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Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of agility ladder training combined with plyometric or multidirection speed drills, on performance in young female volleyball players. Methods: Seventy-six young female volleyball players were randomly distributed into 3 maturity-matched groups: (1) the agility ladder + plyometric drills group, (2) the agility ladder + multidirection speed drills group, and (3) the control group. Both experimental groups followed a 6-week training program, twice weekly, in addition to the regular volleyball training sessions, while the control group participated only in the regular volleyball training sessions. Assessments pretraining and posttraining included countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and agility T test. Results: Both experimental groups improved T-test performance (P <.005) but only agility ladder + multidirection speed drills group outperformed the control group (P <.05). Conclusions: Agility ladder training programs combined with either plyometric or speed drills can improve change of direction performance in young female volleyball players but only the combination of agility ladder with multidirection speed drills is more effective than volleyball training per se. The small effectiveness of these protocols may be attributed to the short training period, or to the fact that training elements were combined in a single session. This hypothesis remains to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examines gender differences in parental attitudes toward risky play for 5- to 11-year-old boys and girls in Britain. Methods: Analyses use data from the cross-sectional, nationally representative British Child Play Survey. Survey respondents were caregivers of primary-school-aged children living in Britain. Parent self-reported their risk tolerance in play via the Tolerance for Risk in Play Scale (TRiPS) and the Risk Engagement and Protection Survey (REPS). The REPS includes subscales that assess caregiver attitudes around "Protection from Injury" (PFI) and "Engagement with Risk" (EWR) in relation to children's play. Multiple linear regression compared caregiver gender differences in TRiPS, REPS-PFI, and REPS-EWR at the item level, and overall. Associations between child gender and these scales were also examined. Results: Among 1919 caregivers, no significant gender differences emerged in mean TRiPS (P =.72), REPS-EWR (P =.58), and REPS-PFI (P =.34) scores. Activity-specific differences were evident in caregivers' tolerance for individual risky play activities (15/31 activities). Parents of boys exhibited higher risk tolerance (B = −4.48, P <.01) and willingness for their child to engage in risky play (B = −0.63, P <.01) than parents of girls. Conclusions: While there was no difference between male and female caregivers overall attitudes, gender differences were prominent for specific play activities and attitudes, with male caregivers demonstrating higher tolerance for the riskiest activities. Parents of boys expressed more permissive attitudes toward engagement in risky play. Further work is needed to identify why there is gender-related variation in these attitudes and should be considered in interventions that support parents in enabling adventurous play opportunities for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this integrative review we analyze research from multiple fields of study in regards to gender equality, gender equity, and sport participation over the past twenty years (2000–2020). Key findings highlight a) women and girls' socialization into sport and the performance of femininity and heteronormativity, b) the psychological benefits, negative effects, and participant retention, c) a lack of transformative critique of sport structures and barriers to access, and d) critique of sport policy that enhances equity and equality. Embedded throughout the presentation of these four interrelated areas of interest, we offer a critique about the state of research so that others might draw insight for future research directions. We conclude by outlining potential intersectional and transformational frameworks that connect research to social and political action. We also provide commentary on knowledge creation, databases, and the politicization of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the challenges, needs and capacities of girls born of conflict-related sexual violence during the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi. Twenty-nine interviews and 11 focus groups were conducted with girls born of genocidal rape, alongside 44 interviews with mothers of children born of genocidal rape. In a society where Umwana w'umugore – being 'the child of a woman' – is considered an insult for children born of rape, gendered realities profoundly shape girls' experiences. Data reveal that girls born of genocidal rape face challenges related to identity and belonging, multiple forms of violence and economic challenges. Moreover, girls sustain the indirect consequences of gender-based injustices committed against their mothers, making stigma and social exclusion shared and intergenerational experiences, alongside mutual care and support. Policy development must take into account the unique needs of girls born of rape, the precarious situation of their mothers and broader gender inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in curricular materials affect students' learning? We tested two competing hypotheses about the impact of gender exemplar on learning: First, in line with Social Learning Theory, children might exhibit a same‐gender bias such that they prefer to learn from exemplars that match their gender (H1). Second, consistent with research on children's stereotypes about gender and math (e.g., associating boys with math competence), children might prefer to learn from exemplars who match their stereotypes about who is good at math (H2). We tested these hypotheses with children in middle school (N = 166), a time of development in which stereotypes are well‐engrained, but before gender differences in math achievement appear. Children viewed two distinct math strategies, each presented by a boy or girl exemplar. We then examined which strategy children employed on a subsequent math test as well as their perceived similarity to the exemplars and their awareness or endorsement of gender‐math stereotypes. Children did not preferentially learn from same‐gender exemplars. However, children with stereotypes associating boys with math were more likely to learn the more difficult strategy when it was presented by a boy exemplar than children who did not associate boys with math. The results of this study provide valuable insight into how children's stereotypes impact their real‐world learning. Research Highlights: How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in children's curricular materials affect their learning?Past research demonstrates that children prefer to learn from same‐gender exemplars, but also hold a stereotype that boys are better at math.In the current study, we test whether children preferentially adopt a math strategy presented by a boy or girl exemplar.Children who held the belief that boys are better at math were more likely to learn a difficult strategy from boy exemplars than children who did not endorse this stereotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand use varies according to which brain hemisphere is dominant. Early androgen exposure causes right hemisphere dominance. This study is aimed at comparing the testes and ovary sizes of healthy left-handed girls and boys with those of healthy right-handed children and investigating whether or not lateralization affects the gonads. The ovarian and testicular sizes of healthy left- and right-handed boys and girls who were similar in height, weight, and age were compared by ultrasonography. One hundred and eleven (111) children—including 26 left- and 26 right-handed girls and 31 left- and 28 right-handed boys—were included in this study. The mean age of left-handed girls was 77.2 ± 25.3 months, and the mean age of right-handed girls was 74.4 ± 25.2 months. Right transverse diameter (p = 0.004), right longitudinal diameter (p = 0.009), and right ovarian volume (p = 0.020) were larger in left-handed girls above 8 years of age than in left-handed girls below 8 years of age. However, these values were similar in right-handed girls above and below 8 years of age. In right-handed girls, the transverse diameter was larger in the right ovary than in the left ovary (0.014). Other ovarian values were similar. The mean age of left-handed boys was 85.2 ± 41.3 months, whereas the mean age of right-handed ones was 81 ± 41.2 months. Prepubertal and pubertal right- and left-handed boys had similar mean right and left testicular diameters and volumes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Lateralization affected gonad size in girls. In boys, gonads were not affected by lateralization. Cerebral lateralization may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary–gonadal axis in girls. What is Known: • Hand use varies according to which cerebral hemisphere is dominant. Males tend to be more left-handed than females. Brain asymmetry can affect the neuroendocrine axis. What is New: • Ultrasonographic gonadal dimensions were examined in left-handed and right-handed children. Cerebral lateralization may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary–gonadal axis in girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to education is crucial for solving gender inequalities in developing countries. Set against the backdrop of persistent gender disparities starting from primary education level in Pakistan, using capability approach, this article analyses gender inequalities in education in the Punjab province through the effectiveness of the Girls' Stipend Programme (GSP) on girls' educational opportunities using a mixed methods approach. The GSP, aims to increase female enrolment in public schools, and targets families from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The findings show that the GSP has led to short-term impact on girls' increased enrolment in middle schools, although issues of access to education such as physical safety, transition to secondary schools and the quality of schooling needed attention. The parental aspirations for girls' education is high particularly among mothers from lower economic backgrounds and main driver for female education but the larger question of the instrumental role of education in transforming gender inequalities is still pertinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport-related concussions (SRCs) are prevalent in high school (HS) sports, though the determinants of, and relationships between concussion symptoms in this population remain relatively unknown. We analysed SRC data captured within the HS RIO injury surveillance system during 2014/15-2018/19. We used Generalized Estimating Equations to simultaneously assess covariate predictors of symptom presentations and identify pairwise symptom associations and employed multivariable ordinal logistic regressions to determine symptom resolution time (SRT) predictors. Among the 8,969 concussions assessed, headaches (94.3%) and dizziness (73.3%) were the most prevalently reported symptoms. In 5,953 boys’ concussion assessed, class year, event type and injury mechanism emerged as determinants of various concussion symptoms, while in 3,016 girls’ concussions assessed, class year, event type, injury mechanism, and sport type emerged as significant symptom determinants. In both groups, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, and disorientation were symptoms with the strongest associations with other symptoms. Odds of longer SRT were higher with greater endorsement (i.e. counts) of the subset of symptoms with strongest cross-domain associations (ORadj. = 1.35; 95% CI = [1.30, 1.40]). Our findings provide valuable information for informing sideline and follow-up clinical concussion assessment algorithms in high school athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Methods Results Conclusions We aim (1) to examine secular trends in height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) among Peruvian children and adolescents living in the city of Junín and (2) to compare their growth status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference data.The sample included 2874 Peruvians (n = 1681 in the 2009 cohort and n = 1193 in the 2019 cohort) aged 6–16 years from the district of Junín (4107 m of altitude). Height, weight, and WC were measured using standardized protocols. Within each sex, a two‐way between‐subjects analysis of variance—age, and cohort as main factors and age‐by‐cohort as the interaction—was used to test for differences in height, weight, and WC. STATA 17 software was used in all statistical analyses.Height revealed a positive secular trend among girls, aged 6–11 years, and among boys up to 14 years of age. Similar positive secular trends in weight and WC were found across all age groups in both boys and girls. Compared to North American peers, children in the 2009 cohort were shorter, lighter, and had a smaller WC. For weight and WC, the 2019 cohort overlapped the 50th percentile across all age groups (except for 16‐year‐old girls).Both boys' and girls' height, weight, and WC showed positive secular trends between 2009 and 2019, with statistically significant differences varying across age groups. Peruvian youth of both sexes were shorter and lighter than their North American peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sexting is a widespread phenomenon among today’s youth, little is known about their experiences of sexting with their intimate partners. This study addresses this gap by examining young people’s reasons for sexting and emotional reactions to sending and receiving sexts in their intimate relationships, as reported by 764 (48.7% girls) 15–20-year-olds in Finland. Both younger and older girls and boys reported mostly positive reactions to both sending and receiving sexts. However, girls reported more negative reactions than boys did. Girls’ reasons for sending sexts were more frequently related to their own desire to feel sexy or flirtatious, their need for validation from their partner, or the pressure that their partner put on them to sext, whereas boys’ reasons more often indicated normative ideas of sexting as a typical component in a romantic relationship and responding to sexts sent to them by their partners. The results suggest that although it is mostly consensual and reciprocal, sexting within intimate relationships may carry different meanings for boys and girls, reflecting gendered heterosexual norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor competence (MC) is conceptually defined as a multidimensional latent construct that covers the proficient performance in motor skills and its underlying mechanisms This study aimed to statistically provide arguments that MC is a network of interconnected constructs, such as FMS, coordination, and its underlying mechanisms, which are responsible for preschoolers’ proficiency in motor tasks. Participated 102 preschoolers (65 girls, M age = 4.22 ± 0.19) who were assessed for the Test of Gross Motor Development − 2nd edition, the Motor Competence Assessment, and the Supine-to-Stand. Data were explored using Exploratory Graph Analysis, using the EGAnet package in RStudio. A four-dimensional structure (61.2% of interactions) comprising tasks of the different protocols was underlined, in which all the nodes presented stable and adequate indexes (≥0.65; TEFI = –2.67). Four dimensions of MC were highlighted, namely Dimension 1, which combined movements for locomotor patterns; Dimension 2, comprising three process-oriented measures of object control skills to project objects; Dimension 3, which comprised of skills which require body coordination to displace body through space; and Dimension 4, composed by object control skills evaluated through product-oriented measures. For a better understanding of MC, the assessment of these different aspects that comprises MC should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points women and girls were infrequently represented in haemophilia clinical trials intentional recruitment strategies are needed for haemophilia trials to be more inclusive of women and girls [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Age at pubertal onset has decreased over the recent decades. Early maturing girls have longer puberty duration, and higher peak height velocity (PHV) than late maturing girls. To what extent this is generated by increased insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), fat mass, or fasting insulin levels is currently unknown. Design, setting, participants A population-based study—part of the COPENHAGEN puberty study—longitudinal part. Eighty-one girls evaluated biannually for a median of 10 (2-15) visits for a total of 815 evaluations. Methods Pubertal staging, anthropometric measures, PHV, skin fold thickness (SFT), and IGF-I and fasting insulin levels were measured. Results Early maturing girls achieved similar final height compared to late maturing girls (166.1 vs 167.1 cm, P =.36). Early pubertal onset was associated with significantly greater PHV (8.7 vs 7.4 cm/year, P <.001) and a longer puberty duration (age at onset of breast development to age at PHV [1.8 vs 1.1 years, P <.001]) compared with late maturation. After correcting for age at pubertal onset, neither body mass index, SFT, nor IGF-I levels differed between early vs late maturing girls. By contrast, fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in early compared with late maturing girls 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 years after pubertal onset (all P =.039). Conclusion Growth velocity was higher and more prolonged in early compared with late maturing girls and associated with higher insulin levels. Thus, the higher insulin levels may compensate for the shorter total growth period by intensifying the pubertal growth period. Clinical trial registration number NCT01411527. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the suitability of serum osteocalcin (OC) as a marker to distinguish between rapidly and non‐rapidly progressive central precocious puberty (RP‐CPP and NRP‐CPP), as well as its potential to assess growth rates following treatment with gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). Methods: Serum levels of OC were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays in girls diagnosed with either RP‐CPP or NRP‐CPP as well as in normal control subjects. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the cut‐off value for OC. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to analyse the main influencing factors associated with OC. Results: Serum OC levels were higher in the CPP girls when compared to normal controls (110.76 ± 43.69 vs 55.97 ± 20.96 ng/mL, P < 0.001). The level in the RP‐CPP group was higher than the NRP‐CPP group (153.28 ± 33.89 vs 88.33 ± 29.26 ng/mL, P < 0.001). The cut‐off value of OC levels for distinguishing between RP‐CPP and NRP‐CPP was 107.05 ng/mL, the sensitivity was 94.7% and the specificity was 77.8%, which was superior to using the basal luteinising hormone (B‐LH) levels, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) were 0.933 versus 0.695, respectively. Following 1–2 years of treatment with GnRHa for girls with CPP, both OC levels and the growth rates decreased to pre‐pubertal values. B‐LH levels, bone age and body weight were also significant factors, which affected OC levels. Conclusions: Serum OC levels may be a useful marker for distinguishing RP‐CPP from NRP‐CPP. In addition, it was also found to be a useful predictor for growth rate during GnRHa treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional narratives of sport posit winning as the defining goal in ways that can feel and be exclusionary to young people and result in a lack of enjoyment and subsequent decision to avoid or discontinue involvement in sport. This is particularly true for girls and young women who participate in sport at lower rates and quit at higher rates than boys and young men. Shifting the focus of sport away from winning can open space for a wider range of girls and young women to see themselves as athletes. Scholars have highlighted how story in the form of counter-narratives can play a role in changing readers' perspectives. However, no attention has been paid to fictional representations of athletes engaging in non-competitive sport and how these depictions might invite girls and young women to imagine themselves differently in sporting spaces. This paper employs thematic inductive analysis to examine three, girl-centric young adult sports novels that work as counter-narratives to examine what happens when winning is not the central goal of participation in sport. Specifically, it explores what fictional young women athletes gain through their participation in non-competitive sport and what young adult readers might gain in their engagement with these titles. Findings reveal how participation in non-competitive sport gives the fictional athletes a sense of full personhood, confidence and pride in what their bodies can do, and connection with something larger than themselves. These titles can show readers that their engagement in sport is desirable, that non-competitive sport is beneficial to them, and that their engagement in sport is possible, that non-competitive sport is for them. The paper suggests that stories of non-competitive sport have the potential to open equitable access by inviting more young people, particularly those who have not seen themselves in stories of sport, to engage as athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpersonal trauma is a pervasive issue with devastating consequences for women and girls of diverse identities. Research has shown that there are many potential physiological consequences for experiencing trauma, and as such, treatment for trauma should incorporate the body. Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) has been emerging in the current literature as one body-oriented treatment approach effective in helping women and girls heal from interpersonal trauma. This review uses textual narrative evidence synthesis to examine how practitioners are currently using DMT for this population, what treatment outcomes have been observed, and what the racial/ethnic identities and international contexts are for survivors who have benefited from DMT. Inclusion criteria for the present review included peer-reviewed studies published in English between the years 2000 to 2022, reporting data on the use of dance or movement to help women and/or adolescent girls aged 12 and older heal from interpersonal trauma. Studies were identified through electronic databases, and 16 total studies met criteria. This review found that the characteristics and structure of DMT vary greatly between different practitioners, the participants of DMT are very diverse, and there are many commonly observed outcomes such as increased physical ability, increased emotional capacity, mind-body integration, safety, aid with trauma processing, empowerment, social support, and fun. This review also gives recommendations for practitioners who wish to utilize dance and movement in treatment: offer group interventions; use the body to create metaphor, imagery, and symbolism; give survivors choices in how they participate; use music purposefully; and don't forget to cultivate joy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated the barriers and facilitators to physical activity and sport participation among adolescent girls from Middle Eastern backgrounds. These factors were explored through the perspectives of both adolescent girls and parents of adolescent girls, living in Australia. Design: A qualitative study design was used to understand perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity and sport in adolescent girls. Participants were 18 adolescent girls and 9 parents of adolescent girls, all of Middle Eastern backgrounds, living in Western Sydney, Australia. Data were collected through five focus groups and four one-on-one interviews, separated for girls and parents. Data were analysed using an inductive approach and thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes (family, social support, religion and culture) and nine subthemes were identified. The main facilitators for physical activity and sport included the values and presence of an active family role model, religion to encourage lifelong physical activity skills, and promotion of physical activity from peers, school, and social media. The predominant barriers to physical activity and sport included established cultural norms and traditional gender roles, which were often influenced by religion and culture, and extended time using technology. Conclusion: The findings of the current study show the complex relationships between family, religion, and culture when promoting physical and sport participation. Such factors highlight the need to develop culturally tailored physical activity interventions that consider the perceived barriers and facilitators for adolescent girls' participation from Middle Eastern backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senegalese-French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré's resistance project, Cuties (2020), aimed to alert adults about the dangers of hypersexualization on social media and its harm to young girls. However, the film content and its suggestive Netflix marketing campaign led to it being misinterpreted and maligned as "child pornography." This study examines these controversies, arguing that the heightened gaze stems from "othering" Black girlhood and polarizing views circulating in the digital space. We contend these occurrences, evident in our selected data sources, speak to a larger phenomenon wherein human and nonhuman actors across various media channels and news cultures worked to quiet historically marginalized voices. Furthermore, the movie's controversy allows for a critique of the media ecosystem and its role in a market-driven economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with severe and persistent juvenile offending. CU traits are also associated with dampened emotional arousal, which suggests that fundamental frequency (f0), a measure of vocally-encoded emotional arousal, may serve as an accessible psychophysiological marker of CU traits in youth. This study investigated the associations between f0 range measured during an emotionally evocative task, CU traits, and emotion dysregulation in a mixed-gender sample of 168 justice-involved youth. For boys, after controlling for covariates, wider f0 range—indicating greater emotional arousal—was negatively associated with CU traits and positively associated with emotion dysregulation. For girls, no significant associations with f0 range emerged; however, CU traits were positively associated with emotion dysregulation. Findings suggest that f0 range may serve as a valid indicator of CU traits in JJ-involved boys, and that detained boys and girls with high CU traits are characterized by different profiles of emotion dysregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research on juvenile legal system (JLS) involved girls generally focuses on individual and proximal environmental levels that bring girls into contact with the JLS. There is less research on how the JLS responds to girls in case dispositions (e.g., sanction-based responses, treatment-focused services), and how combinations of dispositions relate to girls' further system involvement. In this study, we apply latent class analysis (LCA) to the juvenile legal context to categorize system responses in a sample of 1,133 adjudicated girls. We identify four distinct classes, comprising different types and combinations of dispositions. We then further analyzed the classes using individual characteristics and risk factors of girls to understand precursors to the system's response and further JLS involvement. Our findings offer insight into how packages of court dispositions are correlated with increased recidivism. We consider implications for JLS intervention with girls and provide suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls around the world. The absence of safety hampers the ability of numerous women to engage freely in school, employment, and public activities without being alert. This research explores women's safety experiences, particularly focusing on young women in diverse rural and urban environments. We utilized chi-square analysis and regression models to analyze data obtained from a survey distributed to railway passengers in 2022 across neighboring municipalities in southern central Sweden. Findings show that being young makes women more likely to be victimized. Although rural women feel safer than their urban counterparts, they are more often willing to take precautionary measures before taking a trip (e.g., more often traveling with someone in the evening or avoiding certain stations). These findings call for gender-age-sensitive mobility policies, taking into account the intersectionality of transit safety, and reflecting women's and girls' safety needs in particular rural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated a three‐choice matching‐to‐sample procedure with an observing‐response requirement to induce select and reject control during baseline training and examined their effects on the formation of equivalence classes. The study involved four girls, aged 8 to 10 years, who participated in a computer‐based task that alternated between conditions designed to induce select and reject control by requiring observing responses to display the stimuli. In the select‐control condition, the correct stimulus was revealed first on at least 75% of the trials, increasing the likelihood of selecting the correct stimulus without seeing the incorrect ones. In contrast, in the reject‐control condition, the correct stimulus was revealed third on at least 75% of the trials, forcing the display of both incorrect stimuli. This procedure successfully generated both select and reject control, which increased progressively with the accuracy during baseline training trials. Select control was more prominent than reject control, but both led to the formation of equivalence classes. This finding suggests that reject control does not hinder control by the correct stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the difficulties faced in Kenya regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights policy making. It discusses the impact of the global anti-rights movement on women, girls, and the LGBTIQ+ community in Kenya. The article also examines the role of foreign governments, religious groups, and US-based lobby groups in shaping policies and laws in Africa. It emphasizes the importance of defending human rights, social justice, and equality in the face of these challenges. The article further delves into the politicization of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya and the obstacles encountered in implementing abortion provisions. It concludes by addressing the exclusion of SRHR advocates from policy discussions and the suppression of their voices in favor of anti-reproductive rights groups. The text highlights the challenges faced by the SRHR sector in Kenya, particularly in relation to the adoption and implementation of progressive policies. It emphasizes the influence of anti-SRHR actors who rely on moral and religious reasoning, often disregarding scientific evidence and existing data. The SRHR sector has responded by adopting a holistic ecosystem approach and collaborating with diverse partners to address these challenges. The text stresses the need for discreet strategies and continuous advocacy to protect and advance SRHR in the face of opposition. It also calls for stronger African voices and leadership in the global discourse on SRHR to challenge dominant narratives and promote a more nuanced understanding of the regional landscape. [Extracted from the article]

Early intervention in problem sexual behavior (PSB) is critical; however, little is known about the engagement of children and families in therapeutic intervention for PSB. This research explored the characteristics, presenting issues, and engagement of 242 children aged 4–12 years attending a therapeutic service for PSB. Most frequently, PSB occurred within sibling relationships. Girls were more likely to engage in PSB alone (self-directed or non-targeted behaviors), while boys were more likely to involve other young people (interpersonal PSB). One-third (35%) of clients engaged in completion of therapy. Parental noninvolvement and self-directed or non-targeted PSB predicted early disengagement. Client demographics, sexual abuse, and interpersonal sexual behaviors were not associated with therapy completion. Implications for therapeutic intervention in children’s PSB are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study on 328 five‐ to six‐year‐old kindergarteners (mainly White European living in France, 152 girls) shows that children who do not count on their fingers and undergo finger counting training exhibit drastic improvement in their addition skills from pre‐test to post‐test (i.e., accuracy from 37.3% to 77.1%) compared to a passive control group (39.6% to 47.8%) (p < .001, ηp2$$ {\eta}_{\mathrm{p}}^2 $$ = .15). This result was replicated on a much smaller scale (37 five‐ to six‐year‐olds, mainly White European, 22 girls) but in more controlled setup and was further replicated with an active control group (84 five‐ to six‐year‐olds, mainly White European, 37 girls). Therefore, we demonstrate here for the first time that training finger counting constitutes a highly effective method to improve kindergarteners' arithmetic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dads and Daughters Exercising and Empowered (DADEE) is a program targeting fathers/father-figures to improve their daughters' physical activity and well-being. Previous randomised controlled efficacy and effectiveness trials of DADEE demonstrated meaningful improvements in a range of holistic outcomes for both fathers and daughters in the short-term. This study aims to assess the long-term impact (12-months) of the program when delivered in the community by trained facilitators. Methods: Fathers/father-figures and their primary school-aged daughters were recruited from Newcastle, Australia into a single-arm, non-randomised, pre-post study with assessments at baseline, 10-weeks (post-intervention) and 12-months. The 9-session program included weekly 90-min educational and practical sessions, plus home-based tasks. The primary outcome was fathers' and daughters' days per week meeting national physical activity recommendations (≥ 30 min/day of MVPA for fathers, ≥ 60 min/day MVPA for daughters). Secondary outcomes included physical activity, screen time, self-esteem, father-daughter relationship, social-emotional well-being, parenting measures, and process outcomes (including recruitment, attendance, retention and program acceptability). Results: Twelve programs were delivered with 257 fathers (40.0 ± 9.2 years) and 285 daughters (7.7 ± 1.9 years). Mixed effects regression models revealed significant intervention effects for the primary outcome, with fathers increasing the days/week meeting physical activity recommendations by 27% at 10-weeks (p < 0.001) and by 19% at 12-months (p < 0.001) compared with baseline. Likewise, for daughters there was a significant increase by 25% at 10-weeks (p < 0.001) and by 14% at 12-months (p = 0.02) when compared to baseline. After conducting a sensitivity analysis with participants unaffected by COVID-19 lockdowns (n = 175 fathers, n = 192 daughters), the primary outcome results strengthened at both time-points for fathers and at 12-months for daughters. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis revealed significant intervention effects at post-program and 12-months for all secondary outcomes in both fathers and daughters. Furthermore, the process outcomes for recruitment capability, attendance, retention and satisfaction levels were high. Conclusions: Findings provide support for a sustained effect of the DADEE program while delivered in a community setting by trained facilitators. Further investigation is required to identify optimised implementation processes and contextual factors to deliver the program at scale. Trial registration: ACTRN12617001450303. Date registered: 12/10/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What might it mean to reimagine brown‐girl‐as‐failure to brown‐girl‐as‐success? This article draws on findings from an empirical research study of academically successful teenage girls from Aotearoa New Zealand. In this paper we focus on what it means to be an intelligent and successful young brown woman in the context of the contemporary white‐centering of meritocratic success, and the oppressive narrative that brown girls are not bright. Using a creative methodology, Laurel Richardson's collective storying and Patricia Leavy's fiction‐based research, the paper engages in forms of creative analytic practice and new knowledge representation, which prioritize authentic voice and understanding of the young women participants' lived experiences. Collective stories were used in the study to challenge existing public discourses of girls and success, including the white‐centering of such depictions, and to create narratives that participants could identify with, particularly those that were often unspoken but widely experienced. Using collective stories in the study offered a space of resonance with participants who could engage with the stories during the research process and contribute to their (re)storying. The interplay between the theoretics of methodological creativity and the symbolic violence of a colonial positioning of successful girlhood offers a novel contribution to girlhood studies. Through collective storying and a further interweaving of poetic voice, the disruption of the narrative of deficit offers remembering and revalidation of brown success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inadequate water supply, poor sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools, insufficient puberty education and a lack of hygienic menstrual hygiene management (MHM) items (absorbents) cause girls in developing countries like Ethiopia to view menstruation as shameful and uncomfortable. However, there was little evidence of female MHM practice and associated factors among secondary school girls in eastern Ethiopia. Objective: To assess MHM practice and associated factors among secondary school girls in eastern Ethiopia. Design: Institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. Methods: A total of 473 secondary schoolgirls were selected using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire, double-entered to Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was computed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviations. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to assess the association of the school water, sanitation and hygiene facilities with MHM. Adjusted odd ratio (AOR) with its 95% confidence interval was computed to show the strength of the association between dependent and independent variables. The goodness of fit of the model was tested by the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit test. Results: Out of 473 study participants, 72.93% of them (95% CI: 68.74–76.76) reported good MHM practices. The study also found that availability of continuous water supply (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI: (1.42–4.01)); types of toilet (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: (1.20–3.40)), confined space (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: (1.49–4.76)) and having females' toilets alone inside in the school (AOR = 2.70, 95% CI: (1.20–4.40)) were significantly associated with female students' good MHM practice. Conclusion: The survey revealed that some of the secondary schoolgirls practiced poor menstrual hygiene management (MHM), which needs further improvement. The study also found that the availability of continuous water supply in the school, types of toilet facility in the school, availability of private space to manage periods at school, learning about MHM in schools and availability of female toilets kept locked inside were factors significantly associated with MHM practice of students, which require integration of Zonal Health and education bureau to jointly work towards the improvement of school WASH facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Age reportedly affects headache prevalence differently in boys and girls. However, little empirical data exists regarding pediatric headache prevalence and headache-related burden in children and adolescents according to age and sex. In the present study, we considered age and sex while evaluating the distribution, characteristics, and impairment of primary headache disorders at a pediatric headache center in Germany. Methods: Medical records of children and adolescents attending the headache clinic of the Interdisciplinary Pain Center of the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden during the period 2015-2022 were retrospectively grouped and analyzed depending on age (< or ≥14 years) and sex. Results: The study population consisted of 652 children and adolescents, aged between 3 and 18 years. Almost two-thirds of the patients (≈60%) were females, and almost two-thirds of these females (58%) were ≥14 years of age. Generally, the most prevalent headache diagnoses as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition were episodic migraine without aura and the combination of tension-type headache and episodic migraine with or without aura i.e., mixed-type headache (each ≈27%). In the younger group (<14 years), the mixed-type headache was the most prevalent in girls (28.6%), whereas, for boys, episodic migraine without aura was the most prevalent headache diagnosis (47.4%). In the older group (≥14 years), the mixed-type headache continued to be the most prevalent for girls (30%), and it became the most prevalent for boys (26.3%). Before the age of 14, about 16% of children were severely affected by their headaches. After the age of 14, this proportion increased to roughly one-third (33%) of adolescents, driven mainly by teenage girls (26%) who were severely affected by their headaches. Furthermore, the prevalence of comorbidities was significantly higher among girls (67%), particularly in the adolescent group (74%). Conclusions: Our data shows that headache disorders in a specialized pediatric clinic impose a significant burden, especially among teenage girls indicating high therapy needs. Enhancing awareness of early diagnosis and preventive care is crucial to mitigate the development of chronic headaches, and mitigate their adverse effects on life quality and educational capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the expression levels of serum irisin and nesfatin-1 and their clinical diagnostic value in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). Methods A total of 74 girls diagnosed with CPP from January 2018 to January 2022 at Tangshan Maternal and Child health Care Hospital were included in the CPP group. Sixty girls with isolated premature thelarche (PT) during the same period served as the PT group. Serum levels of irisin and nesfatin - 1 were measured using enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between serum irisin, nesfatin -1 levels, and clinical data of CPP patients. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify factors influencing the occurrence of CPP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic value of serum irisin and nesfatin-1 for CPP. Results The levels of serum irisin, nesfatin - 1, body mass index (BMI) standard deviation scores, advanced bone age, basal luteinizing hormone (LH), basal follicle - stimulating hormone (FSH), basal LH/FSH ratio, estradiol 2, ovarian volume, and uterine volume were significantly higher in the CPP group than in the PT group (all P<0.05). There were significant positive correlations between serum irisin, nesfatin-1, and BMI standard deviation scores, advanced bone age, basal LH, basal FSH, basal LH/FSH ratio, estradiol, ovarian volume, and uterine volume in the CPP group (all P<0.05). Serum irisin and nesfatin-1 were identified as independent risk factors for CPP. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the combined detection of serum irisin and nesfatin-1 was 0.927 (95% CI: 0. 891-0.959), which was significantly greater than that for each marker alone [0.839 (95% CI: 0.799-0.857) for irisin, 0.812 (95% CI: 0.781-0.842) for nesfatin -1] (Z=5. 183, 4. 949, both P<0.001). Conclusion Elevated levels of serum irisin and nesfatin-1 are observed in girls with CPP, and these levels are associated with hormone levels in CPP girls. The combination of serum irisin and nesfatin - 1 offers a higher clinical diagnostic value for CPP than either marker alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a collaborative inquiry involving third to fifth-grade girls participating in the Girls on the Run program. Topics include focusing on their responses to body representations in literature during sessions that included a virtual visit with the author of Love Your Body, Jess Sanders; and opportunity for students to challenge prevailing narratives around body image through engaging conversations.

Background and Objectives: Divorce is not just a single event, but is a long process in which all family members, including children, suffer from a loss and failure, which can lead to intergenerational transmission of instability in the marital life. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the lived experiences of teenagers with their parents' divorce experience in Yazd City. Materials and Methods: The present study was a phenomenological study of lived experiences of twelve teenage participants of Yazd City in 2023 who experienced parental divorce. Data have been extracted and collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's method. Results: The findings of this research showed that Iranian teenagers experience problems in different fields after their parents' divorce that can be classified in seven categories including cognitive, developmental/evolutionary, behavioral/coping, psychological/emotional, family, social and contextual challenges. According to the findings, the continuation of post-traumatic growth in adolescents with parental divorce requires the formulation of multilateral interventions centered on the identified themes. Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be concluded that divorce has many negative consequences such as cognitive, developmental/evolutionary, behavioral/confrontational, psychological/emotional, family, social, and contextual challenges for family. Teenagers may suffer more emotional and psychological trauma due to being in critical situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A number of barriers in care exist for women/girls with bleeding disorders. Little progress has been made to overcome them, particularly regarding levels of awareness of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and women/girls. Aim: To evaluate awareness and perception of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and bleeding disorders among HCPs and women/girls. Methods: A three‐part qualitative study was conducted, including HCPs and women/girls from over seven countries. Part 1 included eleven 60‐min interviews with experts discussing HMB diagnostic barriers, which were further assessed in surveys among 6099 women/girls, 353 general practitioners (GPs), and 426 obstetricians and gynaecologists (OB/GYNs) during Part 2. Part 3 included three 1.5–2‐h workshops with 20 clinicians and patient representatives covering HMB knowledge, criteria defining HMB and HCP resourcing for diagnosis. Results: Many HCPs do not conduct certain investigations for women/girls presenting with HMB, and 22% of GPs lack confidence in the management of HMB. Only 8% of GPs use screening tools to evaluate menstrual blood loss, and 13% of GPs and 15% of OB/GYNs assess underlying bleeding disorders. Seventy‐six percent of menstruating women/girls believed they could recognise HMB symptoms 'well'. However, 23% of these women/girls would not seek medical advice for abnormal/prolonged menstruation disrupting their lives. Disruptions were reported in 34% of women/girls from the general population and 61% of women with at‐risk symptoms of HMB. Conclusion: Many women/girls and HCPs have limited awareness of important HMB indicators. There is a need for standardized clinical criteria to promote efficient diagnoses and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender role attitudes have important implications at the individual, family, and societal levels, underscoring the importance of understanding their development. Although parents predominate in the socialization of gender role attitudes in childhood, the influence of friends increases during adolescence. In particular, cross-gender friends can provide unique insights and perspectives on another gender group, making them likely to shape gender role attitudes. However, empirical explorations of the link between gender role attitudes and cross-gender friendships have been rare. Furthermore, the few studies conducted have yielded ambiguous results and have struggled to separate the influence of cross-gender friends from a selection of such friendships based on gender role attitudes. This study addresses these limitations by using longitudinal social network models to assess the co-evolution of friendship networks and gender role attitudes among 3,194 youth (Mage = 15.2, SD = 0.67, 51% female) in German schools. The findings reveal that, after accounting for selection processes, boys with cross-gender friends develop more egalitarian gender role attitudes, while girls' attitudes are unaffected by cross-gender friendships. These findings suggest that promoting cross-gender friendships among adolescent boys holds the potential to foster egalitarian gender role attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex trauma history is one of the incarcerated girls' most salient characteristics, and two of the most injurious outcomes are suicide ideation and attempted suicide. However, to the best of our knowledge, not one published study has thus far focused on the suicide experiences of rural girls in detention facilities. Guided by theoretical perspectives on females' pathways into crime and using data derived from in-depth semistructured interviews with 39 girls housed in two West Virginia detention centers, the main objective of this article is to help fill a major gap in the extant literature on rural girls in conflict with the law. The key themes that emerged from qualitative data analyses are sleep deprivation, substance use, and a history of sexual and physical abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents self‐report using different strategies to respond to peer provocation. However, we have a limited understanding of how these responses are behaviorally enacted and perceived by peers. This study examined the extent to which adolescents' self‐reported responses to peer provocation (i.e., aggressive, assertive, and withdrawn) predicted how their vocal enactments of standardized responses to peer provocation were perceived by other adolescents. Three vocal cues relevant to the communication of emotional intent—average pitch, average intensity, and speech rate—were explored as moderators of these associations. Adolescent speakers (n = 39; Mage = 12.67; 66.7% girls) completed a self‐report measure of how they would choose to respond to scenarios involving peer provocation; they also enacted standardized vocal responses to hypothetical peer provocation scenarios. Recordings of speakers' vocal responses were presented to a separate sample of adolescent listeners (n = 129; Mage = 12.12; 52.7% girls) in an online listening task. Speakers who self‐reported greater use of assertive response strategies enacted standardized vocal responses that were rated as significantly friendlier by listeners. Vocal responses enacted with faster speech rates were also rated as significantly friendlier by listeners. Speakers' self‐reported use of aggression and withdrawal was not significantly related to listeners' ratings of their standardized vocal responses. These findings suggest that adolescents may be perceived differently by their peers depending on the way in which their response is enacted; specifically, faster speech rate may be perceived as friendlier and thus de‐escalate peer conflict. Future studies should consider not only what youth say and/or do when responding to peer provocation but also how they say it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maximal conditioning contractions (CCs) can lead to the enhancement of evoked-twitch characteristics in human skeletal muscle. This phenomenon is termed post-activation potentiation (PAP). In the knee extensors, PAP is greater in men compared with boys. In adults, the optimal CC duration for PAP is ~ 10 s. We examined child–adult differences in PAP among females and aimed to determine the optimal CC duration in girls and women. Methods: Eleven girls (9.3 ± 1.4 years) and 13 women (23.4 ± 2.7 years) participated in this study. Maximal isometric evoked twitches were recorded in the knee extensors before and after 4 maximal CCs of different durations (5, 10, 20, and 30 s), in a random order. PAP was calculated as the percent-change in peak torque (Tpeak) and peak rate of torque development (RTDpeak) after each CC. Results: There was a group-by-duration interaction (p < 0.001), reflecting greater Tpeak PAP in women compared with girls following 5 and 10 s CCs, and lower RTDpeak PAP in women following the 30 s CC. The 5 and 10 s CCs lead to the greatest Tpeak and RTDpeak PAP amongst the women while there were no differences between CC durations in girls. Conclusion: After both a 5 and 10 s CC, women have greater PAP compared with girls. The optimal CC duration for the knee extensors in women appears to be ~ 5-10 s, while CC durations between 5 and 30 s do not appear to affect levels of PAP in girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement in educating children remains a crucial first step in building an informed citizen. It becomes a routine matter for children to follow the footsteps of educated parents. However, for the first-generation learners, e.g. particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), it is an arduous task because they belong to the least developed communities in India, with poverty and illiteracy forming the base of their existence. This paper examines the extent of involvement PVTG parents have in educating their daughters and identifies ways for improvement. Findings based on this original study suggest that the parents realise involvement, but their knowledge of involvement differs from the general population and the Western context. Hence, the study proposes four types of Cs to integrate their involvement: Concern, Communication, Condition, and Cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increases in visibility, gender‐nonconforming young people continue to be at risk for bullying and discrimination. Prior work has established that gender essentialism in children correlates with prejudice against people who do not conform to gender norms, but to date no causal link has been established. The present study investigated this link more directly by testing whether children's gender essentialism and prejudice against gender nonconformity can be reduced by exposure to anti‐essentialist messaging. Children ages 6–10 years of age (N = 102) in the experimental condition viewed a short video describing similarities between boys and girls and variation within each gender; children in the control condition (N = 102) viewed a corresponding video describing similarities between two types of climate and variation within each. Children then received measures of gender essentialism and prejudice against gender nonconformity. Finally, to ask whether manipulating children's gender essentialism extends to another domain, we included assessments of racial essentialism and prejudice. We found positive correlations between gender essentialism and prejudice against gender nonconformity; both also correlated negatively with participant age. However, we observed no differences between children in the experimental versus control conditions in overall essentialism or prejudice, indicating that our video was largely ineffective in manipulating essentialism. Accordingly, we were unable to provide evidence of a causal relationship between essentialism and prejudice. We did, however, see a difference between conditions on the discreteness measure, which is most closely linked to the wording in the video. This finding suggests that specific aspects of essentialism in young children may be modifiable. Research Highlights: Consistent with prior research, we found that greater gender essentialism was associated with greater prejudice against gender‐nonconforming children; both decreased with age.We randomly assigned children to view either an anti‐essentialist video manipulation or a control video to test if this relation was causal in nature.The anti‐essentialist video did not reduce overall essentialism as compared to the control, so we did not find support for a causal link.We observed a reduction in the dimension of essentialism most closely linked to the anti‐essentialist video language, suggesting the potential utility of anti‐essentialist messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As technical and vocational education and training (TVET) continue to occupy a prominent position in Africa's development, addressing the growing concerns about young women's under-participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related TVET has become urgent. This paper draws on the critical capability approach of vocational education and training (CCA-VET) to critique the TVET policy discourse on the participation of girls and women in STEM-related TVET. The paper employed the practical argumentation approach, a critical discourse analysis approach to achieve the paper's aims. The paper's central thesis is that for education policies to transform young women's under-participation in STEM-related TVET, it is urgent to move beyond human rights-based, and human capital approaches to adopt a comprehensive theoretical approach, such as the critical capabilities approach. The paper concludes that breaking this hegemony of human rights and human capital approaches to TVET policy can be achieved by re-conceptualising TVET policy discourses. The re-conceptualisation of TVET policy discourses can be achieved by admitting the critiques of these dominant theories that underpin most TVET policies and then adopting the CCA-VET as a better alternative approach to framing TVET policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Health literacy (HL) is a key determinant of health-related behaviors and may play a crucial role in preventing obesity. This study investigates to determine body mass index (BMI) status of female adolescent and its association with HL. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1117 female adolescents aged 12-17 in schools of Tabriz, Iran in 2022. Sampling method was multi-stage clustered random sampling. HL was assessed using the HELMA questionnaire, and BMI was calculated using height and weight measurements. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis by SPSS software version 16. The level of significance was considered <0.05. Results: The mean HL score was 165.42 (26.42) (Range score: 44-205), indicating relatively adequate level of HL. However, 24.2% of the participants had inadequate or insufficient HL. 18.4% of students were overweight and 6.3% were obese. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, father's education, mother's education and HL were significantly associated with obesity/overweight in girls (P<0.2). In the multivariable logistic regression model, girls with inadequate HL had 1.87 times higher odds of obesity/overweight compared to those with excellent HL (P=0.04, OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.12-3.14). Conclusion: This study found a significant negative association between HL and BMI among female adolescents. Interventions to improve HL can be considered as an effective strategy for preventing obesity and overweight in this population group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive work among adolescents may compromise educational development. Without home appliances, household work can take over 50 h a week and an additional 30 h when an infant is present. School-aged girls are often tasked with doing laundry, which is time-consuming and inflexible without a washing machine. We determined the association between washing machine ownership and school attendance among adolescents ages 10–19 years in 19 middle-income countries between 2000 and 2021 (N = 1,622,514). We controlled for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, all neighborhood-level factors, and examined differences by sex, age, household wealth, and period. No relationship between washing machine ownership and school attendance was found in most countries: However, there was a substantial association for girls in Türkiye and a small to moderate association for girls in Egypt and Albania. In Türkiye, for example, girls living in households with a washing machine had 28% (95% CI 19, 37) greater school attendance compared to girls living in households which did not. No association was observed for boys. The results suggest that household ownership of a washing machine does generally not improve school attendance among girls, except possibly in specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences between Belarusian women’s perceptions of safety, as well as the links between these perceptions with victimization and social gender have been analyzed. The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of women’s perceptions of safety, considering its relationship with victimization and social gender. Methods used: analysis and synthesis, method of interview and psychological testing, results processing and generalization, tabular, etc. The psychological safety perceptions assessment has been studied with the help of N.E. Kharlamenkova’s psychological safety questionnaire and victimization with the help of V.P. Sheinov’s methodology, to determine gender-role peculiarities the masculinity-femininity scale from the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPI) was used. The sample included 590 women aged 18 to 60 years old. Differences in perceptions of psychological safety among women of different age groups have been revealed. It has been shown that for women security is associated with such concepts as peace in their country, reliability, health, and control of the situation. Adult women also associate safety with compliance with norms and rules, possession of information, and a reliable companion. For young girls, security is also associated with a sense of comfort, trust, and lack of anxiety. Perceptions of safety differ between feminine and masculine women. It has been shown that feminine-type women associate safety with their qualities and abilities, and masculine-type women associate it with the attitude to solving personal safety problems with the help of psychological strength and orientation to independence.

Objectives. The purpose of the study was to determine the parameters of female students’ physiological characteristics with different somatotypes, which they achieved by exercising outside the university due to COVID-19 quarantine and air raids during the hostilities in Ukraine. Material and methods. The study involved 66 female students aged 17.8 ± 0.6 years, who belonged to different somatotypes and had no reservations about engaging in different amounts of physical activity. The Shtefko-Ostrovsky method, modified by S. Darskaja, was used to diagnose the somatotype. The necessary empirical data were obtained through the performing well-known functional tests that allowed to determine blood pressure, heart rate in different situations, vital capacity, vital capacity index, maximum isometric strength index, and Robinson index. The parameters of these characteristics were determined in female students with each of the four available somatotypes during the study, and each parameter was compared with different somatotypes. The testing was conducted at the beginning (January) and at the end (May-June) of the academic semester, but during one academic year. Results. At the beginning, and even more so at the end of the academic year, the parameters of the studied characteristics in female students with each of the available somatotypes differed from each other (p-values ranging at the level from 0.05 to 0.000). The volumes and conditions of physical activity used during the academic year did not lead to significant changes in the physiological characteristics of all female students, i.e. parameters remained at the previously achieved level. At the same time, the presence of peculiarities caused by the girl’s belonging to a certain somatotype was observed. Conclusions. Identifying the peculiarities in changes of female students’ physiological characteristics’ parameters, taking into account their somatotypes, is a perspective and significant direction for modernization of physical education at university. The obtained data will contribute to the individualization of the content and normative bases of physical education for female students, using information on the manifestation and change of parameters of various characteristics, including physiological ones.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent among adolescent girls and significantly interferes with their social and emotional development. It can lead to impaired coping mechanisms and maladaptive behaviors, such as anxiety sensitivity and body checking. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Emotional Schema Therapy (EST) in mitigating anxiety sensitivity and body checking behaviors among adolescent girls with SAD.Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest-two months follow-up assessment was employed. The study participants were 25 adolescent girls aged 15 to 18 years with a diagnosis of SAD in the city of Ramshir, Iran, in 2023. Adolescent girls in the experimental group participated in ten weekly, 90-minute Emotional Schema Therapy sessions. The participants were selected using a multi-stage cluster random sampling technique and completed standardized measures of social phobia, anxiety sensitivity, and body checking behaviors at the beginning, end, and follow-up of the intervention. To analyze the data, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted using SPSS version 27.Results: Participants in the EST group exhibited a significant reduction in anxiety sensitivity (pretest: 53.80±2.85; posttest: 34.67±3.01; follow-up: 35.00±3.35) and body checking behaviors (pretest: 85.67±3.63; posttest: 50.87±4.24; follow-up: 49.47±3.50) over time (P

The aim of the study. To assess the characteristics of the menstrual cycle and ovulation disorders in girls aged 15–17 years.Materials and methods. The study was carried out in 2022–2023 in the Murmansk region in Apatity. A total of 225 girls with average age of 16.5 ± 0.03 years took part in the study. The characteristics of the menstrual cycle and ovulation disorders were studied according to the guidelines of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Results of the study. In the study group, the onset of menarche (13.1 years) is observed at a later age compared to the girls living in other regions of Russia and neighboring countries (12.6–12.9 years). Every seventh girl has an irregular menstrual cycle, every fifth girl has a cycle duration of more than 38 days. Heavy menstruation occurs in every third girl, intermenstrual uterine bleeding – in every thirteenth girl. Half of the girls have painful periods (dysmenorrhea). Among ovulation disorders, the most common is abnormal uterine bleeding – 34.7 %. Also, intermenstrual uterine bleeding (8.0 %), primary amenorrhea (2.7 %) and polycystic ovary syndrome (1.3 %) are registered. Among gynecological pathology, in addition to ovulation disorders, we registered vulvovaginal candidiasis and paraurethral cyst.Conclusion. The analysis of the obtained results showed that only 20.4 % of girls do not have gynecological pathology, which to a certain extent indicates a low level of reproductive health of girls. Asaresult, it is necessary to diagnose and treat diseases which can cause the development of ovulation disorders more carefully and at earlier stages of sexual development. The work was carried out as part of the research topic No. FMEZ-2022-0012.

Background. The prevalence of obesity among children is increasing, which is a serious healthcare problem. In healthcare, the problem of motivation affects an important area that reflects its effectiveness – patient motivation for treatment. A decrease in treatment motivation reduces therapeutic effect, increases the complication rate of the underlying disease, reduces the quality of life of patients and increases treatment costs.The aim of the work. To identify the differences in treatment motivation in adolescent girls with obesity.Materials and methods. The pilot study was carried out at the clinic of the Scientific Centre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems. The study included 40 girls aged 14–16 years suffering from grade 1 obesity. To study treatment motivation, we used the following methods: J. Nuttin’s, D. McClelland’s, S.R. Panteleev’s, J.K. Collins’, method of the self-conception research, the “Type of Attitude Towards the Disease” method; attitude towards the disease.Results. The study showed that the adolescents who were admitted into hospital for the first time had higher treatment motivation during the study than the adolescents who were readmitted into hospital. The adolescents who were readmitted into hospital felt guilty remorse, anxious suspiciousness, and fear of failure. The dominant type of treatment motivation in both groups consisted of the following attitudes: achieving symptomatic improvement; receiving a “secondary gain” from the disease; other motivation (passive position).Conclusion. The obtained data from the study of treatment motivation in adolescent girls with obesity can be used to optimize the process of therapy of such patients in a hospital setting.

Background. The study relevance is due to a decrease in publication activity in relation to the object of research in the last 10 years (according to the professional information database LENS.ORG) by 12% compared to the previous decade, while social demand remains high. Objectives. The goal is to identify differences in the structural components of body image, as well as factors involved in its formation in adolescent girls with different body mass indexes and gynecological diseases. Study Participants. 31 teenage girls aged 11–17 years (Mage = 14.06, SD = 2.02 years), having a confirmed gynecological disease according to ICD-10 (menstrual irregularities, inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, benign tumors of the pelvic organs and mammary glands). Methods. The study used the author's questionnaire, consisting of 3 substantive blocks of questions (socio-demographic; somatic, socio-psychological data) and 4 psychodiagnostic techniques: Body Image Questionnaire by O.A. Skugarevsky and S.V. Sivukha; SIBID questionnaire (Thomas F. Cash) adapted by L.T. Baranskaya and S.S. Tataurova; Nonverbal technique for assessing satisfaction with body areas (SBS) Meshkova T.A., Neuropsychological tests for somatognosis (right-left orientation in the body diagram, idea of body size in space). Results. Statistically significant differences in the level of dissatisfaction with both their own body and body parts were revealed between the groups of adolescent girls with different BMI values. At the level of somatosensory gnosis, both groups showed disturbances in quasi-spatial orientation (orientation in their own body), which manifested themselves in mirroring errors and difficulty transferring the spatial organization of hand posture in the horizontal and vertical planes of right-left orientation. Statistically significant direct relationships were revealed between BMI values and indicators of dissatisfaction with their own body and situational dissatisfaction with body image. Significant relationships between BMI and the time spent in the digital space, the number of subscribers in social networks, school performance, and diet were revealed. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, a significant correlation between body mass index indicators in adolescent girls with gynecological diseases with such indicators as satisfaction/dissatisfaction with their own body and their body image, time spent in the digital space and the number of subscribers, school performance, as well as diet was revealed.

Abstract Background Dads and Daughters Exercising and Empowered (DADEE) is a program targeting fathers/father-figures to improve their daughters’ physical activity and well-being. Previous randomised controlled efficacy and effectiveness trials of DADEE demonstrated meaningful improvements in a range of holistic outcomes for both fathers and daughters in the short-term. This study aims to assess the long-term impact (12-months) of the program when delivered in the community by trained facilitators. Methods Fathers/father-figures and their primary school-aged daughters were recruited from Newcastle, Australia into a single-arm, non-randomised, pre-post study with assessments at baseline, 10-weeks (post-intervention) and 12-months. The 9-session program included weekly 90-min educational and practical sessions, plus home-based tasks. The primary outcome was fathers’ and daughters’ days per week meeting national physical activity recommendations (≥ 30 min/day of MVPA for fathers, ≥ 60 min/day MVPA for daughters). Secondary outcomes included physical activity, screen time, self-esteem, father-daughter relationship, social-emotional well-being, parenting measures, and process outcomes (including recruitment, attendance, retention and program acceptability). Results Twelve programs were delivered with 257 fathers (40.0 ± 9.2 years) and 285 daughters (7.7 ± 1.9 years). Mixed effects regression models revealed significant intervention effects for the primary outcome, with fathers increasing the days/week meeting physical activity recommendations by 27% at 10-weeks (p