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Stigmatization of overweight and obese individuals is common in interpersonal relationships. This study investigated longitudinal weight change patterns among Taiwanese adolescents and the relationship of weight change patterns with delayed romantic experience from late adolescence to young adulthood by using a representative panel survey. Individuals were divided into six weight change pattern categories according to changes in their body mass index. Two-stage stratified and clustered sampling was used to obtain a representative student sample, and 1,834 junior high school students were followed up over 7 years. Persistent obesity and a change from an underweight to a normal weight status over 7 years were independently associated with delayed romantic experience in both sexes. Moreover, females but not males who changed from an underweight or normal weight status to an overweight or obese status had increased odds of delayed romantic experience. Persistent obesity should be addressed early in life because it plays a crucial role in delayed romantic experience.

This study examined the association between adolescents' obesity and sociometric status among their peers across 1 year. The participants were 2,528 junior high school students from Taiwan (mean age = 13.31 years). The negative associations discovered between obesity and sociometric status were both concurrent and cumulative. Moreover, the adolescents who changed from nonobese to obese were more likely to have lower social acceptance and be isolated in their classrooms. These findings inform concerns regarding the sociometric status of adolescents who are (or are becoming) obese.

Background: The linkage between sleep quality and weight status among teenagers has gained more attention in the recent literature and health policy but no consensus has been reached. Methods: Using both a propensity score method and multivariate linear regression for a cross-sectional sample of 2,113 teenagers, we analyzed their body mass index (BMI) in relation to sleep quality while controlling for family characteristics (household income, parent/guardian level of education, disability status, work night shift, and smoking) and individual factors (age, sex, regular exercise, smoking, employment, and feeling secure in the neighborhood). Sleep quality was assessed using 3 scales: difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and non-restorative sleep, based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-defined insomnia. Results: Considering all 3 types of poor sleep quality, 20.9% of teenagers in Taiwan experienced some form of sleep problems. After adjusting for the other variables, 2 factors independently and statistically predicted sleep problems: current smoking and working night shifts by the head of the household. Teens experiencing difficulty in initiating sleep had higher BMIs ranging from 0.86 to 1.41 units. Conclusions: Efforts to address childhood obesity need to take into consideration sleep problems that are highly prevalent among teenagers. (Contains 3 tables.)

Objective: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are linked to increased metabolic risk. However, the sex differences in the relationship between SSB intake and adverse health effects remain unclear. Therefore, the present study examined the association between SSB consumption and metabolic risks among working-age males and females from Taiwanese communities. Design: A community-based study utilised data from a comprehensive health screening project conducted by the Public Health Bureau in Changhua County, Taiwan. Metabolic risks included waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, TAG, LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose level using serum tests. Setting: Participants were recruited in Changhua County, Taiwan. Participants: Between 2005 and 2014, 92 724 citizens participated in the health screening; our data analysis included 75 278 respondents between 30 and 64. Results: The results showed that the frequency of SSB consumption was associated with abnormal waist circumference and elevated total cholesterol, TAG, LDL and glucose in both men and women. Increased SSB consumption frequency was associated with elevated glucose and hypertension in women. Even a slight increase in SSB intake frequency was related to raising the metabolic risks. Similar patterns were evident when models included BMI; however, the associations were attenuated. In the BMI-stratified subgroup analysis, the relationship between SSB consumption and metabolic risks was more pronounced in participants without obesity. Conclusion: The present study suggests that SSB consumption carries metabolic risk among working-age Taiwanese, particularly women and those without obesity. Health promotion programmes should raise awareness of the health hazards associated with SSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the results of administering the World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to 400 incarcerated drug-using women. Reports on AUDIT's utility, validity, and reliability. Results demonstrate that AUDIT can be used to identify problem drinkers among incarcerated, drug-using women. (MKA)

Stigmatization of overweight and obese individuals is common in interpersonal relationships. This study investigated longitudinal weight change patterns among Taiwanese adolescents and the relationship of weight change patterns with delayed romantic experience from late adolescence to young adulthood by using a representative panel survey. Individuals were divided into six weight change pattern categories according to changes in their body mass index. Two-stage stratified and clustered sampling was used to obtain a representative student sample, and 1,834 junior high school students were followed up over 7 years. Persistent obesity and a change from an underweight to a normal weight status over 7 years were independently associated with delayed romantic experience in both sexes. Moreover, females but not males who changed from an underweight or normal weight status to an overweight or obese status had increased odds of delayed romantic experience. Persistent obesity should be addressed early in life because it plays a crucial role in delayed romantic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the extent to which youthful alcohol consumption and the initiation of tobacco, betel nut, and other illegal drugs may differ by their first drinking context in Taiwan--a society with social norms that are more tolerant of underage drinking. Method: In 2004, in a nationally representative sample of 11,943 school-attending youth ages 15-18, information pertaining to sociodemographic characteristics, problem behaviors, lifetime experiences of alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drugs, as well as psychoactive, drug-specific age of initiation, context at first use, average frequency, and recency of use. was assessed by anonymous questionnaires. Results: Youth who had their first alcoholic beverages in entertainment settings or at friends' houses were more likely to become frequent drinkers. After adjustment for socioeconomic background and problem behaviors, having had the first drink in entertainment settings was associated with a faster progression into the initiation of illegal drugs (hazard ratio [HR] - 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-4.0) and betel nut (HR - 1.5, 95% CI; 1.1-2.1). Conclusions: Youthful drinking pattern and transition from alcohol to betel nut and illegal drugs may vary modestly by the first drinking context. This context may be recognized as a proxy variable to identify youth at a higher risk for alcohol and other drug problems and to devise context-based educational or prevention programs., ALCOHOL USE AND RELATED PROBLEMS in adolescence continue to cause public health concern in many industrialized countries (Bonnie and O'Connell, 2004; O'Malley et al., 1998). A number of studies have [...]