Prior studies have shown that adolescents use condoms significantly more often with casual partners (anyone you have sex with, but do not consider to be a main partner) than with main partners (someone you are serious about). Condom use, a primary method of sexual safety, has been associated with a variety of individual characteristics and attitudes, such as self-efficacy, personal beliefs, and perception of peer norms. There are also other motivations and attitudes that may shape condom use. For example, how adolescents define their partners (i.e. 'main' versus 'casual') may play a crucial role in determining their use of condoms.

Nearly 85% of African American single mothers under the age of 25 live in poverty. The rate of offspring with low birthweight tends to be higher in teenagers than older parturients, with African Americans having twice as high a rate as whites. This tends to be true at all levels of socioeconomic status, regardless of health insurance.

Intervention Summary

Our purpose of the intervention was to reach out to sexually active adolescent females in Baltimore City Middle Schools. One of our main focuses was the prevention of STD’s. Chlamydia infections and gonorrhea is higher in women, and that perceived susceptibility to STDs correlates with condom use, we thought that targeting STDs as health threats might increase adolescent females' risk-reduction knowledge. The participants in the study were given information on positive behavioral skills and sexual behaviors. In the Behavioral and Environmental Assessment we tested the females on the proper use of condoms, dealing with peer pressure from friends and sexual partners. To outline our steps with in the program we use an logic model to sort out days of intervention. For example, day 1 and 2 consisted of testing their knowledge on sex and condom use. As for days 3 to 5 we had the females participate in games to make the learning more interesting. Overall our long term goal is to help lower the incidence of STD’s in female adolescence.

Jessica's Literature Review Summary

Protective Roles of Health Values in Adolescents' future intentions to use condoms

Health values played more of a larger role in casual sex because of the higher risk for negative health outcomes. Overall, adolescents who do not have an higher value of personal health, will most likely be influenced by negative consequences of certain sexual behaviors

Friends’ influence on adolescents’ first sexual intercourse

The study proposes that interventions can help bring out the positive behaviors of adolescents. Also the interventional programs can decrease the negative outcomes such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. But in delaying sexual intercourse or risky behaviors, is by choosing the most positive high quality friendships. The Theory of Planned Behavior used subjective norm to express the importance of someone else’s belief and approval of a behavior which is the sexually active friends accepting others for having sex.

Sexy Media Matter: Exposure to Sexual Content in the music, movies, television and magazines predicts Black and White Adolescents Sexual Behavior

For some the media can be an indirect influence and also very powerful when it comes to decision making. The main reason why is because of the lack of communication between parents and children. A component of the health belief model “cues to action” could be displayed in the study because it’s a outside event. If sex education is talked about in the home, then the media would be the outlook of sex education. The media can motivate or encourage adolescents to participate in sexual behaviors and intercourse. Also self-efficacy is described by how white adolescents whose parents view sex as wrong before marriage, will not engage in sex. groups.

Body image and African American females’ sexual health

The study suggested that negative views on body image will lead to poor choices in sexual relationships. Also it health programs should implement accepting you body image and sexual health importance on sex education teachings. The result of doing that will reduce the risk of certain negative consequences of risk behaviors.

Oral versus Vaginal Sex among Adolescent: Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavior
The information that was used helped identify different strategies on ways to promote sexual health behaviors. Also communication plays an important role in promoting healthy behaviors. First the communications lines should always be open between parents and children. Teachers also hold a responsibility in sharing responsible behaviors and avoiding certain risks. When adolescents receive sexual education from their peers they are being fed myths. These myths can cause unwanted pregnancies and diseases.

Using targeted interventions is a way of opening up the communication lines of adolescents when talking about sex. It is very informative to learn the perception and attitudes of younger adolescents’sexual behaviors. The reason why is because more of the younger generation are quickly becoming pregnant and falling into peer pressure traps. Interventions can help bring out the positive behaviors of adolescents. Health programs are created to help implement healthy body images and the importance of sex education. Using targeted interventions such as the ones listed in my literature review will help the understanding of why sexual health is important. The information listed can be used to help identify different strategies on ways to promote sexual health behaviors. The communication lines should always be open between parents and teens.

Kayla's Literature Review Summary

Lack of physical activity is linked to obesity, cigarette smoking, and effects in cholesterol levels. Habits in physical activity when a person is young may continue into adult life. The normal behavior of most children is that they are more physically active than adults. Even with this being said there has been a great reduction in physical activity among adolescence. This may be due to the lack of safe and secure areas for children to play or the lack of importance on physical and nutritional education. Engaging in regular physical activity may help to control body weight, develop a healthy cardiovascular system, and improve psychological well-being

The literature review I have posted is meant to compare the interventions used to describe instances of physical activity within middle and high schools. The chosen model for the demonstration was the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Through the use of the Theory of Planned Behavior model the prediction of behavior on physical activity was well represented within each article.

Articles used:
"Determinants of Physical Activity in an Inclusive Setting."
Findings show that there were positive attitudes in performing the physical activity (track and field) and that intentions to be physically active were strong as well.

"Social Influences and the Theory of Planned Behavior: Evidence for a Direct Relationship Between Prototypes and Young People's Exercise Behavior."
The findings suggested that adolescents’ behavior toward exercise is motivated through the gain of approval or disapproval of friends and also their friends showing them what is a typical or normal thing to do as far as exercise.

"Determinants of Physical Activity in Middle School Children."
There was no distinction between the two, both predicted significance in norms and attitudes toward physical activity just no signficance in percieved behavioral control to intention to perform a physical activity was found within the Theory of Reasoned Action. The data presented in the study did not support or reject the hypothesis due to perceived behavior controls similarity in self efficacy. Self efficacy has proven to be of importance in influencing physically active behaviors in children.

"Physical Activity Behaviors and Emotional Self Efficacy: Is There a Relationship for Adolescents?"
A significant relationship was found between not participating in sports teams in the past 12 months and midrange scores for the ESE scale. As well as a significant relationship between those not meeting the requirements for moderate physical activity and midrange ESE scale. For all particpants signicant relationships were found between low self efficacy and the connection to not meeting the recommendations for vigorous physcial activity in strenghthening and toning or participation in sport teams. This study suggests that a substantial number of public high school students are reporting to have low or only modest Emotional Self Efficacy

"Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior: The Role of Self and Social Influences in Predicting Adolescent Regular Moderate-to-Vigourous Physical Activity."
The results for the study showed support for the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting the attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control and the intentions to engage in physical activity. The two hypotheses confirmed that if adolescents have positive attitudes, confidence, and stronger intentions towards performing physical activity, they will have a better chance in performing physical activity on a regular basis.

All articles presented a direct review of the Attitudes, Subjective Norms, intention, and perceived behavior control in predicting behavior towards physical activity.

The Rise of Obesity: An Intervention to Improve Physical Activity

Lack of physical activity coupled with poor diet (lots of sugar in food and in drinks, etc.) is a dangerous recipe for poor health!
The Study:
Who was studied? More than 1,000 children from ethnically and economically diverse backgrounds. The researchers started to collect information on the activity levels of 9 year olds for four to seven days several years ago. Then they conducted follow up studies on the children when at age 11, 12, and 15 years of age.
How? The children’s activity was recorded with an accelerometer, a device that records movement, which the children wore on a belt.
When/where will it be published? Today, in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Authors: Philip Nader, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego, along with colleagues.
Why is so important? It’s recommended in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines that children and teens engage in at least 60 minutes of MVPA on most or all days.
What might be going on? While the study didn’t measure the reasons for the sharp decline, the researchers suggested that schools do, indeed, tend to limit physical activity as children grow into their teens. Recess is not typically part of the school day at that time and many schools do not require physical education either. Further, as sports become more elite and exclusive in school as the children become teens, the average athletes drop out and only the best athletes continue.
Interesting Facts:
Ages 9-11 years old: More than 90% of the children evaluated met the recommended level of 60 minutes of more of MVPA per day.
Age 15: Only 31% met the recommended level of MVPA per weekday and only 17% met the recommended activity level on weekends.
Plummeting levels: The researchers suggested that MVPA declined by about 40 minutes per day each year until the age of 15 years when the majority of kids failed to meet the daily recommended level of activity.
Gender issues: Researchers found that on average, boys remained more active than girls. Boys tended to spend 18 more minutes per weekday in MVPA than did girls and 13 more minutes per weekend day. Girls dropped below the recommended level of MVPA (at least 60 minutes per weekday) by age 13.1 years in comparison for boys, who did not drop below that level until age 14.7 years. For weekend days, girls dropped below the recommended level of activity at age 12.6 years while boys dropped below the recommended activity level for weekends at 13.4 years.

Nutrition Tips for Teens

Easy to follow:
1. Be conscious of what you eat. Think of food as fuel for your body. You wouldn’t want to put regular unleaded gasoline into a Porsche. Therefore fueling your body with fast foods, candy, and sugary drinks will diminish performance.
2. Don’t completely eliminate fat from your diet. Fat provides your body with essential fatty acids and important vitamins.
3. Drink water! Stay hydrated. When your body signals thirst, it is already too late.
4. For endurance athletes, sports drinks are recommended to replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates.
5. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals. These phytochemicals combined with other nutrients help reduce the risk of certain cancers, slow the aging process, reduce the risk of heart disease and the list goes on!
6. Whether your goal is to gain weight or lose weight the goal should be realistic and obtainable. Consider 2lbs per week, this is healthy and may help with sustaining the desired weight.
7. Eat an easily digestible meal no later than 2.5-3hrs before your athletic event. Stay away from high fat foods. These foods are slower to digest and hinder performance.
8. Do not self prescribe additional vitamins or supplements without speaking to your physician. Excessive amounts of some vitamins and minerals may be harmful to the body.

From Fort Sanders Health and Fitness

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is growing and effecting our youth today. Data from a youth risk behavior survey states that 36% of students reported less than 60 minutes of (MVPA) Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity per day, with 13% reporting less than 30 minutes. Among adolescents (<18), physical activity is associated with a number ailments decreased anxiety and depression , improved academic performance, improved parental relationships, increased self esteem, decreased anger, decreased psychological stress, lower levels of mental health issues, reduced drug use and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and coronary heart disease.

CDC -Dash/Healthy Youth
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/healthtopics/index.htm

Obesity News and Uploads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvDI3Lh9xQ

Helen's Literature Review Summary

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 18.9 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases/infections occurred in the United States in 2001. Of the sexually active population, people aged 15-24 years consist of only 25%. However, in 2001, about half of sexually transmitted diseases/infections cases took place among this young population (CDC, 2006).

This literature review focuses on five different interventions that were implemented to prevent sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. Of the five articles discussed, only one article specifically identified the type of models and theories the intervention was based upon.

The article, “Abstinence and Safer Sex HIV Risk-Reduction Interventions for African American Adolescents” was based on social cognitive theory, theory of reasoned action, and theory of planned behavior.

Although the article, “Effect of a Clinical Practice Improvement Intervention on Chlamydia Screening Among Adolescent Girls” does not state the foundational theories within the article, it follows the same model and intervention strategy as the HIV risk-reduction intervention for African American adolescents.

The three other articles, “A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing an HIV Prevention Intervention for Latino Youth”, “Interventions to Reduce Sexual Risk for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Adolescents” and “Efficacy of Risk-Reduction Counseling to Prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Sexually Transmitted Diseases” contained interventions that were based mostly on the theory of efficacy.

Since the theory of efficacy is derived from the Social Cognitive Theory, all five articles share the theoretical foundations and framework of the interventions. The most effective and ideal intervention would be to incorporate as many different theories as possible to obtain accurate evidence and to propose the best solutions.

Teens and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

1 in 4 Teen Girls Has STD
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just issued the alarming findings of its first ever survey of teen health which included sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In the study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 838 randomly chosen girls, ranging in age from 14 to 19, completed the survey, which was conducted in 2003 and 2004. As part of the survey, the girls agreed to answer questions dealing with health and nutritional issues and they agreed to be tested for four of the most common STDs.

(Citation: medheadlines.com/.../1-in-4-teen-girls-has-std/)

Teen STD Rate

STD Testing & Information

Baltimore Local HIV / STD Testing
5411 Old Frederick Rd Ste 9, Baltimore - (866) 247-3378
http://www.localhivtesting.com/

24~48 Hour HIV/STD Testing~AIDS Test Line
1930 W Baltimore St, Baltimore - (866) 926-4669
http://www.aboutmyhealth.us/

Find A Free Clinic In Maryland For Std Testing, Diagnosis
www.yourstdhelp.com/maryland.html

STD testing: What to know before your appointment
www.mayoclinic.com/health/std-testing/ID00047

STD Awareness Month

April is STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) on the lives of Americans and the importance of individuals discussing sexual health with their health care providers and if sexually active, their partners.

STDs are a major public health issue in the United States:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are approximately 19 million new cases of STDs each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.

• STDs have an economic impact: direct medical costs associated with STDs in the U.S. are estimated at $15.3 billion annually.

• There are physical and psychological impacts. Untreated, some STDs can lead to serious health consequences, including infertility.

Many of those who are infected don't know it. Many STDs do not have any symptoms. The only way to know for sure whether you have an STD is to get tested.

(Citation: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/STDAwareness/)