Blog Archives

Research Priorities for Adolescent Health in Low Resource Countries: A Consultation with Experts

8/19/2016

The results of a Delphi consultation with 142 experts (out of 450) is reported in the July 2016 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. " These experts were invited to propose research questions related to descriptive epidemiology, interventions (discovery, development/testing, and delivery/implementation), and health policy/systems; and (3) asked the experts to prioritize the research questions based on five criteria: clarity, answerability, importance or impact, implementation, and equity. Overall, the types of the top 10 research questions in each of the eight health areas included descriptive epidemiology (26%), interventions: discovery (11%), development/testing (25%), delivery (33%), and policy, health and social systems (5%). Across health areas, the top questions highlighted integration of health services, vulnerable populations, and different health platforms (such as primary care, schools, families/parents, and interactive media). The top-ranked question for adolescent health: policy, health and social systems related to platforms to reach the most vulnerable adolescents. Priority topics/questions were identified in these eight areas: Communicable diseases prevention and management, Injuries and violence, Mental health, Noncommunicable diseases management, Nutrition, Physical activity, Substance use, Adolescent health: policy, health and social systems. Read More >>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Review of Interventions to Improve HPV Vaccine Uptake: Schools Offer Best Reach

8/19/2016

A research review of the Interventions to improve HPV vaccine uptake was reported in the July 2016 issue of Pediatrics. "We identified interventions designed to increase HPV vaccine uptake among adolescents and young adults aged 11 to 26 years. All study designs were acceptable. Results were reported according to the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. Fifty-one articles met eligibility criteria: 2 informational interventions, 18 behavioral interventions, and 31 environmental interventions. Factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake were increased vaccine availability, decreased financial barriers, and interventions targeting both providers and patients.Environmental interventions, particularly school-based VP, had 2 major advantages that contributed to their success: increased access to the HPVV and ability to reach a large, diverse population, regardless of individual access to health care. Important themes emerged from descriptions of international school-based VP, which were widely accepted and welcomed by key stakeholders, including school personnel and parents. Location of HPV vaccination varied by age group; younger adolescents were more likely to receive vaccines at school, whereas older adolescents were more likely to go to their health care provider.47,68,72 Similarly, adolescents with poor school attendance had lower vaccination rates than those in school, underscoring the importance of convenience in modifying behavior.72 Finally, the success of environmental interventions in developing countries through school- and clinic-based vaccination programs illustrated that high vaccination coverage is not limited to high-income populations." Read More >>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Successful Scale-up of School Readiness for Low Income Students

8/19/2016

An article in the July 2016 issue of Pediatrics reports on a successful scaling up of a school-readiness program for pre-school children in Chicago. "This study involved the end-of-preschool follow-up of a nonrandomized, matched-group cohort of 2630 predominantly low-income, ethnic minority children who enrolled in the Midwest Child–Parent Centers (CPC) or alternative preschools in the fall of 2012 in 31 schools in Chicago, Illinois. The program provides comprehensive education, family support, and health services. In the preschool component assessed in this study, 1724 children aged 3 to 4 years in all 16 Chicago centers enrolled in the program. The comparison group included 906 children of the same age who participated in the usual preschool services in 14 matched schools. Relative to the comparison group who enrolled in the usual preschool services and adjusted for covariates, CPC participants had higher mean scores on all performance-based assessments of literacy (59.4 vs 52.4; P = .001), socioemotional development (57.0 vs 51.8; P = .001), and physical health (34.5 vs 32.1; P = .001). They also had higher ratings of parental involvement in school (5.3 vs 4.0; P = .04). Group differences also translated into higher rates of meeting national assessment norms." Read More >>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

GSHS Survey Analysis: Varied Parent Involvement & Adolescent Mental Health in Low Resource Countries

8/19/2016

An analysis of the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) data in six sub-Saharan African countries shows that parental involvement in their schooling was correlated with higher levels of mental health. "This study examined the correlation between parental involvement and SSA adolescent mental health. About 15,000 adolescents aged 11–17 from six SSA countries participated in the Global School-Based Health Surveys (2003–2007). Based on the findings, low parental involvement was observed. Binomial regression analysis showed that the strength and direction of the relationship between parental involvement and mental health varied across countries. These findings may indicate the need for more intense mental health intervention efforts including the collaboration of professionals, policy-makers, and parents to guide future child and adolescent mental health services. Read More >>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Gay-Straight Alliances Reduce School-Based Bullying

8/19/2016

A research review in Issue #7, 2016 of the Journal of Youth & Adolescence concludes that Gay-Straight Alliances are Associated with Lower Levels of School-Based Victimization of LGBTQ+ Youth. This meta-analysis evaluates the association between school GSA presence and youth’s self-reports of school-based victimization by quantitatively synthesizing 15 primary studies with 62,923 participants. Findings indicate GSA presence is associated with significantly lower levels of youth’s self-reports of homophobic victimization, fear for safety, and hearing homophobic remarks, and these results are robust, controlling for a variety of study-level factors. The findings of this meta-analysis provide evidence to support GSAs as a means of protecting LGTBQ+ youth from school-based victimization. Read More >>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Barriers to Sexual Health STI Services in Low Resource Countries

8/19/2016

A research review in the July 2016 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health reports that "youth lacked knowledge about sexually transmitted infections STIs and services. In addition, youth experienced barriers related to service availability and a lack of integration of services. The most reported barriers were related to acceptability of services. Youth reported avoiding services or having confidentiality concerns based on provider demographics and some behaviors. Finally, experiences of shame and stigma were common barriers to seeking care.Improving uptake may require efforts to address clinic systems and provider attitudes, including confidentiality issues. Moreover, addressing barriers to STI services may require addressing cultural norms related to adolescent sexuality. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Health Inequalities in Canada & USA: Both Contexts Create Inequality

8/1/2016

Canadians are often smug and complacent about the apparent, relative success that their society enjoys in regard to inter-cultural relations, especially when they look south to their immediate neighbours. However, an international comparison shows that such hubris may be misplaced. An article in the July 2016 issue of Social Science & Medicine "uses the largest nationally representative samples available to compare racial inequalities in health in the United States and Canada. Data were obtained from ten waves of the National Health Interview Survey (n = 162,271,885) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 19,906,131) from 2000 to 2010. We estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios, and risk differences across racial groups for a range of health outcomes in each country. Patterns of racial health inequalities differed across the United States and Canada. After adjusting for covariates, black-white and Hispanic-white inequalities were relatively larger in the United States, while aboriginal-white inequalities were larger in Canada. In both countries, socioeconomic factors did not explain inequalities across racial groups to the same extent.". For school health & development, this underlines the need for data-based analysis and an accurate understanding of the contextual forces at play. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Using Health Behavior Theories in Program Design & Implementation

8/1/2016

The ISHN synthesis of what we know in school health promotion and other school-related human development approaches includes a strong reommendation that programs and approaches be based on carefully considered and selected behavior theories. Several articles in Issue #4, 2016 of American Journal of Health Education show how this can be done in regards to several populations, settings and programs. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

School Toilets as "Rest Room"

8/1/2016

The importance of clean and safe toilets and latrines in schools in most often discussed in the context of countries with low resources or those recovering from disasters/conflict, but the same need for school "restrooms" exists in high resource contexts. An article in Issue #3, 2016 of Journal of Applied School Psychology reports on as small study that experimented with music in school toilets as a way to calm student noise and behavior. "This study investigated the effectiveness of Flushing Away Noise, an interdependent group contingency using an iPod equipped with a decibel meter application, for reducing noise in restrooms. Two Head Start classrooms in the Southeastern United States, referred for demonstrating high levels of student noise in the restroom, were included in the study. The authors used a multiple-baseline design across 4 groups to determine existence of a functional relation between implementation of the intervention and a decrease in noise level. After introducing the intervention, the authors observed substantial decreases in noise level in all groups. In addition, teachers indicated that they found the intervention socially acceptable." When we add other health needs such as adequate soap for handwashing, monitoring to prevent drug dealing and bullying and even gender-related considerations, the importance of including school toilets as as an important micro-environment within the school setting and our ecological model is underlined. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

US School Counselors Attitudes Towards Social Justice

8/1/2016

Our discussions of the integration of health & social programs have identified the importance of teacher beliefs and attitudes. This includes school staff such as counselors. An article in Issue #1, 2015-16 Issue of Professional School Counseling reports on a study of the attitudes and beliefs of US counselors in regards to social justice issues. "Results showed alignment between school counselors' self-endorsement of social justice advocacy and scores on the Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment. School counselors working in recognized comprehensive programs, including Recognized ASCA Model Programs and Indiana Gold Star, scored higher on social justice advocacy measures than those in non-recognized programs." These results may not be surprising but one can wonder about the relative importance assigned to counselor attitudes and practices towards academic excellence, a goal that often requires educators to help student adjust to failure and challenges in school. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

Aligning Multi-Intervention Programs: Comprehensive Counseling & Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

8/1/2016

The alignment and cooperation between the various multi-intervention programs that can be delivered in schools is essential. An article in Issue #1, 2015-16 Issue of Professional School Counseling describes how two such MIP's, Comprehensive Guidance Counseling and Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) can be accomplished. "In this article, the authors conceptualize this alignment, aiming to increase school counselors' and stakeholders' understanding of and advocacy for this alignment to maximize school counselors' efforts. The article provides school counseling implications and recommendations." These two multi-intervention programs can then be integrated within larger, broader multi-component approaches (MCA's) such as healthy schools or safe schools. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)

US Teachers Support Actions to Prevent Bullying based on Obesity

8/1/2016

An article in the July 2016 Issue of Journal of School Health reported on a survey of 240 teachers and found that Forty-eight percent of participants observed weight-related bullying in their school and 99% expressed the importance of intervening in such incidents. A large majority (75%-94%) supported 8 of the 11 policies, especially actions requiring school-based health curriculum to include content on eating disorder prevention (94%), and addressing weight-bullying through anti-bullying policies (92%), staff training (89%), and school curriculum (89%). Strongly supported policies were viewed by participants as being the most impactful and feasible to implement. Read more>>
(This item is among the 5-10 highlights posted for ISHN members each week from the ISHN Member information service. Click on the web link to join this service and to support ISHN)