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Special Issue "New Trends in Adolescent Health and Development"

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A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 November 2023 | Viewed by 1661

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Artemis K. Tsitsika

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Guest Editor

Adolescent Health Unit, 2nd Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: adolescent health; adolescent development; child development; developmental health; learning difficulties; ADHD; autism spectrum disorder; internet addiction; sexual health; gender dysphoria and sexual orientation; eating disorders; overweight and obesity; family counseling and support; social emotional empowerment; psychoeducation; psychosocial health; adolescent health services; transition services; youth friendly services; pediatric and adolescent gynecology; contraception; school refusal; COVID-19 pandemic
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Theodoros N. Sergentanis

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Public Health Policy, University of West Attica (UNIWA), 12243 Athens, Greece
2. MSc Program "Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health", School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Interests: systematic review; meta-analysis; epidemiology; research methodology; public health; adolescents; adolescent health services; transition services; youth friendly services
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Eleni D. Panagouli

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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence is the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, which is generally characterized by good health. Nevertheless, it is a period with specific health challenges and developmental needs. Important changes take place, such as physical–hormonal (puberty, musculoskeletal, etc.), neurodevelopmental (emotional responses, sleep regulation, and cognitive capacities), psychological, and social changes. These special characteristics are often related to the emergence of certain health issues and high-risk behaviors.

Considering the success and popularity of the Special Issue entitled “New Frontiers in Adolescent Health and Development” previously published in the journal Children (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/Adolescent_Health_Development), we are now releasing a related issue.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to help scientists to explore issues related to the developmental and psychosocial health of children and adolescents and to evolve this knowledge into daily practice. We invite the submission of manuscripts dealing with the most common health-related issues observed in this specific age group, such as nutrition and eating disorders, overweight and obesity, internet addiction and high-risk internet-related behaviors, cyberbullying, hate speech, mental health challenges, substance use and abuse, sexual health topics, gender dysphoria and sexual orientation, gynecological issues and contraception, andrology, skin conditions, learning disorders and ADHD, family counseling and support, infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, prevention (vaccinations, high-risk behavior education, health check-ups, etc.), youth-friendly services, and transition services. Original research papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are welcome.

Dr. Artemis K. Tsitsika
Dr. Theodoros N. Sergentanis
Dr. Eleni D. Panagouli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

adolescent health
adolescent development
internet addiction
sexual health
eating disorders
school refusal
learning difficulties

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Effects of a Physical Education (PE) Kit Intervention on Female Adolescent Body Esteem

Sharon McIntosh-Dalmedo

Andrew M. Lane

Wendy Nicholls

and

Tracey J. Devonport

Children 2023, 10(6), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10060938 - 26 May 2023

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Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that adolescent females are particularly at risk of low body esteem. Low body esteem is associated with poor mental health and other negative outcomes. Interventions to help raise body esteem could have a considerable impact, especially if the intervention is low cost, easy to implement, and scalable. We investigated the efficacy of an intervention where participants could choose their clothes to wear during a physical education lesson (PE). PE is a context associated with low body esteem, a finding that is particularly evident among females. We hypothesized that body esteem would improve with choice. To show that body esteem does not randomly change, we tested its stability when assessed in a test–retest design when completed in a classroom setting, hypothesizing that body esteem would be stable. Participants (n = 110; Age M = 14.9 years; SD = 0.68 years) completed a 14-item body esteem scale eight times: (a) wearing the school uniform in a classroom and (b) during a PE lesson on two occasions in each context within a week. This was repeated at the re-test, which was separated by a two-week gap. The intervention was implemented and students were given a choice of PE kit and could wear their own (non-designer) clothes. The findings indicate that the choice of PE kit intervention was associated with improved body esteem in a PE context but was stable in a classroom context, which we hypothesized to be stable. We argue that this low-cost and scalable intervention represents a useful starting point for helping to support females with low body esteem among a potentially vulnerable population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Adolescent Health and Development)

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Open AccessArticle

Cross-National Comparisons of Internalizing Problems in a Cohort of 8952 Adolescents from Five European Countries: The EU NET ADB Survey

Theodora Psaltopoulou

Maria Tsolia

Chara Tzavara

Theodoros N. Sergentanis

and

Artemis K. Tsitsika

Children 2023, 10(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010008 - 21 Dec 2022

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Abstract

Various factors such as family relationships, socioeconomic indicators, socio-cultural aspects, mental health problems and demographic variables, have been associated with internalizing problems in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of internalizing problems in adolescents from five European countries in comparison with risk factors. Using data from the European Network for Adolescent Behavior (EU NET ADB) survey, a cross-sectional school-based study of adolescents (from 14 to 17.9 years) was conducted. Data were retrieved from self-report questionnaires derived from Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Romania. Multiple logistic regression analysis overall and by country was held through estimation of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A total of 8952 adolescents participated in the study. According to the results, Greece (7.6%) and Romania (2.4%) presented with the lowest rates of internalizing problems, while Iceland presented the highest (11.1%). Internalizing problems were associated with lower school grades (adjusted OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08–1.36), while the higher education level of parents was associated with lower odds of internalizing problems (adjusted OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62–0.92). In country-specific analyses, factors that affected the likelihood of internalizing problems were gender, age, maternal and paternal unemployment. Variations detected in adolescents’ internalizing problems were determined by the socio-cultural context of each country. Cultural differences should be addressed thoroughly in further research, in order to better understand and intervene in aspects of internalizing problems in adolescence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Adolescent Health and Development)

Review

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Open AccessReview

Exergames to Limit Weight Gain and to Fight Sedentarism in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Valeria Calcaterra

Matteo Vandoni

Luca Marin

Vittoria Carnevale Pellino

and

Gianvincenzo Zuccotti

Children 2023, 10(6), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10060928 - 24 May 2023

Viewed by 304

Abstract

Exergames are defined as digital games that require bodily movements to play, stimulating an active gaming experience to function as a form of physical activity (PA). The players interact with the game through whole-body movements improving energy expenditure. Exergames may be effective in improving physical and psychological aspects of children and adolescents with obesity. In this narrative review, we synthesized the current evidence regarding the role of exergames in modifying body composition and weight and in promoting changes in sedentary behavior to define the benefits of active video games as useful tools for fighting sedentarism and to outline the future directions of exergaming as a supplementation exercise rather than a replacement in educational programs for pediatric obesity. Data from the literature indicate that exergames may offer an interesting impact on childhood obesity and may be considered a potential strategy for controlling weight gain and body composition, promote PA, and decrease time spent on sedentary behavior in children and adolescents with obesity. However, exergame use also has some limits, such as children’s poor self-regulation and poor structuring of exergame use. Therefore, a prudent approach should be maintained, and additional high-quality research is needed to determine if exergames can be effectively used in the treatment of childhood obesity and if new digital media, as a supplementation of exercise rather than a replacement, could be considered to combat sedentary behavior in educational programs for pediatric obesity prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Adolescent Health and Development)

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