Effect of peer counselors on adolescent compliance in use of oral contraceptives.

Poor compliance with contraceptive regimens has been shown to be an important antecedent of adolescent pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to test prospectively the effect of a peer v nurse counseling program on adolescent compliance with the use of oral contraceptives. Fifty-seven females aged 14 to 19 years from a lower socioeconomic background were randomly assigned to a peer (n = 26) or nurse (n = 31) group.

Influence of psychosocial factors on adolescent compliance with oral contraceptives.

This paper prospectively tests the influence of a variety of sociomedical and psychosocial factors on compliance with oral contraceptives among adolescent females from a population at high risk for pregnancy. Fifty-six females aged 14-19 yr from a lower socioeconomic background received a battery of pretest measurements and were then given Ortho-Novum 1/35 combined with riboflavin during an initial visit and 1-, 2-, and 4-month follow-ups. Compliance was measured at each follow-up using a Guttman scale consisting of: (1) avoidance of pregnancy, (2) appointment adherence, (3) pill count, and (4) urinary fluorescence for riboflavin.

Riboflavin, self-report, and serum norethindrone. Comparison of their use as indicators of adolescent compliance with oral contraceptives.

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability of using the tablet marker, riboflavin, as an indicator of adolescent compliance with oral contraceptives, as compared with self-reports and more costly quantitative determinations of serum norethindrone levels. In a pilot study, a total of 31 urine samples were obtained from 11 subjects, aged 14 to 18 years. A follow-up study was conducted on 26 girls, aged 14 to 19 years, who were randomly selected from an ongoing study of oral contraceptive compliance.

Relationship between habitual physical activity and serum lipoprotein levels in white male adolescents.

It is currently thought that increased physical activity can have a positive influence on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in adults. However, only a limited amount of research has been directed at studying the influence of physical activity on HDL-C in adolescents. This study correlated the reported levels of physical activity, exercise capacity, physical measurements, and 48-hr dietary intake of 50 white male adolescents with their levels of HDL-C, ratio of total serum cholesterol (T.

The effect of inosiplex on the survival of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

We studied the probability of survival of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) patients prognostically stratified into rapidly and slowly developing SSPE, nontreatment, and inosiplex-treated groups. Based on life table analysis, survival did not differ between treated and untreated patients with rapidly developing SSPE. The cumulative survival rates were significantly (p less than 0.

The patient with dysmenorrhea.

Although dysmenorrhea is a common gynecologic complaint, adolescents and young women frequently believe that no therapy is available and do not seek medical help. Diagnostic and therapeutic advances now allow the physician to effectively evaluate and treat patients with menstrually related discomfort. Although treatment of dysmenorrhea represents a challenge to the physician, careful assessment of the pain combined with application of new therapeutic modalities can result in successful treatment of patients who would have formerly lived with their discomfort.

The relationship between physical activity and serum lipids and lipoproteins in black children and adolescents.

This study assesses the association between the serum lipid and lipoprotein levels of 62 black children and 37 black adolescents and their reported levels of habitual physical activity, 24-hour dietary intake, and physical measurements. In the children physical activity was not correlated with serum lipid and lipoprotein levels. Indicators of physical activity had a positive correlation (P less than 0.

Exercise-induced cardiac dysfunction in sickle cell anemia. A radionuclide study.

Cardiac performance was studied by radionuclide angiography at rest and during exercise in 22 adolescents with sickle cell (SC) anemia and the results were compared with those in 12 control subjects. At rest, cardiac contractility was normal; cardiac output and end-diastolic volume were increased. At maximal exercise, heart rate, cardiac output response, and work capacity were reduced; the reduction was related to the degree of anemia.

An evaluation of five indices of physical working capacity in children.

The purposes of this study were 1) to analyze race, sex, and body surface area (BSA) differences in the mean work to exhaustion index, maximal endurance index, rate-pressure product, maximum power, and physical working capacity index (PWC) of 383 healthy children, ages 5-16 yr, by using an alternative method of statistical analysis than has been used in previous studies of this type; and 2) to determine which index best measures relative physical working capacity in children. As a result of a three-way analysis of variance test, strong interaction effects were found among race, sex, and BSA on all but one of the indices. In general, the results indicated that the differences between males and females and between blacks and whites in physical working capacity were not consistent across all BSA groups.

The effect of physical conditioning on serum lipids and lipoproteins in white male adolescents.

This study was designed to measure the effect of physical conditioning on the serum lipid and lipoprotein levels of white male adolescents. Fifty white males, ages 11-17 yr, underwent pre-test evaluations including physical measurements, physical activity levels, nutritional intake, physical working capacity, and fasting serum lipid and lipoprotein levels. Each subject was randomly assigned to a physical conditioning group or to a control group.

Responses to ergometer exercise in a healthy biracial population of children.

To determine normal values for the exercise variables heart rate, blood pressure, maximal workload, physical working capacity index, J point displacement, and ST segment slope, we stress tested 405 healthy children. We analyzed the data for four body surface area-determined groups, to discover whether there were any racial differences between healthy white children and black children. There were numerous racial differences in blood pressure, maximal workload, and physical working capacity index; there were no differences in the heart rate values.

The influence of a family history of CHD risk factors on serum lipoprotein levels in black children and adolescents.

This study evaluated the influence of a family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD risk factors on the total serum cholesterol/high density lipoprotein (TChol/HDL) and the low density lipoprotein/HDL (LDL/HDL) ratios of 84 black children (ages 7-11 years) and adolescents (ages 12-15 years). Fasting lipid determinations were measured on all subjects. A questionnaire was administered to each subject's parent to determine the frequency of myocardial infarction, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity in first- and second-degree blood relatives.

The influence of inosiplex treatment on the neurological disability of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a central nervous system degenerative disease that rapidly progresses to death in most untreated cases. In this study we compare the level of neurological disability longitudinally in a group of SSPE patients receiving inosiplex (Isoprinosine) treatment (12) to a historical control group of untreated patients (15). The mean ND did not differ between the groups from onset of SSPE through 21 months.

Long-term follow-up of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis treated with inosiplex.

During the past five years, 15 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were treated with inosiplex. Using a disability index specifically designed for the disease, this study monitored the course of SSPE in each patient before and during inosiplex therapy. Posttreatment follow-up ranged from 2 to 144 months.

Preparticipation health screening of young athletes. Results of 1268 examinations.

The major purpose of the preparticipation physical examination of athletes is to screen for conditions that could predispose the athlete to injury or death. However, this examinations offered to many of the athletes in this country fail to adequately accomplish this. This study analyzed the preparticipation health exams of prospective sports participants from all public schools in Richmond County, Georgia for two consecutive years.

An evaluation of five indexes of relative body weight for use with children.

Five weight-to-height indexes frequently used in independence from height and age, with a sample of children. Four of the indexes failed to control for variations in the proportions of lean body mass and adipose tissue in children of different ages or heights. One index, the weight-for-length index, was found to be a reliable measure of relative body weight for use either in a clinical setting or in research.

The prevalence of obesity and thinness in children from a lower socioeconomic population receiving comprehensive health care.

The relative body weights of 1830 children from low-income families ranging in age from 2 months to 18 years were calculated using the weight-for-length index (WLI). The effects of age, sex and race on WLI were tested with a 3-way analysis of variance test. A significant age and race interaction was found for the whole sample, as well as significant age and sex interaction for blacks only.