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Adolescent health: One quarter of global population receiving only 1.6% of funding

A study published in JAMA Network Open by faculty member Chunling Lu of the Harvard Medical School has found that in developing countries, those in their formative years—a segment of the population that is critical for future economic health— is being overlooked when it comes to spending on health projects, particularly ones focused on serious issues such as anemia, injuries and depressive disorders. The findings have received attention in the press including…

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Youths getting too much screen time face increased exposure to obesity-related risk factors

Harvard Pop Center faculty member Steven Gortmaker, PhD, is co-author on a study that has found that teens who spend 5 hours or more per day behind a screen (e.g., tablet, computer, videogame, smartphone, television) face greater exposure to obesity and/or risk factors for obesity such as increased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and inadequate physical activity and sleep. Photo: TheRealMstiles on Flickr

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Children who are physically abused or witness domestic violence at increased risk of higher BMI as adolescents

Harvard Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Program alumnae Margaret Sheridan, PhD,  and Katie McLaughlin, PhD, are co-authors on a study in Child Abuse & Neglect that finds that children who witnessed domestic violence had almost six times the odds of being overweight or obese as adolescents.

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Schools’ influence on BMI lasts long after graduation

It is well known that adolescent body mass index (BMI) shows school-level clustering. And now a new study by SV Subramanian and Adam Lippert shows that years after leaving school, respondents’ BMIs are persistently clustered by the school they attended during adolescence. The study was published in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.  

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Amount of crime perceived and reported by adolescents is connected to their BMI and activity levels

Ann Forsyth was recently lead author on a paper titled “Perceived and Police-Reported Neighborhood Crime: Linkages to Adolescent Activity Behaviors and Weight Status.” Published in Journal of Adolescent Health, the study addressed the relationships of perceived and objective reports of neighborhood crime to adolescent physical activity, screen media use, and BMI. BMI was positively associated with perceived crime among girls, reported crime in girls, and perceived crime in boys.

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To better understand impact of context on health, exploring multiple contexts simultaneously might help

In a study published in Health & Place, co-authors Harvard Pop Center affiliated faculty members Tracy Richmond, MD, and SV Subramanian (Subu), PhD, examined the effect of neighborhood and schools  on smoking behavior in adolescents. The contexts were examined one at a time, as well as simultaneously, and the results suggest that cross-classified multilevel modeling (CCMM) — evaluating multiple contexts simultaneously– may lead to more accurate results.