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Disordered eating and muscle building behaviors are common among emerging adults, and friends may be a particularly salient social influence. Epidemiologic research often includes questions about participants' perceptions of their friends. A less common approach, with greater logistical challenges, is to ask for friend nominations and then survey friends about their actual behaviors. The comparability of these different approaches is unknown. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) What is the feasibility of collecting data from emerging adults' friends in epidemiologic research? 2) Do perceptions of friends' weight- and shape-related behaviors align with friends' actual behaviors? and 3) Are perceptions or friends' actual behaviors more strongly and consistently associated with emerging adults' behaviors? Participants (N = 2383) in the EAT (Eating and Activity over Time)-2018 study in Minnesota, USA, were asked to nominate up to three friends and provide data about those friends' weight- and shape-related behaviors (i.e. perceptions); nominated friends were invited to complete an abbreviated survey and report on their own same behaviors (i.e. actual). Among the invited friends, 191 responded and were linked to the 152 EAT 2018 participants who nominated them. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlations, and logistic regression were used to address the research questions. The response rate for nominated friends was very low (9.9%), suggesting this approach may have low feasibility for epidemiologic studies of emerging adults. Emerging adults' perceptions of their nominated friends' weight and shape-related behaviors generally did not align well with the behaviors reported by those friends. Furthermore, analytic models found different associations between friends' behavior and EAT 2018 participant behaviors, depending on the measure of friends' behavior used (perceived or actual). Careful consideration of the pros and cons of each study design is essential to build an evidence base and support interventions regarding emerging adults' weight- and shape-related health., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: To date, intergenerational patterns of nonmedical prescription opioid (NMPO) use have not been examined. We investigate the association between parental and adolescent NMPO use in the United States., Methods: Data are from 35 000 parent-child dyads with an adolescent aged 12 to 17 years from the 2004-2012 nationally representative National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Using multivariable logistic regression models, we estimated the association between self-reported parental and adolescent lifetime NMPO use, controlling for parental and adolescent use of other drugs, attitudes about drug use, parental and adolescent psychosocial risk factors, and sociodemographic characteristics., Results: Controlling for other factors, parental NMPO use was associated with adolescent NMPO use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.56). Mothers' use had a stronger association with adolescent use than fathers' use (aOR 1.62 [95% CI 1.28-2.056] versus aOR 0.98 [95% CI 0.74-1.24]). Associations between parental and adolescent NMPO use did not differ by adolescent sex or race and/or ethnicity. Parental lifetime smoking, low monitoring, and parent-adolescent conflict were uniquely associated with adolescent NMPO use (aOR 1.19-1.24) as were adolescent smoking, marijuana use, depression, delinquency, and perceived schoolmates' drug use (aOR 1.25-1.71). Perceived risk of drug use and religiosity were associated with lower rates of adolescent NMPO use (aOR 0.77-0.93). Use among older adolescents was higher than among younger adolescents (aOR 1.27; 95% CI 1.21-1.34)., Conclusions: Parent-based interventions targeted at adolescent NMPO use should address parental NMPO use and smoking and promote positive parenting., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background: Parenting behaviors have been shown to moderate the association between sensation seeking and antisocial behaviors., Methods: Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2,491 Puerto Rican youth living in the South Bronx, New York, and the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. First, we examined the prospective relationship between sensation seeking and antisocial behaviors across 3 yearly waves and whether this relationship varied by sociodemographic factors. Second, we examined the moderating role of parenting behaviors-including parental monitoring, warmth, and coercive discipline-on the prospective relationship between sensation seeking and antisocial behaviors., Results: Sensation seeking was a strong predictor of antisocial behaviors for youth across two different sociocultural contexts. High parental monitoring buffered the association between sensation seeking and antisocial behaviors, protecting individuals with this trait. Low parental warmth was associated with high levels of antisocial behaviors, regardless of the sensation seeking level. Among those with high parental warmth, sensation seeking predicted antisocial behaviors, but the levels of antisocial behaviors were never as high as those of youth with low parental warmth., Conclusions: Study findings underscore the relevance of person-family context interactions in the development of antisocial behaviors. Future interventions should focus on the interplay between individual vulnerabilities and family context to prevent the unhealthy expression of a trait that is present in many individuals., (© 2018 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

Aims: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in order to estimate the effect of US medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on past-month marijuana use prevalence among adolescents., Methods: A total of 2999 papers from 17 literature sources were screened systematically. Eleven studies, developed from four ongoing large national surveys, were meta-analyzed. Estimates of MML effects on any past-month marijuana use prevalence from included studies were obtained from comparisons of pre-post MML changes in MML states to changes in non-MML states over comparable time-periods. These estimates were standardized and entered into a meta-analysis model with fixed-effects for each study. Heterogeneity among the study estimates by national data survey was tested with an omnibus F-test. Estimates of effects on additional marijuana outcomes, of MML provisions (e.g. dispensaries) and among demographic subgroups were abstracted and summarized. Key methodological and modeling characteristics were also described. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed., Results: None of the 11 studies found significant estimates of pre-post MML changes compared with contemporaneous changes in non-MML states for marijuana use prevalence among adolescents. The meta-analysis yielded a non-significant pooled estimate (standardized mean difference) of -0.003 (95% confidence interval = -0.012, +0.007). Four studies compared MML with non-MML states on pre-MML differences and all found higher rates of past-month marijuana use in MML states pre-MML passage. Additional tests of specific MML provisions, of MML effects on additional marijuana outcomes and among subgroups generally yielded non-significant results, although limited heterogeneity may warrant further study., Conclusions: Synthesis of the current evidence does not support the hypothesis that US medical marijuana laws (MMLs) until 2014 have led to increases in adolescent marijuana use prevalence. Limited heterogeneity exists among estimates of effects of MMLs on other patterns of marijuana use, of effects within particular population subgroups and of effects of specific MML provisions., (© 2018 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Weight-based teasing is common among youth, but little is known about its long-term impact on health outcomes. We aimed to 1) identify whether weight-based teasing in adolescence predicts adverse eating and weight-related outcomes 15years later; and 2) determine whether teasing source (peers or family) affects these outcomes. Data were collected from Project EAT-IV (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) (N=1830), a longitudinal cohort study that followed a diverse sample of adolescents from 1999 (baseline) to 2015 (follow-up). Weight-based teasing at baseline was examined as a predictor of weight status, binge eating, dieting, eating as a coping strategy, unhealthy weight control, and body image at 15-year follow-up. After adjusting for demographic covariates and baseline body mass index (BMI), weight-based teasing in adolescence predicted higher BMI and obesity 15years later. For women, these longitudinal associations occurred across peer and family-based teasing sources, but for men, only peer-based teasing predicted higher BMI. The same pattern emerged for adverse eating outcomes; weight-based teasing from peers and family during adolescence predicted binge eating, unhealthy weight control, eating to cope, poor body image, and recent dieting in women 15years later. For men, teasing had fewer longitudinal associations. Taken together, this study shows that weight-based teasing in adolescence predicts obesity and adverse eating behaviors well into adulthood, with differences across gender and teasing source. Findings underscore the importance of addressing weight-based teasing in educational and health initiatives, and including the family environment as a target of anti-bullying intervention, especially for girls., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To document the natural course of sensation seeking from childhood to adolescence, characterize distinct sensation seeking trajectories, and examine how these trajectories vary according to selected predictors., Method: Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2,491 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background (3 assessments from 2000 to 2004). First, age-specific sensation seeking levels were characterized, and then age-adjusted residuals were analyzed using growth mixture models., Results: On average, sensation seeking was stable in childhood (ages 5-10 years) and increased during adolescence (ages 11-17 years). Mean scores of sensation seeking were higher in the South Bronx versus Puerto Rico and among males versus females. Four classes of sensation seeking trajectories were observed: most study participants had age-expected sensation seeking trajectories following the average for their age ("normative," 43.8%); others (37.2%) remained consistently lower than the expected average for their age ("low" sensation seeking); some (12.0%) had an "accelerated" sensation seeking trajectory, increasing at a faster rate than expected; and a minority (7.0%) had a decreasing sensation seeking trajectory that started high but decreased, reaching scores slightly higher than the age-average sensation seeking scores ("stabilizers"). Site (South Bronx versus Puerto Rico) and gender were predictors of membership in a specific class of sensation seeking trajectory., Conclusion: It is important to take a developmental approach when examining sensation seeking and to consider gender and the social environment when trying to understand how sensation seeking evolves during childhood and adolescence., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To examine the inter-relationships between cigarette consumption and DSM-IV nicotine dependence (ND) criteria from smoking onset in adolescence up to 7 years later, adjusting for alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol dependence (AD) criteria., Design: A cohort drawn from grades 6-10 in an urban school system was interviewed five times at 6-month intervals (waves 1-5) and 4.5 years later (wave 6). A parent was interviewed three times., Setting: Chicago, Illinois., Participants: Recent smokers (n = 409)., Measurements: Structured household interviews ascertained number of cigarettes smoked, DSM-IV ND symptoms, drinks consumed, DSM-IV AD symptoms, and selected covariates. Reciprocal prospective associations between number of cigarettes smoked and ND criteria, controlling for time-varying alcohol consumption and dependence criteria, were examined with cross-lagged models., Findings: Reciprocal associations between number of cigarettes smoked and ND criteria were both significant. Cigarette consumption had stronger associations with later ND [β = 0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.17-0.32] than dependence had with later cigarette consumption (β = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.01-0.16). Alcohol and cigarette consumption influenced each other; AD scores were associated with later ND scores but not the reverse. Reports of pleasant initial experiences from smoking were associated positively with cigarette consumption and ND the first year after smoking onset; later smoking onset was negatively associated with cigarette consumption the seventh year after onset; parental ND predicted cigarette consumption and ND throughout., Conclusions: In adolescent smokers, higher cigarette consumption predicts later severity of DSM-IV nicotine dependence more than the reverse. Smoking and drinking also influence each other mutually over time., (© 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Purpose: To explore relationships between harassment (i.e., race-, weight-, socioeconomic-status (SES)-based, and sexual) and health-related outcomes, including self-esteem, depressive symptoms, body satisfaction, substance use, and self-harm behavior, among diverse adolescents., Method: Cross-sectional analysis using data from a population-based study of adolescents participating in Eating and Activity in Teens 2010 (EAT 2010) (n = 2,793; mean age = 14.4 years). Sample was socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse (81% racial/ethnic minority; 54% low or low-middle income)., Results: Having experienced any type of harassment was significantly associated with poor self-esteem, depressive symptoms, low body satisfaction, substance use, and self-harm behaviors. After mutually adjusting for other types of harassment, weight-based harassment was consistently associated with lower self-esteem and lower body satisfaction in both genders (standardized βs ranged in magnitude from .39 to .48); sexual harassment was significantly associated with self-harm and substance use in both genders (ORs: 1.64 to 2.92); and both weight-based and sexual harassment were significantly associated with depressive symptoms among girls (standardized βs = .34 and .37). Increases in the number of different harassment types reported by adolescents were associated with elevated risk for alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, and self-harm (ORs: 1.22 to 1.42) as well as emotional well-being (standardized βs: .13 to .26)., Conclusions: Having had any harassment experience was significantly associated with a variety of negative health and well-being outcomes among adolescents, and risk for these outcomes increases with the number of harassment types an adolescent experiences. Early detection and intervention to decrease harassment experiences may be particularly important in mitigating psychological and behavioral harm among adolescents., (Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine secular trends from 1999 to 2010 in weight status and weight-related attitudes and behaviors among adolescents., Methods: A repeated cross-sectional design was used. Participants were from Minneapolis/St. Paul middle schools and high schools and included 3072 adolescents in 1999 (mean age 14.6 ± 1.8) and 2793 adolescents in 2010 (mean age 14.4 ± 2.0). Trends in weight-related variables were examined using inverse probability weighting to control for changes in socio-demographics over time., Results: The prevalence of obesity among boys increased by 7.8% from 1999 to 2010, with large ethnic/racial disparities. In black boys the prevalence of obesity increased from 14.4% to 21.5% and among Hispanic boys, obesity prevalence increased from 19.7% to 33.6%. Trends were more positive among girls: weight status did not significantly increase, perceptions of overweight status were more accurate, the use of healthy weight control behaviors remained high, dieting decreased by 6.7%, unhealthy weight control behaviors decreased by 8.2% and extreme weight control behaviors decreased by 4.5%., Conclusions: Trends indicate a need to intensify efforts to prevent obesity and other weight-related problems, particularly for boys from ethnic/racial minorities. The decreases in unhealthy weight control behaviors among girls are encouraging., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Since 1996, 16 states have legalized marijuana use for medical purposes. The current study provides a scientific assessment of the association of medical marijuana laws (MML) and adolescent marijuana use using national data., Method: State representative survey data on approximately 23,000 12-17 year olds were collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health annually from 2002-2008. Yearly state-specific estimates of prevalence of past-month marijuana use and perception of its riskiness were statistically tested for differences between states with and without MML by year and across years., Results: States with MML had higher average adolescent marijuana use, 8.68% (95% CI: 7.95-9.42) and lower perception of riskiness, during the period 2002-2008 compared to states without MML, 6.94% (95% CI: 6.60-7.28%). In the eight states that passed MML since 2004, in the years prior to MML passage, there was already a higher prevalence of use and lower perceptions of risk in those states compared to states that have not passed MML., Conclusions: While the most likely of several possible explanations for higher adolescent marijuana use and lower perceptions of risk in MML states cannot be determined from the current study, results clearly suggest the need for more empirically-based research on this topic., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to identify correlates of unhealthy weight-control behaviors in adolescents to guide the development of programs aimed at the primary prevention of disordered eating. A model explaining unhealthy weight-control behaviors was tested among 4,746 adolescents using structural equation modeling. Models fit the data well and explained 76% of the variance in unhealthy weight-control behaviors among girls and 63% among boys. Weight-body concerns were a strong correlate of unhealthy weight-control behaviors in both girls and boys. Models also emphasized the importance of weight-specific social norms within the adolescent's proximal environment. Findings suggest the importance of addressing weight-body concerns within prevention programs and extending interventions beyond classroom settings to ensure changes in weight-related norms among peer groups and family members.