Understanding Trajectories of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Purpose: This study aims to assess anxiety trends over the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate how pandemic-related adversities modify trajectories among underprivileged adolescents from two distinct settings.

Methods: Data came from the Shanghai, China and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo sites of the Global Early Adolescent Study. Data were collected three times over approximately two years: prior to the pandemic (T1) and during the pandemic (T2, T3).

Trends in Adolescent Health: Successes and Challenges From 2010 to the Present.

Purpose: This review considers trends in some of the major adolescent health outcomes and contextual influences since 2010, and explores the relevance of recent cultural, societal, and public health developments on adolescent well-being.

Methods: Based on a review of major reports published since 2010, we identified key topics of impact on adolescent health and development across several domains (education, economic opportunity, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, and mental health) and ecological levels (from individual- to macro-level influences). Within these areas, we synthesized findings to describe recent trends, noting variation across countries/regions, gender/sex, and other social stratifications when possible.

Risk and Protective Factors for the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young Adolescents: Lessons Learnt in the Past Decade and Research Priorities Moving Forward.

Purpose: To review the published literature on what has been reported on risk and protective factors for early adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the recent decade.

Methods: A scoping review of English language, peer-reviewed literature on risk and protective factors for early adolescent (aged 10-14 years) SRH published between January 2010 and January 2023 using Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. Articles reporting only on nonmodifiable demographic factors, or on the effect of interventions, were beyond the scope of this review.

The Impacts of Two Gender-Transformative Interventions on Early Adolescent Gender Norms Perceptions: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis.

Purpose: Inequitable gender norms are widespread and can be harmful to the wellbeing of adolescents. This study estimates the effects of two gender-transformative interventions, Semangat Dunia Remaja or Teen Aspirations (SETARA) and Growing Up Great! (GUG!), on gender norms perceptions and attitudes among very young adolescents in poor urban settings in Bandar Lampung, Semarang, Denpasar (Indonesia), and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Methods: The study draws from the longitudinal Global Early Adolescent Study, using a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the interventions.

Assessing the health, social, educational and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a rapid review of the literature.

COVID-19 has caused profound health, social, educational and economic devastation around the world, especially among the lives of adolescents in low- and middle-income countries. This paper looks at a wide array of outcomes impacting adolescents' daily lives including health (mental, physical, sexual and reproductive health, vaccine perceptions and overlap between these topics), social relationships (family and peer), education and socio-economic disparities. Both scientific and grey literature between December 2019 and February 2022 were sought from PubMed, Google Scholar and organisations conducting research among adolescents, and coded.

Violence Perpetration in Early Adolescence: A Study of Four Urban Communities Worldwide.

Purpose: Violence perpetration is common among adolescents worldwide but existing research largely focuses on boys, older adolescents, and partner violence. Our study sought to identify individual, family, and neighborhood/peer factors associated with violence perpetration in a multinational sample of male and female young adolescents.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 5,762 adolescents in four sites in the Global Early Adolescent Study: Flanders, Belgium; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Shanghai, China; and Semarang, Indonesia.