Suzanne Riggs

Health risk behaviors and attempted suicide in adolescents who report prior maltreatment

We hypothesized that high school students who experienced prior maltreatment would be more likely than their peers to report health risk behaviors and suicide attempts. Before the establishment of a high school-based clinic, an anonymous needs assessment survey was completed by 600 adolescents (grades 9 to 12). Sociodemographic information was obtained and questions were asked about physical and sexual abuse, health-related behaviors and habits, and suicide attempts. Thirteen percent of the adolescents had been maltreated: 5.2% reported prior physical abuse, 5.4% sexual abuse, and 2.7% both physical and sexual abuse. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to clarify how previous abuse was related to adolescent risk-taking behaviors and suicide. Students with a history of physical abuse were three times more likely than non-abused peers to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, almost twice as likely to use illicit drugs, six times more likely to self-induce vomiting, and five times more likely to attempt suicide. A student with a history of prior sexual abuse had a three and one-half times greater chance of being sexually active and was more than three times more likely to attempt suicide. These data on a nonclinical, nondeviant population of adolescents indicate that physical or sexual abuse in childhood may have a significant impact on adolescent health risk behaviors and suicide attempts.

Adolescents' willingness to use a school-based clinic in view of expressed health concerns

A health needs assessment was developed to facilitate implementation of a comprehensive school-based adolescent clinic. Students were asked about their willingness to use a school-based clinic for certain health and emotional problems. Six hundred students in grades 9 through 12 completed anonymous self-administered questionnaires. Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported recently feeling depressed; 12% reported a prior suicide attempt. Twenty-five percent of students felt they were overweight. Of 56% who had experienced intercourse at least once, only one third had ever used birth control. Twenty-one percent smoked cigarettes and 27% marijuana, 24% used other drugs, and 38% used alcohol. Students who reported depression and past suicide attempts were significantly (p less than or equal to 0.001) more willing to use the clinic for counseling needs than students not so reporting. Those with perceived weight problems reported more willingness to use a school clinic for nutrition information than those who did not feel overweight. Currently sexually active students were also more willing (p less than or equal to 0.001) than nonsexually active students to use the clinic for sexuality information and sexually transmitted disease screens. Respondents who used drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, however, were no more willing than nonsubstance-using peers to use clinic services for relevant health information.

Response Distortion in Adolescents Who Smoke: a Pilot Study

A wide range of data are obtained with self-report. Information obtained from persons using substances is generally reliable and valid, however, many studies show that some proportion of self-reports regarding substance use are inaccurate. This study examines self-reported response distortion in adolescents who received a brief intervention to reduce their smoking. Findings indicate that age and ethnicity of respondent may influence reported response distortion. Factors that appear to influence under- and over-reporting include social desirability and fear of repercussion. Response distortion does not appear to affect rated usefulness of the intervention, nor does intervention type appear to influence whether respondents thought the researcher wanted them to report less use. Results point to the need for further research regarding adolescents and response distortion.

Urinary leukotriene (LT) E4 in adolescents with dysmenorrhea: a pilot study

In the present study we measured levels of urinary leukotriene (LT) E(4) as an index of LT production during the menstrual cycle in adolescents. Mean urinary LTE(4) levels in girls with dysmenorrhea was approximately threefold higher than normal laboratory values on Day 1 of the menstrual period and approximately twofold higher than normal laboratory values on Day 5 of the menstrual period. Compared with urinary LTE(4) levels in girls with eumenorrhea, urinary LTE(4) levels in girls with dysmenorrhea were higher on Day 1 [361 +/- 123 pg/mg creatinine vs. 122 +/- 37 pg/mg creatinine, p =.1; not significant (NS)] and on Day 5 (202 +/- 26 pg/mg creatinine vs. 117 +/- 26 pg/mg creatinine, p <.05) of the menstrual period, as well as on Day 10 (159 +/- 33 pg/mg creatinine vs. 88 +/- 21 pg/mg creatinine, p =.1; NS) of the menstrual cycle. Increased urinary excretion of leukotrienes, inflammatory mediators known to cause potent vasoconstriction and uterine contractions, in girls with dysmenorrhea in this pilot study, suggests that these mediators may be involved in generating dysmenorrhea symptoms in adolescents.

Serotesting versus presumptive varicella vaccination of adolescents with a negative or uncertain history of chickenpox

OBJECTIVE To review the current practice of adolescent health care providers when an adolescent reports a negative or uncertain history of chickenpox in order to provide information for future practice. METHODS Retrospective chart review of a sample of patients seen in a hospital-based adolescent primary care clinic between 1996 and 1999. RESULTS Among adolescents who reported a positive history of chickenpox (190 patients, aged 15 +/- 1 years), varicella occurred before age 5 years in 30%, between 5 and 10 years in 56%, and at older than age 10 years in 14% of the patients. When adolescents reported a negative or uncertain history of varicella (55 patients, aged 15 +/- 1 years), serotesting was ordered for the majority (73%) of cases, while only 16% were presumptively vaccinated with varicella vaccine. In six patients no intervention was noted in the charts, and these patients were contacted. In 80% of the patients who were serotested, varicella IgG titers of > or = 1:32 indicated a previous unnoticed infection and lifelong immunity to varicella. In only 20% of the patients sera were negative for varicella IgG titer, requiring varicella vaccination. There was no statistical difference between the number of siblings of patients with a positive serologic test (3 +/- 1) and the number of siblings of seronegative patients (2 +/- 1, p = 0.41). Seven of the eight seronegative patients consented to varicella vaccination and were vaccinated within 10 months of serotesting. CONCLUSIONS These data support the practice of serotesting for a previously unnoticed varicella infection rather than presumptive vaccination in the adolescent age group. A follow-up vaccination of seronegative adolescents should be scheduled as close to serotesting as possible.

Bone accretion in adolescents using the combined estrogen and progestin transdermal contraceptive method Ortho Evra: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To date, there are no data regarding the effect of the transdermal combined estrogen and progestin contraceptive Ortho Evra on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD). We examined the effects of transdermally delivered ethinyl estradiol and norelgestromin on whole body (WB) BMC and BMD of the hip and lumbar spine (LS) of adolescent girls. METHODS In a matched case-control study, girls (n = 5) who applied Ortho Evra for days 1-21 followed by days 22-28 free of medication for 13 cycles (about 12 months) were compared with 5 age- and ethnicity-matched control girls. Evaluations of calcium intake; bone-protective physical activity; bone densitometry (DXA, QDR 4500A, Hologic); bone formation markers serum osteocalcin (OC) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP); bone resorption marker urinary N-telopeptide (uNTX); insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1); and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were carried out at initiation, 6 months, and 12 months. Changes from baseline were compared using mixed models, adjusting for follow-up comparisons using the Holm Test (sequential Bonferroni). RESULTS There were no significant differences (SD) between groups at baseline in age, gynecologic age, WBBMC, hip BMD, and LSBMD. Girls on Ortho Evra did not change significantly in WBBMC (12-month mean increase 0.2% +/- 0.8%), whereas controls did (3.9% +/- 1.8%, P < or = .001, adjusted P = .002), with SD between the 2 groups (P = .007, adjusted P = .036). Adolescents on Ortho Evra did not change significantly in hip BMD (12-month mean increase 0.5% +/- 0.6%), whereas controls did (2.7% +/- 0.6%, P < or = .001, adjusted P = .004), with SD between the 2 groups (P = .024) prior to adjustment for multiple comparisons, but no SD after adjustment (P = .096). Similarly, although the increase in LSBMD within the control group after 12 months (mean increase 2.8% +/- 1.0%) was statistically significant (P = .009, adjusted P = .044), the change within the treatment group (12-month mean increase 0.8% +/- 0.8%) was not. However, percent LSBMD changes after 12 months did not significantly differ between the 2 groups before or after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Calcium intake and bone-protective physical activity did not significantly predict BMC and BMD changes of study participants. There was a significantly greater increase in SHBG levels in the treatment group after 6 months (P = .003, adjusted P = .013) and 12 months (P < or = .001, adjusted P < or = .001) than in controls. Changes in levels of OC, BAP, uNTX, and IGF-1 were not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS Ortho Evra use attenuates bone mass acquisition in young women who are still undergoing skeletal maturation. This attenuation may be attributed in part to increased SHBG levels, which reduce the concentrations of free estradiol and free testosterone that are available to interact with receptors on the bone. Clinical implications remain to be determined in studies with a larger number of adolescents.

Isolated Low HDL Cholesterol Emerges as the Most Common Lipid Abnormality Among Obese Adolescents

A 12-hour fasting lipid profile was obtained from 88 otherwise healthy obese (BMI ≥ 95%) adolescents (age 16 ± 1 years, BMI 36 ± 1 kg/m2, 55 males, 33 females, 57% Hispanic, 23% African American, 19% Caucasian, 1% Asian American). About 56% of the obese adolescents exhibited lipid abnormalities based on cutoff points established by American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines, and about 57% exhibited lipid abnormalities based on percentile values established by the Lipid Research Clinic Pediatric Prevalence Study. Isolated low high-density lipoprotein—cholesterol (HDL-C) was the most common abnormality (43% based on AHA, 36% based on the Lipid Research Clinic Pediatric Prevalence Study) among the obese adolescents with lipid disorders. While there was no significant statistical difference (SSD) between genders in the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein—cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly higher (P = .003) in males (120 ± 11 mg/dL) than in females (81 ± 7 mg/dL), and levels of HDL-C were significantly higher (P = .006) in females (42 ± 2 mg/dL) than in males (35 ± 1 mg/dL). There was no SSD between races in total cholesterol and LDL-C levels. TG levels were significantly lower in African-American participants (81 ± 9 mg/ dL) compared with levels in Caucasian participants (117 ± 15 mg/dL, P ≤ .05) and with levels in Hispanic participants (112 ± 11 mg/dL, P = .03). HDL-C levels were significantly higher in African-American participants (43 ± 3 mg/dL) compared with levels in Hispanic participants (36 ± 1 mg/dL, P = .03), but there was no SSD when compared with HDL-C levels in Caucasian participants (37 ± 2 mg/dL).

Adolescent risk-takers: a trauma center study of suicide attempters and drivers

Adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by excessive risk-taking behavior that produces adverse health effects, typically in the form of injury. At issue is whether adolescent suicide attempters and injured adolescent motor vehicle drivers constitute a common risk group and are differentiated by the response of the emergency medical care system and by case disposition. Data originated in the medical records of a Rhode Island (USA) trauma center. The two study groups were not distinguished by religious preference, socioeconomic status or timing of the injury incident, but differed significantly by gender, race, emergency vehicle use, hospital admission rates, and seasonal injury patterns. Alcohol and drug involve ment was examined, but serious data deficiencies were noted.

Supplementation with vitamin C and / or vitamin B6 in the prevention of Depo-Provera side effects in adolescents.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Depo-Provera-induced menstrual irregularity is believed to be secondary to relative estrogen deficiency. Weight gain associated with this contraceptive method is believed to be due to Depo-Proveras steroid-like appetite stimulation effect and to an altered tryptophan metabolism. We examined whether vitamin C, an important factor in uterine estrogen binding, and vitamin B(6), a glucocorticoid antagonist and an important coenzyme in the tryptophan-serotonin pathway, might alleviate menstrual irregularities and weight gain associated with Depo-Provera. METHODS Fifty-five adolescent girls (age 16 +/- 1 yr, gyn age 4 +/- 1 yr, body mass index 25.2 +/- 0.9) who decided to initiate Depo-Provera (150 mg intramuscularly every 3 months) were randomly assigned to one of four groups (group 1: vitamin B(6) 50 mg plus placebo pill/day; group 2: vitamin C 500 mg plus placebo pill/day; group 3: vitamin B(6) 50 mg plus vitamin C 500 mg/day; group 4 (control): 2 placebo pills/day) for 6 months. Participants were assessed by their care providers every 3 months. SETTING Two urban hospital-based adolescent clinics. RESULTS Number of days of bleeding during the first interval (first 3 months) as well as during the second interval (months 4-6) among groups 1, 2, and 3 did not differ statistically from days of bleeding in control group. There were no significant body mass index (BMI) changes among groups 1-3 (-0.15 +/- 0.18, 0.34 +/- 0.56, 0.01 +/- 0.31) compared with control (-0.38 +/- 0.38) during the first interval as well as during the second interval (0.68 +/- 0.37, -0.39 +/- 0.21, 0.45 +/- 0.32, compared with 0.28 +/- 0.43). When data from all 55 participants were collapsed, there was no significant change in BMI during the first 6 months of Depo-Provera use. About 48% at 3 months and 44% at 6 months were very or somewhat concerned about menstrual irregularity; 41% at 3 months and 18% at 6 months were very or somewhat concerned about weight changes. More than half (57%) at 3 months and 74% at 6 months reported less tampon/pad use, and 77% at 3 months and 78% at 6 months reported decreased menstrual cramps. Overall, 59% at 3 months and 70% at 6 months were very satisfied with Depo-Provera; 97% at 3 months and 96% at 6 months said that they would recommend Depo-Provera to a friend or a relative. CONCLUSIONS This study does not support a role for vitamin C in the prevention of Depo-Provera-induced menstrual irregularities or for vitamin B(6) in the prevention of weight changes associated with Depo-Provera. The unchanged BMI during the first 6 months of Depo-Provera use in the present study suggests that raising awareness and close follow-up may prevent weight gain among adolescent girls using this contraceptive method.

Renal bleeding in early pregnancy associated with an undiagnosed hemoglobinopathy

Abstract A 16-year-old black female presented with painless genitourinary tract bleeding of 3 days duration. She suspected pregnancy and examination revealed a 10-week-old intrauterine gestation. Hemoglobin sickle cell disease was diagnosed by hemoglobin electrophoresis. The patients renal anatomy was normal and no obstruction was seen on ultrasound. She was admitted to the hospital for rest, hydration, and monitoring. Renal bleeding stopped spontaneously after 4 days of hospitalization. Her renal bleeding was probably triggered by the increased metabolic and hemodynamic demands of early pregnancy.