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Background: Disordered eating refers to unhealthy, sometimes excessive eating including so-called compensatory behaviours such as extreme dieting or voluntary vomiting. Between 24% and 30% of adolescent boys are suggested to engage in disordered eating, making it a significant public health issue. However, current instruments for assessing disordered eating among adolescents have been primarily developed and validated for girls and women, which may make for flawed assessment of boys. The aim of this study is to shed light on adolescent boys' perceptions of eating, weight, and food intake to better understand their perspectives in service of disordered eating research. Methods: This exploratory study was conducted from May to November 2022 using focus groups with a total of 39 adolescent boys (aged 12–19 years) who attended 7th to 12th grade in one of four schools in Southern Sweden. In addition, participants completed a form with questions on background demographics and eating habits. The transcripts of the focus group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The quantitative data showed that around one third of the adolescent boys were overweight or obese. They ate at least one meal per day with the family and ate healthy food about five days per week and unhealthy food about three. Analysis of the qualitative data yielded six themes: The intertwined relationship between food and one's health, "Don't worry, food makes you happy," "To be hungry or not. That is the question," Boys DO care about appearances, Dieting and weight gain, and Disordered eating is a tricky matter. Conclusion: Adolescent boys appeared to have a good understanding of food and healthy eating. They also experienced body positivity and seemed to have only minor issues regarding their weight. The primarily pathological perspective used to measure disordered eating among girls seems in need of revision to adhere to boys' thoughts and ideas regarding eating and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although Disordered Eating Behaviors (DEB) is an ill-defined concept, multiple studies have examined prevalence of DEB and its relations to other variables in various populations. DEB have been shown to predict more serious eating disorders which in turn can lead to death. Mostly girls seem to suffer from DEB, but the question has been raised whether this, at least, partially is due to the methods used for screening. The SCOFF-questionnaire has been suggested as a quick and easily administered tool to assess DEB. However, the psychometric results regarding SCOFF suggest some inconsistencies, and more research is needed in various countries and age samples. Method: To validate SCOFF, a total of 1265 Swedish adolescents (51.6 % girls) completed self-report questionnaires using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) as a reference standard. Results: The factor analyses show inconclusive results as to whether SCOFF should be regarded as a comprehensive scale; furthermore, the results indicate a correlation between SCOFF and the EDE-Q in both girl and boy samples. Girls scored significantly higher on SCOFF and also had a higher total score, indicating more severe problems than boys. Conclusions: The results raised questions as to whether the SCOFF might be interpreted and responded to in different ways by girls and boys, risking overlooking boys' DEB and also whether one "yes" answer, instead of the stipulated two, could be sufficient when using SCOFF for screening purposes. In sum, the results challenge the use of SCOFF in a general adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of adolescents reporting that they are stressed has more than doubled among both boys and girls. Most focus is given to girls because they typically not only report higher levels of stress but also feel stressed more frequently than boys do. However, studies have confirmed that boys' experience of stressors is the same, implying that genders are equally prone to experiencing stress. Although male and female adolescents appear to experience stress in a similar way, how they cope with these stressors might differ. This study focused on boys' experiences of stress and how they cope with it., Method: Eight focus groups were conducted with 39 adolescent boys aged 12-19 years enrolled in four schools in southern Sweden. The data was analysed inductively with conventional content analysis., Results: The analysis resulted in three categories: Stress perception - time as a key factor, Identifying stressors and levels of stress, and Silent struggles and distractions. The boys had experienced considerable stress in their lives, despite their limited understanding of the concept. Their coping skills focused on engaging in sports or distracting themselves from stressors while relying less on social support from peers, school staff, or family., Conclusions: Adolescent boys might need assistance in identifying stress and clearly voicing their specific concerns. They should also be provided with spaces that are free from stigmatization and judgement. Parents, teachers, and school nurses should be equipped with the appropriate tools and education on how to discuss stress and mental health in general with adolescent boys to prevent possible negative long-term consequences for both their physical and mental health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Intestinal ischemia after cardiac surgery is a rare but severe complication with a high mortality. Early surgery can be lifesaving. The aim was to analyze the incidence, outcome, and risk factors for these patients., Methods: A prospectively collected database with patients who underwent 18,879 cardiac surgical procedures between 1996 and 2011 was investigated. All patients with registered gastrointestinal complications were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare patients with and without intestinal ischemia., Results: Seventeen patients suffered from intestinal ischemia (0.09%), 10 of whom (59%) died. By investigating preoperative parameters independent risk factors were steroids, peripheral vascular disease, cardiogenic shock, and New York Heart Association class 4. When including pre-, per-, and postoperative parameters, only postoperative ones were significant, including elevated creatinine (> 200 μmol/L), prolonged ventilator time, need for intra-aortic balloon pump, and cerebrovascular insult (CVI). The gastrointestinal complications score (GICS) showed a ROC area of 0.87. This was superior compared with EuroSCORE (0.74), to predict intestinal ischemia., Conclusions: Intestinal ischemia after cardiac surgery is more common in patients with a poor cardiac state, but the use of steroids, peripheral vascular disease, postoperative kidney failure, and CVI were also predictive. GICS score, developed for all GI complications after cardiac surgery, is also of value in predicting this particular complication. The risk factors presented can be used as an aid in the diagnosis of these patients.