Interesting study on relationship between texting and sex, drug use in teens
A provocative new study on
hyper-texting (more than 120 texts/day) and its relationship to increased alcohol and drug use as well as risky sexual behaviors. An excerpt:
Teens who text 120 times a day or more — and there seems to be a lot of them — are more likely to have had sex or used alcohol and drugs than kids who don't send as many messages, according to provocative new research.
The study's authors aren't suggesting that "hyper-texting" leads to sex, drinking or drugs, but say it's startling to see an apparent link between excessive messaging and that kind of risky behavior.
The study concludes that a significant number of teens are very susceptible to peer pressure and also have permissive or absent parents, said Dr. Scott Frank, the study's lead author.
Labels: drug use, sexual behavior, texting
Study indicates arteries of obese kids aging prematurely
Here's a link to a HealthDay New article on the
arterial health of obese kids. Here's an excerpt:
The arteries of obese children have a degree of stiffness normally seen in adults with heart disease, according to a new study.
Canadian researchers evaluated 63 obese children, average age 13, and 55 normal weight children. The obese children had abnormal results on an ultrasound test of the heart and blood vessels that measured how fast blood flowed through the body.
Of special note was stiffness of the aorta -- the body's largest artery, which carries oxygen-rich blood to all the other arteries.
Randy Frye
Labels: cardiovascular system, obesity
Helping kids make good nutritional choices at school
Here's a link to an interesting article on USDA paying for
research to discover ways of using marketing and psychology in school lunch lines. The aim is to help kids make better nutritional choices at school.
Labels: research, school nutrition
Benefit of 30 minute delay in HS start time
Saw
an article today on the benefit of delaying the start of high school by 30 minutes. Among other things:
Giving teens 30 extra minutes to start their school day leads to more alertness in class, better moods, less tardiness, and even healthier breakfasts, a small study found.
The portion of students reporting at least eight hours of sleep on school nights jumped from about 16 percent to almost 55 percent. Reports of daytime sleepiness dropped substantially, from 49 percent to 20 percent.
First-period tardies fell by almost half, students reported feeling less depressed or irritated during the day, health center rest visits dropped substantially; and the number of hot breakfasts served more than doubled. Moss said the healthier breakfast probably aided classtime alertness.
I think we really need to pay attention to this. I have e-mailed the link to Dr. Parra.
Increase in childhood obesity
Found this article
"Child obesity rates going up" this morning. This will come as no surprise to us. I take it as a mandate for us to stay the course on nutrition issues to be sure. One interesting fact the research discovered:
Overall, kids consumed 168 more calories from snack foods in 2003-2006 compared to 1977-1978, and the increase was greatest among the very young -- those aged 2 to 6.
Does this suggest that our greatest positive impact might be made with Pre-K and Kindergarten kids and their parents?
Labels: nutrition, obesity
Blog invites, etc.
Active participants to the Lockhart ISD School Health Advisory Committee have been invited to the blog and added to the Google group that will post all entries to invidual e-mails. Use the blog to post articles and information of interest as well as topics you wish to discuss between meetings.
Labels: blog housekeeping
FYI Swine flu in Guadalupe County
Texas Department of State Health Services NEWS RELEASE April 23, 2009
Two Human Cases of Swine Flu Confirmed in Texas
The Texas Department of State Health Services today announced that swine flu has been confirmed in two 16-year-old boys from Guadalupe County near San Antonio.
One became ill on April 10, the other on April 14. Their illnesses were relatively mild. Neither was hospitalized. Both have recovered. Though the boys are friends, it has not been determined how either became infected.
Laboratory test results received today from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the illnesses were caused by a swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. Preliminary lab data suggests that the virus closely matches the viruses from recent swine flu infections in human cases from Southern California.
State public health officials are investigating to determine if any close contacts of the boys have become ill and are asking hospitals, doctors and others in the area to be especially alert for other possible cases.
DSHS and local public health agencies in Texas were already involved in a CDC-led swine flu investigation because one of the two original cases from Southern California, a 10-year-old boy, traveled to Dallas for an extended visit with relatives. No additional cases connected to the boy have been confirmed.
Initial information from the investigation of the two teenagers' illnesses indicates no recent travel and no connection to the boy who traveled to Dallas from Southern California.
Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of regular or seasonal flu and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Health officials say the public should follow standard precautions to reduce the spread of any respiratory illness.
•Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading illness to others.
•Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues.
•Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
(News Media: For more information contact Doug McBride, DSHS Press Officer, 512-458-7524.)
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