Tanned Teens Not Heeding Sun Protection Warnings

With skin cancer on the rise, prevention and detection measures are being touted as the way to avoid the potentially deadly illness. This message is most important for children and teens, because skin cancer is associated with excessive UV exposure before the age of 18. But a recent study indicates that preteens and teens are ignoring skin cancer prevention warnings.

At the American Academy of Dermatology's (AAD) Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month Press Conference in April, dermatologist Dr. James M. Spencer presented findings on the dangers of teens and tanning. Even though nearly half of all new cancers are skin cancers and close to 10,000 lives will be lost to skin cancer in 2003, teens don’t seem to be concerned about the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, according to current statistics.

A recent survey of more than 10,000 12- to 18-year-olds all over the United States found that only around 30 percent of youths surveyed used sunscreen on sunny days. Also, a vast majority had experienced at least one sunburn in the previous year.

Indoor tanning beds are a growing culprit in the fight for skin cancer awareness among teenagers, according to the AAD. Studies have shown that the UV emission spectrum of tanning beds is similar to the sun’s rays, but may have even higher levels of UVA, the harmful rays that cause skin damage.

A study by the American Academy of Dermatology found that almost 30 percent of people under 25 had used a tanning bed in the past year, more than half of whom were girls. "The incidence of indoor tanning is particularly troubling because it is so unnecessary," says Dr. Spencer. "It's not associated with playing sports or other outdoor activities, but is practiced solely for cosmetic reasons. Teenagers are intentionally putting their health at risk."

Although it still uncertain what causes teens to tan, most say they do it because they prefer the look of tanned skin. "Pressure to conform to cosmetic ideals presented in popular culture and advertising are powerful factors influencing the young," says Dr. Spencer. "These are pressures that can be changed." (5-27-03)

Be Stress Free When You Take the SAT

The SAT, the entrance exam that many colleges and universities consider for admission, is a test that most teens dread. With the June 7 exam date fast approaching, arm your high school student with some test preparation and test-taking strategies that can help reduce stress, increase confidence and possibly increase your student’s score.

Here are some test taking tips, compliments of Sylvan Learning Center, one of the country’s top three providers of SAT prep courses:

• Skip It: Skip the question if you aren’t sure of an answer, and come back to it later if time allows.
• Trust Yourself: Go with your instincts on the easy questions, and don’t leave any of the easy ones blank.
• Read: Take time to read the questions and answers critically.
• Eliminate the Competition: Use the process of elimination. If you’ve ruled out two answers and are short on time, make an educated guess between the last two.
• Stop and Look: Cross check your answer sheet and the test booklet every few questions to make sure the numbers correspond and you have not skipped one.
• Spread the Wealth: Don’t spend too much time on one question.
• Focus on the Content: Answer the questions as well as you can, and don’t worry about the frequency of the answered letters.
• Don’t Rush: Use your time wisely, and don’t go too fast.
• Know Your Stuff: Know the directions for each section before you enter the testing room. That way you don’t waste time on the instructions you could be spending on the questions.
• Review: Go back and check any answers you’ve circled or are unsure of when you’ve completed the section, if time allows.

Raise Your Kids to Be Respectful Cyber Citizens

With all the time kids are spending online and on the Internet, it might be a good idea to make sure yours know how to be good cyber citizens. www.playitcybersafe.com, that offers tips for parents on ways to talk to their children about respect for creative works online and the importance of using the computer safely and responsibly.

"The Internet can seem like a free-for-all for children,” says Diane Smiroldo, vice president of public affairs for BSA. It is “a place without rules, and this can lead to trouble and sites not recommended for children, as well as illegal behavior like downloading copyrighted works including software, music and games," she says.

According to a study done at St. Louis University about behavioral development, says BSA, the 9 to 12 age range is a “very reasonable” age to try to tackle cyber ethics. Experts say this is the age range when children can begin to understand abstract concepts like privacy rights and can understand the consequences of their actions.

The BSA offers these five tips for parents who want to talk to their children about cyber ethics:

• Be Involved: Know what games and software your children are using and know where they got them. Let kids know that if a friend offers to copy software for them, it may be illegal to do so. Tell them to ask for help if they are unsure.
• Inform Yourself: The Internet has many resources, including BSA’s Web site, where you can go to learn more about intellectual property, copyright and the legal and ethical uses of software.
• Talk About It: Don’t think your children aren’t listening. In conversation, talk about the software and music your children use and who owns the copyright. Define terms like “copyright,” “license agreement” and “software privacy” (if you don’t know these terms, inform yourself first). Show your kids what a copyright symbol looks like, and tell them what it means – that the material is owned by someone and can’t be copied without permission.
• Put Your Foot Down: Establish a family rule that no duplicating of copyrighted software, games or movies is allowed at home or anywhere else.
• Reward Good Behavior: Compliment your kids when they exhibit good cyber behavior. If possible, give them rewards like extra computer time or some other incentive.

Researchers Smoke out the Truth Behind Teen Girls Longing to Be Thin

A study in Tobacco Control reveals that girls 12 to 15 who are concerned about being thin are four times as likely to take up smoking. Those girls who are not concerned about their weight are less likely to pick up the habit.

The study’s findings are based on telephone surveys of more than 250 girls in Massachusetts ages 12 to 15. In the first survey, the girls were asked to rate the value of being thin themselves on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being “extremely important.” They were all surveyed again four years later to see who had become a regular smoker.

The first survey shows that although only one in eight girls was overweight, almost three-quarters had tried to diet. Most of the girls did not think smoking was an effective way of controlling weight.

The second survey shows, however, that one in four girls had become a regular smoker. (For the study, an established smoker was defined as someone who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes.) A high value placed on thinness seems to determine who will become a smoker, say researchers.

The study does not use other factors, such as weight or depression, in its findings. The researchers suggest that the importance placed on being thin for adolescent girls may contribute to other unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking. (5-20-03)

Your Home: A Danger Zone for Children

Researchers of two new studies at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found that home is the most common location for children to be injured in the United States and that most injuries resulting in a trip to the emergency room for children and adolescents occur at home. It also shows that residential injuries are a leading cause of death for this age group, especially for African Americans.

This study, presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, found the following:

• Between 1985 and 1997, almost 3,000 children and preteens died each year as a result of unintentional injury at home.
• Between 1993 and 1999, children and adolescents under age 20 made four million trips to emergency rooms in the United States.
• Almost one in 10 emergency room visits for a residential injury was for a moderate or severe injury.

Dr. Lanphear’s study shows that nearly 70 percent of deaths in children and adolescents in the United States between 1985 and 1997 were the result of unintentional home injuries. African American children had a death rate that was twice as high as that of white children. Deaths were due, in descending order, to burns or fires, submersions or suffocations, poisonings and falls.

The study also shows that injury rates were greatest for children under 5 and for boys.

The second study found that residential injuries cause nearly 15 percent of all children’s and adolescents’ trips to the emergency room and almost 40 percent of unintentional injury visits between 1993 and 1999. The study shows that falls caused the most home injuries.

"Children's health is inextricably linked with housing," says Dr. Bruce Lanphear, director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Cincinnati Children's. "Unfortunately, despite evidence that residential exposures have a dramatic impact on children's health, housing is largely ignored as a public health problem. Our research is aimed at making housing and the environment safe for children." (5-20-03)

Be True to Your School

If you’re thinking about changing your child’s school, you might want to reconsider. A child who frequently changes schools is more likely to have behavioral health problems than one who doesn’t, according to a new Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center study.

“Transitions can be so disruptive to children that parents need to weigh the potential academic benefit they may get versus the academic, social and emotional impact of making the transition,” says Dr. Mona Mansour, the study’s lead author. The increase in behavioral problems is true for all children, regardless of race, income, maternal education level or any other factor measured in the study.

The Cincinnati Children’s study, presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, involved more than 3,200 children between the ages of 5 and 14. The children were considered “school mobile” if they were 5 to 9 years old and attended two or more elementary schools, or 9 to 14 and had attended three or more schools. Their mothers determined behavior problems by answering questions like “he/she is disobedient” and “he/she has trouble getting along with other students” with “often true,” “sometimes true” or “not true.” The responses were then translated into a score, with higher points equaling more behavior problems.

School mobile children had higher scores of behavioral problems than those children who were not school mobile, reports Dr. Mansour. Although the study cannot state that school mobility causes behavioral problems, it does show that the two are definitely linked. The school mobile children were more likely to have non-married mothers, mothers with low-level school involvement and mothers with symptoms of depression. Also, their mothers had lower perceptions of school expectations than mothers of children who did not change schools often.

Many parents move their children from school to school because of financial reasons, residential moves or to find a school that better meets their children’s needs. The latter is especially true if the child already has behavioral problems. But what the parents don’t realize is that by trying to fix their child’s behavior problems, they could be making them worse.

Dr. Mansour recommends that health care providers talk more with parents about the impact of school changes on children. School districts, also, should consider the potential outcomes of school changes when they formulate their policies. Programs designed to reduce excessive school changes for children may have a positive impact on some children’s behavioral problems. (5-13-03)

Homeopathy Not Effective in Treating Asthma

Does homeopathy really work? Not to help children who have asthma, according to a new study in the journal Thorax.

Researchers studied more than 90 children ages 5 to 15 who had mild to moderate asthma, which was treated in the usual way with reliever or preventer inhalers. Classically trained homeopaths, who had been in practice for at least 10 years, also provided homeopathic remedies for the children in up to six sessions over the course of a year. Half the children were given dummy remedies (placebo) instead of homeopathy. Neither the children nor the practitioners knew who would receive which remedy.

Researchers found no evidence that homeopathy had any measurable impact on quality of life. The severity of symptoms lessened among children taking homeopathic remedies, but not to any extent that was significantly greater than placebo.

Homeopathic remedies are used by an estimated 15 percent of children with asthma in the United Kingdom, according to the authors. (5-6-03)

Weight Loss Medication Helps Obese Teens Take off the Pounds

Could medication help your overweight teen slim down? A new study of an FDA approved weight loss medication, sibutramine (brand name Meridia), has found that it can indeed help adolescents lose weight. Sibutramine works by increasing the levels of two neurotransmitters in the brain which affect appetite.

Researchers at the Weight and Eating Disorders Program of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine studied more than 80 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 who had an average body weight of 228 pounds.

They found that those who were treated for six months by behavior modification combined with sibutramine lost more than twice as much weight as those who received behavior modification plus placebo (sugar pill). Those receiving sibutramine also reported greater reductions in hunger.

Weight loss also was associated with improvements in insulin levels. A significant number of adolescents treated by sibutramine experienced increased blood pressure or pulse rate, which required reductions in the dose of medication.

“Adolescent obesity is becoming a national public health problem. The addition of sibutramine to a comprehensive behavioral program induced significantly more weight loss than did the behavioral program and placebo, “ says Dr. Robert Berkowitz, associate professor of psychiatry. "Further, during the second six months of the study, the teens who continued to receive both behavior modification and medication kept their weight off.”

The study appears in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. (4-29-03)

New York Open Forum Allows Teens to Talk About the Stress of Today's World

It's hard to escape the stress of today's world between the rigors of daily life combined with war, terrorism and more.

For teens who live in and around New York City, the World Trade Center counseling center in Long Island is hosting a weekly open forum to allow teens to express their experiences and feelings about the aftermath of September 11, the threat of terrorism, the war in Iraq and more.

Laurie Nadel, psychologist and author of Dancing With the Wind and who is also certified in stress management for domestic terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, will lead the forum.

The program will take place at the South Nassau Communities Hospital Family Center, Rockville Center, 310 Merrick Road, every Thursday from 4-5 p.m. For more information, call (516) 678-2700. (4-22-03)

Take a Break From the Tube During TV-Turnoff Week

Are your kids too tuned into the tube? Or for that matter – are you? If so, take a break during the annual TV-Turnoff Week 2003 (April 21-27), sponsored by nonprofit group, TV-Turnoff Network. The organization encourages children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities.

According to TV-Turnoff Network, a recent a recent Harris poll found more than 90 percent of Americans admit they have soft addictions – seemingly harmless habits like over-eating, compulsive shopping, watching too much TV or surfing the Internet for hours that take our time, zap our energy and keep us from creating a more meaningful life. The poll also found that more than a third said they watch too much TV, and more than half reported too much TV watching in children.

Soft addiction expert Judith Wright has teamed up with TV-Turnoff Week 2003 to encourage millions of children and adults to take a seven-day break from the television and rediscover that life can be more fun, rewarding and even relaxing when we do more and watch less. For many, the Week will become the springboard to making lasting change in their lives: watching less television, choosing what they watch more selectively and engaging in more screen-free activities.

"Families of school-age children that limit TV time report that their children achieve higher grades and social success," says Wright. "They also experience more family closeness, greater creativity and more interactive play at all levels of family involvement." Wright is the author of There Must Be More Than This: Finding More Life, Love, and Meaning By Overcoming Your Soft Addictions (Broadway, 2003).

During TV-Turnoff Week 2002 an estimated 6.4 million people took part in the event in more than 16,000 organized Turnoffs. The lengthy list of supporting organizations for 2003 includes a number of major groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, National Education Association, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and many others.

For more information, log on to www.tvturnoff.org or www.theremustbemore.com. (4-22-03)

Teens Who Were Low Birth Weight Babies Score Lower on Academic Exams

Severely underweight babies grow into adolescents who achieve lower exam grades, finds research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Researchers studied more than 300 16-year-olds, half of whom weighed 1500 grams or less at birth (normal birth weight is between 2500 and 3500 grams).

Researchers found that the normal birth weight group scored significantly more points, overall and for each subject examined, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education in England.

In terms of exam grades, the normal birth weight group scored almost half a grade higher for each subject, achieving an average subject result between grade C and D, while this was between D and E for the low birth weight group.

The normal birth weight group achieved significantly better grades for mathematics and statistics and higher grades in general science, English and English Literature. Both groups achieved similar results for geography and history.

The authors conclude that very low birth weight clearly affects subsequent intellectual and academic performance, which may influence employers’ selection criteria, as well as the chances of entering further education. (4-15-03)

Calcium Consumption Affects Weight and Body Fat in Teen Girls

A new study presented at a recent American Society for Nutritional Sciences meeting suggests that girls who eat more calcium weigh less and have lower body fat.

The study looked at more than 300 girls ages 9 to 14. For three days, each girl recorded everything she ate and drank and any calcium or multivitamin supplements she took. A researcher recorded the girl's weight and the amount of fat just above the hipbone near the belly button. This skin fold thickness is a measure of abdominal fat.

As expected, girls who consumed more total calories and exercised less were heavier and had more body fat. However, when the researchers compared groups of girls at comparable age, height, level of maturation, calorie intake and exercise level, they found that girls who consumed more calcium on average weighed less than similar girls who consumed less calcium. It made very little difference if the calcium came solely from dairy products in the diet or from total calcium including supplementation.

It didn't take much calcium to make a difference. An increase in one serving of diary – a cup of milk or a thumb-sized piece of cheese, about 300 milligrams of calcium – was associated with 0.9 mm lower skin fold (about half an inch) and 1.9 pounds in lower weight. A similar increase in total calcium intake from all sources, including supplementation, was associated with a 0.9mm lower skin fold and a 2.1 pound lower weight.

These findings are consistent with other studies in 30- and 60-year-old women, as well as preschool children. They can be explained, says Dr. Novotny, by the fact that as calcium intake increases, the body increases its ability to break down fat and decreases fat synthesis. (4-15-03)

Single Parenthood Increases Risk of Hospitalization, Early Death in Parents, Children

A new study has found that being a single parent increases the risk of hospitalization and early death in mothers, fathers and children.

For a dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden, a researcher traced illness and mortality among about 700,000 mothers and fathers and nearly a million children during the 1990s.

The results indicate that single parenthood entails greater risks of serious ill health (requiring hospital care) and early mortality among mothers, fathers and children. Single mothers showed greater risks when compared with cohabitating mothers. Single fathers, with custody of their children, also had heightened mortality risks, but it was above all single fathers who did not live with their children and single men without children who showed the highest mortality risks.

The greatest rise in risk among both men and women was found in cases of mental illness, suicide and substance abuse. Growing up in a single-parent household seems to mean more than twice the risk of mental illness, suicide/attempted suicide and substance abuse, according to the study, and it was also associated with a lower level of education as an adult.

The researcher attributes some of the increased risk to the fact that single parents have poorer economic and social conditions on average and that a greater share of people with weak health are included in the group. (4-8-03)

Dining Together May Improve Adolescent Eating Habits

Eating together as a family may help your adolescent eat more healthfully, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that children ages 11 to 18 who ate meals with their family consumed higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains and nutrient-dense foods than those who ate separately. Additionally, adolescents who consumed at least seven family meals per week ate less snack food than those who ate fewer family meals.

“Adolescence is a time of rapid change and development, and teenagers’ diets may not be well balanced in terms of all the minerals, vitamins and nutrients they need,” says Registered Dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Susan Moores. “This study is great proof that family meals can result in healthier dietary intakes for this group.”

The researchers also found that boys consumed more family meals than girls, as did middle school children compared with high school students. In addition, study results showed that Asian-American families, families whose mothers were not employed and families with higher socioeconomic status ate meals together more frequently. (4-01-03)

Sports Medicine Organization Warns Against Use of Ephedra

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is cautioning parents, coaches and youth sports governing organizations to be aware of the hazards of the use ephedra, the herbal supplement recently implicated in the death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler, among youth.

The consumption of ephedra, also known as "ma huang," leads to increases in metabolism and in heart rate, according to ACSM. People who exercise and/or train for competition in sporting events are exposed to risk because ephedra may impair the body's ability to cool itself, thereby increasing the potential for heat-related illness during exercise, says the organization.

"Young people don't sweat as much as adults, so they don't have the same ability to naturally adjust their body temperatures while exercising," says ACSM President Edward T. Howley, Ph.D., FACSM. "ACSM is particularly concerned that products containing ephedra are so readily available to children and adolescents who may not be aware of these dangers."

Howley also notes young athletes often use ephedra for weight loss or to enhance athletic performance and are placing a greater emphasis on peak performance at an earlier age. "There are many factors which may negatively influence a young athlete's decision to use products containing ephedra," he says. "It is critical that we stress more appropriate methods of increasing physical fitness and gaining the competitive advantages they seek."

ACSM joins other concerned organizations that have publicly cautioned against the use of ephedra. Concern centers on increased risk of heart irregularities, disturbances of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal problems and stroke. Although some athletes may consume ephedra in an attempt to improve their athletic performance and reach physical goals, says the ACSM, the risks far outweigh any potential benefits. (4-01-03)

Get Kids Reading This Summer

Summer is coming and that means your kids get their much-awaited break from school. But is that good for their brains?

According to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's oldest and largest children's and family literacy organization, experts agree that children who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often experience learning losses.

To help entice kids to keep their brains working this summer, RIF offers the following tips:

Reading Tips for Parents:

• Combine activities with books: Encourage kids to read books about the activities they get involved in over the summer.
• Visit the library: Help your child get their very own library card.
• Lead by example: Show your kids how much fun you have reading!
• Talk it up: Talk with your kids about what you read – it shows them reading is an exciting, important part of your life.
• Help kids find time to read: When planning summer activities with children, remember to allow for time to read.
• Relax the rules for summer: Let summer be a time when children can read what, when and how they please.
• Have plenty of reading material around: Along with the usual storybooks, be sure to have newspapers, magazines and informational material on hand that might spark the interest of your young readers.
• Use books to break the boredom: Get books that teach kids how to make or do something interesting this summer.
• Read aloud with kids: Take your children to see a local storyteller or, better yet, be one yourself!

Reading Tips for Kids:

• Go somewhere new: The place where you read a book can make the story even more meaningful.
• Read around the house: See how much reading material can be found around the house without opening a book.
• Take a trip through a book: Read about the places you are planning to go this summer before you get there.
• Read books from A-Z: Let the alphabet help you make a summer reading list.
• Keep a reading journal: Write about the books that you read in a summer reading journal.
• Read aloud with adults: Adults need to read just as much as kids do. Read aloud with your parents before bedtime.
• Start a book club: Starting a book club with your friends is a great way to share books and ideas.
• Find a fun series: Find a series of books by an author who you enjoy.