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The purpose of this study is to examine the problems that pregnant teenagers encounter at school and at home while they are trying to complete their high school education. Data were collected by in-depth interviews. Twenty pregnant adolescents, who were between the ages of 15 through 18, and were participants in a special teen pregnancy program were interviewed. The major findings in this study included the respondents': 1) unstable family life histories, 2) denial that they were pregnant, 3) need for self-identity as an adult, 4) conflict with parents and 5) motivation to complete their high school education. This study points to the need for more research on the problems that pregnant adolescents encounter in their everyday lives.

The teaching of understandings and techniques concerning the care of children is certainly an important part of the homemaking teacher's job, but research by Bettelheim has pointed out that the underlying attitudes of parents often influence how well they put their knowledge into practice.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted to examine the impact of perceived stress on current and future smoking behaviors of rural Virginia middle school students. Data were analyzed for 685 sixth grade students and 554 seventh grade students. Sixth grade students were 52% male, 53% Caucasian American (CA), and 47% African American (AA). For 7th graders, the sample was 53% female and 56% CA (44% AA). Of the 685 sixth grade students, 7% reported that they had smoked cigarettes at least once during the past 30 days (n=46,63% male and 67% CA). By the 7th grade, the percentage of smokers had increased to 13% (n=74, 56% female; 65% CA), A mean perceived stress score for 6th graders was 4.7 (SD=3.1, range=0-12). By the 7th grade, students reported a mean perceived stress level of 5.3 (SD=3.2, range 0-12).A logistical regression revealed that 6th grade stress was predictive of 6th grade "current" smoking (odds ratio=1.2, CI=1.04-1.3), and "ever" smoking statuses (OR=l.1, CI=1.1-1.2). Results also revealed that 7th grade stress was predictive of 7th grade "current" smoking status (OR=1.1, CI=1.02-1.2). Prospective results revealed that 6th grade stress was predictive of 7th grade "current" smoking (OR = 1.2, CI=1.1-1.3). Results also revealed that gender was predictive of both 6th (OR=2.0, CI=1.1-3.7) and 7th (OR=1.5, CI=1.1-2.5) "current" smoking, such that boys were more likely to smoke than girls for each grade. Also more 6th grade Caucasian Americans reported a "current" smoking status than did 6th grade African Americans (OR=2.0, CI = 1.03-3.7). Surprisingly, more African-American 7th graders reported an "ever" smoking status than did 7th grade Caucasian Americans (OR=.55, .37-.82). These data appear promising in that smoking rates range from 7 to 13%. Nevertheless, smoking rates tend to increase with age; thus, adolescents are in need of interventions that prevent smoking initiation and increase cessation. Adolescents may benefit from the addition of stress management components in interventions aimed at teaching more positive ways of coping with perceived stress.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine if regular volunteering during adolescence was associated with a delay in first pregnancy until adulthood. Method: Data for this analysis were drawn from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regression was used, controlling for demographic characteristics and pregnancy intention, to estimate the independent contribution of volunteering during adolescence to a delay in first pregnancy until after age 18. Results: One-third of respondents reported regularly volunteering during adolescence. Volunteering significantly differed among those who had a teen pregnancy compared to those who delayed pregnancy until adulthood (chi-square 6.52, p-value 0.012). In the adjusted analysis, respondents who reported regularly volunteering during adolescence were nearly 60% more likely to delay their first pregnancy until adulthood compared to those who did not volunteer. Conclusions: This analysis is the only one known to have examined volunteering alone, not as part of a multiple component prevention program. Its findings suggest that incorporating volunteering opportunities may make pregnancy prevention programs more successful. In addition, increasing the number of the kinds of volunteering opportunities that are already available may confer some protection against adolescent pregnancy.

Background: Healthy Spirituality helps to find identity, she led to inner harmony and also harmonizes the relationship to the world and external activity. Four dimensions act of faith - an autonomous source present grace, free response and social framework - will appear in therapeutic practice and may contribute to the development of a mature personality and eliminate substance abuse during adolescence and the next life. We can talk about that in difference from other religious direction Christianity has the personality of addictological terms of psychotherapeutic influence. The main aim of my thesis is an overview of the situation of substance use among adolescents from Christian oriented schools of Prague aged 13 to 16 years. Another objective is to compare the results with the results from the ESPAD study in 2011. Method of making data: For these purposes, we used a short questionnaire ESPAD (2007), Prague spirituality questionnaire (PSQ 30) and a standard questionnaire on religious attitudes M. Duda and Smely I. (2013). Participants: The research sample consisted of 96 students from Christian schools aged 13 to 16 years. Data analysis methods: The data were processed at the level of descriptive and mathematical and analytical statistics (chi-square) and the results reported in the tables and...

Magister Public Health - MPH / Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are notably underserved by national HIV programmes globally due to their unique needs. Of particular concern is limited access to and availability of adolescent-friendly ART services, which contributes to poor ART adherence and retention in care in many sub-Saharan African countries. Poor adherence in adolescents has been associated with medicine side effects, pill fatigue, non-disclosure of status to the child, inadequate information on HIV, caregiver-child communication, caregiver’s health beliefs and stigma, and lack of knowledge on the rationale of taking medicines. Several interventions have been developed to improve ART adherence and retention in care amongst ALHIV through peer groups and psychosocial support. The Teen Club intervention was introduced in 2010 at Intermediate Hospital Katutura Paediatric ART clinic in Windhoek to improve ART adherence and retention in care amongst ALHIV by providing psychosocial support in a group environment. However, to date no formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the Teen Club intervention in Namibia has been conducted. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of the Teen Club intervention against standard care on treatment outcomes for ART (i.e. adherence, retention in care and viral suppression) in adolescents at Intermediate Hospital Katutura Paediatric ART clinic in Namibia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of HIV positive adolescents aged 10-19 years, who were accessing ART between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2017 was conducted. Patient data was extracted from the electronic Patient Monitoring System (ePMS), individual Patient Care Booklets and the teen club attendance register. Adherence to ART was measured through pill counts; and retention by kept clinic visits. Viral load results were assessed to measure levels of viral suppression. Adolescents with viral loads ≥ 1000 copies/ml were classified as not virally suppressed whilst those with viral loads <1000 are virally suppressed (with those <40 fully suppressed). Results: The total sample was 385 participants; with 78 of them in the Teen Club (exposed) and 307 adolescents in standard care (unexposed).

abstract: This study explores how a teen center within a local police department in California impacts the lives of local Latinx youth. Through a mixed methods approach of surveys, focus groups, and interviews, the study explores Mexican American youth, the most populous Latinx youth in the United States who are uniquely challenged by varying immigration statuses, mental health, and academic barriers. Theoretically, the study draws out intersections unique to the Latinx youth experiences growing up in America and engages in inter-disciplinary debates about inequities in health and education and policing practices. These intersections and debates are addressed through in-depth qualitative analysis of three participant groups: current youth participants of the teen center’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC), alumni of the YLC, and adult decision makers of the program. Pre- and post-surveys and focus groups are conducted with the youth participants over the span of a full year, while they take part in the teen center program, capturing how the teen center directly impacts their academic achievements, feelings of belonging, mental health, and attitudes towards law enforcement, over time. Interviews with alumni and key decision makers of the teen center further reveal broader patters in how the YLC program positively impacts the lives of Latinx youth and the challenges it faces when federal immigration enforcement complicates local policy relations with local communities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Justice and Human Rights 2019

Objective: In 2010, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13 – 19 year-old males and females in the United States (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2014). The overall goal of this research is to differentiate between measures associated with crashes for young teen drivers, age fourteen to fifteen years on urban and rural roads. Methods: A retrospective study of motor vehicle crashes among 14 and 15-year old drivers in the state of Iowa was conducted using crash information obtained from the Iowa Department of Transportation for the years of 2001 to 2013. Crash rates were calculated by rurality using Urban Influence Codes (UIC). The total number of crashes and crashes resulting in injury were divided by the population of young teen drivers aggregated at the UIC level. Crash and driver characteristics were analyzed for measures of association to the main outcome, injury using logistic regression. Crash and driver characteristics that were associated with injury at the p ≤ 0.20 level were eligible for model inclusion. Results: For every 1,000 young teen drivers age fourteen to fifteen years, nearly 8 were involved in a crash statewide from 2001 - 2013. Half of all crashes in the dataset occurred in an urban area (n = 4327, 51%), while 7% occurred in a suburban area, 29% in a town and 13% in a remote rural area. Results show, for all crashes and crashes resulting in injury, that as the level of rurality increases, rates of crash also increase. Remote rural crashes have the highest crash rate ratio (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.22), relative to urban crashes. The presence of multiple teen passengers in the vehicle increased the odds of having a crash that resulted in injury 10.73 times, compared to no passengers being present (95% CI: 7.10, 16.22). Characteristics with the strongest association with injury were single vehicle collisions, crashes that occurred on rural roads, crashes were the driver lost control and crashes were multiple teen passengers were present. Conclusions: Results from this study highlight the dangerous circumstances that young teen drivers face, especially when driving on rural roads. In order to protect young teen drivers from crashes, there is a need for more restrictions on the number of passengers and the development of prevention methods to make young teen drivers safer.

This review of sexual education in the United States broadly defines the two most common approaches in sexual education seen in this country today. I cover the status of certain sexual behaviors and risks amongst the teenage population in the U.S. and specifically cover reported sexual activity in high school students and overall data on teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This work specifically looks at Maine, California, Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, and New Mexico to highlight the variety of state policies concerning sexual education and the differences in teenage sexual behaviors that exist within each of those six states. A description of how cultural influences can affect a young person’s sexual behavior is also given. In the final discussion section of this paper I have emphasized the need for more comprehensive sexual education programs in the United States and the importance of providing culturally sensitive programs in order to continue the fight against teenage pregnancy and STI rates in adolescents.