Background: Due to shared health behaviors and disease risk, families may be more effective targets for health promotion. This study assessed whether providing family health history (FHH)-based risk information for heart disease and diabetes affected encouragement to engage in physical activity (PA) and healthy weight (HW) maintenance and…

We examined frequency and intensity of racial/ethnic discrimination and the longitudinal relationship to substance use. The sample included (N = 1,421) American Indian, American Indian and White, and White adolescents. A high frequency of perceived racial discrimination was associated with an increased risk for heavy alcohol use, prescription drug…

Objective: Between 2013 and 2014, past 30-day use of e-cigarettes increased from 4.5% to 13.4% among US high school students aged 9-19 years. We sought to examine the influence of perceived addiction and harm of e-cigarettes on e-cigarette use among adolescents. Design: Self-reported use and perception of harm of e-cigarettes were assessed using a…

This investigation examined the association between alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention/education programs and drinking behaviors among students aged 12 to 17 years. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 17,736). AOD prevention/education was assessed in three school settings: special class,…

This study examined associations between main references Anglophone and Francophone men and women refer to when learning healthy eating, and their knowledge of best food habits (KBFH), body mass index (BMI) status, sex, age, education, and household income. Data were obtained from a 2012 Statistics Canada survey (Canadian Community Health Survey:…

Adolescents' transition into adulthood often coincides with significant developmental change processes. Behavioral patterns established during this period can determine risk and quality of life trajectories (Ben-Shlomo & Kuh, 2002, Halfon & Hochstein, 2002). Social support facilitates health behavior change and college students have ready…

Sexually Transmitted Infections have resulted in millions of dollars being spent by the public in health care costs. Sexually transmitted infections continue to remain a public health concern among young adults. Youth are more susceptible to overlooking the consequences of promiscuous sexual behavior. Promiscuous behaviors include multi partners,…

Objective: Although Hispanic adolescents in the USA are often the focus of sexual health interventions, their response to survey measures has rarely been assessed within evaluation studies. This study documents the test-retest reliability of a wide range of self-reported sexual health values, attitudes, knowledge and behaviours among Hispanic…

Objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of binge eating disorder on university campus, its associations with health risk factors, and its associations with work and classroom productivity and activity impairment, adjusted for health risk factors. Participants: The study was conducted at a public midwestern university in the United…

Adolescence is characterized by increasing incidence of health risk behaviors, including experimentation with drugs and alcohol. To fill the gap in our understanding of the associations between risky decision-making and health risk behaviors, we investigated associations between laboratory-based risky decision-making using the Stoplight task and…

Objectives: This study examined whether self-focused and other-focused resiliency help explain how early family adversity relates to perceived stress, subjective health, and health behaviors in college women. Participants: Female students (N = 795) participated between October 2009 and May 2010. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures…

Childhood obesity and related health consequences are currently considered some of the most important health challenges in our nation today. Early intervention programs designed to teach healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors are imperative to addressing this issue. Evidence suggests that intervention programs offered at an earlier age may reduce…

Noncommunicable disease (NCD), principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes, constitutes the major cause of death worldwide. Evidence of a continuing increase in the global burden of these diseases has generated recent urgent calls for global action to tackle and reduce related death and disability. Because the…

The Sex Squad is a collective of US-based college students, who create and perform monologues, scenes and musical parodies for ninth graders (ranging in age from 13 to 15). The Sex Squad is the central element in the "AMP!" programme for adolescent sexual health, developed at the University of California-Los Angeles in collaboration with…

Background: Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15-19. Research has established an association across numerous risk factors and suicide, including depression, substance abuse, bullying victimization, and feelings of alienation. However, the connection between disordered eating as manifested in extreme weight-control…