You know how families and babies live at birth matter? Well, a study dug into how these early life factors can affect kids heart health, diet and physical activity. This was about kids at ages 8, 9 and 10 years old, before puberty. The study wanted to check out if things like economic status, family background, and even gender and stage of puberty could have an eff...

Psychiatric disorders are a big concern for public health. We know childhood challenges can raise the risk of these disorders. But have you ever thought about how other factors outside the family might play a role? A study looked at this by using out-of-home care (OHC) as a way to understand these challenges better. They found that girls and boys might be affected di...

Ever wondered if events early in life can shape a person's future behavior? One area of fascination is the connection between childhood brain injuries and teenage crime. Let's dive into how these early experiences might influence later actions. First, it's important to understand brain injuries. These can happen in accidents, sports, or even falls. When they occur i...

Ever wondered how hormones affect your moods as you grow up? The pituitary gland, or PG, is like the hormone control center in your body, especially during puberty. Scientists have known for a while that PG hormones can cause mental health changes in teens. Most studies look at the whole PG, but new research shows that different parts of the PG might be linked to how...

You might think that psychotic experiences (PE) are rare. But for LGBTQ+ teens, they're more common. Why? Researchers believe it's because these teens face different challenges in their social world, both good and bad. For instance, they might deal with more bullying or have less social support. This study wanted to find out if LGBTQ+ teens have more PE, face more so...

You might have heard that good friends can help you feel better when you're down. But have you ever thought about how this works the other way around? Researchers wanted to see if feeling good or bad also affects how well you get along with others. They looked at kids in preadolescence, a time when friendships start to matter a lot. First, they gathered info on how ...

Did you know that the support teens get from adults in their organized activities can make a big difference in how they feel about themselves? A study tracked over 200 teens for six years to see how relationships with adults in sports and other activities changed over time and affected their mental health. The teens were mostly French-Canadian and middle-class, with ...

Did you know that most gun homicides in the US involve handguns? But what about who carries these guns and why? Research spanning 27 years in Chicago reveals some surprising facts. When it comes to carrying concealed guns, teens and adults follow different paths. Teens often do it because they've seen or experienced gun violence, and it's usually a temporary thing. A...

Ever wondered how childhood habits might affect teenagers' heart health? A recent study, known as the PANIC Study, looked into this. It aimed to find out how factors like fitness, body composition (fat and lean mass), and heart health in kids relate to their arteries' structure and function as they grow up. The study tracked these metrics from childhood into adolesce...