Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Informing Modifications To Social Participation And Navigation (Span) For Adolescents With Social Anxiety Incorporating Pet Dogs, Nicole Porter, Gary Bedell, Jason Getzler, Megan Mueller

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Social anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health challenges of adolescence and profoundly impacts social participation. This study obtained adolescent and parent feedback to inform a future modification of Social Navigation and Participation (SPAN) for use with adolescents with social anxiety incorporating pet dogs.

Methods: The study had two phases: Phase 1 included interviews with adolescents with social anxiety (n = 8) about their social participation experiences, strategies, pet dogs, and thoughts on a proposed intervention to promote social participation; and Phase 2 included on-line survey completed by the adolescents and their parents (n = 14) assessing …

A34: Factors To Indicate Overweight For Youth From 5-11-Year-Old: Data Mining Tree Regression Application, Danji Lu, Yuanlong Liu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: According to the World Health Organization, obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 in the U.S. (Obesity, n.d.). Considerable research was done to find reasons to deal with obesity. In last 10 year’s obesity related research, the major focuses were metabolic syndrome, physical activity, and eating disorder. In this study, two subsets of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2014 NHANES) were used to test what variables were critical to indicate overweight of youth from 5- to 11-year-old. Dietary subset reflected nutrients obtained from foods, beverages, and water. Physical activity subset based on the Global Physical Activity …

Social Participation And Navigation With Adolescent And Young Adult Brain Tumor Survivors: Usability And Potential Benefits, Gary Bedell, Nicole Porter, Miranda Cullen, Zachary Gould, Stephanie Freeman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study examined the usability and potential benefits of Social Participation and Navigation (SPAN), a virtual coaching goal planning intervention, which was modified for adolescent and young adult (AYA) brain tumor survivors who often experience social participation challenges.

Methods: Four AYA brain tumor survivors participated in a brief trial of the modified SPAN consisting of four weekly coaching sessions with trained supervised occupational therapy graduate students and use of a website and web application to assist with goal planning and achievement. The participants rated their social participation and SPAN-specific skills pre/post program. The participants and parents completed 1-week …

Shared Concepts Guiding The Practice Of A Community Occupational Therapy Program Serving Youth With Psychosocial Challenges, Chi-Kwan Shea, Nancy Jackson, Marianna Ayers Sordille

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Occupational therapy services to youth with trauma experiences and mental health challenges may follow unique practice concepts that deserve to be explored and illuminated. The study aimed to explore and identify shared concepts that have been guiding the occupational therapy practice of a community-based program serving the youth population.

Method: The qualitative study analyzed data from transcripts of one-on-one interviews with occupational therapists who serve youth clients in the community-based program. Using a grounded theory qualitative approach, the analysis aimed to highlight unique concepts that the occupational therapists employed in their day-to-day practice with youth who experience …

The Unsung Torchbearers, Leona A. Ewan

be Still

No abstract provided.

Selected Dietary Restrictions And The Frequency Of Alcohol Consumption Among Adolescents, Mariusz Jaworski, Anna Fabisiak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Increasing alcohol consumption by adolescents is a major public health problem. One reason for this is that young people want to solve their difficulties by using alcohol. Therefore, an important aim of the current study is to analyze selected nutrition-related health behaviors which are taken before the planned consumption of alcoholic beverages among young people. Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 77 adolescents from secondary school. The research tool consisted of two parts. The first one analyzed the frequency of selected alcohol consumption, the second - nutrition-related behaviors in adolescents before the planned consumption of alcoholic beverages. …

The Set Of Test Tasks Assessing Special Physical Fitness Of 17-Year-Old Soccer Players, Andrzej Szwarc, Bartosz Dolanski, Patrycja Lipinska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The objective of the research was to work out the set of test tasks assessing special physical fitness of 17-year-old soccer players. Material/Methods: At first, on the basis of the analysis of the said issue in literature and the authors’ own coaching experience, 13 test tasks were selected. Next, reliability and accuracy of the chosen test tasks were examined on the group of 16 athletes from the Centre of Sports training for youth in Gdansk. The reliability was assessed by the test-re-test method and the accuracy according to a criterion of internal accuracy tests. Except for one task, all …

Predictors Of Physical Activity For Weekdays And Weekends Among Adolescent – A Cross-Sectional Study In Sarawak, Malaysia, Whye Lian Cheah, Helmy Hazmi, Ching Thon Chang

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: This study aimed to describe the patterns of physical activities both at weekends and on weekdays and to identify their associated factors. Material/Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among secondary school students aged 13-15 years old in Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information and to measure perceived barriers, self-efficacies and social influences. Anthropometric measurements were taken and used to determine BMI-for-age, while pedometers were used to assess the physical activity levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: A total of 474 students from six secondary schools participated. About 16% of the …

Diversity Of Factors Determining Physical Activity In Youth In Visegrad Countries, Ewelina Niznikowska, Jozef Bergier, Barbara Bergier, Pongrac Acs, Jan Junger, Ferdinand Salonna

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

The present study aimed to gain knowledge about the diversity of factors determining physical activity in youth from the V4 countries. The study involved 2145 students aged 15-17 years from the Visegrad countries (V4): the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. A diagnostic survey was used as the research method in the form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-L). The Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests as well as the Pearson Chi-square independence test were applied to do the statistical calculations and determine statistically significant relationships. More than half of the surveyed youth from the V4 countries (58.2%) demonstrated a …

Core Stability Training And Young Para-Swimmers' Results On 50 Meters And 100 Meters Freestyle, Ninomyslaw Jakubczyk, Anna Zwierzchowska, Adam Maszczyk

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Central stabilization training aims to improve neuromuscular coordination. It is used to prevent injuries and complement swimmers’ training process. The aim of the study was to access the impact of this training on the results by disabled swimmers at 50 and 100 meters’ freestyle. Material/Method: 20 competitors with similar dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group, participated in the study. Each group consisted of 7 swimmers starting in competitions from the standing starting position and 3 starting from water. The study included a 4-week set of stabilization exercises, 4 times a week …

Assessment Of Physical Fitness Among Non-Athlete Adolescents: Effect Of Familiarization Sessions, Diogo Henrique Constantino Coledam, Rodrigo Dias Caria De Oliveira

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: ‪The validity and reliability of fitness tests are described in the literature; however, the effects of familiarization sessions on motor performance have not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of four familiarization sessions on physical fitness performance among adolescents. Material and methods: ‪Twenty adolescents performed sprint, agility, flexibility, explosive strength, muscular endurance, and balance tests on four separate days with an interval of 72h. Results: ‪Considering the first and the fourth sessions, there were significant differences in mean values for push-up, curl-up, and Flamingo tests (p<0.05). Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) varied from 0.65 to 0.97, except for the Flamingo test (0.22). The magnitude based inference revealed a likely beneficial effect of familiarization on agility (87.8%), push-ups (91.2%), curl-ups (94.4%), and a very likely effect on the Flamingo test (97.0%). When comparing the second and the third sessions with the first one, values of ICC were similar or higher, while a likely beneficial effect of familiarization was found in the second session for the Flamingo test (78.8%), and in the third session for curl-ups (91.3%), push-ups (77.1%), and the Flamingo test (94.8%). Conclusions: ‪The familiarization procedure should be considered prior to agility, muscular endurance, and balance test assessments.

The Relation Between Selected Anthropometric Variables And The Sports Results Of Early Pubescent Swimmers, Grzegorz Bielec, Daniel Jurak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Relationships between anthropometric parameters and sports results in swimming are well documented, but only few studies concern young athletes. Scientific evidence does not indicate definitely which anthropometric variables determine swimming performance among pubertal athletes. Material and methods: Forty-one swimmers at the mean age of 12.2 years (including 15 females) were examined. Body composition was assessed with a Tanita BC 545N device. Body height, hand length, hand width and arm span were also measured. Anthropometric data were compared to results of 50 m freestyle and 200 m individual medley. Results: Calculations made by Pearson’s coefficient revealed significant correlations between body …

A Comparative Study Of Anthropometric Measurements And Body Composition Between Junior Football And Basketball Players From The Serbian National League, Dusko Bjelica, Bojan Masanovic, Dragan Krivokapic

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe anthropometric characteristics and body composition of junior football and basketball players as well as to make comparisons between them. Material and methods: In this study 70 males were enrolled, divided into three groups: 25 football players, 13 basketball players and 32 healthy sedentary subjects. All subjects were assessed for the anthropometric measures required to calculate body composition variables, using the standardized procedures. Descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable. To detect the effects of each type of sport ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out. …

The Relative Age-Related Participation Trends In European Badminton, Mert Bilgic, Erhan Devrilmez

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the relative age effect (RAE) in European youth badminton through examining participation trends. Material and methods: The birthdate distributions of 1909 badminton players (males = 994, females = 915) participating in the last three consecutive European U15, U17 and Junior (U19) Badminton Championships were analysed. Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit tests were used to determine inter-quartile differences, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated in order to compare quartiles with each other. Results: Statistically significant over-representation of players born shortly after the cut-off date was determined. Regarding gender, RAE was …

Examining Youth Conceptualizations Of Water Safety Behaviors Among Participants In A Learn-To-Swim Program, Austin R. Anderson, Kristina R. Anderson, William D. Ramos, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning represents a leading cause of unintentional deaths among children. Concomitantly, while formal swim instruction often incorporates water safety practices, the efficacy of these messages remains largely unexplored. This qualitative-based study sought to evaluate how youth apply learned water safety concepts when posed with a hypothetical aquatic scenario. Semi-structured interviews, augmented by use of a visual illustration prompt, were conducted with 29 participants of a youth Learn-to-Swim (LTS) program. Interviews assessed participants’ expressed water safety behaviors and were coded based on emergent themes. Findings indicated that most participants were able to identify a “struggling” swimmer in the dramatized illustration. When …

Assessment Of Youth Athlete Body Composition Using Bioimpedance Techniques As Compared To A Three-Compartment Model, Jacob J. Green, Abby Ambrosius, Christopher Dodge, Brandon Merfeld, Chinguun Khurelbaatar, Makenna Carpenter, Patrick Harty, Christian Rodriguez, Madelin Siedler, Matthew Stratton, Dale Keith, Jake Boykin, Andrew R. Jagim, Grant M. Tinsley

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Body composition is believed to contribute to success in many sports. For this reason, assessment of body composition with various devices is commonly performed. The agreement between devices warrants exploration, particularly in groups with limited data, such as youth athletes. PURPOSE: To determine the agreement between a 3-compartment model (3C) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) devices for assessing body composition in youth athletes. METHODS: The body composition of 90 youth athletes was evaluated (51 F, 39 M; age: 18.2±2.4 y; body mass: 69.0±12.5 kg; height: 172.0±9.9 cm; BMI: 23.2±3.2 kg/m², BF%: 19.7±6.9%). 3C values were produced …

Sexual Health Misinformation And Potential Interventions Among Youth On Social Media, Jahnavi Sunkara

The Cardinal Edge

With the rise of the internet and social media, many adolescents and young adults have turned to the internet and social media for sexual health information. However, this can be problematic because sexual health misinformation on social media utilizes a variety of techniques to quickly disseminate and retain that misinformation in users. Historically, the spread of sexual health misinformation has specifically negatively impacted adolescents and young adults regarding two sexual health topics: contraceptives and HPV vaccination. Current evidence demonstrates that a combination of corrections and inoculation would be effective against general health misinformation. However, there is a lack of research …

Engaging Rural High School Youth In E-Cigarette Prevention And Advocacy, Melinda J. Ickes, Olivia Zidzik, Nathan L. Vanderford

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Introduction: Recent national data reinforce over 3.6 million young people across the United States are currently using e-cigarettes, but little research exists on prevention and/or youth engagement strategies.

Purpose: Pilot a peer led e-cigarette prevention and advocacy training and determine attitudes and self-efficacy among participating rural high school leaders post-training.

Methods: The study incorporated a one-group, post-test design. Participants were recruited from an existing student leadership program (N = 16) which provides advanced cancer education and training to high school students who are from Appalachian Kentucky who participated in an e-cigarette prevention and empowerment training in December 2019. Data …

Perceptions Of Maine Health Care Providers On Youth Tobacco Use And Prevention Efforts, Titilola Balogun, Toho Soma, Liam O'Brien

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Tobacco use causes preventable morbidity and mortality, and leads to high medical costs annually. In Maine, both cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among high school students are higher than the national average. To what extent Maine health care providers are familiar with tobacco use prevention is unknown. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Maine health care providers regarding youth tobacco use. We also determined what preventive services they provide, and measured their self-efficacy regarding screening and counseling for tobacco use.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, health care providers were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes, …

"There Is Always Violence": An Exploratory Study Of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Street-Involved Children, Jarrett D. Davis, Glenn M. Miles, Sean Blackburn, Erika Mosebach-Kornelsen

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

As the economic center of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has long been a hotspot for street-involved children and families. While violence is a common facet of life on the street, risk and vulnerability among children is notoriously difficult to measure. Most large-scale surveys tend to sample children within homes and schools, which overlook street-involved children who are commonly unregistered, irregularly attend school, and live outside of houses. This research paper is one of a series of studies on such groups in Southeast Asia. The study conducted 94 semi-structured interviews with street-involved children eight to 18 years of age in Phnom Penh. …

Predicting Young Adults’ Intentions And Involvement In Alcohol-Influenced Aquatic Activity, Hannah L M Calverley, Lauren A. Petrass Ph.D., Jennifer D. Blitvich

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Globally, alcohol consumption is a public health issue and a risk factor for drownings among young adults. While studies have identified a prominence of alcohol in youth drownings, little is known about the factors that influence young adults’ involvement in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. The current study aimed to identify the predictors of young adults’ intention to participate, and past participation, in alcohol-influenced aquatic activity. A reliable and valid survey, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, was distributed to young adults (aged 18-24 years) educated in the UK and Australia. Cumulative odds ordinal logistic regressions with proportional odds were …

Mental Health In U.S. Schools: Problems, Interventions, And Future Directions, Emma Rumpf-Snavely

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The psychological well-being of American children has been a concern due to the rise in mental health issues. Efforts have been made to tackle some of the issues that are most prevalent among youth such as stress, depression, bullying, substance abuse, suicide and self-harm. Attempted solutions include legislation at the state level, school-wide regulations, and individualized supports. Despite these efforts, there are still discrepancies with implementation and regulation of policies and programs. These inconsistencies have resulted in the continual decline in the mental health of American youth. The United States can gain a more focused direction for their mental health …

Mindfulness Therapy Is An Effective Adjunctive Treatment For Adolescents Living With Hiv, Samantha Rea

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising Webb L, Perry-Parrish C, Ellen J, Sibinga E. Mindfulness instruction for HIV-infected youth: a randomized controlled trial. AIDS Care. 2018;30(6):688–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2017.1394434

21 In The 21st—An Evaluation Of The Tobacco Regulation Trend, Casey Kellum

St. Mary's Law Journal

Tobacco regulation persists as a controversial issue both legally and politically in the United States. Throughout American history, states rely on local legislation to provide adequate protection to consumers of tobacco products, as “Big Tobacco” targets consumers for its addictive product. One of the most recent amendments in this arena is the state by state decision to raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to twenty-one.

Despite rigorous regulation of tobacco products in the United States, however, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the country. These “Tobacco 21” ordinances come at a critical time when the …

Examining Minority Youth Swimmers’ Versus Non-Swimmers’ Perceptions Of Swimming Involvement, Timothy M. Dasinger, Laura L. Brown, Ashton J. Sawyers

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in youth, especially among minority populations (Gilchrest & Parker, 2014). According to the World Health Organization (2014), every hour of every day approximately 42 people lose their lives to drowning. Additionally, African-Americans are 14 times more likely to drown in a pool than other racial or ethnic group members (Waller & Norwood, 2011). The purpose of this study was to examine survey results between swimming and non-swimming minority youth participants. Forty African American students between the ages of 5-17 from an after-school program completed the Swimming Involvement Survey. Results indicated that …

Impact Of School Tobacco-Free Policy And Tobacco Risk Education On Youth Cigarette And E-Cigarette Use, Vahe Heboyan, Bruce Riggs

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Smoking rates have declined over the last half-century, however, e-cigarette use has more than tripled in the recent years. Tobacco-risk education and tobacco-free policies are critical policy instruments to help prevent youth tobacco use. This study evaluates the impact of these policies on youth cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Methods: Data from the 2013/2015 Georgia Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is used to test for statistical differences in tobacco use status across school-based tobacco control policies and estimate their impact on cigarette and e-cigarette use. Data includes 5,285 participants representing 2013 middle school (n=2,099), 2013 high school (n=1,775), and 2015 high …

Serving High-Risk Youth In Context: Perspectives From Hong Kong, Chi-Kwan Shea, Nancy Jackson, Christine Haworth

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: High-risk youth are often defined in occupational therapy terminology as adolescents and young adults who experience personal, contextual, or environmental barriers to effective participation in healthy, age-appropriate occupations. Without assistance for participation, these youth may acquiesce to daily routines of unhealthy risk-taking or isolation, failing to achieve developmental milestones needed for successful transition to adulthood. There are known therapeutic services targeting this population, but occupational therapy involvements have been sparsely documented.

Method: Having been affiliated with a community-based occupational therapy program serving high-risk youth for many years in the US, the principal investigator of the study used …

Related Service Providers’ Perspectives On Everyday Life Participation Of Children And Youth With Disabilities, Kathleen Flecky, Alyssa Bornman, Danielle Boyer, Andrea Huckabee

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perspectives of related service providers on everyday life participation of children and youth with disabilities that they serve.

Method: A qualitative design was used to guide interviews that elicited the participants’ perspectives working with children and youth with disabilities.

Results: Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (a) each child’s individual experiences and quality of life; (b) linked to home, school, and community life; (c) child or youth driven; (d) provider collaboration and carryover; and (e) distinct professional provider views.

Conclusion: Insights into related service …

Evaluating The Effects Of The Teen Outreach Program On Positive Youth Development Constructs, Rita Debate, Helen Mahony, Ellen Daley, Wei Wang, Stephanie Marhefka, Sarah B. Maness, Markku Malmi, Robert Ziemba, Charlotte Noble, Eric R. Walsh-Buhi

Health Behavior Research

Introduction: The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is a positive youth development (PYD) program that seeks to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, and course failure. As TOP has not been evaluated for its impact on PYD constructs, our purpose was to assess this potential.

Methods: A pair-matched, cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate TOP among youth in 26 high schools was conducted in 2013-2014. Youth (N=3740) were surveyed at baseline and immediately following program completion. A linear mixed effects model compared scores of the Lerner’s Five Cs measure of PYD between treatment and control youth and by race/ethnicity …

Food Allergy In Youth: A Primer For Allied Health Professionals, Philip Welch, Lauren Maziarz, Macy Mccartney, Chelsea Raker

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Many youth struggle with the physical, mental, and social burdens of food allergy. The exact cause of food allergies is unknown, but several theories exist such as the “couch potato theory”, “hygiene hypothesis”, “microflora theory”, and “alarmins” theory. This non-systematic literature review summarizes the problem of youth food allergy and provides guidance to allied health professionals.

Method: A literature search of the relevant literature from years 2000 through 2017 was conducted using PubMed with the key words “food allergy”, “youth”, and “management”.

Results: Youth with food allergy may experience anxiety, social isolation, bullying, and depression, in addition to life-threatening …