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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.11.006 Byline: Ayelet Eppel, Jennifer O'Loughlin, Gilles Paradis, Robert Platt Keywords: Adolescent; Smoking; Reliability; Self-reports; Novice smokers Abstract: This analysis reports the 3-month test-retest reliability of self-reports of cigarette use in novice smokers, and identifies factors associated with adequate recall. Participants included 63 novice smokers (mean age 14.1 years) from the McGill University Study on the Natural History of Nicotine Dependence in Teens. We compared data for three cigarette use indicators obtained in a 1-month recall of smoking, to data obtained for that same month, 3 months later. Forty-three participants (68.3%) smoked infrequently; 12.7%, 6.4%, and 12.7% were monthly, weekly, and daily smokers, respectively. Test-retest reliability for the cigarette use frequency and intensity indicators was good ([kappa] =0.78 and 0.75, respectively); it was lower for total number of cigarettes smoked per month (ICC=0.64). Older age was independently associated with adequate recall for all three indicators. These data suggest that novice smokers recall the frequency and intensity of their cigarette use reliably after 3 months, and that older adolescents have better recall than younger adolescents. Author Affiliation: McGill University, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Objective. To determine the usefulness of parent history of hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease as a screening criterion for hypercholesterolemia in youths. Methods. Data were available from a population-based survey of 3665 Quebec youths aged 9, 13, and 16 years (81.2% of eligible subjects). Blood specimens were collected from 2475 subjects (54.8% of those eligible), and questionnaire data were obtained from 3048 parents (67.5% of those eligible). Lipids were measured in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standardized laboratory. Usefulness of parent history in identifying borderline/high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ([greater than or equal to]) 2.8 mmol/L [[greater than or equal to] 110 mg/dL]) and high LDL-C ([greater than or equal to] 3.4 mmol/L [[greater than or equal to] 130 mg/dL]) was assessed according to test performance statistics (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value). Results. The prevalence of a positive parent history was 25.6%; 18.3% of subjects had borderline/high LDL-C, and 4.8% had high LDL-C. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of parent history were 33.1%, 76.0%, 23.7%, and 83.5%, respectively, for identifying borderline/high LDL-C; they were 40.7%., 75.1%, 7.7%, and 96.1% for identifying high LDL-C. Test performance statistics were not improved in subgroups defined according to age, gender, parent education, household income, family status, and family origin (French Canadian, other); neither were they improved by adding screening criteria (parent history of diabetes or hypertension, or youth overweight). Conclusion. Parent history screening criteria offer little improvement over random population screening in identifying youths with hypercholesterolemia. Pediatrics 2004;113:1723-1727; screening, children, adolescent, cholesterol family history, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value., ABBREVIATIONS. CVD, cardiovascular disease; AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; PPV, positive predictive value; QCAHSS, Quebec Child and Adolescent Health and Social Survey; CV, coefficient of variation; [...]

Availability of health-promoting interventions (HPIs) may vary across schools serving students with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Our objectives were to describe social inequalities across elementary schools in: (i) level of importance that school principals attribute to 13 common health-related issues among students in their school; (ii) availability of HPIs within their school addressing eight health topics and (iii) (mis)alignment between perceived importance and HPI availability. Data were collected in telephone interviews with school principals in a convenience sample of 171 elementary schools (59% of 291 schools contacted). Schools were categorized as serving very advantaged, moderately advantaged or disadvantaged students. Principals reported how important 13 health issues were among students in their schools and provided data on HPI availability for 8 health issues, 4 of which required school action under government mandates. Higher proportions of principals in schools serving disadvantaged students (36% of all 171 schools) perceived most health issues as important. The mean number of HPIs in the past year was 12.0, 12.1 and 11.7 in schools serving very advantaged, moderately advantaged and disadvantaged students, respectively. Only availability of mental health HPIs differed by school deprivation (60, 43 and 30% in very, moderately and disadvantaged, respectively). Although most schools offered oral health HPIs, dental problems were not perceived as important. Smoking was perceived as not important and smoking-related HPIs were relatively rare (9%). Given rapid evolution in public health priorities, (mis)alignment between perceived importance of specific health issues and HPI availability in elementary schools warrants ongoing reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One does not have to search hard these days to find newspaper reports, published scientific articles, editorials, or electronic information about e-cigarettes. Many Canadians, and especially those who smoke, are [...]

Research was conducted to examine the feasibility of an intervention designed to offer healthy menu options in a family-style restaurant and in a fast-food restaurant that are located in an inner-city neighborhood. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires in on-site surveys of restaurant clientele. Results indicate that the demand for healthy menu options in the restaurants were precipitated by regular customers in the fast-food restaurants and male customers in the family-style restaurant.

Introduction: We compared smoking initiation and cessation in Quebec versus the rest of Canada as possible underpinnings of the continued higher cigarette smoking prevalence in Quebec. Methods: Data were drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). We compared average and sex-stratified prevalence estimates of (1) current cigarette smoking in persons aged 15 years and older; (2) past-year initiation of cigarette smoking in those aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 24 years; and (3) past-year cessation in adults aged 25 years and older in Quebec versus the other nine Canadian provinces in each two-year CCHS cycle from 2007/08 to 2017/18. Results: The prevalence of current smoking decreased from 25% to 18% among adults aged 15 years and older in Quebec from 2007/08 to 2017/18, and from 22% to 16% in the rest of Canada. Initiation among those aged 12 to 17 years decreased from 9% to 5% in Quebec, and from 7% to 3% in the rest of Canada. Neither initiation among people aged 18 to 24 (at 6% and 7%, respectively) nor cessation among adults aged 25 and older (approximately 8%) changed over time in Quebec or in the rest of Canada. In each two-year CCHS cycle, past-year initiation among those 12 to 17 years of age was consistently higher in Quebec than in the rest of Canada, but there were no substantial or sustained differences in initiation among people aged 18 to 24 or in past-year cessation. Findings were similar when stratified by sex. Conclusion: Higher levels of smoking initiation among youth aged 12 to 17 years could be a proximal underpinning of the continuing higher prevalence of smoking in Quebec versus the rest of Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal and unique association between number of years of team sport and individual sport participation during adolescence and depressive symptoms during early adulthood. Adolescents (n = 860) reported team sport and individual sport participation in each year of secondary school for five years. Participants reported depressive symptoms using the Major Depression Inventory three years after secondary school. Multivariate linear regression was performed to model the associations of sport participation with depressive symptoms while controlling for sex, age, parent education, and baseline depressive symptoms. In the final model, adolescents who consistently participated in team sport during high school reported lower depression scores in early adulthood (β = -.09, p = .02). Number of years of individual sport participation was not statistically significantly associated with depressive symptoms in early adulthood. Based on these findings, team sport participation may protect against depressive symptoms in early adulthood. If this finding is replicated, strategies should be implemented to encourage and maintain team sport participation during adolescence. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms that link team sport participation to lower depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of obesity and/or undernutrition and evaluate diet and activity patterns among schoolchildren from an ethnically diverse low income urban population. A cross-sectional survey of 498 children aged 9-12 y from 24 schools in low income multiethnic neighborhoods in Montreal, Canada was undertaken. Height, weight, dietary intake, physical activity record, and lifestyle and demographic characteristics were measured. There was no evidence of undernutrition because linear growth was appropriate for age, but 39.4% of children were overweight (>85th percentile NHANES II). Dietary fat intake was higher in children from single-parent families (P < 0.001) and those with mothers born in Canada. Intake of vitamins A, C, iron and folate was directly related to income sufficiency. Children who did more physical activity had significantly higher intakes of energy, calcium, iron, zinc and fiber but were not heavier. Dietary intake was systematically underreported among overweight children, i.e., their reported intakes did not meet calculated energy needs. This underreporting makes it difficult to attribute the accumulated energy imbalance to either energy intake or expenditure. KEY WORDS: dietary intake schoolchildren obesity low income ethnicity

Background: Compared with traditional nonactive video games, exergaming contributes significantly to overall daily physical activity (PA) in experimental studies, but the association in observational studies is not clear. Methods: Data were available in the 2011 to 2012 wave of the Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study (N = 829). Multivariable sex-stratified models assessed the association between exergaming (1-3 times per month in the past year) and minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity in the previous week, and the association between exergaming and meeting PA recommendations. Results: Compared with male exergamers, female exergamers were more likely to believe exergames were a good way to integrate PA into their lives (89% vs 62%, P = .0001). After we adjusted for covariates, male exergamers were not significantly different from male nonexergamers in minutes of PA. Female exergamers reported 47 more minutes of moderate PA in the previous week compared with female nonexergamers (P = .03). There was no association between exergaming and meeting PA recommendations. Conclusions: Exergaming contributes to moderate minutes of PA among women but not among men. Differences in attitudes toward exergaming should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is not known if or how exercise behavior regulations (EBRs) relate to exergaming in adolescents. The study objectives were 1) to determine if EBRs differ between adolescents who do and do not exergame; and 2) among exergamers, to describe the associations between EBRs and exergame duration, intensity, and achieving physical activity (PA) guidelines. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected in mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 1243 students (mean ± SDage = 16.8 ± 0.5 years; 43% boys). Results: In girls, those who exergamed scored higher than nonexergamers on introjected (mean ± SD = 1.9 ± 1.0 vs.1.6 ± 0.9; P = .001) and identified (mean ± SD = 3.1 ± .0 vs.2.9 ± 0.9; P = .049) regulation. Exergame intensity was associated with identified regulation [OR (95% CI) = 2.2 (1.0, 4.5)], minutes exergaming per week was associated with amotivation [β (95% CI) = 0.4 (-0.0, 0.8)], and achieving guidelines was associated with external [OR (95% CI) = 3.7 (1.0, 13.4)] and identified [OR (95% CI) = 5.6 (2.0, 16.0)] regulations. In boys who exergamed, intrinsic regulation was associated with exergame duration [β (95% CI) = -0.3 (-0.6, 0.0)]. Conclusions: Girls who exergame may have partially internalized exergaming as a PA behavior. Boys may prefer other types of PA such as team sports or other more traditional videogames over exergaming or they may not view exergaming as PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Parental history of mood or anxiety disorders is one of the strongest and most consistent risk factors for the development of these disorders in offspring. Gaps remain however in our knowledge of whether maternal or paternal disorders are more strongly associated with offspring disorders, and whether the association exists in non-clinical samples. This study uses a large population-based sample to test if maternal or paternal history of mood and/or anxiety disorders increases the risk of mood and/or anxiety disorders, or symptoms of specific anxiety disorders, in offspring. Methods Data were drawn from the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study, a prospective cohort investigation of 1293 grade 7 students. Data on mental health outcomes were collected in mailed self-report questionnaires when participants were aged 20.4 (0.7) years on average. Parental data were collected in mailed self-report questionnaires. This current analysis pertains to 564 participants with maternal and/or paternal data. The association between maternal and paternal history and each of diagnosed anxiety disorder, diagnosed mood disorder, and symptoms of specific anxiety disorders in offspring was studied in multivariate logistic regression. Results A higher proportion of mothers than fathers had a diagnosed mood/anxiety disorder (23% versus 12%). Similarly, 14% of female offspring had a diagnosed mood/anxiety disorder, compared to 6% of male offspring. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for maternal history was 2.2 (1.1, 4.5) for diagnosed mood disorders, 4.0 (2.1, 7.8) for diagnosed anxiety disorders, and 2.2 (1.2, 4.0) for social phobia symptoms. Paternal history was not associated with any of the mental health outcomes in offspring. Conclusion Maternal, but not paternal mood/anxiety disorders were associated with diagnosed psychiatric disorders, as well as symptoms of specific anxiety disorders, in offspring. Efforts to detect mood and anxiety disorders in offspring with a maternal history should be encouraged.