Sexual orientation disparities in longitudinal alcohol use patterns among adolescents: findings from the Growing Up Today Study.

Objective: To compare sexual orientation group differences in the longitudinal development of alcohol use behaviors during adolescence.

Design: Community-based prospective cohort study.

Setting: Self-reported questionnaires.

Subjective social status in the school and change in adiposity in female adolescents: findings from a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To determine whether subjective social standing in school predicts a change in body mass index (BMI) in adolescent girls during a 2-year period.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Self-report questionnaires from a community-based population of adolescent girls living across the United States from 1999 to 2001.

Predictors of initiation of alcohol use among US adolescents: findings from a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To identify precursors of adolescent alcohol initiation and binge drinking.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Self-report questionnaires.

Household smoking restrictions and adolescent smoking.

Purpose: To examine the association between household smoking restrictions and adolescent smoking, controlling for parental smoking, peer smoking, and tobacco marketing.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of 1999 data from the Growing Up Today Study, a longitudinal cohort of adolescents.

Setting: Self-report questionnaire.

Adolescent physical activity and perceived competence: does change in activity level impact self-perception?

Purpose: To determine whether change in physical activity level impacts adolescents' self-perceptions.

Methods: Using questionnaire responses from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) in 1997 and 1999, we evaluated data from 5260 girls and 3410 boys. Physical activity changes were compared to changes in perceived competence in three domains (social, athletic, and scholastic) as well as in global self-worth.

Sexual orientation, gender, and alcohol use in a cohort study of U.S. adolescent girls and boys.

Background: Sexual minority youth may be at elevated risk for alcohol use relative to heterosexual youth, but the reasons underlying higher rates and whether there may be gender differences in risk are not known.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data from 9731 early and middle adolescent girls and boys in the Growing Up Today Study in 1999 were examined to assess sexual orientation and gender patterns in alcohol use. Multivariable regression models estimated associations between sexual orientation and alcohol-related behaviors, such as binge drinking and drinking before age 12 years.

State tobacco excise taxes and adolescent smoking behaviors in the United States.

The objective of the study described in this article was to examine the association between state cigarette excise taxes and smoking behaviors among youth in the United States. A survey was nationally mailed to adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study, an ongoing cohort of offspring of participants in the Nurses' Health Study II. A volunteer sample of 10,981 adolescent boy and girl participated in the Growing Up Today Study, who were 12 to 18 years old in 1999.

Sexual orientation and tobacco use in a cohort study of US adolescent girls and boys.

Objective: To examine sexual-orientation group disparities in tobacco use in adolescent girls and boys.

Design: Survey data from 10685 adolescent girls and boys participating in 1999 in the Growing Up Today Study were examined cross-sectionally.

Setting: Community-based population of adolescents living throughout the United States.