Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of adolescents. Several descriptive studies and systematic reviews have shown an increase in suicide rates in this age group. Objectives - To present a literary review on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health and suicidal behavior of adolescents around the world. - To present data on admission rates due to suicidal behavior during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in a Spanish child-adolescent psychiatric hospitalization unit. Methods - We will present a literature review and a retrospective cross-sectional study on admission rates for suicidal behavior in a child-adolescent psychiatric hospitalization unit. - Admission rates for suicidal behavior during the year prior to the pandemic will be compared with rates relative to the first year of the pandemic. Results - We have found a significant increase in admission rates for suicidal behavior during the year of the pandemic. Similar results have been found in different studies and meta-analyzes. - The socio-demographic characteristics of the patients are quite similar in the two periods of time analyzed, but the reference to intra-family problems has been more frequent in the year of the pandemic. Conclusions Our data is in line with other studies suggesting that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on teenage suicidal behavior. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Gonçalves Cerejeira J, Vallecillo Adame C, Uribe S et al.
Background Adolescent depression is a major public health concern, particularly in educational contexts characterized by high academic pressure. This study examined the association between parent-adolescent sports participation (PSP) and adolescent depression, with attention to the serial mediating roles of the parent-adolescent relationship (PR) and academic difficulty (AD). Methods Using cross-sectional data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), the analysis included 16,984 early adolescents, including 8,560 males and 8,424 females. PSP, PR, AD, and depression were assessed using self-reported measures. Data were analyzed using Model 6 of the PROCESS Macro in SPSS 26.0. Results PSP was negatively associated with depression, β = -0.08, p < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.10, -0.07]. PR was also negatively associated with depression, β = -0.21, p < 0.001, whereas AD was positively associated with depression, β = 0.18, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.16, 0.19]. The serial indirect association between PSP and depression via PR and AD was statistically significant, indirect effect = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.006, -0.004]. Conclusion These findings highlight the relevance of family-based sports participation, parent-adolescent relationships, and academic experiences in understanding depression among Chinese adolescents.
Abstract Introduction/Background Auto inflammatory bone disorders are characterized by chronic non-infectious osteomyelitis and inflammation-induced bone resorption. It results from aberrant activation of components of the innate immune system. The auto inflammatory bone disorder includes chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) and its severe form chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO); synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome; Majeed syndrome; deficiency of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA) and cherubism. The most common among this is CRMO/CNO. The disease can affect any part of the body but the metaphyseal region of the long bones, clavicle, and vertebra are the most commonly affected site. Description/Method A 9 year old girl presented with five month history of swelling over right periocular and temporal region, associated with skin discoloration and difficulty in opening her eyes. She also reported headache more in the right frontal region. She had on and off exacerbations of skin discoloration and headaches. There was no history of fevers, weight loss, night sweats, skin lesions or arthritic symptoms. She did not have a personal or family history of inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. She is under ophthalmology elsewhere since the age of 3 months with a right divergent squint and history of right squint surgery at 6 years. Physical examination revealed swelling involving right infraorbital and temporal region, which was soft and not tender to touch with associated erythema in the same site. There were no signs of meningism or altered mental status. Musculoskeletal examination was unremarkable. Her blood test results showed mild increase in platelets (476 * 109), CRP 8mg/L, ESR (18mm/hr). IgG4 titres were mildly raised (1.16g/L). Other immunologic markers including rheumatoid factor, human leukocyte antigen B27, antinuclear antibody and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody were normal. Histopathological examination of bone and soft tissue of her right orbital rim showed low grade non-specific chronic inflammation with extensive appositional remodelling of bone suggestive of CRMO/SAPHO. No evidence of malignancy/infection. Later whole body MRI was performed to identify the extent of disease. MRI whole body was performed which showed multiple areas of bone marrow oedema and periostitis within the appendicular and axial skeleton, bilateral gluteal enthesitis and sacroilitis. There are some features that are atypical for CRMO (asymmetrical involvement, transphyseal involvement including epiphyseal involvement of the left humerus). Also noted to have right-sided periorbital oedema, oedema of the right masticator muscles and temporalis. Further planned to do dedicated MRI of left humerus with contrast. Discussion/Results It can be difficult to consider what the problem is when a health care provider is presented with a group of seemingly disparate signs and symptoms with a history and time course that do not match classic (or commonly atypical) disease presentations. Common things happen commonly, so when symptoms occur without the usual co-occurring symptoms, unusual symptoms or time courses, it can be challenging. The current patient presented with periocular swelling with headache and skin discolouration. The differentials can be Langerhans cell histiocytosis, IgG4-related disease, osteoblastoma, and osteosarcoma. There were no hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, also the mass was soft to palpate, and hence the above differentials were unlikely. Patient was initially evaluated at tertiary oncology centre and malignancy ruled out. The histopathology slides were reviewed and reported as mentioned above. In view of no skin manifestations, CRMO was the likely diagnosis considered. Hence MRI whole body performed. Barrani et al reported a similar type of unusual case of a 12-year-old girl with CRMO arising with recurrent episodes of left supraorbital headache, followed by the appearance of a periorbital dyschromia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the skull and orbits revealed an important subacute inflammatory process. However, a few months later, the child presented a painful swelling of the left clavicle; the histological examination of the related biopsy allowed us to establish the diagnosis of CRMO. The follow up with our patient is quite a short duration and she might evolve later in the disease course giving more clarity! Key learning points/Conclusion In evaluating a diagnostic dilemma, starting the laboratory evaluation helps to begin the process of trying to find an answer and can also help the families as “something is being done.” Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis can present with unifocal lesions, atypical locations or absence of recurrence. A high level of suspicion is paramount to avoid unnecessary biopsies and repeated antibiotic regimens. Families will often be quite concerned and support for them is also necessary and close communication and follow up is appropriate.
Background The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize whole, minimally processed foods. However, the time required to prepare these foods may present a barrier. There is limited research on how other responsibilities shape food preparation activities. Objectives The objective of this study was to identify the daily life activities that adults in the United States consider responsibilities and evaluate the association between the amount of time spent on responsibilities and food preparation activities. Methods Using data from a national survey among United States adults, we identified which activities adults consider responsibilities. We used the American Time Use Survey and the Eating and Health Module data from 2014-2016 and 2022-2023 to examine the relationship between time spent on responsibilities and food preparation in the pooled sample and stratified by household composition. Results Households with children spent the most time in responsibilities and food preparation, with single-parent households spending less time in food preparation than dual-parent households. The estimated association between time in responsibilities and food preparation was small but significant and negative in the pooled sample and across household composition subgroups. Conclusions The marginal association between responsibilities and food preparation time is small, suggesting that households largely protect food preparation time as responsibilities increase. However, cumulative effects across realistic variation in responsibilities are nontrivial (representing ≤9% to 16% of mean food preparation time), and the relative inelasticity itself suggests that many households may already be operating near a minimum feasible level of food preparation time, raising questions about the potential for policies to encourage additional home cooking without simultaneously addressing structural time burdens. The findings provide policy-relevant evidence that time scarcity, beyond individual preferences, is strongly associated with household food preparation decisions, suggesting that it may operate as a meaningful constraint rather than merely reflecting preference differences.
Abstract Primary Subject area Social Paediatrics Background The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a major global threat that emerged in 2020. Many countries have enacted policies such as mandatory school closures, business closures, and self-quarantining to keep people at home and prevent further spread of the virus. Previous research has shown that pandemics and subsequent disease containment measures negatively affect children and families, both psychosocially and economically. Objectives The current study explores the potential psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent disease containment measures on a number of domains (employment/business, education, finances, medical care, access to medication, technology, children/family, access to community services) through an online survey. The current abstract focuses on the emotional well-being of children and how families have been affected by the restrictions and changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/Methods Participants were asked to complete an online survey through a secure portal. The survey consisted of questions about household demographics and socio-economic status (SES), as well as five psychometric scales measuring satisfaction with life, psychological well-being, anxiety, depression, and substance use, and specific questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted respondents’ daily lives in the previously identified domains. This is the first of four longitudinal surveys that will be conducted throughout this study. Results A total of 571 participants completed the survey. Of these participants, 41.3% identified as being a parent or guardian with children under 18. The focus of this abstract is the subset of respondents with children. Roughly three quarters of participants identified that their children were emotionally impacted by COVID-19, the school closures, or missing friends or family (Yes = 46.6%; Somewhat = 30.5%). Parents also reported loss of access to childcare, disruptions to their visits with their children living outside the home, and feeling like they could not access timely medical care for their children. Demographic information and other relevant responses and information can be found in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt for years to come and will shape an entire generation of children. Even in the current sample, which consisted largely of individuals from medium-high SES households, most reported that children had been impacted emotionally. Understanding and mitigating the impact on children and adapting resources in the short term and the long-term to meet the growing needs of our communities must be top priorities for pediatricians and community service providers.
Vasectomy has potential to disrupt normative gendered expectations around contraception that place an unequal burden of pregnancy prevention on women and their bodies. Despite this, and evidence linking masculine ideals with men's health behaviours, studies rarely consider how masculinity shapes men's contraceptive practices, including their use of male contraception. We examine how masculine attitudes relate to vasectomy use among a national sample of contracepting men in the United States. Drawing on male respondents from the 2011-2019 National Survey of Family Growth aged 25 to 44 (N = 5899), we find that vasectomy is more common among men who agree that men have greater sexual needs than women. However, this difference is mostly explained by men's number of biological children, which strongly predicts vasectomy uptake. This suggests that men may hold traditional masculine attitudes while disrupting the gendered division of contraceptive labour via vasectomy. We also find that vasectomy status does not differ based on attitudes about men going to the doctor for preventive health care or showing pain. This study has implications for advancing research on the determinants of vasectomy use and men's role in contraception.
Abstract Since the coronavirus disease outbreak, older adults have been isolated from family, as in-person contact declined, and many turned to digital contact to stay in touch. This form of contact, consisting of texting, email, and social media, is labeled digital solidarity. A key advantage of digital communication over in-person contact is that it requires less investment of time and no geographic proximity. However, it is unclear whether digital solidarity represents a separate dimension of intergenerational solidarity, and whether it compensates for low in-person contact. In this paper, we examined traditional and digital types of intergenerational communication between older parents and adult children, and their associations with older adults’ perceived quality of communication and closeness with children. We used the 2016 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations to generate a sample of 580 older parents who reported on relationships with 1,489 adult children. Adopting a three-step latent class approach, we identified four classes of intergenerational communication: all-type contact, no contact, digital contact, and traditional contact. Older adults in both no contact and digital contact classes were less likely to report being emotionally close with their adult children when compared to those in the traditional contact class. No difference in perceived quality of communication was found between contact classes. Our findings indicate that digital solidarity is a distinct dimension of intergenerational solidarity and can compensate for reduced in-person contact with children. Discussion centers on the implications of these results for pandemic times and a replication using recently collected data from 2021-22.
Background The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) increased the Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables in 2021. Although WIC participants reported increased purchasing, consumption, and variety of fruits and vegetables after the CVB increase, it is unknown whether this resulted in higher fruit and vegetable intake relative to nonparticipants. Objective The objective of this study was to estimate differences in fruit and vegetable behaviors and total diet quality by WIC participation status in a convenience sample of children aged 1 to 4 years who participated in the Understanding Pandemic WIC-Waivers: Access, Redemption, Disparities (UPWARD) study. Design This was a cross-sectional study. Participants/setting From January 2024 to February 2025, caregivers of 280 Massachusetts children proxy-reported their child's intake after the CVB increase via a frequency-based dietary screener and 24-hour recalls. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were fruit and vegetable frequency of consumption (times per week) and mean daily intake (cup-equivalents). Secondary outcomes were diet quality scores using the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020) (range, 0-100 points). Statistical analyses Inverse probability weighted regression models evaluated the association between WIC participation status and dietary outcomes. Results WIC-participating children aged 1 to 4 years consumed fruits a mean (SE) of 4.0 (1.2) more times per week (P < .01) and consumed 0.6 (0.4) cups more fruits per day (P < .001) than nonparticipating children. WIC children also consumed vegetables a mean (SE) of 2.5 (0.9) more times per week (P < .01), although there was no difference in vegetable intake (mean [SE], -0.02 [0.3] cup-equivalents; P > .05), There were no differences in toddler or child diet quality by WIC participation status, although power was limited in these age-stratified models. Conclusions After the CVB increase, WIC-participating children consumed fruits and vegetables more often and consumed higher quantities of fruits than nonparticipants.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To improve our delivery of HIV prevention services by evaluating associations between self-perceived risk of HIV, objective risk for HIV based on sexual risk, and self-reported lifetime PrEP use. This will expand our current understanding of an essential component of decision making for PrEP uptake in young men who have sex with men (YMSM). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The population consists of participants in the Healthy Young Men (HYM) observational cohort study (16-24-year-old YMSM of color at risk for HIV in Los Angeles). Secondary analysis was conducted using an existing data set to test associations between self-perceived risk of HIV, behavioral sexual risk, and self-report of lifetime PrEP use at baseline. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The HYM cohort consists of 397 HIV-negative young men who have sex with men from Los Angeles; 21% identify as African American/Black, 59% as Latinx, and 20% as multiethnic. Of these participants, 90% were aware of PrEP and 86% were eligible for PrEP according to CDC behavioral risk criteria; however, only 23% had ever been prescribed PrEP. We hypothesize that those who have utilized PrEP will report higher self-perceived risk of HIV infection and will have stronger correlation between self-perceived and objective risk for HIV. Associations will be tested using appropriate chi-square tests. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Self-perceived risk of HIV is proposed as a strong predictor of engagement in HIV prevention. This has been widely understudied in youth in the context of accessing PrEP. A better understanding of the role of self-perceived risk is essential to create and improve interventions to increase PrEP uptake as well as to improve PrEP service delivery for youth.
Promoting the health of children remains a global and national priority, as reflected in the proliferation of public health policies, strategies, and guidelines over the past decade. While these documents aim to improve health outcomes, they also play a critical role in shaping how children and young people are constructed as health subjects. This study critically examines recent national public health policy documents from Sweden and Norway through a health promotion lens, focusing on the discursive positioning of children. Drawing on theoretical insights from critical childhood studies and public health policy research to frame our discourse analysis, we identify dominant narratives that frame children primarily as passive, dependent, and vulnerable. These adult-centric discourses, rooted in risk and knowledge paradigms, offer limited space for agency, participation, or rights-based approaches. Despite strong rhetorical commitments to equality and child health, the policies risk reinforcing hierarchical power relations and deficit-based views of childhood. We argue that aligning public health policy with health promotion principles requires reframing children not merely as future investments, but as present rights-holders and active contributors to their own health. Embedding participatory mechanisms and expanding comparative research across welfare contexts may foster more inclusive and empowering policy development. This study contributes to ongoing debates on child agency, policy framing, and the role of discourse in shaping health promotion practice.
