Introduction: Despite policy actions and strategic efforts for improving the reproductive and sexual health of adolescents by promoting the uptake of adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH) services, the utilisation rate remains significantly low, especially in rural areas of India. This study aimed to assess the utilisation of these services by adolescents in rural West Bengal and its associated determinants. Methods: This mixed-method study was conducted from May to September 2021 in the Gosaba rural block of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Quantitative data were collected from 326 adolescents using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected via four focus group discussions among 30 adolescents and key-informant interviews among six healthcare workers. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results: Ninety-six (29.4%) adolescents had utilised ARSH services at least once during adolescence. The factors associated with non-utilisation of ARSH services were younger age, female sex, increasing reproductive health stigma and decreasing parent–adolescent communication related to sexual health. Qualitative exploration revealed that unawareness regarding services, perceived lack of privacy and confidentiality at healthcare facilities and disruption of services post-emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic were some major barriers to ARSH service utilisation. Conclusion A multi-component strategy, including promotion of adolescent-friendly health clinics, community support interventions associated with motivation and counselling of parents regarding the importance of adolescent reproductive health, is needed to improve the utilisation of ARSH services. Necessary steps to correct the deficiencies at the facility level should also be prioritised.
Adolescent ; Reproductive Health Services ; Sexual Health ; Qualitative Research ; Rural Population

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the influence of area-level factors on adolescent suicide and to determine which variables differ according to age and sex.METHODS: We selected variables that were available for collection through an online database from 2005 to 2015 in the Korean Statistical Information Service and the Korea Labor Institute. We used administrative districts of Korea in 2017 for geographical classification. We examined the relationships between regional suicide rates and area-level variables in male and female subjects aged 10–14 years and 15–19 years. In addition, we analyzed area-level variables in adolescents aged 15–19 years according to sex.RESULTS: Our findings indicated that several area-level variables affected adolescent suicide rates, varying according to age and sex. Economic problems were shown to be more associated with suicide in male adolescents than in female adolescents. On the other hand, social fragmentation and health services were shown to be more associated with suicide in females.CONCLUSION: Suicide in adolescents was attributable to area-level factors such as economic status, social fragmentation, and community health services. By identifying area-level variables affecting adolescent suicide rates, we will be able to contribute to implement mental health policies related to adolescent suicide.
Adolescent ; Classification ; Community Health Services ; Female ; Hand ; Health Services ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea ; Male ; Mental Health ; Suicide

Programs that promote health through schools (school health programs), when delivered through schools that are themselves organized to promote health (health-promoting schools), are one of the essential means through which the twin goals of "Health for All by the Year 2000" and "Education for All" can be achieved. There are numerous evidences that school health programs are cost-effective and highly beneficial for adolescents themselves and communities they are belonged to. These days, the world's trend for school health programs has two directions. One is that to achieve best goals for school health, well-organized efforts are needed from governments, communities, schools, parents, and doctors. So, a new concept of 'comprehensive school health programs' is emerging. The other is that physicians should play an active roles not only for the school health promotion and school health education but also for the other steps including marking polices, and advising community members who are concerned with school health services. Now, it is also time for Korean doctors to be an advocate for comprehensive school programmes and to participate actively in those programs.
Adolescent ; Education ; Humans ; Parents ; Physician's Role ; School Health Services*

OBJECTIVES: Through mass survey with Seoul School Health Center, this study was performed to find out any correlational factors that affect test anxiety in individual's temperament and attachment type among middle and high school students in Seoul. METHODS: Subjects were 4,178 students from 6 middle schools, 5 high schools and 1 technical high school in this study from May to June, 2005. Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) by Spielberger, Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) by Collins and Read and Junior Temperament Character Inventory (JTCI) by Ludy were used in this study. RESULTS: Among 4 groups by sex and age, high school girls had the highest level of test anxiety and high school boys had the lowest level of test anxiety. The attachment subscore showed no significant differences in four groups. High school girls had higher social susceptibility but had lower novelty seeking subscores than high school boys. Middle school students revealed no meaningful differences of temperament between sex. Compared to low test anxiety group, high test anxiety group showed significantly high anxiety subscores in attachment scale and high harm avoidance subscores in temperament scale. However, the results of other three subscores of temperament and two subscores of attachment were reversed. Anxiety subscore of attachment and harm avoidance subscore of temperament positively correlated with test anxiety score (r=0.26, r=0.32). However, other subscores negatively correlated with test anxiety score and the correlation coefficient scores were very low. CONCLUSION: We concluded that, in temperament and attachment aspect, the most important factor affecting test anxiety was harm avoidance temperament and the next important factor was anxious attachment.
Adolescent* ; Adult ; Anxiety* ; Female ; Humans ; School Health Services ; Seoul ; Temperament*

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health problem in the Philippines wherein teenage pregnancy has been declared as a National Social Emergency. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the received services and interventions during prenatal and postnatal visits and investigate the relationships between the received services and interventions during visits and the completeness of received services to neonatal death among adolescent pregnancies in the Cordillera Administrative Region. METHODS: This study used a descriptive correlational study design. A survey questionnaire was distributed to target participants among selected municipalities in the Cordillera Administrative Region and asked about the received services/interventions during and after pregnancy. Responses were analyzed using frequency and percentage, Chi-square and Phi Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: The study showed that a high incidence of neonatal deaths occurs during the first delivery while decreasing prenatal and post-natal visits have been noted. It was also observed that neonatal mortality is high particularly among the category of middle adolescents. The study also demonstrated a significant correlation between Blood Testing and Measurement of the Abdomen or fundal height measurement provided to the respondents and neonatal mortality in the third trimester. However, no significant correlation coefficients have been noted between neonatal mortality and completeness of prenatal and postnatal services. CONCLUSION: Policies and programs on adolescent health development should be enhanced, first, to focus on preventing adolescent pregnancy and repeat pregnancies during the adolescent period, while strengthening the access to health services for all pregnant women, especially adolescent mothers.
Pregnancy ; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy in Adolescence ; Infant Mortality ; Adolescent Health Services ; Primary Health Care

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare subjective symptoms of VDT between computer-addicted and non-addicted adolescents. METHOD: A descriptive survey design was used and 646 students in one middle and two high schools were selected as participants. RESULT: The VDT subjective symptoms and degree of severity differed according to whether the students were computer-addicted or not, and in all symptoms, general, musculoskeletal, eye and mental, the mean score for subjective symptoms was higher in the addicted group than in the non-addicted group. The score for VDT subjective symptoms was highest in the addicted group for girls and students who were not healthy. The most frequent physical symptom reported by students who visited the school health room for a health problem after using the computer was headache. The most frequent type of treatment at the school health room was treatment of the symptom. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that students must acquire correct habits in computer use and be careful not to be addicted to the computer in order to avoid VDT syndrome. For this, educational authorities should develop computer-related health education programs and start the programs from the lower grades of elementary school.
Adolescent* ; Female ; Headache ; Health Education ; Humans ; School Health Services ; Child Health

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender difference of relationships between the self-esteem and physical and mental health of adolescents. The sample were consisted of 410 adolescents, 202 boys and 208 girls in two urban city of Korea and the mean age was 17.4 years old. The instruments used in this study were Hare Self-Esteem Scale(Hare, 1985) and School Health Efficacy Questionnaire(Froman & Owen, 1991) which is consisted of both physical and mental health. The results showed that there was no gender difference in self-esteem of adolescents. However, the school domain of self-esteem was related to physical health of boys, and both the family domain and the school domain of self-esteem were related to physical health of girls. And both the school domain and the peer domain of self-esteem were positively related to mental health of boys, and all domains of self-esteem(peer, school, and family) were positively related to mental health of girls. In conclusion, there was not gender difference in degree of self-esteem, but there were gender difference in specific domains of self-esteem related with physical and mental health in adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Female ; Hares ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health* ; School Health Services ; Child Health

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender difference of relationships between the self-esteem and physical and mental health of adolescents. The sample were consisted of 410 adolescents, 202 boys and 208 girls in two urban city of Korea and the mean age was 17.4 years old. The instruments used in this study were Hare Self-Esteem Scale(Hare, 1985) and School Health Efficacy Questionnaire(Froman & Owen, 1991) which is consisted of both physical and mental health. The results showed that there was no gender difference in self-esteem of adolescents. However, the school domain of self-esteem was related to physical health of boys, and both the family domain and the school domain of self-esteem were related to physical health of girls. And both the school domain and the peer domain of self-esteem were positively related to mental health of boys, and all domains of self-esteem(peer, school, and family) were positively related to mental health of girls. In conclusion, there was not gender difference in degree of self-esteem, but there were gender difference in specific domains of self-esteem related with physical and mental health in adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Female ; Hares ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health* ; School Health Services ; Child Health

Japan has been facing a serious shortfall of child and adolescent psychiatric workforce relative to increasing service needs. Likely because of a combination of limited workforce supply and limited trust or perception of effectiveness, mental health services are under-utilized by the educational and child welfare systems. Child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) has not been a formally established specialty in Japan. The lack of basic structure in the specialty most likely contributes to a lack of training facilities, limited exposure to and interest in the specialty, and hence an inadequate workforce. To date, there exists no standardized training program for CAP in Japan and each training hospital determines its own teaching curriculum and training content. Clinical experience in CAP varies greatly among hospitals. To solve current problems in child and adolescent psychiatry in Japan, we advocate for the development and establishment of a more standardized child and adolescent psychiatry training system that is akin to what exists in the US and that teaches and evaluates according to specific competencies. Through standardizing care and education and ultimately improving workforce, the quality of mental health services can be raised. The tragic and costly consequences of unidentified and untreated mental illness in youth can be avoided by taking timely evidence based actions in partnership with others.
Adolescent ; Adolescent Psychiatry* ; Adolescent* ; Child Welfare ; Child* ; Curriculum ; Education ; Humans ; Japan* ; Mental Health Services

Japan has been facing a serious shortfall of child and adolescent psychiatric workforce relative to increasing service needs. Likely because of a combination of limited workforce supply and limited trust or perception of effectiveness, mental health services are under-utilized by the educational and child welfare systems. Child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) has not been a formally established specialty in Japan. The lack of basic structure in the specialty most likely contributes to a lack of training facilities, limited exposure to and interest in the specialty, and hence an inadequate workforce. To date, there exists no standardized training program for CAP in Japan and each training hospital determines its own teaching curriculum and training content. Clinical experience in CAP varies greatly among hospitals. To solve current problems in child and adolescent psychiatry in Japan, we advocate for the development and establishment of a more standardized child and adolescent psychiatry training system that is akin to what exists in the US and that teaches and evaluates according to specific competencies. Through standardizing care and education and ultimately improving workforce, the quality of mental health services can be raised. The tragic and costly consequences of unidentified and untreated mental illness in youth can be avoided by taking timely evidence based actions in partnership with others.
Adolescent ; Adolescent Psychiatry* ; Adolescent* ; Child Welfare ; Child* ; Curriculum ; Education ; Humans ; Japan* ; Mental Health Services