From the onset of puberty until a teenager has reached maturity, the period of adolescence can be fraught with social, emotional, and physical health and welfare challenges. RAND's research on adolescents includes studies on mental and physical health, substance use, violence, teenage pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and educational outcomes.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
In this article, we synthesize the empirical literature on the influence of peers and friends on youth's eating and physical activity.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The authors of this study examined the extent to which youths being prescribed antipsychotic medications were receiving concurrent mental health therapy.
REPORT
There is a lack of data that address new media use and its potential relationship with adolescent sexual risk behavior and sexual health. The authors developed this matrix of measures to summarize the state of measurement in this arena and set the stage for further research. The measures were extracted from studies of media use, media effects, and interventions that employ new media to improve sexual health. Several new items are also…
NEWS RELEASE
Researchers from the RAND Corporation and other institutions have begun pilot-testing a web-based tool designed to help parents and adult caregivers determine whether to seek urgent medical attention for a sick child with flu-like symptoms.
REPORT
The ChalleNGe program seeks to alter the life course of high school dropouts ages 16-18. A rigorous evaluation has shown that the program has positive effects on educational attainment and employment. A cost-benefit analysis supports public investment in the program as currently operated and targeted.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The strong link between having a best friend who smoked and increased adolescent smoking isn't affected by individual factors such as self-esteem, depressing and access to cigarettes.
RESEARCH BRIEF
A cost-benefit analysis of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, a program serving high school dropouts, indicates that every dollar invested in the program yields $2.66 in social benefits, an estimated return on investment of 166 percent.
NEWS RELEASE
If prevention researchers build programs with developmentally relevant content, and provide this content in an engaging, confidential, and non-judgmental way, it can help middle school-aged children avoid alcohol.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
It's widely assumed that living near fast-food restaurants and convenience stores encourages overconsumption, while supermarkets encourage healthier diets. However, an analysis found no robust link between food environment and consumption in youths, indicating a more complicated relationship than some theories suppose.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This study sought to better understand factors associated with different patterns of treatment among children starting treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
REPORT
An expert panel was convened to develop a working knowledge base about the use of new media (such as the Internet, social networking sites, cell phones, online video games, and MP3 players) among adolescents and the potential impact on their sexual health and also to identify appropriate measures for assessing this use, thus setting the stage for future research and intervention.
REPORT
Japanese translation of Support for Students Exposed to Trauma, including a series of teacher- or school counselor–led lessons aimed at reducing distress for middle school students who have been exposed to a traumatic life event. The program includes skill-building techniques geared toward changing maladaptive thoughts and promoting positive behaviors.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The association between peer smoking and adolescent smoking initiation appears to be due to both peer selection and direct influence.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
If prevention researchers build programs with developmentally relevant content, and provide this content in an engaging, confidential, and non-judgmental way, it can help middle school-aged children avoid alcohol.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This study examined whether an adolescent's self-identified race moderates the perceived effectiveness of anti-smoking messages.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The CHIP expansions to children in higher income families were associated with limited uptake of public coverage.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This analysis examines smoking behaviors across sexual orientation groups by describing how same- and opposite-sex romantic attraction, and changes in romantic attraction, are associated with trajectories of smoking over six years.
RESEARCH BRIEF
RAND's evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches identified program successes and challenges in implementing programs for children exposed to violence. The evaluation results, though largely inconclusive, can inform similar efforts going forward.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
The large cross-school variation in the cost of implementing Project CHOICE (a voluntary after-school prevention program for adolescents) highlights the importance of collecting cost information from multiple sites.
COMMENTARY
Boys and men of color—in particular, young African American men—are particularly vulnerable to racial and ethnic disparities. That such disparities exist should surprise no one. Nor should the fact that such disparities diminish the life chances of those affected, writes Lois M. Davis.
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2012 RAND Corporation. Last Modified: September 15, 2010 Site Feedback »
