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This study provides causal evidence on the impact of life skills programming on the mental health of adolescent girls aged 10–19 in three distinct low-and middle-income countries: Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. Life skills interventions significantly improved a component of mental health in all three contexts, with reductions in depression in Tanzania and improvements in socio-emotional development in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. However, findings suggest substantial heterogeneity in impact. Programs that target both adolescent boys and girls appear more effective than those that target girls alone, and existing supportive environments are a necessary condition for programs to improve mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the physical training and health conditions of female students playing handball sports were analyzed using innovative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Considering the importance of adolescent health and the effectiveness of self-regulation strategies, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of education based on self-regulation strategies on the promotion of physical activity in adolescent girls. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2022 on 60 teenage girls referred to the health centers of Ferdous City, Iran. Sampling was performed using a simple random method, and qualified individuals were divided into two intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The training program based on self-regulation theory was held for the intervention group in 3 sessions. The participants were evaluated in two stages, before and three months after the educational intervention, by completing a standard short questionnaire on physical activity, self-regulation of exercise, and a researcher-made questionnaire for measuring awareness, whose validity and reliability were confirmed. Data analysis was performed using independent and paired t-tests and chi-square test. Results: Before the educational intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic variables and self-regulation strategies (p>0.05); however, after the educational intervention, a significant difference was observed between the goal setting and planning strategies (p=0.001), and the mean of these variables increased in the intervention group three months after the educational intervention which was 15.36±3.09 and 17.87±6.11 compared to before, 14.95±4.84 and 12.78±3.37, respectively. Conclusion: Considering the effect of self-regulation strategies on the physical activity of adolescents in this research, it is recommended to pay more attention to training based on these strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater women's bargaining power and decision‐making within a household have been shown to increase investments in human capital. This study links women's participation in decision‐making in dairy production with household investment in girls and boys in health, nutrition, and education. We survey households in the urbanizing region of Bangalore, India. We utilize a multinomial treatment effects model to analyze the individual and household factors that are associated with women's participation in sole or joint decision‐making. We then assess how the type of decision‐making influences a household's investments. The results first show that female decision‐making households are more disadvantaged on average than other types of decision‐making households. Second, we observe that female decision‐makers for dairy production are more likely to have more children and earn a higher income than their husbands. Third, the main findings show that households in which women engage in joint decision‐making have higher levels of investment across all categories for girls. Conversely, investments decrease in education and nutrition for both girls and boys when the wife is the sole decision‐maker. Lastly, investments are enhanced further for girls when households can sell milk at a higher price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been an increased focus on children as a target for primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, girls should receive attention to combat the burden of CVD in women, because women have higher CVD mortality and morbidity rates than men do. As health literacy is paramount, the evaluation of awareness, and knowledge of CVD and its risk factors and their associations with the lifestyles of girls forms the basis for planning cardiovascular health promotion programs aiming to improve girls' immediate health and reduce the future burden of CVD among women. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of girls attending elementary and intermediate schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The girls completed a newly validated 24-item questionnaire that assessed their demographic data, lifestyles, and awareness and knowledge of CVD and its risk factors. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were obtained. Knowledge scores were calculated on the basis of correct responses and compared between subgroups via analysis of variance to determine associated factors. Results: In total, 469 girls (mean age of 12.5 years) were included. Approximately 41.4% of them did not exercise or only exercised once a week. The dietary intake of important food groups was below or just at the minimal recommended servings for most. Overall, 44.1% were overweight/obese, and almost half were identified as hypertensive on the basis of a single resting measurement. Awareness of CVD as a dangerous disease in adults was 50.3%, whereas, cancer was identified by 61% of participants. Individual risk factors were identified by ≈ 25%, and 16.6% were not aware of any risk factors. The overall knowledge score of the participants was 2.6 (± 1.6) out of a total possible score of 8 representing 32.5% (± 20%). Knowledge levels were positively influenced by increasing school grade (P = 0.001) and family history of CVD (P < 0.001). There was no significant favorable association between improved knowledge level and lifestyle factors. Conclusion: The awareness and knowledge of CVD among girls aged 8–16 years are poor and are largely dissociated from their lifestyle. Improved knowledge scores with increasing school grade and family history of CVD confirm a role for schools and families in improving girls' knowledge. Our findings mirror those obtained in older women, showing that misinformation among women starts in childhood and should be targeted early in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Child marriage is a detrimental practice with negative consequences for girls' health and well-being. This study aims to identify the prevalence of child marriage and associated risk factors within the Madhesi community. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sub-metropolitan city of Lumbini Province, Nepal, in 2023. A total of 352 married women were randomly selected using simple random sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire between March 28th and April 17th. Descriptive categorical variables were expressed as proportions. Risk factors associated with child marriage were measured using the Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26. Results: The majority of respondents (36.1%) were in the age group 21-25, with a mean age of 25.90 years ± 4.6 years. Most respondents (48.9%) received only basic-level education, with the majority (72.4%) reporting their parents as having no formal education. The primary family occupation was farming (40.1%). The prevalence of child marriage was high (77.0%), with a median marriage age of 18 years. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant risk factors including lower education levels of respondents and their parents, husband's occupation, lack of awareness about the legal marriage age, limited decision-making power regarding marriage, belief in the dowry system, discussions with friends about child marriage, and occurrence of child marriage among friends. Conclusion: Despite legal prohibition, child marriage remains prevalent in the Madhesi community. Educational interventions targeting women and parents, empowering women with decision-making authority, and addressing the dowry system are crucial for reducing this harmful practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The reproductive health of girls is the key to the health of the future generation. This research aimed to evaluate girls' menstrual patterns and their dependence on some nongenetic determinants influencing the reproductive health of adolescent girls. Matwerial and Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 417 high school adolescent girls. The questionnaire included items concerning socioeconomic status, components of lifestyle, academic performance, age at menarche and menstrual patterns of girls. Results: The mean age at menarche was 12.4±0.9 years. The mean duration of the menstrual cycle was 27.6±3.6 days with the mean duration of bleeding 4.7±1,1 days. The irregular cycle was experienced by 1/4 of girls, dysmenorrhea and menstruation-related symptoms have been mentioned by 40.5% of girls. Only 23% of girls consulted a physician concerning dysmenorrhea and menstruation-related symptoms. Results have shown statistically significant impact of family size, family income, academic performance, nutritional habits, sleep, etc. on the cycle regularity and dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: The menstrual patterns of the majority of girls were in a range of normal values. The prevalence of irregular cycles, the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and menstruation-related symptoms were lower as compared to other studies. Nevertheless, around half of girls, who mentioned dysmenorrhea and menstruation-related symptoms, were not serious about these symptoms. Some socioeconomic factors and components of lifestyle (family size, family income, nutrition, sleep) have been shown to influence the cycle regularity and dysmenorrhea. Hence, these findings highlight the need to enlarge the knowledge concerning reproductive health and healthy lifestyle among adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen magazine's minimal coverage of contraception and abortion provides teen girl readers with inadequate and limited information regarding reproductive and sexual health. This pre-Dobbs historical analysis of the content of the main editorial sections of the magazine from 2010 to 2018 demonstrates a lack of discourse regarding contraceptive methods for readers. Examining how contraception and abortion are discussed in the print versions of Seventeen magazine through a postfeminist lens can assist in identifying and responding to gaps in education and misperceptions of these topics in order to better serve teen girl readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forcibly displaced adolescents face increased risks for mental illness and distress, with adolescent girls disproportionately affected in part due to heightened gender inequity. Although the family unit has the potential to promote healthy development in adolescents, few family interventions have employed a gender transformative approach or included male siblings to maximize benefits for adolescent girls. Methods: This study will assess a whole-family and gender transformative intervention-Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE)-to prevent mental health disorders among adolescent girls in Colombia who were recently and forcibly displaced from Venezuela. The study will employ a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation pilot randomized control trial (RCT) to test the program's effectiveness to explore determinants of implementation to establish the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of SSAGE. To address these aims, we will enroll 180 recently arrived, forcibly displaced adolescent girls in an RCT and examine the program's effectiveness in the prevention of mental illness (through reduction in anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and somatization symptoms) one-month post-intervention. We will use contextually adapted to collect data on the hypothesized mechanistic pathways, including family attachment, gender-equitable family functioning, self-esteem, and coping strategies. The implementation evaluation will employ mixed methods to assess the program's feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and barriers and facilitators to successful implementation. Discussion: Findings can support humanitarian program implementation, as well as inform policy to support adolescent girls' mental health and to prevent the myriad disorders that can arise as a result of exposure to displacement, conflict, and inequitable gender norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls' education has for many decades been central to the global development agenda, due to its positive impact on girls' health and wellbeing. In this paper, the authors revisit boys' attitudes, behaviours and norms related to girls' education, following the Samata intervention to prevent girls' school dropouts in Northern-Karnataka, South India. Data were collected from 20 boys in intervention villages before and after the intervention, and analysis was undertaken using a thematic-framework approach. Findings suggest that while boys did hold some attitudes and beliefs that supported girls' education and delayed-marriage, these remained within the framework of gender-inequitable norms concerning girls' marriageability, respectability/family-honour. Participants criticised peers who sought to jeopardise girls' respectability by teasing and community gossip about girls-boys' communication in public. Boys who rejected prevailing norms of masculinity were subjected to gossip, ridicule and violence by the community. Boys' attitudes and beliefs supported girls' education but were conditional on the maintenance of gendered hierarchies at household and interpersonal levels. Social norms concerning girls' honour, respectability and the role of boys as protectors/aggressors appeared to influence boys' response to girls' school dropouts. Future interventions aiming to address girls' education and marriage must invest time and resources to ensure that intervention components targeting boys are relevant, appropriate and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Menstruation is a natural occurrence that women experience during their reproductive years and may encounter many years throughout their lifespan. Many adolescent females lack accurate knowledge about menstruation, so they may face issues from receiving incorrect information from unreliable sources. Our study aimed to investigate the practices and beliefs surrounding menstruation among Iranian adolescent females. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. A purposeful sampling method was used to select 18 adolescent females from secondary and high schools located in the three regions of Neyshabur City-Iran. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Results: Three main themes were extracted, consisting of lifestyle and related beliefs, lake of support, and awareness and information. Conclusions: misconceptions and wrong behaviors during menstruation indicate that the lake of knowledge an traditional factors influence adolescent girls' health. The study provides the basis for intervention planning in this regard and different levels (individual, intrapersonal, health systems, and community). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between the psychological resilience of earthquake survivor students and their general health status. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted at a state university in Turkey in June 2023 with the nursing department students of a university that experienced two major earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023. The sample of the study consisted of 287 students. The data of the study were collected with the "Descriptive Characteristics Form," "Brief Resilience Scale," and "General Health Questionnaire‐12." Filling out the forms took approximately 5−10 min. It was determined in the present study that the psychological resilience of the earthquake survivor students was moderate. It was found that the girls, second graders, those with higher income levels, those who did not receive medication/professional support for their mental health, and those who described their health as good generally had higher psychological resilience levels. It was found that the general health status of the earthquake survivors was at an increased risk level, and 69% of them were at high risk for mental diseases. The mental health of girls, first graders, those who had low‐income levels, those who lost loved ones in the earthquake, those whose houses were damaged, those who received medication/professional support for mental health, those who did not generally participate in distance education, and those who described their health as deficient in general, had worse mental health levels. A high relationship was detected between nursing students' psychological resilience and mental health (p < 0.05). It was concluded in the present study that as the psychological resilience of the students increased, the risk of mental disease decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underweight or overweight in children and adolescents is a serious public health problem. Self-perception is an important factor in promoting health, especially during adolescence. The purpose of this study is to assess the characteristics of self-perception of children with low body weight, normal body weight, overweight and obesity. This study was conducted in Kharkiv secondary schools in November 2021. The total number of participants was 14,853, of which 8,290 were girls and 6,563 were boys, aged 10-17 years. Using an online questionnaire, adolescents indicated their body weight and height, and also assessed their own health preserving activities. Diagnosis of being underweight, overweight and obesity was carried out in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Body self-esteem was assessed using the following questions: “What do you think about your body?”; “How satisfied are you with your health?”; “How satisfied are you with yourself?”; “How can you assess your own health?”. According to the results of the examination based on BMI, it was found that 63.1±2.4% of adolescents have normal body weight. Overweight was detected in 12.3±1.1%, obesity – in 2.4±0.5%. 17.4±1.3% of participants were underweight, and 4.8±0.7% had body mass deficit. By their own assessment, 75.0% of children considered themselves to have “normal” body weight, another 15.0% considered their weight “more than normal,” and about 10.0% of adolescents considered themselves “lean.” Among boys, 61.0% had normal body weight. About 16.5% of boys were considered overweight, and 3.8% of boys were obese. Insufficient body weight was found in 14.08% of respondents, and 4.6% had big body mass deficit. Among girls, the percentage of participants with normal body weight was 64.8%. 8.95% of participants were considered overweight, 1.35% were obese. Almost 20.0% were underweight; a large deficiency was detected in 5.0% of girls. In order to carry out health promotion activities among schoolchildren, the sexual characteristics of self-perception of one's own body and health problems among adolescents should be taken into account. Boys were almost twice as more satisfied with themselves and their health than girls, regardless of how they perceived their body (p<0.01). The number of boys with overweight and obesity was twice as high as girls (20.0% vs. 10.0%). At the same time, almost one in four girls and one in five boys were underweight and/or had body mass deficit. The systematic collection and analysis of data on the health-preserving behavior of adolescents is an important component of the development and creation of health care programs for the children's population of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents are highly at risk of unintended pregnancy due to physiological, sexual, social and psychological growth. The pregnancy may end with early childbirth, induced abortion and its complications. Although, the trends of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion have declined over time in Ethiopia, evidence is limited on key determinants for decline in order to propose vital areas of interventions. The current study aimed to identify the determinants of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion among adolescents over the decades. Methods: Trends in the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion among adolescent women aged 15–19 years were investigated based using a series of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) data for the years 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016. Sub-sample of adolescent women data was extracted from each survey. The combined datasets for unintended pregnancy and induced abortion over the study period (2000–2016) was analyzed. The percentage changes of trends of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion with its corresponding 95% CI for each variable were calculated. Multilevel mixed-effects decomposition analysis was applied to identify factors significantly associated with trends of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion among adolescents. Results: The trends of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion significantly declined during the study period. Unintended pregnancy among Ethiopian adolescents aged 15–19 years significantly decreased from 307 (41.4%) (95% CI: 35.7, 47.2%, p<0.001) in 2000 to 120 (25.1%) (95% CI: 18.9, 31.4%) in 2016. On the other hand, induced abortion significantly decreased from 62 (8.3%) (95% CI: 5.2, 11.4%) in 2000 to 20 (4.1%) (95% CI: 1.3, 6.9%, p = 0.004) in 2016. Age older than 18 years (Coeff = -0.41, 95%CI, -0.64, -0.18, p<0.001), living in Somali regional state (Coeff = -2.21, 95%CI, -3.27, -1.15, p<0.001) and exposure to media (Coeff = -0.60, 95%CI, -0.87, -0.33, p<0.001) showed a significance association with decline in unintended pregnancy whereas; living in Benshangul-Gumuz regional state (Coeff = -0.17, 95%CI, -0.32, -0.19, p = 0.03) and ANC service utilization history (Coeff = -0.81, 95%CI, -1.45, -0.17, p = 0.01) showed significance association with decline in induced abortion. Conclusion: The trends of unintended pregnancy and induced abortion significantly declined over the past decades in Ethiopia. Adolescent girls aged 17 years and above, exposure to media and living in Somali showed significant association with decline in unintended pregnancy whereas; living in Benshangul-Gumuz and ANC service utilization history showed significant decline with induced abortion. Exposure to media and utilization of Antenatal care (ANC) services may improve adolescent girls' reproductive health uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: While the health promoting effects of green tea polyphenols have been identified among adult, research on children is scarce probably due to safety concerns about caffeine. This study aims to evaluate the safety of decaffeinated green tea polyphenols (DGTP) supplementation in girls with obesity and lay the foundation for its application in children population. Methods and Study Design: This 12-week randomized, double-blinded, parallel-controlled trial was performed among 62 girls with obesity aged 6 to 10 years old. Participants were allocated to take 400 mg/d DGTP (DGTP group, n = 31) or isodose placebo (Control group, n = 31) at random. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters including hepatic and renal function indicators, serum minerals concentrations, and routine blood parameters, were measured at baseline and the end of this trial. DGTP intake diary was required for each participant to record any abnormal reactions. Results: After the 12-week supplementation, compared to Control group, the uric acid concentration in DGTP group showed a significant decrease (-48.0 ± 83.2 vs -0.01 ± 69.1, μmol/L), within the normal range. Regarding other biochemical indicators, there were no significant differences in changed values between the two groups. Throughout the trial, no adverse effects were reported in either group. Conclusions: This study indicated that the supplementation of 400 mg/d DGTP for 12 weeks had no adverse health effects in girls with obesity, providing evidence for the DGTP adoption in children research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite reporting poorer self-rated mental health (SRMH) than boys, girls exhibit greater resilience and academic achievement, and less risk taking or death by suicide. Might this apparent paradox be an artefact arising from girls' and boys' different interpretations of the meaning of SRMH? We examined whether the indicator, SRMH, had a different meaning for girls and boys. Methods: In 2021–2, we circulated social media invitations for youth age 13–18 to complete an online survey about their mental health, and which of 26 individual and social circumstances shaped that rating. All data were submitted anonymously with no link to IP addresses. After comparing weightings for each characteristic, factor analyses identified domains for the whole group and for girls and boys. Results: Poor SRMH was reported by 47% of 506 girls and 27.8% of 216 boys. In general, circumstances considered important to this rating were similar for all, although boys focussed more on sense of identity, self-confidence, physical well-being, exercise, foods eaten and screen time, while girls paid more attention to having a boyfriend or girlfriend, comparisons with peers, and school performance. With factor analysis and common to boys and girls, domains of resilience, behavior/community, family, relationships with peers and future vision emerged. Girls' poorer SRMH did not arise from a more expansive interpretation of mental health. Instead, it may reflect perceived or real disadvantages in individual or social circumstances. Alternatively, girls' known greater resilience may propel lower SRMH which they use intuitively to motivate future achievement and avoid the complacency of thinking that 'all is well'. Conclusions: The relative similarity of attributes considered before rating one's mental health suggests validity of this subjective measure among girls and boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous studies have confirmed the negative effects of son preference on the prenatal care received by girls, few have examined its effect on birth outcomes. This study contributes to the literature on son preference by examining this relationship. The degree of son preference is measured by the sex ratio at birth, and the data were obtained from the birth registry of South Korea, which has a long history of strong son preference. We find that girls are more likely to be born with low birth weight when son preference is stronger. In addition, when son preference is stronger, girls are more likely to be born outside hospitals, which implies that mothers conceiving girls make fewer prenatal visits to the hospital when their son preference is stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are social determinants of health that increase morbidity and mortality and are prevalent among juvenile justice–involved (JJI) youth. ACEs drive health‐risk behaviors (e.g., substance use) that reflect maladaptive coping, increase arrest risk, and overlap with posttraumatic risk‐seeking theoretically and reckless/self‐destructive behaviors diagnostically. However, little is known, especially among girls, about cumulative developmental adversity burden distress (i.e., total cumulative/lifespan stressor reactivity, grief‐specific and adversity‐related symptoms, and adversity‐driven maladaptive coping strategies by age 18) and associated health risk impacts. Therefore, we assessed (a) developmental adversity burden indicators capturing expanded ACEs (E‐ACEs; reflecting cumulative losses and traumatic events), cumulative distress, and risk characteristics; (b) potential racial/ethnic differences in developmental adversity burden; and (c) predictors of maladaptive coping among 223 JJI girls. Participants averaged 15 E‐ACEs, endorsing 61.0% of stressor reactivity reactions, 58.4% of cumulative grief‐specific symptoms, 55.7% (avoidance) to 73.2% (arousal) of adversity‐related symptoms, and 45.0% of adversity‐driven maladaptive coping strategies. White JJI girls endorsed significantly higher stressor reactivity and maladaptive coping than Latina girls (e.g., 38.8% vs. 14.6% suicide attempts), ds = 0.56–0.71. Adaptive LASSO analyses of maladaptive coping highlighted primary contributions from stressor reactivity, arousal alterations (excluding reckless/self‐destructive behaviors), and cognition/mood alterations but not E‐ACEs, grief, avoidance, or intrusions. Participants reported high levels of all cumulative developmental adversity burden indicators (e.g., 81.6% reported reckless/self‐destructive behaviors). Results support cumulative, adversity‐informed, universal precautions and assessments. Further, emotion regulation interventions targeting stressor reactivity, cognition/mood alterations, and/or arousal alterations may be useful for JJI youth with maladaptive coping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early marriage is a public health problem that violates the adolescent girl's basic human rights. The Sustainable Development Goals had incorporated early marriage in target 5.3, aiming to eliminate by 2030. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of empowerment program on knowledge, attitude and practice of rural adolescent girls regarding health consequences of early marriage. Subjects and Method: Design: A quasiexperimental research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in two preparatory schools at Zagazig city. Subjects: A sample of 100 female students randomly selected from east and west educational administrations. Tools of data collection: A selfadministered questionnaire consists of four parts; socio demographic characteristics, knowledge regarding health consequences of early marriage, attitude toward early marriage and healthy practices of adolescent girls. Results: The study results revealed that there were statistically significant improvements in knowledge, attitude and practice of adolescent girls regarding health consequences of early marriage after the program (p < .0001). The result also showed that knowledge score was positively correlated to attitude score (r = .379) and practices score (r = .399) at post program phase. Conclusion: The program's implementation was shown to be successful in improving adolescent girls' knowledge, attitude and practices regarding health consequences of early marriage. Recommendations: Further researches should continue to identify determinants of early marriage to assist in building more girlcentered interventions and norms change interventions that empower adolescent girls, particularly, in rural areas in order to advocate for themselves against child marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent girls report low physical activity levels and poor body image and self-esteem. This study evaluated the impact of a girls' health intervention on body image, self-esteem, and physical activity enjoyment. The intervention was grounded in self-determination theory, resulting in lessons designed to promote autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The two primary components of the intervention included opportunities for girls to learn about resistance training as well as ways to improve their psychosocial health (i.e., body image, self-esteem, and physical activity enjoyment). Girls (n = 590), in the intervention (Mage = 12.79, SD = 0.69) and control group (Mage = 12.92, SD = 0.73), completed pre and post measures. A repeated measures MANOVA was conducted to assess changes in body image, self-esteem, and physical activity enjoyment. The intervention resulted in a significant increase in body esteem-appearance, F = 9.23, p = 0.003, and body esteem-weight, F = 4.77, p = 0.029, and a greater, non-significant, increase in self-esteem (3.22%), and physical activity enjoyment (4.01%) compared to the control group. This highlighted the use of the intervention for significant improvements in appearance and weight-related body image. The results support implementing psychosocial lessons, as well as physical activity, in health programming for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Period shaming is defined as any negative and/or disrespectful behavior in relation to the menstrual cycle and menstruating girls. It is suggested that period shaming may limit girls' potential and ability to fully participate in school and community activities. This study aims to examine the prevalence and factors associated with period shaming among male students in Luang Prabang Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). This was a cross-sectional study which was conducted during November 19–27, 2020. This study included 1,232 male students from secondary school grade 9 to 12 in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR. Informed consent was obtained from the participants, parents/guardians, and teachers prior to data collection. The data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was employed to examine factors associated with period shaming behavior among male students. The mean age of the participants was 16.4 years old. Of all the male students, 18.8% admitted that they had shamed girls during their menstruation at least once. Of those who committed period shaming, they shamed girls some of the times (63.2%). Male students who had consumed alcohol during the last month before the data collection day (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.32–2.55, P<0.001), had heard of menstruation (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.27–2.44, P<0.001), and those who had attended activities/classes about sexual reproductive health (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.29–2.78, P<0.01), were significantly associated with period shaming behavior. In conclusion, a single focus on providing biological health education may not be enough to address menstrual stigmatization and taboos. The school curriculum should integrate other life skill education with reproductive health, such as respect and gender equality, to encourage behavioral changes among male students, to address menstrual stigma and to support and empower girls' menstrual health at school and in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that dance interventions have on the somatic symptoms and psychological health of teenage girls and it also provides scientific guidance for mental health education in schools. Methodology: The participants in the research were female adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 years old (mean years: 15.89±2.85). The criteria for inclusion were internalizing difficulties that were connected to stress, as well as several visits to the school nurse for both physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, weariness, and hurting shoulders) and emotional discomfort (e.g. persistent feelings of stress, nervousness, and anxiety). There were a total of one hundred teenage girls with stress-related internalizing disorders who participated in the research study. Of them, fifty were assigned at random to the dance intervention group, while the remaining fifty were assigned to the control group. Results: The majority of the females are between the ages of 14 and 16. Girls were present at a rate of 44% in the intervention group and 40% in the control group respectively. This was followed by a rate of 42% in the age group for 16-18 years old and 38% in the age group for 12-14 year olds. In the age group of 10-12 year olds, only 4% of girls were present. 78% of boys and 70% of girls engage in physical activity. For those participating in the dancing intervention and those serving as the control, respectively. At the beginning of the study, the total mean value for somatic symptoms was 3.25±1.25, and the mean value for emotional distress was 3.89±1.33. The emotional distress and somatic symptoms connection has a Pearson value of r=0.84, which indicates a strong relationship between the two. The levels of emotional distress before and after the intervention were as follows: stress 47 (94%) and 6 (12%), nervousness 45 (90%) and 5 (12%), anxiety 49 (98%) and 6 (12%), sadness 46 (92%) and 5 (12%), irritation 44 (88%) and 4 (8%), and powerlessness 47 (94%) and 4 (8%). Conclusion: According to the findings of the current research, dance therapies can alleviate stress-related physical symptoms as well as mental discomfort in teenage females. Nevertheless, the impact of the intervention was not sustained one year after the session had been completed, which suggests that participants need to continue frequent involvement in the intervention for the outcomes to be permanent. To assess the efficacy of the intervention in a variety of contexts, more randomized trials are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incarcerated girls have disproportionately higher rates of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse compared with their nonincarcerated peers. Failure to address this trauma and abuse can lead to mental health disabilities such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anti-social behaviors. Many girls who experience trauma engage in criminal behaviors as a response to these unresolved issues. The punitive nature of correctional confinement only exacerbates their mental health disabilities. This article examines the correctional confinement experiences for girls with mental health disabilities in the United States, where there is a large population of incarcerated girls, and Costa Rica, a country with fewer incarcerated girls. Policy changes are suggested to minimize the punitive nature of correctional confinement and to enhance the services and support systems available to incarcerated girls with mental health disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Menarche is an important biological milestone in a woman’s life as it marks the onset of the reproductive phase of her life. It is, often considered an impure phenomenon in Indian society owing to cultural taboos and insufficient and incorrect information and causes unnecessary restrictions in the day‑to‑day normal activities of menstruating girls. Aim: To assess the perception and practices related to menstruation and reproductive health among school‑going adolescent girls in the urban population in Kochi, Kerala. Objectives: To elicit the practices regarding menstruation and reproductive health among the school‑going, adolescent girls. i. To elicit the beliefs, perceptions, and sources of information regarding menstruation and reproductive health among the school going, adolescent girls. ii. To find out the relation between perceptions/practices and other factors. Methodology: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 100 adolescent girls of a secondary school situated in Ernakulam, Kerala, with the help of a pre‑designed and pre‑tested questionnaire. Data were analyzed statistically by simple proportions. Result: 89% of the girls were aware of menstruation before menarche. A major source of information was found to be mothers. More than 70% used sanitary pads and 99% of girls knew menses as a natural phenomenon. 80% of girls with good perception had no menses‑related anxiety. 54% haven’t even heard of Pre‑Menstrual Syndrome. 40% have inhibition talking about menses to their father or brother. Among girls with good practice, 87% had a good perception. Conclusions: Before bringing any change in menstrual practices, Family physicians can play a role in educating the girls about the significance of menstruation and the development of secondary sexual characteristics, the selection of a sanitary menstrual absorbent, and its proper disposal. Trained personnel, school teachers, and knowledgeable parents can play a very important role in imparting menstrual health‑related information to adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescents frequently use informal support seeking to cope with stress and worries. Past research in face-to-face contexts has shown that the relationship between informal support seeking and mental health is influenced by the specific strategy used and the mode through which support is sought. To date, little research has considered the relationship between support seeking online and adolescent mental health. Methods: In this study, structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the mediating role of co-rumination in the relationships between seeking support from friends or online and two measures of mental health: depression and anxiety. Participants were 186 adolescent girls, drawn from four independent girls' schools in Sydney, Australia. Four brief vignettes described common social stressors and participants rated their likelihood of seeking support from close friends and from informal online sources. Co-rumination was measured using a short form of the Co-rumination Questionnaire and depression and anxiety were measured with the youth version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-Youth (DASS-Y). Results: Different patterns of findings were found for support seeking from close friends and support seeking online. First, support seeking from friends was related to lower levels of depression and anxiety while seeking support online was related to higher levels depression and anxiety. Second, co-rumination suppressed the relationship between seeking support from friends and depression, but not online support seeking and depression or anxiety. Discussion: These findings suggest that co-rumination reduces the benefits of seeking support from friends but is unrelated to online support seeking. The findings also confirm the problematic nature of online support seeking for adolescent girls' mental health, particularly in response to social stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Menstrual hygiene management is one of the main barriers to girls' education attainment in low-and middle-income countries. Poor access to sanitary products and lack of menstrual knowledge affect students' performance at school compared to the opposite sex. Limited evidence is available to provide solutions for schoolgirls. This study examines the effectiveness of menstrual health education programs on well-being and behavioral change among adolescent girls in rural Uganda. Methods. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted across 3 schools, including 66 girls aged 13-17 years, in a rural village in Mukono District, Uganda. Schools were randomly allocated to 2 groups: i) health education program intervention and ii) control group (no intervention). Results. After 5 weeks of the Health Education Program, the schoolgirls in experiment groups showed significantly less fear of sharing the menstruation-related concern with parents and pupils [Mean Difference (MD)=0.87, P=0.029) (MD=2.02, P=0.000), and the sense of shameful feelings during menstruation (MD=1.65, P= 0.004); conversely, the fear to go to school during menstruation did not differ between experiment and control groups (MD=-0.04, P=0.94). However, the changes in feeling comfortable having a period at school were significantly different between the experiment and control groups (P=0.001). Conclusions. The study demonstrated promising results of a low-cost intervention for enhancing girls' menstrual health education in a low-income context. Puberty education and reusable pad sewing provision were strongly associated with improving schoolgirls' psychosocial wellbeing related to menstrual management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are disparities in health outcomes between youth from higher and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and girls are especially vulnerable to changes in health‐related behaviours as they develop. Therefore, this study explored how girls from disadvantaged communities in Dublin, Ireland, make sense of 'being healthy.' A phenomenological qualitative design was implemented. Three focus groups were conducted (n = 22, 10–12 years) and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Food and physical appearance featured prominently within the girls' definitions of health. Girls and their families from low‐SES backgrounds may experience more difficulties with time scarcity as well as environmental barriers to a healthy lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One country, two crises: What Covid-19 reveals about health inequalities among BAME communities in the United Kingdom and the sustainability of its health system? Keywords: COVID19; inequalities; women's health EN COVID19 inequalities women's health 222 224 3 09/06/23 20230901 NES 230901 The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened and exposed existing fractures and fissures. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the association between psychiatric symptoms and polydrug use, school violence, and sociodemographic factors among Brazilian early adolescents. Using the baseline data collection from the effectiveness evaluation of PROERD, a school-based drug use prevention program, implemented in 30 public schools in São Paulo (n = 2316, M age = 12.3 years, 48.5% girls), multinomial logistic regressions were performed using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscales as response variables, and polydrug use, school violence, and sociodemographic characteristics as explanatory variables. In most SDQ subscales, girls and older students were more likely to have psychiatric symptoms. A positive association was identified between polydrug use and psychiatric symptoms. It was found that those who suffered and perpetrated physical violence had a greater likelihood of presenting psychiatric symptoms. Preventive interventions should consider the greater vulnerability related to the mental health of girls, older students, and those who suffer and perpetrate physical violence at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is an undesirable complication of Clostridium difficile infection. Although it is a part of normal gut flora, C. difficile can become a nuisance and cause varying degrees of colitis, given the opportunity of a conducive host environment. Even though most patients have mild colitis and abdominal pain, a few develop PMC, particularly immunocompromised and debilitated hosts. Pseudomembranous colitis is managed medically with metronidazole or vancomycin, fluids, and nutritional support. It can progress to toxic megacolon in up to 3% of cases. Toxic megacolon warrants a subtotal or total colectomy after a short trial of medical management. This dire complication is associated with a high mortality rate regardless of surgical intervention. Case Presentation: A 15-year-old otherwise healthy patient presented with perforative peritonitis and septic shock. The patient did not have any significant past medical history. The patient was resuscitated and started on inotropes. An abdominal X-ray revealed gas under the diaphragm, with ultrasonography suggesting free fluid in the abdomen. Owing to the poor general condition of the patient, abdominal drains were inserted under local anesthesia. The patient was explored after 48 hours after fluid and electrolyte correction and antibiotic therapy. On exploratory laparotomy, the patient had dual colonic perforations. Despite best efforts at resuscitation, the patient died on postoperative day 3. Pathological analysis of the specimen suggested the presence of PMC throughout the resected segment of the colon. Conclusion: We suggest considering PMC as a differential diagnosis in a complicated toxic megacolon, regardless of the patient's age, duration of antibiotic therapy, and underlying diagnosis, particularly when there is an obscure history and diagnostic uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes how juvenile courts utilize gender-responsive approaches by examining stakeholder narratives about girls in the juvenile justice system. The study uses a directed content analytic approach to examine the extent to which stakeholder narratives align with gender-responsive principles related to content- and context-related needs. Findings revealed that stakeholders most commonly refer to girls' family dysfunction, delinquency history, and the need for community-based services. Stakeholders were limited in their discussion of girls' health and provision of trauma-informed care. Learning from stakeholders provides a unique lens to consider ways to integrate gender-responsive practices within the juvenile justice system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Special Issue (SI) of Preventive Medicine is the 11th in an annual series on behavior change, health, and health disparities. The theme of this 2024 issue is Smoking and Other Tobacco Use among Women and Girls. Cigarette smoking remains the single most preventable cause of death in the U.S., causing the premature death of more than 200,000 U.S. women annually, a mortality rate that far exceeds levels from conditions more commonly associated with premature death in women (e.g., breast cancer). Of course, cigarette smoking among women and girls is also a well-known cause of intergenerational adverse health effects. Women and girls are also using e-cigarettes and many other tobacco products that are flooding the U.S. tobacco marketplace. This SI includes eleven peer-reviewed articles that advance knowledge across a wide range of topics on disproportionate adverse effects, prevalence, and risk factors for cigarette smoking and other tobacco use in women and girls. • This is an Introduction to the 11th special issue in the Behavior Series. • The Introduction provides an overview of the content of the special issue. • The topic covered is the impact of tobacco use in women and girls. • Smoking in particular has unique and disproportionate impacts on females. • This special issue underscores some of those important adverse impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of patriarchal populist leaders over the past decade has fortified a long-standing campaign by conservative governments and advocacy groups to undermine women's international human rights. Their efforts have increasingly focused on revising language as a means to challenge and weaken the international norms and organizations essential to women's and girls' equality and health. Through our textual analysis of UN records, governmental and nongovernmental publications, media coverage of disputes over language, and background interviews with activists, we identify and delineate the significance of this 'norm spoiling' strategy and trace its expansion during the Trump administration. We find that women's rights challengers have pursued three distinct spoiling tactics based in language: controlling what women's rights advocates can say through policies such as the United States' 'global gag rule'; altering the meaning of women's rights by reframing them as an attack on other rights, such as religious freedom; and deleting foundational words, such as 'gender' and 'sexual and reproductive health and rights', from international agreements. The role of language in today's patriarchal populism goes beyond populist leaders' speeches, rallies and tweets. Their governments and allies systematically control, alter or delete words central to women's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The mental health of adolescent girls in countries of South Asia is related to several social and cultural factors including gender disadvantage, especially in low resource settings such as tribal areas. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased this vulnerability even further. This study assesses the association of gender disadvantage with psychological distress among adolescent girls residing in a tribal area of India and examines the role of resilience. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic first wave in 2020 using telephonic interviews with 102 girls aged 15-20 from one block (65.46% tribal population) of a predominantly tribal area in Central India. Trained interviewers administered translated versions of the Kessler Psychological Distress 10-item scale (K-10), the Checklist for Assessment of Gender Disadvantage (CAGED), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Pair-wise correlation was conducted between gender disadvantage, resilience and psychological distress using CAGED, BRS and K-10 scores. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare mean difference in CAGED domain scores and K-10 severity score groups. Results: The mean age of girls was 17.62 years (standard deviation 1.64). Scores on K-10 indicating moderate to severe psychological distress were seen among 27.5% of the respondents. Girls reported lack of space/privacy (39.2%), lack of freedom to pursue interests (32.4%), opinions not being considered (31.4%), and financial difficulties as hindrance to opportunities (28.4%) as common experiences of gender disadvantage. Gender disadvantage was directly associated with severity of psychological distress and inversely with resilience. Conclusion: This study indicates the importance of decreasing gender disadvantage for improving the mental health of young women and girls in underserved areas. The role of peer group interventions and engaging men and boys using gender transformative interventions in improving mental health needs to be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a host of negative outcomes in adolescence. However, research on the impact of ACEs on adolescent mental health has produced mixed results, leaving it unclear how ACEs may relate to depression and anxiety during adolescence. Moreover, this body of work has neglected how gender, risk and protective factors may influence these relationships, despite research demonstrating gender differences in both responses to adversity and in the impact of risk and protective factors on maladaptive outcomes in adolescence. Drawing on a sample of at-risk youth from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2455; age 14-18; 48 % female, 50 % Black, 23 % Hispanic), the current study examines the association between ACEs during early childhood (i.e., ages 1 to 5) and anxious and depressive tendencies reported during adolescence. Models are stratified by gender and incorporate six types of teenage risk and protective factors (peer bullying, delinquent peers, low self-control, parental attachment, collective efficacy, and school connectedness). Results showed support for gender differences in the associations between ACEs and boys' and girls' mental health symptoms. Initially, ACEs were associated with an increased risk of both depressive and anxious tendencies in boys, but the total ACEs score was only significantly associated with an increased risk for depressive symptoms in girls. After accounting for teenage protective factors, ACEs were related to a decreased risk of depressive and anxious symptoms among girls only. Findings have important implications for refining intervention and prevention strategies focusing on mitigating the harms of ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and policy on children's food consumption commonly highlights the unequal impact of obesogenic environments on their health. Yet obesogenic theories risk pathologising certain communities, when assuming fixed relationships between 'unhealthy' environments and 'obese' bodies, and neglecting children's multi-layered relationships to food and health. Drawing on participatory photomapping with 11–12-year-old girls in an urban Irish working-class neighbourhood, this study conceptualises children's food environments as dynamic, regulatory assemblages which involve multi-layered 'pushes and pulls' of 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods, experiences and norms. Such foods, experiences and norms are related to in a variety of ways in the girls' negotiation of belonging, bargain-hunting and body-shaming. The analysis challenges fixed, binary, adult-centred, classed and gendered ideas about healthy/unhealthy child bodies, foods and environments. We argue that viewing food environments as assemblages invites 'obesogenic' policy and research to inclusively engage children's dynamic and multi-layered capacities to act, feel and desire around food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unclear etiology. Recent studies show that 15-34% of cases in adult women and 14% in girls coexist with allergies or autoimmune diseases, among others -- celiac disease (CD). Most of the research on the coexistence of VLS and autoimmune diseases has been carried out on a group of adult women. Literature data on this issue are very scarce. Material and methods: The presented work is a pioneering project in which we tried to elucidate a possible relationship between celiac disease and lichen sclerosus in girls. The aim of the research was to study the antibodies characteristic of celiac disease in girls with VLS. The control group consisted of 35 heathy adolescent girls and the study group consisted of 20 girls aged 2-18 years old diagnosed with vulvar lichen sclerosus recruited at the Gynecological Clinic for Girls at the Women's Health Center in Katowice. Results: There were no significant differences in the concentrations of antibodies characteristic for CD in the blood serum between the studied groups. Conclusions: The main limitation of our study was the small size of the study group. It is therefore legitimate to conduct further research on a larger study group to find the mutual correlations between the analyzed antibodies and the onset and the course of VLS in girls. The finding of a positive correlation between the coexistence of VLS and CD may prevent potentially serious, long-term complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: How self-rated health (SRH) varies when the response on SRH is recorded from the respondent herself (adolescent girl) and her mother on her behalf. This study examines the prevalence of SRH among adolescent girls from her point of view as well as from her mother's point of view. This insight could help us interpret the differences in opinion of girls and their mothers while measuring the girls' self-rated health. Results: Almost one-fifth (19.4%) of the girls reported poor SRH. In contrast, only one in eight mothers (12.3%) could report their daughters under the category of poor SRH. Nearly one-third (76.5%) of the mothers reported their daughter's SRH as good when daughters themselves rated poorly on SRH and another one-tenth (9.6%) reported their daughter's SRH as poor when daughters themselves categorized in the good SRH category [χ2 = 9.900; p < 0.002]. More than 90 percent of the Rich and Middle wealth index women, women in the household with only daughters and no son, women whose husbands had higher education, women with higher secondary education, and non-working women visualized their daughter's SRH as good when daughters themselves reported poor SRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diet is considered as one of the modifiable factors that appears to exert a vital role in psychological status. In this way, we designed this study to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII), dietary antioxidant index (DAI), and mental health in female adolescents.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 364 female adolescents selected from high schools in the five regions of Tabriz, Iran. A 3-day food record was used to extract the dietary data and calculate DII/DAI scores. DII and DAI were estimated to assess the odds of depression, anxiety, and stress based on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Adjusted relationships of the DII and DAI with depression, anxiety, and stress were determined using multiple regression after adjusting for age, energy intake, BMI, family income and mother and father education. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI)-for-age >  + 1 z-score relative to world health organization standards.Results: Depression, anxiety, and stress were observed in 21.4%, 26.6%, and 25.7% of subjects, respectively. The percentage of overweight among adolescents was 19.4%. The association between DII and score of mental health profile was positive among subjects in the third tertile of DII compared to subjects in the first tertile. However, this association was not statistically significant after adjusting for confounding variables. Moreover, there was a significant inverse association between DAI and depression and anxiety; and a statistically insignificant association between DAI and stress after adjusting for confounders.Conclusions: Our results highlighted the importance of a healthy and anti-inflammatory diet on mental health in female adolescents. Therefore, modifying unhealthy dietary habits are likely to be effective in the management of psychosocial disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite increasing recognition that menstruation matters for adolescent girls' health and education, few studies have investigatedmenstrual health challenges and impacts in Myanmar. In this study we aimed to (1) understand the menstrual experiences of girls attending monastic schools in Magway Region, Myanmar and (2) explore the associations between their reported unmet menstrual health needs and school absenteeism. Methods: We undertook a mixed-methods exploration across 16 Monastic schools in rural and semi-rural areas. In-depth interviews with 10 adolescent girls, 10 Focus-Group Discussions (FGDs) with girls, 10 FGDs with boys, 5 FGDs with mothers, along with 24 key-informant interviews were analyzed using a framework approach to explore girls' menstrual experiences and challenges in school settings. A cross-sectional survey of 421 post menarche girls (mean-age-14 years) was used to describe the prevalence of menstrual health challenges and test associations with self-reported school absenteeism. Results: Girls described a range of menstrual health challenges including access to information and social support, behavioral restrictions, stigma surrounding menstruation, difficulties managing menstrual bleeding and pain. Girls also described fear and distress associated withmenstruation and impacts on school attendance and participation. Of girls surveyed, 12.8% had missed school due to their last period. Inmultivariable analysis, grade level (aOR = 0.76 95%CI 0.60-0.97), menstrual pain (aOR = 2.10 95%CI 1.10-4.00), and heavy bleeding (aOR = 3.33 95%CI 1.51-7.34) were associated with absenteeism. Knowledge about menstrual biology was not related to absenteeism, but a more negative attitude toward menstruation may have predicted greater absences (aOR 1.34 95%CI 0.99-1.80). Confidence to talk to friends or teachers about menstruation was not associated with absenteeism, nor was using a disposable-pad or feeling confident to manage menses at school. However, feeling confident to ask a teacher for a pad was associated with greater absenteeism and may have indicated that girls more regularly needing to request products had lower attendance (aOR = 1.93 95%CI 1.06-3.54). Conclusions: Adolescent girls in Magway face substantial challenges during menstruation, adversely impacting on their education and wellbeing. Providing age-appropriate education and addressing shame and taboos are important components of a comprehensive menstrual health response. In addition, our study highlights the need to ensure access to menstrual resources and WASH facilities, along with access to adequate menstrual pain relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has generated many negative psychological outcomes, such as depression, in adolescents. Exploration of protective factors for adolescent mental health is urgently needed, and no research has examined the role of parental involvement.Methods: From March to April 2020, valid data were collected from 1663 Chinese adolescents through online demographic and other questionnaires. Parental involvement at home was assessed by an adapted questionnaire on parental support in learning at home, stress since the COVID-19 outbreak was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale, and three negative psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)) were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and PTSD Check List-Civilian Version, respectively.Results: In total, 35.4%, 21% and 25% of adolescents had depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and PTSS, respectively. Three moderated mediation models consistently showed the following: a. Parental involvement indirectly reduced the three psychological problems by alleviating perceived stress, and the indirect effects were not moderated by sex. b. There were negative direct effects of parental involvement on the three psychological problems, and the links were not moderated by sex. c. Sex moderated the associations between perceived stress and the three psychological problems.Limitations: The cross-sectional design and the sampling of all participants from one junior high school impeded causal inferences and the generalization of our findings, respectively.Conclusions: We found similar indirect and direct protective roles of parental involvement in boys' and girls' mental health, and girls were more vulnerable to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child marriage is associated with adverse health and social outcomes for women and girls. Among pastoralists in Kenya, child marriage is believed to be higher compared to the national average. This paper explores how social norms and contextual factors sustain child marriage in communities living in conflict-affected North Eastern Kenya. In-depth interviews were carried out with nomadic and semi-nomadic women and men of reproductive age in Wajir and Mandera counties. Participants were purposively sampled across a range of age groups and community types. Interviews were analysed thematically and guided by a social norms approach. We found changes in the way young couples meet and evidence for negative perceptions of child marriage due to its impact on the girls' reproductive health and gender inequality. Despite this, child marriage was common amongst nomadic and semi-nomadic women. Two overarching themes explained child marriage practices: 1) gender norms, and 2) desire for large family size. Our findings complement the global literature, while contributing perspectives of pastoralist groups. Contextual factors of poverty, traditional pastoral lifestyles and limited formal education opportunities for girls, supported large family norms and gender norms that encouraged and sustained child marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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