The relationship between socioeconomic status, schools and bone health among adolescent females in Southern Ontario

We studied the association between socioeconomic status (SES), school attended and bone health measured by bone speed of sound (SOS) among adolescent females in Canada. 412 participants from six randomly selected schools in Southern Ontario were examined. Bone SOS was measured by quantitative ultrasound. Participant’s school and aggregate area-based census-derived (AABCD) SES were evaluated as predictors. Mean participant age was 15.7 (SD 1.0) years. Average median family income was $68,162 (SD $19,366). Median family income was non-linearly associated with bone SOS and restricted cubic splines described the relationship. Univariate regression, accounting for clustering of participants in schools, revealed a significant non-linear association between AABCD-median family income and non-dominant tibial SOS (LRT p = 0.031). Multivariable regression revealed school to have a significant impact (LRT p = 0.0001). High schools had a strong influence on the bone health of female students and this effect overrode the effect of SES.

Does Bracing affect Bone Health in Females with adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?

This study examined the bone mineral content (BMC) in young women with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), treated with a brace (27.9 ±21.6 months, for 18.0±5.4 h/d) during adolescence (AIS-B, n = 15, 25.6 ±5.8 yrs), versus women with AIS but no treatment (AIS-NB, n = 15, 24.0 ±4.0 yrs), and women without AIS (C, n = 19, 23.5 ±3.8 yrs). After controlling for lean body mass, calcium and vitamin D daily intake, and strenuous physical activity, femoral neck BMC was lower in the AIS-B compared with AIS-NB and C (all p’s < .05). In summary, women with AIS, braced during their growing years are characterized by low lower limb BMC. However, the lack of a relationship between brace treatment duration and BMC, suggests that bracing was not the likely mechanism.

Effects of social context on endocrine function and Zif268 expression in response to an acute stressor in adolescent and adult rats

There is a paucity of studies comparing social buffering in adolescents and adults, despite their marked differences in social behaviour. I investigated whether greater effects of social buffering on plasma corticosterone concentrations and expression of Zif268 in neural regions after an acute stressor would be found in adolescent compared with adult rats. Samples were obtained before and after one hour of isolation stress and after either one or three hours of recovery back in the colony with either a familiar or unfamiliar cage partner. Adolescent and adult rats did not differ in plasma concentrations of corticosterone at any time point. Corticosterone concentrations were higher after one hour isolation than at baseline (p < 0.001), and rats with a familiar partner during the recovery phase had lower corticosterone concentrations than did rats with an unfamiliar partner (p = 0.02). Zif268 immunoreactive cell counts were higher in the arcuate nucleus in both age groups after isolation (p = 0.007) and higher in the paraventricular nucleus of adolescents compared with adults during the recovery phase irrespective of partner familiarity. There was a significant decrease in immunoreactive cell counts after one hour isolation compared to baseline in the basolateral amygdala, central nucleus of the amygdala, and in the pyramidal layer of the hippocampus (all p < 0.05). An effect of partner familiarity on Zif268 immunoreactive cell counts was found in the granule layer of the dentate gyrus irrespective of age (higher in those with a familiar partner, p = 0.03) and in the medial prefrontal cortex in adolescents (higher with an unfamiliar partner, p = 0.02). Overall, the acute stress and partner familiarity produced a similar pattern of results in adolescents and adults, with both age groups sensitive to the social context.

Perceptions of Adolescent Males and Their Parents as to Factors That Influence the Young Men's Academic Performance

Postsecondary enrolments of young males has been declining since the mid-1980s. The decline can be attributed, at least in part, to boys and young men being unable to compete for a fixed number of available places in institutions of higher learning, whether in community college or university. This inability to compete stems from their academic performance in secondary school. This study interviewed adolescent males and their parents as to their perceptions of a number of factors that may contribute to their academic performance. Those factors included noncognitive skills, dimensions of character, perceptions of teachers, general attitudes towards school, and likes and dislikes on a range of course subjects. One of the most important findings was that only one of the seven adolescent male participants was considering a future career that would require a university degree. Other findings showed the young men's noncognitive skills were weak, particularly in relation to time management skills and their unwillingness to ask for help with schoolwork and homework. Most of the young men expressed a dislike for mathematics beyond high school, a subject key to the study, of the natural sciences, engineering, technology, and business. Recommendations include school reforms both inside the classroom and beyond. Additionally, a framework using project management theory and practice has been proposed to improve noncognitive skills, dimensions of character, and executive function.

A Phenomenologically Sensitized Analysis of Images Depicting Stressed Embodiment in an Adolescent Male with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Each person with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comes with unique characteristics (idiosyncratic) that give clues to the world they know (Connolly, 2008). It is through their body that they (a) know the world they are experiencing, (b) make meaning, and (c) express certain behaviours. I used Laban’s Movement Analysis (LMA) to practice an attuned and appreciative approach to describing and understanding the body movement in one severe manifestation of autism in an adolescent male. LMA observes human movement across many disciplines and can be applied in many contexts providing a body honoring discourse for description (Connolly, 2008). The framework examines movement in body, space, quality, and relation. Each theme provides a detailed description of the individual’s movement, thus, giving us a richer understanding of patterns and possible triggers to self-injurious behaviours (SIB). During the summer of August 2013, I participated in Brock University’s annual Autism Camp and worked with a 15 year old male named “Aaron” who manifests with low functioning autism. The purpose of my research project was to code and analyze a series of photos taken to help gain insight into movement patterns associated with stressed embodiment and self-injury in “Aaron”. As I understood more about these embodied expressions, I uncovered valuable information on how to read patterns and discover what triggers these events, thus providing strategies on how to help people do more refined observations and make meaning of the behaviour. Laban’s movement analysis provided a sensitized discourse appropriate to the embodied expressions depicted in the photos.

Destigmatizing Child and Adolescent Mental Health through Group Chat: A Workshop to Support the Emotional and Social Needs of Youth

The purpose of this project was to raise awareness surrounding child and adolescent mental health in an effort to reduce preconceived stigmas in relation to this specialized field. This project presented a literature review of the current state of child and adolescent mental health in Canada today, including the prevalence and several treatment options for young people confronting mental health challenges. Consideration of the powerful role of the education system upon youth with mental health issues became evident, specifically regarding early identification and prevention. A needs assessment was conducted to gather feedback from the clinical practitioners of a Section 23 classroom within a Southern Ontario hospital. This assessment was used to develop an informational and pedagogical workshop resource to extend practitioner understanding of this pertinent issue and support the social and emotional needs of young people confronting mental heath challenges. Results of the assessment indicated the significant need for such a workshop resource, and these responses were used to guide the development of Group Chat: A Workshop to Support the Emotional and Social Needs of Youth. The latter was subsequently presented to participants, whereby evaluative questionnaires indicated the efficacy and usefulness of this workshop resource to both practitioners and students alike.

Photograph - Margaret Julia Woodruff Band as an adolescent

Black and white photograph, taken from a scrapbook, 10 cm. x 8 cm., of Margaret Julia Woodruff Band as an adolescent.

Does bracing affect bone health in women with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Purpose: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is often associated with low bone mineral content and density (BMC, BMD). Bracing, used to manage spine curvature, may interfere with the growth-related BMC accrual, resulting in reduced bone strength into adulthood. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of brace treatment on BMC in adult women, diagnosed with AIS and braced in early adolescence. Methods: Participants included women with AIS who: (i) underwent brace treatment (AIS-B, n = 15, 25.6 ± 5.8 yrs), (ii) underwent no treatment (AIS, n = 15, 24.0 ± 4.0 yrs), and (iii) a healthy comparison group (CON, n = 19, 23.5 ± 3.8 yrs). BMC and body composition were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Differences between groups were examined using a oneway ANOVA or ANCOVA, as appropriate. Results: AIS-B underwent brace treatment 27.9 ± 21.6 months, for 18.0 ± 5.4 h/d. Femoral neck BMC was lower (p = 0.06) in AIS-B (4.54 ± 0.10 g) compared with AIS (4.89 ± 0.61 g) and CON (5.07 ± 0.58 g). Controlling for lean body mass, calcium and vitamin D daily intake, and strenuous physical activity, femoral neck BMC was statistically different (p = 0.02) between groups. A similar pattern was observed at other lower extremity sites (p < 0.05), but not in the spine or upper extremities. BMC and BMD did not correlate with duration of brace treatment, duration of daily brace wear, or overall physical activity. Conclusion: Young women with AIS, especially those who were treated with a brace, have significantly lower BMC in their lower limbs compared to women without AIS. However, the lack of a relationship between brace treatment duration during adolescence and BMC during young adulthood, suggests that the brace treatment is not the likely mechanism of the low BMC.

Effects of Plyometric and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Neuromuscular Function in Young Adolescent Soccer Players

This study examined the effect of 8-weeks of resistance (RT) and plyometric (PLYO) training on maximal strength, power and jump performance compared with no added training (CON), in young male soccer players. Forty-one 11-13 year-old soccer players were divided into three groups (RT, PLYO, CON). All participants completed 5 isometric knee extensions at 90° and 5 isokinetic knee extensions at 240°/s pre- and post-training. Peak torque (PT), peak rate of torque development (pRTD), electromechanical-day (EMD), rate of muscle activation (Q30), muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) and jump performance were examined. Both RT and PLYO resulted in significant (p < 0.05) increases in PT, pRTD and jump performance. RT resulted in significantly greater increases in both isometric and isokinetic PT, while PLYO resulted in significantly greater increases in isometric pRTD and jump performance compared with CON (p < 0.05). Q30 increased to a greater extent in PLYO (20%) compared with RT (5%) and CON (-5%) (p = 0.1). In conclusion, 8-weeks of RT and PLYO resulted in significant improvements in muscle strength and jump performance. RT appears to be more effective at eliciting increases in maximal strength while PLYO appears to enhance explosive strength, mediated by possible increases in the rate of muscle activation.