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European Adolescents (european + adolescent)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	80%

Selected Abstracts

Patterns in the Civic Knowledge, Engagement, and Attitudes of European Adolescents: The IEA Civic Education Study

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 2 2002
Judith Torney-Purta
[source]

The alcohol,tobacco relationship: a prospective study among adolescents in six European countries

ADDICTION, Issue 12 2003
J. J. L. Wetzels
ABSTRACT Aim This study examined the earliest stages in drug involvement, in terms of the relationship between alcohol and tobacco use, among adolescents from six European countries (Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom). International, gender and age differences were studied. Design, setting and participants A large international sample of European adolescents (n = 10170, mean age = 13.3 years) was followed longitudinally. Data were gathered in the autumn terms of 1998 and 1999 by means of self-administered questionnaires. Measures Adolescents' self-reports on smoking and alcohol behaviour were used. Both behaviours were classified into two categories, that of adolescents who had never used the substance and that of those who had used the substance at least once in their lives. Logistic regression was used to determine which substance was the best predictor of the subsequent use of the other substance. Findings Alcohol use and tobacco use were found to be associated with each other reciprocally. Results revealed that in Europe as a whole, tobacco use predicted subsequent alcohol use better than the converse. However, for Dutch girls, alcohol use predicted subsequent smoking behaviour better than the converse. Conclusion The findings suggest that the development of alcohol and tobacco use patterns are closely related, but the order of progression is not universal and may reflect cultural factors. [source]

Glucose tolerance status in 510 children and adolescents attending an obesity clinic in Central Italy

PEDIATRIC DIABETES, Issue 1 2010
Claudia Brufani
Brufani C, Ciampalini P, Grossi A, Fiori R, Fintini D, Tozzi A, Cappa M, Barbetti F. Glucose tolerance status in 510 children and adolescents attending an obesity clinic in Central Italy. Childhood obesity is epidemic in developed countries and is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Aims: Establish prevalence of glucose metabolism alterations in a large sample of overweight/obese children and adolescents from Central Italy. Methods: The study group included 510 overweight/obese subjects (3,18 yr). Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed with glucose and insulin determination. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) were derived from fasting and OGTT measurements. Beta-cell function was estimated by insulinogenic index. Fat mass was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: Glucose metabolism alterations were detected in 12.4% of patients. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was the most frequent alteration (11.2%), with a higher prevalence in adolescents than in children (14.8 vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001); silent T2DM was identified in two adolescents (0.4%). HOMA-IR and glucose-stimulated insulin levels were higher in patients with IGT than individuals with normal glucose tolerance (HOMA-IR = 4.4 ± 2.5 vs. 3.4 ± 2.3, p = 0.001). Fat mass percentage and insulinogenic index were not different between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, age, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance influenced independently plasma glucose at 120 min of OGTT. Individuals with combined impaired fasting glucose/IGT (IFG/IGT) and T2DM were older and had reduced plasma insulin values at OGTT when compared to patients with simple IGT. Conclusions: Glucose metabolism alterations are frequently found among children and adolescents with overweight/obesity from Central Italy. Age, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance are main predictors of IGT. We suggest the use of OGTT as a screening tool in obese European adolescents. [source]

Dietary intakes of Pacific, M,ori, Asian and European adolescents: the Auckland High School Heart Survey

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2010
John D. Sluyter
Abstract Objective: To compare dietary intakes of European, M,ori, Pacific Island and Asian adolescents living in Auckland. Methods: A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used to assess daily nutrient intakes of 2,549 14- to 21-year-old high-school students in Auckland (1,422 male and 1,127 female) in a cross-sectional survey carried out between 1997 and 1998. Results: Compared with Europeans, M,ori and Pacific Islanders consumed more energy per day. Carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes were higher in M,ori and Pacific Islanders than in Europeans. Cholesterol intakes were lowest in Europeans and alcohol intakes were highest in Europeans and M,ori. When nutrient intakes were expressed as their percentage contribution to total energy, many ethnic differences in nutrient intakes between Europeans and M,ori or Pacific Islanders were eliminated. After adjustment for energy intake and age, Europeans ate the fewest eggs, and Pacific Islanders and Asians ate more servings of chicken and fish, and fewer servings of milk and cereal than Europeans. Compared to Europeans, Pacific Islanders consumed larger portion sizes for nearly every food item. Conclusion: There were marked differences in nutrient intakes between Pacific, M,ori, Asian and European adolescents. Ethnic differences in food selections, frequency of food servings and portion sizes contribute to the differences in nutrient intakes between these ethnic groups. These differences generally matched those of other studies in children and adults from these ethnic groups. Implications: Interventions that reduce frequency of food consumption and serving sizes and promote less-fatty food choices in M,ori and Pacific adolescents are needed. [source]