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Being threatened or injured with a weapon is a serious form of physical bullying. Little is known about the effects of being threatened or injured with a weapon on substance use and mental health among adolescents. A secondary analysis of 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data assessed the associations between having been threatened or injured with a weapon and substance use (binge drinking, marijuana, tobacco use, prescription medication misuse) and mental health (feeling sad or hopeless, considering suicide). Multiple logistic regression models with complex survey weights were used, controlling for potential confounders. Approximately 6.0% of students reported having been threatened/injured with a weapon. After adjusting for covariates, having been threatened/injured with a weapon was associated with binge drinking (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.9–3.4), marijuana (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.6–2.7), tobacco use (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 2.0–3.5), and misuse of prescription medication (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.6–3.0) compared with students who have not been threatened/injured. Having been threatened/injured with a weapon was associated with 1.6 times the odds (95% CI: 1.2–2.2) of feeling sad/hopeless and 1.7 times the odds (95% CI: 1.3–2.3) of considering suicide. Having been threatened or injured with a weapon is an important public health issue associated with negative mental health and substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Although cervical cancer is the leading cancer in Cambodia, most women receive no routine screening for cervical cancer and few treatment options exist. Moreover, nothing is known regarding the prevalence of cervical HPV or the genotypes present among women in the country. Young sexually active women, especially those with multiple sex partners are at highest risk of HPV infection. We examine the prevalence and genotypes of cervical HPV, as well as the associated risk factors among young women engaged in sex work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among 220 young women (15–29 years) engaged in sex work in different venues including brothels or entertainment establishments, and on a freelance basis in streets, parks and private apartments. Cervical specimens were collected using standard cytobrush technique. HPV DNA was tested for by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyping using type-specific probes for 29 individual HPV types, as well as for a mixture of 10 less common HPV types. All participants were also screened for HIV status using blood samples. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess risk factors for any or multiple HPV infection. Results The prevalence of cervical HPV 41.1%. HPV 51 and 70 were the most common (5.0%), followed by 16 (4.6%), 71 (4.1%) and 81 (3.7%). Thirty-six women (16.4%) were infected with multiple genotypes and 23.3% were infected with at least one oncogenic HPV type. In multivariate analyses, having HIV infection and a higher number of sexual partners were associated with cervical HPV infection. Risk factors for infection with multiple genotypes included working as freelance female sex workers (FSW) or in brothels, recent binge use of drugs, high number of sexual partners, and HIV infection. Conclusions This is the first Cambodian study on cervical HPV prevalence and genotypes. We found that HPV infection was common among young FSW, especially among women infected with HIV. These results underscore the urgent need for accessible cervical cancer screening and treatment, as well as for a prophylactic vaccine that covers the HPV subtypes present in Cambodia.

Introduction and Aims: Heavy drinking is prevalent among undergraduate students and is linked with drinking to cope with depression motives for drinking. Drinking to cope with depression remains poorly understood given that alcohol has been shown to have adverse effects on mood when consumed at high doses. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, the present study examined the perceived effects of alcohol on depressive symptoms as reported by undergraduate students who endorse high levels of drinking to cope with depression.Design and Methods: Sixteen undergraduate coping-with-depression-motivated (CWDM) drinkers (nine women, seven men), identified using the Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised [1], reported on their experiences of drinking to cope with depression. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes and subthemes in the data.Results: Undergraduate students reported several effects of alcohol on affective, cognitive and behavioural depressive symptoms. While most of the perceived alcohol effects they described involved relief from depressive symptoms, some perceived effects involved worsening depressive symptoms.Discussion and Conclusions: The study generated several hypotheses to explain drinking to cope with depression, some of which might be testable in future experimental work. Overall, findings suggest the mood-altering effects of alcohol do not fully explain why depression and alcohol use are frequently co-morbid. Indeed, effects of alcohol on cognitive and behavioural depressive symptoms might be particularly reinforcing for CWDM drinkers. Interventions that target co-morbid depression and alcohol use might be improved by teaching CWDM drinkers skills to reduce depressive cognitions and to improve interpersonal interactions outside of drinking contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Custom fabricated pressure garments (PGs) are commonly used to prevent or treat hypertrophic scars (HSc) after burn injury. However, there is minimal scientific evidence quantifying pressure after standard measurement and fitting techniques. Adult burn survivors whose HSc was treated with PGs were recruited. Trained fitters, blinded to study locations and results, took the garment measures. Once the PGs arrived and were fitted, baseline pressure measures at HSc and normal skin (NS) sites were determined using the Pliance X® System. Pressure readings were repeated at 1, 2, and 3 months. The mean baseline pressure was 15.3 (SD 10.4) at HSc and 13.4 (SD 11.9) at NS sites. There was a significant reduction during the first month at both sites (P = .0002 HSc; P = .0002 NS). A multivariable linear regression mixed model, adjusting for garment type, baseline pressure, and repeated measures, revealed further reduction at HSc sites between 1 and 2 months (P = .03). By 3 months, the mean pressure reduced to 9.9 (SD 6.7) and 9.15 (SD 7.2) mm Hg at HSc and NS sites, respectively. At each time point, the pressure was higher at HSc compared with NS but was significantly different only at 1 month (P = .01). PGs were worn ≥12 hr/d 7 d/wk. PGs that apply 15 to 25 mm Hg pressure significantly improve HSc; however, immediately after fitting newly fabricated PGs, the average pressure was at the bottom of the recommended range and by 1 month was significantly below. Clinicians are likely underestimating the dosage required and the significant pressure loss within the first 2 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined relations among attachment, aggression, and anxiety sensitivity (AS) in a sample of male and female undergraduates. Given that some individuals may use aggression to modulate negative emotional states, it was predicted that AS dimensions would mediate relations between attachment anxiety (vs. attachment avoidance) and certain forms of aggression, particularly impulsive aggression. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the relations among attachment, aggression, and AS would be moderated by gender. Participants (N = 1,042) completed measures of attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised [ECR-R]), aggression (Aggression Questionnaire [AQ]; Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scales [IPAS]), and AS (AS Index–3 [ASI-3]). Results indicated that AS mediated relations between attachment dimensions (both anxiety and avoidance) and most forms of aggression, with each of the AS dimensions playing a unique role differentially by gender. Cognitive concerns emerged as a significant mediator, particularly for men; physical and social concerns played more of a mediating role for women. Interestingly, none of the AS dimensions played a significant mediating role between attachment (either anxiety or avoidance) and physical aggression for men. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical implications and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: HIV prevalence among Cambodian female sex workers (FSW) is among the highest in Southeast Asia. We describe HIV prevalence and associated risk exposures in FSW sampled serially in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Young Women's Health Study (YWHS)), before and after the implementation of a new law designed to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from two prospective cohorts. Setting: Community-based study in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Participants: Women aged 15-29 years, reporting ≥2 sexual partners in the last month and/or engaged in transactional sex in the last 3 months, were enrolled in the studies in 2007 (N=161; YWHS-1), and 2009 (N=220; YWHS-2) following information sessions where 285 and 345 women attended. Primary outcomes: HIV prevalence, sexual risk behaviour, amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) and alcohol use, and work-related factors were compared in the two groups, enrolled before and after implementation of the new law. Results: Participants in the two cohorts were similar in age (median 25 years), but YWHS-2 women reported fewer sex partners, more alcohol use and less ATS use. A higher proportion of YWHS-2 compared with YWHS- 1 women worked in entertainment-based venues (68% vs 31%, respectively). HIV prevalence was significantly lower in the more recently sampled women: 9.2% (95% CI 4.5% to 13.8%) vs 23% (95% CI 16.5% to 29.7%). Conclusions: Sex work context and risk have shifted among young FSW in Phnom Penh, following implementation of anti-prostitution and anti-trafficking laws. While both cohorts were recruited using the same eligibility criteria, more recently sampled women had lower prevalence of sexual risk and HIV infection. Women engaging more directly in transactional sex have become harder to sample and access. Future prevention research and programmes need to consider how new policies and demographic changes in FSW impact HIV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cambodia's 100% Condom Use Programme is credited with an increase in consistent condom use in commercial sexual interactions and a decrease in HIV prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs). There has been little improvement in condom use between FSWs and non-commercial partners, prompting calls for more innovative approaches to increasing condom use in these relationships. To understand why condoms are used or not used in sexual interactions involving FSWs, we examined condom negotiation across different types of relationships. We conducted 33 in-depth interviews with young (15 to 29 years) women engaged in sex work in Phnom Penh. There was an important interplay between the meanings of condom use and the meanings of women's relationships. Commercial relationships were characterised as inherently risky and necessitated condom use. Despite a similar lack of sexual fidelity, sweetheart relationships were rarely construed as risky and typically did not involve condom use. Husbands and wives constructed their sexual interactions with each other differently, making agreement on condom use difficult. The lack of improvement in condom use in FSWs' non-commercial sexual relationships needs to be understood in relation to both sex work and the broader Cambodian sexual culture within which these relationships are embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a study examining the relationship between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV ) risk behaviors and intimate partner violence (IPV) among men in Haiti. The study shows that men perpetrating IPV engage in sexual behaviors that increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV for intimate partners. The study suggests that societal norms concerning violence against women should be taken into consideration while organizing intervention programs in Haiti.

Objectives: To examine the influence of life course socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) on cognitive function in later life. Method: Data originate from a survey of people 60 and older living in seven Latin American and Caribbean cities. Cognitive function was measured with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination and the Pfeffer Scale of Functional Capacity. Homogeneity tests were used to pool data. Associations between cognitive function and SED were evaluated, fitting logistic regressions. Results: Cognitive impairment (CI) prevalence ranged from 0.3% to 6.5% in men and 1.2% to 10.1% in women. Childhood rural living, poor childhood health, illiteracy, housewife or farmer occupation, and insufficient income were associated with CI in all seven cities. The odds of CI increase with cumulative exposure to disadvantages along life course. Conclusions: Life course SED is related to cognitive function later in life. Difficulty in properly distinguishing cognitive function from test performance remains an issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dramatic rises in injection drug use (IDU) in sub-Saharan Africa account for increasingly more infections in a region already overwhelmed by the HIV epidemic. There is no known estimate of the number of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the region, or the associated HIV prevalence in PWID. We reviewed literature with the goal of describing high-risk practices and exposures in PWID in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as current HIV prevention activities aimed at drug use. The literature search looked for articles related to HIV risk, injection drug users, stigma, and HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa. This review found evidence demonstrating high rates of HIV in IDU populations in sub-Saharan Africa, high-risk behaviors of the populations, lack of knowledge regarding HIV, and low HIV testing uptake. There is an urgent need for action to address IDU in order to maintain recent decreases in the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for adolescents aged 12-17 years, they remain one of the least commonly vaccinated age groups. Therefore, studies investigating the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy among adolescents are needed. We conducted a systematic review of the literature in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards from inception to October 23, 2022, for adolescent-reported factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Titles and abstracts of articles were screened, full-text articles were reviewed for eligibility, and eligible articles were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Results were summarized using a narrative synthesis. The review protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022363411). Of 4,140 articles screened, 302 were selected for full-text review, 27 of which met the eligibility criteria. Most studies evaluated age (n = 20 studies) and sex (n = 21 studies) in relation to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, yet these were uncommonly linked with vaccine hesitancy among adolescents. Adolescents consistently reported the impact of the pandemic on social activities, social and parental norms, and a sense of communal responsibility as reasons for vaccinating. Although fewer studies (n = 18 studies) evaluated theoretical-based factors, the studies conducted showed that perceived vaccine safety and efficacy (n = 6 studies), risks from vaccination (n = 5 studies), and social and parental norms (n = 3) were consistently linked with vaccine hesitancy. To address low vaccination rates, adolescent-engaged research remains needed that considers their perspectives on COVID-19 vaccines., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)