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Objective: To determine whether sexual-risk and STI-testing behaviors differ by college student status. Participants: Sexually experienced 17- to 25-year-olds from a 2013 nationally representative panel survey that evaluated the "Get Yourself Tested" campaign. Non-students (n = 628), 2-yr (n = 319), and 4-yr college students (n = 587) were surveyed. Methods: Bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regression were used. Results: Students were less likely than non-students to have had an early sexual debut and to have not used condoms in their most recent relationship. 4-yr students were less likely than non-students to have had multiple sexual partners. 2-yr students were less likely than non-students to have not used contraception in their most recent relationship. Conclusions: 2-yr and 4-yr college students were less likely than non-students to engage in sexual-risk behaviors. Given potentially greater risk for STI acquisition among non-students, identification and implementation of strategies to increase sexual health education and services among this population is needed.

Many young adolescents are dissatisfied with their body due to a discrepancy between their ideal and actual body size, which can lead to weight cycling, eating disorders, depression, and obesity. The current study examined the associations of parental and peer factors with fifth-graders' body image discrepancy, physical self-worth as a mediator between parental and peer factors and body image discrepancy, and how these associations vary by child's sex. Body image discrepancy was defined as the difference between young adolescents' self-perceived body size and the size they believe a person their age should be. Data for this study came from Healthy Passages, which surveyed 5,147 fifth graders (51 % females; 34 % African American, 35 % Latino, 24 % White, and 6 % other) and their primary caregivers from the United States. Path analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. The findings for boys suggest father nurturance and getting along with peers are related negatively to body image discrepancy; however, for girls, fear of negative evaluation by peers is related positively to body image discrepancy. For both boys and girls, getting along with peers and fear of negative evaluation by peers are related directly to physical self-worth. In addition, mother nurturance is related positively to physical self-worth for girls, and father nurturance is related positively to physical self-worth for boys. In turn, physical self-worth, for both boys and girls, is related negatively to body image discrepancy. The findings highlight the potential of parental and peer factors to reduce fifth graders' body image discrepancy.

As increased attention and proposed funding are being directed toward community colleges, it is important to consider the sexual and reproductive health care needs of this growing population. Existing data suggest there are significant sexual health needs among this population and often insufficient provision of services. Some community college students are more likely than students at 4-year colleges to test positive for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Given resource constraints, creative solutions are required. These may include campus-wide policies addressing STD/HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) prevention, referral systems to connect students to care in the community, and partnerships with local health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, or community-based organizations to assist with the provision of services. Colleges have the unique opportunity to provide students with valuable information about sexual health and services. Community colleges, in particular, are uniquely positioned to reach at-risk community members for STD testing and sexual health care who might otherwise be lost to care. More research is needed on the sexual health needs of community college students, especially on factors such as geographic location, how embedded the school is into the community, social norms around sexual health on college campuses, and health services offered. New and innovative ways to promote linkage to care for testing and counseling could offer potential health benefits to this growing at-risk population.

A number of factors may contribute to disparities in mental health and suicidality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students, including parental abuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey included a nationally representative sample of US high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current analyses examined experiences of verbal and physical abuse in the home with mental health and suicidality among LGBQ students compared to heterosexual students. The relationship between abuse and mental health and suicidality was significant for all students; however, LGBQ students experienced substantially more abuse and had significantly poorer mental health and greater suicidality than heterosexual students. Experiencing verbal or physical abuse in the home is strongly associated with poor mental health and suicidality among youth, regardless of sexual identity; however, among LGBQ students who experienced abuse, the prevalence of poor mental health and suicidality reached crisis levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents findings from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 about family and community involvement in school health programs, specifically school health councils and staff development; program promotion; involvement with plans, policies, and activities; participation in community programs; evaluation; and collaboration. Findings show that most activities related to family and community involvement fall under district and school policies. (SM)

This study explored topic-specific reservations about discussing sex and birth control among inner-city African American mothers and their 14- to 17-year-olds. Findings showed that reservations predicted communication behavior beyond that predicted by general family environment variables. Interaction effects suggested differential impact of reservation as a function of adolescent age and gender. Parents and adolescents had different types of reservations. (Author/KB)

Used data from the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent health to examine the relationship between adolescent perception of maternal approval of the use of birth control and sexual outcomes over 12 months. Overall, adolescents' perceptions of maternal approval related to an increased likelihood of sexual intercourse in the next year and an increase in birth control use. (SM)

The impact the father's attitude toward premarital sexual intercourse has on the sexual behavior of the father's adolescent child was studied with approximately 750 inner-city African American youth. Results showed that adolescent perceptions of paternal attitudes were predictive of teen sexual behavior independent of perceptions of maternal attitudes. (SLD)

Disruptions and consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, social isolation, family economic hardship, family loss or illness, and reduced access to health care, raise concerns about their effects on the mental health and well-being of youths. This report uses data from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, an online survey of a probability-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. public- and private-school students in grades 9-12 (N = 7,705), to assess U.S. high school students' mental health and suicidality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also examines whether mental health and suicidality are associated with feeling close to persons at school and being virtually connected to others during the pandemic. Overall, 37.1% of students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic, and 31.1% experienced poor mental health during the preceding 30 days. In addition, during the 12 months before the survey, 44.2% experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 19.9% had seriously considered attempting suicide, and 9.0% had attempted suicide. Compared with those who did not feel close to persons at school, students who felt close to persons at school had a significantly lower prevalence of poor mental health during the pandemic (28.4% versus 45.2%) and during the past 30 days (23.5% versus 37.8%), persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (35.4% versus 52.9%), having seriously considered attempting suicide (14.0% versus 25.6%), and having attempted suicide (5.8% versus 11.9%). The same pattern was observed among students who were virtually connected to others during the pandemic (i.e., with family, friends, or other groups by using a computer, telephone, or other device) versus those who were not. Comprehensive strategies that improve feelings of connectedness with others in the family, in the community, and at school might foster improved mental health among youths during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a study of the accuracy of self-reports of sexual behavior and condom use, 285 single, young adults in a large metropolitan area were interviewed once a week for 52 weeks, reporting on their sexual behavior each week. At 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals, the individuals also provided self-reports of the number of times they had engaged in sex and the number of times they had used condoms since they began participating in the study. These self-reports were compared with aggregates of the weekly data, which served as a comparison standard for accuracy evaluation. The results indicate a fairly high level of accuracy in self-reports, but with 2% to 5% outliers who are highly inaccurate. The results tend to favor the assessment of sexual behavior over moderate time durations (3 or 6 months) rather than short or long durations (1 month or 12 months) when trying to maximize self-report accuracy. Accuracy was attenuated for individuals who tended to engage in sex frequently, especially at the 12-month time durations.