This study explored sexual orientation and gender identity as predictors of health literacy among adolescents attending New York City (NYC) public high schools. Many studies have demonstrated disparities in sexual health among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents. However, little is known about their health literacy. Health literacy,…

Objectives: With optimized antiretroviral treatment youth living with HIV (YLH) now spend most of their time in schools, making schools an important venue to optimize outcomes. We evaluated school support for YLH. Methods: We conducted surveys with public secondary/high schools in 3 Kenyan counties (Nairobi, Homa Bay, and Kajiado) to determine…

STIs in youth in New Jersey is a growing concern. According to New Jersey' Public Health Data Resource (2020), the total number of STIs in youth from age 15-24 totals 19,698. The current STIs-related sex education programs vary widely in New Jersey in terms of scope, the accuracy of content, emphasis, and effectiveness (Thrive New Jersey…

Background: This study evaluated the effect of the school-based intervention Charge Your Brainzzz on adolescents' social-cognitive determinants, sleep hygiene and sleep duration and quality. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted with 972 students from 10 Dutch high schools. Schools were randomly allocated to the intervention…

Adolescents have the highest rate of internet use, when compared to any other age group. The debate about adolescent social media use and its impact on their mental health has sparked research; however, there is a gap in the literature associated with adolescents diagnosed with depression and their use of social media. The purpose of the…

The use of frequency-based criteria to detect harmful substance use in adolescents is rare despite its potential to identify young people at risk. We compared high school students who use high amounts of substances to students with lower levels (or nil) of use across health and well-being indicators to explore the feasibility of this kind of…

Bed bugs are on the rise and are increasingly perceived as harmful parasites. Because individuals affected by bed bugs often feel disgust and shame and are stigmatized, bed bugs are an important public health and environmental justice concern and therefore a health education issue as well. In this quasi-experimental study, we examine how different…

Background: E-cigarette prevention education aims to mitigate adolescent e-cigarette use. Such education is increasingly delivered through virtual/video-based teaching platforms (e.g. Zoom, Google Classrooms). However, there is little evidence about the effectiveness of virtual e-cigarette education compared to in-person education on adolescents'…

Measures of positive well-being are needed to support the shift away from a deficit-based approach to mental health. This study examined one measure, the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), as a measure of positive well-being used in school-based mental health monitoring efforts. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore…

Background: Since the inception of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System in 1991, all surveys have been conducted in schools, using paper and pencil instruments (PAPI). For the 2019 YRBSS, sites were offered the opportunity to conduct their surveys using electronic data collection. This study aimed to determine whether differences in select…

Background: Little research exists examining the impact of multiple minority identities, particularly sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and sex on health-risk behaviors like mental health, substance use, violence, and sexual risk among high school students in the United States. In this study, we use a nationally representative dataset to examine…

Purpose: Insufficient physical activity leads to an increase in chronic diseases. Skills-based health education methods are supposed to be more successful than traditional methods to promote healthy behaviors. Skills-based health education is an approach to create healthy lifestyles and skills using participatory methods. The purpose of this paper…

Suicide continues to be a considerable health risk among adolescents and is the second leading cause of death among adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24. Middle school-aged adolescents may be at a heightened risk for suicide, as middle school can be rife with intrapersonal and interpersonal stressors. One such stressor may be sexual activity…

The high level of consumption of processed foods has an effect on human health. The consumption of doughnuts, pastries, fried chicken, French fried potatoes, snack chips, and imitation cheese is high among teenagers. These foods are generally rich in fats, although the focus has often been on the quantity rather than the quality of these fats.…

Objective: This study evaluated the longitudinal impact of the Teen Outreach Programme (TOP) on adolescent pregnancy, sexual behaviour, risky sex and sexual intentions in non-metropolitan high schools. Design: Pair-matched, cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting: Non-metropolitan public high schools in Florida, USA. Methods: TOP was…