalent among male participants than among females even though males were more physically active. Alternatively, females had a greater grade point average in college, slept more, and had more screen time. Interestingly, we were unable to detect a significant correlation between lifestyle behaviors and academic achievements. CONCLUSION: The observed differences in body mass index between genders may have been attributed to energy intake rather than energy expenditure.

Effect of integrated intervention to prevent child drowning in rural areas of Guangdong, China: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 15 years in Guangdong Province, China. This serious public health issue also exists in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have few value-integrated intervention programs. The current study presents an integrated intervention project that aims to explore an effective pattern of prevention for child drowning in rural areas and feasibility to perform in other LMICs. METHODS: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial by comparing the incidence of non-fatal drowning among children in two groups in rural areas of southern China. We recruited the participants in two phases and reached a total of 10 687 students from 23 schools at two towns in Guangdong Province, China. At the first and second phases, 8966 and 1721 students were recruited, respectively. RESULTS: The final evaluation questionnaires were collected after 18 months of integrated intervention, where we obtained 9791 data from Grades 3-9. The incidence of non-fatal drowning between the intervention and control groups after intervention did not differ significantly from the baseline according to the total number of students, male students, female students and Grades 6-9 [0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.66, 1.00]; p = 0.05, 1.17; 95% CI: [0.90, 1.51]; p = 0.25, 1.40; 95% CI: [0.97, 2.02]; p = 0.07 and 0.97; 95% CI: [0.70, 1.34]; p = 0.86], except for Grades 3-5 (1.36; 95% CI: [1.02, 1.82]; p = 0.037). The study observed a significantly positive benefit of awareness and risk behaviours of non-fatal drowning between the intervention and control groups (0.27, 95% CI: [0.21, 0.33]; p = 0.00, -0.16; 95% CI: [-0.24, -0.08]; p = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: The integrated intervention exerted a significant impact on the prevention and management of child non-fatal drowning, especially in rural areas.