Sleep health behaviors in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed cancer.

Objective: Disrupted sleep and fatigue are common symptoms in children with cancer, but little is known about this population's sleep health behaviors and how they may impact nighttime sleep. We aimed to describe the sleep health behaviors of children with newly diagnosed cancer and to determine if they changed over the next 8 weeks.

Methods: Our sample included 169 children with cancer (86 males) who were aged 2-18 years (mean [SD] = 8.

Empirically Derived Profiles of Health-Related Quality of Life in Youth and Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

Objective: Determining how the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is impacted by living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) can inform psychosocial interventions. The purpose of the present study is to determine if demographic and treatment variables predict membership into empirically derived subgroups of HRQOL among youth and young adults with SCD.

Methods: Three hundred and seven youth and young adults with SCD (mean 17.

Use of Wise Device Technology to Measure Adherence to Hydroxyurea Therapy in Youth With Sickle Cell Disease.

Despite broad support for hydroxyurea (HU) therapy, suboptimal adherence is reported for youth with sickle cell disease. Valid adherence measurement is crucial to understanding the relationship between medication behavior, disease response, and patient-centered health outcomes. The current pilot study examined the feasibility of the Wise electronic device for longitudinal HU adherence measurement in a sample of 36 youths prescribed HU.

The Adolescent and Caregiver Sickle Cell Disease Self-management Skills Checklist: Preliminary Reliability and Validity.

Adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) need assistance in developing the knowledge and skills that contribute to increased disease self-management and successful transition to adult-based health care. This study evaluated the preliminary psychometric properties of the Self-Management Skills Checklist (SMSC and SMSC-C; Adolescent and Caregiver versions), a measure of perceived SCD-specific knowledge and skills. A retrospective cohort study included 114 adolescents (mean=15.

The adaptation and validation of a stigma measure for individuals with multiple sclerosis.

: Stigma negatively impacts quality of life for individuals with multiple sclerosis. Availability of instruments to assess levels of stigma are crucial for monitoring and targeted intervention. The study aims to adapt the Reece Stigma Scale for use with this specific population and examine its reliability and validity.

A quality improvement project to improve pediatric medical provider sleep and communication during night shifts.

Quality Problem Or Issue: Night-shift medical providers frequently experience limited sleep resulting in fatigue, often because of paging activity. Streamlined medical-specific communication interventions are known to improve sleep and communication among these providers.

Initial Assessment: We found that non-urgent paging communication occurred frequently during night-shifts, leading to provider sleep disturbances within our institution.

Predictors of anxiety among sexual minority individuals in the Southern US.

Sexual minority individuals experience a disproportionate burden of mental health issues, particularly in less populous cities of the southern United States. Unique identity-related stressors may explain these disparities. The current study examines relationships between sexual minority stress, identity, and anxiety in sexual minority individuals from a small metropolitan area of the South.

Body Image and Risk Behaviors in Youth with HIV.

Body image concerns are common among people living with HIV. Among adults with HIV, body image concerns have been shown to be related to risky sexual behaviors; little research has been conducted among youth living with HIV (YLWH). The current study examined the predictors, including body image, of sexual risk behaviors among YLWH.