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Topic: Early‐life experiences, the transmission of health and disease within families, and the influence of cumulative risks as well as protective factors throughout life shape the trajectory of health, including mental health. Long‐term health trajectories established early in life are influenced by biologic, social, and environmental factors. Negative trajectories may be more salient if exposures to adversity occur during critical developmental periods. Purpose: The purpose of this brief is to (a) review pediatric health disparities related to depression and the intergenerational transmission of pediatric depression using a Life Course Health Development (LCHD) model and (b) provide recommendations for pediatric mental health research. Sources: Peer‐reviewed papers available for PubMed, CINAL, and Medline. Other sources include published books, papers, and gray materials. Conclusions: The LCHD model is a perspective to guide and foster new scientific inquiry about the development of mental health outcomes over the life course. The model enables synthesis of mental health, nursing, and public health, linking mental health prevention, risk reduction, and treatment in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) often face increased levels of adversity and higher rates of trauma, suicide, and mortality compared to their housed peers. A multi‐level life course lens is proposed by applying the ecobiodevelopmental model to examine social support mechanisms as a buffer to psychopathologies following adversity within YEH. Further discussion contributes to the theoretical basis for future public health research and intervention work addressing youth homelessness and related adversities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length (TL) is proposed to play a mechanistic role in how the exposome affects health outcomes. Little is known about TL during adolescence, a developmental period during which precursors of adult‐onset health problems often emerge. We examined health and demographic sources of variation in TL in 899 youth aged 11–17. Demographic and health information included age, sex, race, household income, caregiver age and marital status, youth tobacco exposure, body mass index, pubertal status, health problems, medication use, and season of data collection. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva, and T/S ratios were computed following qPCR. Age, race, season of data collection, and household income were associated with the telomere to single copy (T/S) ratio. We found that T/S ratios were larger at younger ages, among Black youth, for saliva collected during autumn and winter, and among households with higher income. Analyses stratified by race revealed that the association between age and T/S ratio was present for Black youth, that season of collection was present across races, but that family demographic associations with T/S ratio varied by race. The results provide information for future telomere research and highlight adolescence as a potentially important developmental phase for racial disparities in telomere shortening and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a public health crisis disproportionately affecting transgender adolescents and young adults. There are gaps in research evaluating this phenomenon using a multilevel, life‐course approach. The following paper will provide an overview of the current models of suicide, critique their applicability to understanding suicide among transgender youth, and discuss how using a bioecological systems approach will help to advance our understanding of suicide among transgender youth. Transgender adolescents and young adults often face unique combinations of interpersonal and intrapersonal challenges that require managing a stark misalignment of social characters, expectations, and roles. These factors are imposed by the complex interactions and influences of the bioecological systems in which transgender adolescents and young adults are situated. Future research is needed to elucidate the characteristics of bioecological adversity faced by this vulnerable population. Identification of these relationships are likely to highlight effective targets for multilevel interventions aimed at preventing suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of a social determinants of health (SDH) screening tool and service referral on emergency department (ED) use among patients at a Federally Qualified Health Center primary care clinic. Study design: Quasi‐experimental. Sample: Three‐hundred and eleven English‐speaking patients 18 years and older. Measures: The Core 5 SDH screening tool consists of five yes/no items assessing food, housing, utilities, transportation, and safety needs. The number of ED visits 3 months before and after the intervention were collected from electronic health records. Intervention: The research team administered the Core 5 SDH screening tool and if desired, referred patients with an identified need for SDH services. Results: Approximately 43% of patients reported a SDH need with food insecurity most prevalent (62.2%). The number of ED visits was significantly lower 3 months post‐intervention compared to 3 months before for the 125 participants who wanted and received the SDH service referral (IRR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.41, 0.99) and for the 35 participants who reported receiving some/all of the needed services at the 2‐week follow‐up (IRR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.17, 0.76). Conclusions: Addressing patients' SDH needs may reduce ED visits, lower healthcare costs, and ultimately, improve health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cesarean rates are particularly high among Hispanic women in some regions of the United States, placing a disproportionate health burden on women and their newborns. This integrative review synthesized the literature on mode of birth (vaginal vs cesarean) and related childbirth complications (hemorrhage, surgical site infection, perineal trauma) among Mexican American women living in the United States. Methods: Four electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SCOPUS, were searched to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria, research studies that included Mexican American women who were pregnant or postpartum. Results were limited to English language and publications that were peer‐reviewed and published before May 2020. Covidence was used in article identification, screening, and assessment. Critical appraisal of the research was performed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs. Results: Ten articles met inclusion criteria. In some studies, Mexican American women born in the United States were more likely to have cesareans than women born in Mexico; in other studies, these findings were reversed. Mexican American women often had lower unadjusted cesarean rates compared with non‐Hispanic white women, but adjusting for birth facility (some facilities perform more cesareans than others), sociodemographic, and risk factors often revealed Mexican American women have a higher adjusted risk for cesarean birth. Women with higher socioeconomic status had higher cesarean rates compared with women with lower socioeconomic status. In studies of birth outcome by level of acculturation, women who were US‐oriented had higher rates of cesarean and more frequent perinatal complications. By ethnic subgroup, rates of cesarean and complications varied among Hispanic women. Discussion: Birth facility was associated with perinatal outcomes for Mexican American women; those who gave birth at higher‐performing facilities had better outcomes when compared with women who gave birth at lower‐performing facilities. After adjusting for pregnancy complications, Mexican American women had a greater risk for cesarean birth compared with non‐Hispanic white women, a finding that may have clinical practice implications. Level of acculturation affected birth outcomes, but more research using precise instruments is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiencing chronic stress early in life is associated with later health disparities, and poverty may be a significant stressor for both mothers and children. With a sample of primarily Black and White mothers (N = 75) and toddlers (N = 71) living in poverty in the United States, we examined the direct relations between sociodemographic conditions of poverty and chronic physiological stress. Mothers completed questionnaires on sociodemographics, including mother/toddler race, mother's education, father's education, poverty level, economic hardship, marital status, unemployment status, and toddler sex. Physiological chronic stress was measured by assaying the cortisol content of 4 cm samples of hair cut from the posterior vertex of mothers and toddlers (20–24 months of age) to represent 4 months of stress. Mothers' and toddlers' chronic stress was significantly, moderately, and positively associated. Toddlers had a trending relationship of moderately higher chronic stress if they were Black compared to not Black. Mothers had significantly, moderately higher chronic stress if they were Black or had a Black toddler (compared to not Black), not married (compared to married), or were working (compared to not working). The findings suggest that these mothers, simultaneously navigating poverty and parenting a toddler, need resources to reduce chronic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the associations between parental perceptions of the neighborhood context and adolescent depression including potential gender differences in outcomes. Design and Sample Descriptive correlational study. A total of 32,499 parents of adolescents aged 12-17 years. Measures Descriptive and multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses of the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Neighborhood context was operationalized as physical disorder, social isolation, and lack of safety. Two depression outcomes (current depression diagnosis and current depression symptoms) were analyzed. Results Parental perceptions of neighborhood physical disorder were positively associated with adolescent depression diagnosis ( AOR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.07, 2.80) and an increase in depression symptoms (0.186, p < 0.001). In addition, parental perceptions of neighborhood social isolation (0.061, p < 0.001) and lack of safety (0.037, p < 0.01) were associated with adolescent depression symptoms, and the measures modestly attenuated the relationship between neighborhood physical disorder and adolescent depression symptoms (0.117, p < 0.05). No significant gender differences were found. Conclusions Public health interventions to reduce neighborhood physical disorder, social isolation, and lack of safety should be considered in efforts to promote adolescent mental health. Further research exploring other mechanisms through which neighborhood physical disorder may contribute to adolescent depression also is needed, including potential gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine racial and ethnic disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination among young adult females aged 18-24 years. Design and Sample: Descriptive correlational study. One thousand nineteen women aged 18-24 years who self-identified as Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, or non-Hispanic White. Measures: Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses using data from the 2007-2008 National Survey of Family Growth. Results: Approximately 90% of non-Hispanic White women, 80% of non-Hispanic Black women, and 56-60% of Hispanic women reported an awareness of HPV infection and vaccination, and yet, vaccine receipt across racial and ethnic groups was 23%, 8%, and 6%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black women were less aware than non-Hispanic White women of HPV infection (OR=0.10, 95% CI=0.05, 0.19; OR=0.23, 95% CI=0.13, 0.40) and vaccination (OR=0.13, 95% CI=0.07, 0.27; OR=0.27, 95% CI=0.14, 0.52) and also less likely to report vaccine receipt (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.21, 0.90; OR=0.16, 95% CI=0.07, 0.35). Conclusions: Despite moderate to high levels of awareness, HPV vaccination rates were low among this national population of young adult women. Continued surveillance is imperative to monitor vaccine uptake, including racial and ethnic disparities. Further research exploring HPV knowledge and vaccination barriers across diverse cultural groups is needed to inform the development of more effective public health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To examine relationships between the preference for menthol cigarettes and young adult smoking behaviors, including the extent to which state tobacco control policies moderate these relationships. Design Cross-sectional design using secondary data from the 2006DS07 Tobacco Use Supplements to the Current Population Surveys (TUS CPS) surveys appended with 2006 state-policy data. Setting United States nationally representative survey. Participants A total of 2241 young adult daily smokers and 688 young adult non-daily smokers. Measurements The two dependent variables of smoking behaviorswere smoking first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking (TTF) and number of cigarettes smoked per day (cpd). Primary independent variables included menthol brand preference and state tobacco control policies (youth access laws, clean indoor air laws and cigarette excise taxes), adjusting for controls. Findings Among daily smokers, there were no significant associations between menthol brand preference and TTF or cpd. However, lower educational attainment, not being in the labor force and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with shorter TTF, being white and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with cpd. Among daily smokers, state excise taxes were associated negatively with higher cpd. Among non-daily smokers, menthol brand preference was associated positively with shorter TTF, but associations did not vary with state tobacco control policies. Menthol brand preference was not associated significantly with cpd, but male gender, unmarried status and the lack of home smoking rules were associated positively with greater cpd among non-daily smokers. Conclusions Young adult non-daily smokers who preferred menthol cigarettes were significantly more dependent than those who preferred non-menthol cigarettes, as shown through the shorter TTF. Associations between menthol brand preference and smoking behaviors did not vary with state tobacco control policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: It is unclear whether young adult men who have ever been forced to have sex are at increased risk for sexual risk-taking, and whether their risk differs according to the gender of the perpetrator. METHODS: Data from 1,400 males aged 18–24 who participated in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth were used to determine the prevalence of a history of forced sex and the context of each respondent’s most recent experience with such assaults. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between victimization and having a recent indicator of sexual risk (e.g., having had sex in the past year with five or more female partners, a female injection-drug user or an HIV-positive female). Separate analyses were performed for coercion by females and coercion by males. RESULTS: Six percent of men reported having been forced by a female perpetrator to have vaginal intercourse, while 1% said they had been forced by a male perpetrator to have oral or anal sex. Men had an elevated likelihood of having had one or more recent sexual risk indicators if they had ever been forced to have sex by a male (odds ratio, 6.9) or female (3.3). Verbal and physical forms of coercion and provision of alcohol and drugs were commonly used by perpetrators of both genders. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the pathways linking sexual victimization to sexual risk-taking among men is needed. Clinicians working with young men should screen them for victimization and provide STD testing and referrals for counseling if abuse is suspected or disclosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the preliminary efficacy of an innovative school‐based, technology‐enhanced social–emotional learning program called “mindfulness‐based collaborative social reasoning” (MBCSR) for middle school students. MBCSR was developed by an interdisciplinary team of educational psychologists, mindfulness researchers, computer scientists, and health experts. We integrated the strengths of contemplative approaches, collaborative small group discussions, learning technology, and multidimensional assessments of students' social–emotional outcomes. Using a quasi‐experimental design, the study was implemented in four sixth‐grade English language arts classrooms (2 experimental and 2 business‐as‐usual control; N = 74) in a public middle school in the Midwest of the United States. It was co‐implemented by researchers and teachers, with sessions occurring for 45 minutes, once per week, for 8 weeks. The MBCSR group showed greater self‐efficacy for using Upa‐yoga and mindful breathing to regulate their emotions and behaviors (ηp2$$ {\eta}_p^2 $$ = .13), and lower externalizing (ηp2$$ {\eta}_p^2 $$ = .07) and bullying behaviors (ηp2$$ {\eta}_p^2 $$ = .09) at the posttest compared to the control group, after controlling for baseline differences. Students in the experimental group overall showed positive and relaxed emotional and physiological states during the sessions. There were no significant differences between the two groups in mindfulness, emotional regulation, and social skills. This program sets an example for integrating social–emotional learning and academic learning into students' daily content instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of an integrative housing intervention (Ecologically Based Treatment, EBT – independent housing and supportive services) on the co‐occurring pattern of housing stability and parenting stress among a sample of substance‐using mothers who experience homelessness and have young children in their care. The association between the co‐occurring patterns of housing stability and parenting stress and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors was also examined. Mothers were randomized to one of the three conditions: EBT (n = 80), Housing‐only (HOU; n = 80), or Services as Usual (SAU; n = 80). Follow‐up assessments were completed at 3‐, 6‐, 9‐, and 12‐months post‐baseline. The dual‐trajectory latent class growth analyses identified five subgroups of co‐occurring patterns: low‐greatly improved housing paired with moderate‐improved parenting stress, low‐greatly improved housing paired with high‐improved parenting stress, low‐moderately improved housing paired with moderate‐static parenting stress, low‐worse housing paired with moderate‐improved parenting stress, and low‐worse housing paired with high‐static parenting stress. Findings showed that EBT was more effective in improving housing stability and reducing parenting stress compared to HOU and SAU conditions, and further, HOU was more effective than SAU. Additionally, children whose mothers reported increased housing stability together with improved parenting stress had lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The findings provide support to the efficacy of EBT in increasing housing stability and reducing parenting stress. The observed improvements subsequently benefited children's behavioral outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]