Adolescent Compliance with anti-COVID Measures. Is It Related to Substance Use?

Prevalence rates of compliance with anti-COVID measures have been widely studied, but little is known about this issue in early adolescence. Moreover, the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations is still unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of compliance with anti-COVID measures by adolescents and the link between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations. This was a cross-sectional study including 909 participants (Mage = 12.57; SD = 0.81). The most complied measure was mask-wearing, followed by avoiding hug/kiss friends and, finally, social distancing. All substance use negatively correlated with compliance with measures. However, strong alcohol and tobacco were the only substances significantly related to less compliance of anti-COVID measures after controlling for covariates. These results provide evidence about the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID measures. Strategies addressed to decrease substance use could be effective to reduce behaviours associated with coronavirus transmission.

Access to gender-affirming hormones during adolescence and mental health outcomes among transgender adults

Objective To examine associations between recalled access to gender-affirming hormones (GAH) during adolescence and mental health outcomes among transgender adults in the U.S. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, a cross-sectional non-probability sample of 27,715 transgender adults in the U.S. Using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders, we examined associations between access to GAH during early adolescence (age 14–15), late adolescence (age 16–17), or adulthood (age ≥18) and adult mental health outcomes, with participants who desired but never accessed GAH as the reference group. Results 21,598 participants (77.9%) reported ever desiring GAH. Of these, 8,860 (41.0%) never accessed GAH, 119 (0.6%) accessed GAH in early adolescence, 362 (1.7%) accessed GAH in late adolescence, and 12,257 (56.8%) accessed GAH in adulthood. After adjusting for potential confounders, accessing GAH during early adolescence (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2–0.6, p < .0001), late adolescence (aOR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4–0.7, p < .0001), or adulthood (aOR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.7–0.8, p < .0001) was associated with lower odds of past-year suicidal ideation when compared to desiring but never accessing GAH. In post hoc analyses, access to GAH during adolescence (ages 14–17) was associated with lower odds of past-year suicidal ideation (aOR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.6–0.9, p = .0007) when compared to accessing GAH during adulthood. Conclusion Access to GAH during adolescence and adulthood is associated with favorable mental health outcomes compared to desiring but not accessing GAH.

Dual-Factor Mental Health from Childhood to Early Adolescence and Associated Factors: A Latent Transition Analysis

The dual-factor model of mental health indicates the importance of simultaneously assessing symptoms and subjective wellbeing, but there is limited understanding of how dual-factor mental health changes during the transition from childhood to early adolescence and factors associated with change. The current study investigated dual-factor mental health over a 2-year period from when children were 8–9 years old to 10–11 years old (N = 2402; 48% female), using latent transition analysis. Further analyses determined whether sex and peer support were associated with initial mental health status or specific transitions during this period. Following class enumeration procedures, a 5-class model was selected at both timepoints. Classes were: (1) complete mental health, (2) vulnerable, (3) emotional symptoms but content, (4) conduct problems but content, and (5) troubled. Half of the sample changed mental health status during the study period. Sex and peer support were associated with specific mental health statuses and subsequent transitions. The findings have implications for mental health screening practice and identifying those in need of targeted interventions.

Prevalence and correlates of early sexual initiation among Brazilian adolescents

Background Early adolescence is a critical stage in adolescents. This is the phase at which many young people start their sexual life early, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Few studies have analyzed the factors associated with early sexual initiation in very young adolescents in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study assessed the early sexual initiation stratified by sex and its correlates in a sample of Brazilian adolescents. Methods The study sample included Brazilian adolescents aged 12–14 who participated in The Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA), a multicenter, school-based, country-wide, cross-sectional study. Early sexual initiation was defined as the first sexual intercourse at or before 14 years old. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with early sexual initiation. Results The prevalence of early sexual initiation was 7% among girls and 18% in boys. In a multivariate analysis, the adolescent’s age, mother’s schooling, smoking, alcohol consumption, and Tanner Stages were associated with early sexual initiation for both boys and girls. For girls, living with both parents, common mental disorders, and age at menarche were predictors of early sexual initiation, while race and type of school were correlated to early sexual initiation only for boys. Conclusions The early sexual initiation was associated with sociodemographic, lifestyle risk factors and secondary sexual characteristics in both sexes, while there were differences between the predictors of early sexual initiation among girls and boys. It emphasizes the importance of sex education and promotes healthy lifestyles in environments through families and schools in early adolescence.