Health News

Doctors Spend Very Little Time Talking About Sex With Teens

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has revealed that many doctors spend very little time discussing sex with their teenage patients – if they do at all. According to Counsel and Heal, researchers from Duke University analyzed the audio recordings of 253 annual doctors’ visits for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has revealed that many doctors spend very little time discussing sex with their teenage patients – if they do at all.

According to Counsel and Heal, researchers from Duke University analyzed the audio recordings of 253 annual doctors’ visits for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. They found that the doctors discussed sex in only 65 percent of the visits, with the conversations lasting an average of 36 seconds. In the other 35 percent of visits, the topic of sex wasn’t brought up at all.

The study’s authors argue that such limited exchanges won’t help meet the “sexual health prevention needs of teens.”

“It’s hard for physicians to treat adolescents and help them make healthy choices about sex if they don’t have these conversations,” said lead author Stewart Alexander, associate professor of medicine at Duke. “For teens who are trying to understand sex and sexuality, not talking about sex could have huge implications.”

The study also revealed that only 4 percent of the teenage patients had prolonged discussions about sex with their doctors. Additionally, the female patients were twice as likely as their male counterparts to spend more time talking about sex.

Source: all news

Slow eating may reduce hunger but not calorie intake

Previous studies suggest that eating speed may affect how many calories the body consumes. But new research suggests that eating speed, rather than caloric intake, may have more of an impact on hunger suppression.

This is according to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Investigators from the Department of Kinesiology at Texas Christian University say that previous research has mainly analyzed the link between calorie intake and eating speed in individuals of a healthy weight.

But this new study looked at the relationship between eating speed and energy intake in 35 overweight and obese individuals and compared the results with 35 individuals of a healthy weight.

New research suggests that eating slowly may reduce hunger but may not have a significant impact on calorie intake.
Both groups were required to consume one meal a day within a controlled environment over 2 days. Both meals were the same for each group, and the energy content (calories) and weight of each meal were measured prior to consumption.

For one meal, both groups were asked to eat at a slow pace. During this meal, they were asked to imagine they had time constraints in which to finish, to take small bites, thoroughly chew their meal and pause and set down their cutlery between bites.

For the other meal, both groups were asked to eat their food at a fast pace. They were asked to imagine they had to finish their meal within a certain time frame, take large bites, chew quickly and to not put down their cutlery between bites.

Slow eating ‘may reduce hunger’
Results of the study revealed that both groups felt less hungry an hour after the slow-eating condition, compared with the fast-eating condition.

Dr. Meena Shah, lead author of the study, explains:

“In both groups, ratings of hunger were significantly lower at 60 minutes from when the meal began during the slow compared to the fast-eating condition. These results indicate that greater hunger suppression among both groups could be expected from a meal that is consumed more slowly.”

Both groups also demonstrated a higher water consumption throughout the slow-eating condition, with 12 ounces of water consumed, compared with 9 ounces throughout the fast-eating condition.

Dr. Shah says the higher consumption of water during the slow-eating condition may have caused stomach distention in the participants and therefore may have affected the level of food consumption.

No impact on calorie intake for obese group
However, when analyzing the participants’ calorie intake, the researchers found that only the subjects of a healthy weight saw a reduction in calorie intake after consuming the meal in the slow-eating condition. The obese/overweight group ate 58 calories less, while the normal weight group ate 88 calories less.

“A lack of statistical significance in the overweight and obese group may be partly due to the fact that they consumed less food during both eating conditions compared to the normal-weight subjects,” says Dr. Shah.

She adds that the overweight and obese participants may have felt self-conscious during the meal, and so it is possible that this may have caused them to eat less.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of the US adult population is obese. Obesity rates have increased from 14.5% of the US population in 1971-74 to 35.9% of the population in 2009-10.

Dr. Shah notes that with obesity rates continuing to rise, information on how individuals of a different weight approach and consume food may help in the development of strategies to reduce calorie intake.

But she says that findings from this study show that slowing the speed of eating “may help to lower energy intake and suppress hunger levels and may even enhance the enjoyment of a meal.”

Source: medical news today

Cholesterol linked to Alzheimer’s protein, unclear why

Patterns of “good” and “bad” cholesterol usually associated with heart risks also predicted the levels of Alzheimer’s-related beta amyloid protein seen in the brains of study participants.

“One of the important themes emerging from dementia research over the past 15 years is that there are intriguing connections between vascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease,” Bruce Reed, who led the research, told Reuters Health by email.

Reed is a professor and associate director of the University of California Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

“It has become increasingly clear that what have been traditionally thought of as vascular risk factors – things like hypertension, diabetes and elevated cholesterol – are also risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,” Reed said.

In previous work, Reed and his colleagues found a connection between overall vascular risk and levels of brain amyloid.

“Amyloid deposition is important because it is widely believed by scientists to be a key event that initiates a chain of events that eventually, years later, results in the dementia of Alzheimer’s disease,” Reed said.

“There was also previous work in cell cultures and with animals that suggested that cholesterol plays an important role in promoting the deposition of amyloid in the brain,” Reed said.

For the new study, published in JAMA Neurology, the researchers examined the cholesterol levels of 74 elderly people who had normal to mildly impaired cognitive function. Researchers also measured brain deposits of beta amyloid protein with positron emission tomography (PET scanning).

They found that on average, participants who had higher levels of the “bad” LDL cholesterol and lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol also had higher levels of amyloid in the brain.

Elevated LDL-cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease while high levels of HDL-cholesterol are thought to protect against heart disease.

“We think this is a very important finding, but as with all novel findings it needs to be replicated,” Reed said. “Assuming that the basic pattern is found in other groups of patients, it is urgent that we try to understand the mechanism(s) behind this finding.”

“Cholesterol in blood and cholesterol in brain are separate ‘pools,’ walled off from one another by the blood brain barrier. We measured cholesterol in blood. So that is one question that needs to be answered – how do cholesterol levels in blood and in brain influence each other,” Reed said.

“And in the brain, it is not entirely understood how changing cholesterol levels might reduce amyloid deposition. We are very interested in the idea that higher HDL (‘good’) cholesterol levels may help the brain more efficiently clear the toxic amyloid at an early stage,” Reed said.

“If those questions were understood we could begin to think about how to change cholesterol levels so as to prevent the buildup of amyloid,” Reed added.

In other studies, some researchers have found evidence that LDL cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins, might offer some protection against Alzheimer’s disease, but the results have been inconsistent.

Reed’s team didn’t see any associations between current use of cholesterol medication by the participants and their amyloid levels.

In their report, Reed and his coauthors caution that the study does not prove cholesterol is directly affecting amyloid deposition. For instance, they write, unhealthy cholesterol could be linked to vascular damage, such as small strokes, and those micro-injuries could be the reason for the protein deposits.

He encourages people to follow the advice of their doctor and try to achieve the cholesterol guidelines set by the American Heart Association.

“A remarkable number of people who are alive now will live into their 80s or beyond – the period of highest risk for Alzheimer’s. This study is one more piece of evidence that what we do now can shape our health positively in those years,” Reed said.

Source: ABS CBN news

A boy received lungs after the nation’s organ transplants rules.

Javier Acosta can finally start to breathe easy. The New York boy received a new set of lungs after challenging the nation’s organ transplants rules.

Acosta, as well as Pennsylvania’s Sarah Murnaghan, forced the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to change the rules that allowed adolescents and adults to receive organs based on their needs or sickness. Up until now, children had to wait until they turned 12 years old to be put on the waiting list.

Javier had surgery on October 13th after his mother Milagros Martinez successfully filed a lawsuit allowing him to be put on the same list as those over 12. Javier’s mom waited to tell everyone the news about the transplant until he recovered from the surgery.

Javier suffers from the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. The disease is extremely familiar to his family. Javier’s brother died from cystic fibrosis four years ago, just months before he turned 12 and would have been considered an adolescent.

Javier remains under hospital supervision from the transplant. His mother says his prognosis is good and he is “doing fine.”

Source: airing news

Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.

In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.

The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.

Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer’s medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.

“It’s not a miracle or, obviously, a cure,” said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. “The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment (“pre-Alzheimer’s”) in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.

Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.

“This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “I am very enthusiastic about the results.”

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.

Researchers don’t know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.

Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer’s, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.

The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.

Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.

After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.

“It’s a subtle effect but it’s probably real,” Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. “That has to be weighed against the potential risks” seen in earlier studies, he said.

Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said the group’s position is that “no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer’s disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician,” because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.

The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.

Source: fox news

4 reasons why pregnant women should consider the flu shot

With flu season in full swing, attention must be paid to pregnant women when it comes to this potentially dangerous virus.

Expectant mothers must be encouraged to get a flu shot – and if they notice flu-like symptoms, they need to seek medical help immediately.

The mortality and complications of the flu in pregnancy are enormous. And these complications are not only significant to the mother, but can also affect her baby by causing premature labor, premature delivery and even death.

There are four key issues that make the flu so problematic in pregnancy.

The first one is that pregnant women have more difficulty in fighting off infections – both viral and bacterial. The reason for this is that the immune system often is underperforming due to the hormonal changes in pregnancy, which can have effects similar to those seen in people on chronic steroid medications.

Once a severe infection develops, the chances the virus or bacteria can overrun the mother are proportionally higher.

The second point has to do with those pregnancy hormones themselves, in particular – progesterone. One of the effects of progesterone in pregnancy is that it creates capillary engorgement and swelling of the lining of the nose and oral pharynx. This predisposes a pregnant women to contract viruses and infuse them quickly into circulation.

Next, there are significant physical changes in the breathing system of a pregnant women. There’s an upward displacement of the diaphragm, which grows over time as the belly becomes bigger – and means the total lung capacity is decreased. What happens is the expiratory reserve volume and the residual volume of the lungs are decreased by 20 percent, so you have less air every time you take a breath.

Now, imagine having the flu and having your lungs full of mucous. With these changes, if the patient is lying down, the chest wall function makes it harder for her to breathe.

This brings me to my last point of significance. The need for oxygen is much greater in pregnant women than non-pregnant women. The reason there is an increased oxygen consumption is because you’re now breathing for two — literally.

Ultimately, the flu can infect a pregnant woman’s lungs, not only with the flu virus, but with a secondary infection – like bacterial pneumonia, making oxygen delivery to the mother and child more problematic – and could even lead to death.

If you are pregnant, and haven’t already gotten your flu shot, you should talk to your doctor about it right away.

Source: news.nom

The Healthiest Chocolate Mousse

choc

Everyone who knows me can vouch for my obsession with my raw brownies, I’m totally addicted! They’re just amazing, and taste absolutely divine. However, these heavenly flavours aren’t really the main reason why I’m so in love them, as I think all of my desserts taste heavenly – it’s the fact that they only take 3 minutes to make and require absolutely no effort whatsoever. I have to admit though that since they’re so easy and I’m so addicted I’ve definitely eaten a lifetimes worth in the past year! I was about to make them for the trillionth time a few weeks ago when I stopped myself and decided that as a chef I should really be a little more inventive and branch out a little to find another 3 minute treat, so I did and these little bowls of insanely creamy, totally chocolatey goodness were the result. Definitely a lesson in why I should branch out more!

I just can’t tell you how awesome these are. I made six pots in my first batch thinking I’d stock of on a week’s worth of treats end guess what… I ate them all in a row! Pot by pot. They were just too good, I simply could not resist. The combination of banana and avocado creates the creamiest consistency that just melts-in-your-mouth, which is enhanced the the almond butter’s nutty goodness. The avocado’s savoury nature is totally masked though by the sweet, caramel-esq nature of the medjool dates and the deeply rich, smooth cacao powder. So you’ll get all of the avocado’s goodness without making the dessert taste like salad! Trust me on this one, it’s amazing even if it sounds a little weird! No one that’s tried it yet has come close to guessing the creamy ingredients, so I promise you won’t taste it either!

Of course you’ll be getting buckets of goodness from each little dessert pot too – lots of fantastic plant protein form the almond butter, wonderfully anti-inflammatory fats and vitamins from the avocado, tons of heart healthy potassium from the banana, toxin preventing anti-oxidants from the super food cacao and all-important fibre from the dates. So you can eat as much dessert as you like knowing you’re only eating spoonful after spoonful of goodness. A totally guilt-free pudding! How great is that?

The healthiest chocolate mousse: vegan, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free
Serves 2

– 2 really ripe bananas

– 1 ripe avocado

– 6 medjool dates

– 4 tablespoons of water

– 2 heaped teaspoons of almond butter

– 2 heaped teaspoons of raw cacao powder

choc2

 

Optional

– a squeeze of agave

– a teaspoon of hemp protein powder

– a sprinkling of chia seeds

– a sprinkling of flax seeds

Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor – pit the dates first though – then blend into a smooth delicious mixture.

A blender will work for this but a food processor is a lot easier and quicker!

Keep chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy!

Source: Deliciously Ella

 

 

Don’t ignore dental problems

Most people don’t give their oral health much importance, which later leads to painful dental ailments, reports TOI.

Common bacterial infections Says aesthetic dental surgeon Dr Shantanu Jaradi, “The human mouth contains around 500 to 1,000 types of bacteria, which perform various functions. While some are harmful, most oral bacteria help prevent diseases.

Gingivitis and periodontitis are the most common types of bacterial infection. These affect the gums and tooth-supporting structures. Adds dental surgeon Dr Karishma, “There are various types of oral infections, which can be bacterial, viral or fungal.”

The triggers Dental caries is mainly caused by a bacteria, which produces an acid that affects the enamel of the teeth. This happens due to improper or insufficient oral hygiene or wrong food habits. For example, excessive intake of sugar, etc.

“Gingivitis and periodontitis are caused by the build-up of plaque and calculus (hardened plaque), poor oral hygiene, genetic factors, underlying systemic conditions like diabetes, smoking, or a poor immune system. In Pericoronitis, gums around an erupting wisdom tooth may get infected due to bacterial colonisation in that region. Infection around an implant is known as peri implantitis and it’s causes are similar to those of periodontitis.

Traumatic tooth extraction or failure to follow post-extraction instructions may lead to it. It may also be triggered when the extraction site is unclean. Dry socket happens when the blood clot dislodges from the extraction socket,” says Dr Karishma.

Symptoms – Teeth sensitivity, lodging of food particles in the teeth and toothache are the most common symptoms of dental caries. – Periodontitis and gingivitis result in bleeding gums, soreness, bad breath, loose teeth, difficulty in chewing, etc. – Pericoronitis can be suspected when there is swelling of gums around the last molar in the lower jaw, pain and difficulty while opening and closing the mouth. In some cases, the pain extends to the ear. – Peri implantitis results in pain, loose implants, difficulty in chewing, etc. – Post-extraction infection or dry socket causes swelling, delayed healing, foul smell and severe pain.

How to avoid it “Regular brushing and flossing are the basic precautions. They will help get rid of the bacteria, which try to stick to the surface of our teeth to form plaque. Diet also influences oral health,” says Dr Shantanu. Adds Dr Karishma, “Avoid foods that have excessive sugar, use a fluoridated toothpaste, visit your dentist regularly, floss, use a waterpik (water flossers), maintain optimum blood sugar levels, quit smoking, get professional clean-ups done regularly and go for the extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth if it is causing you repeated episodes of pericoronitis.”

Common oral bacterial infections are:
– Dental caries
– Periodontitis
– Gingivitis
– Pericoronitis
– Peri implantitis
– Post extraction infection/dry socket

Source: Viral News chart

10 tips to manage high BP without pills

Hypertension on the high? Here are top 10 tips to get it down and keep it down.

Seven in 10 adults are at a greater risk of stroke or heart attack because their blood pressure is too high. Desk jobs, lack of exercise and eating salty fast foods have contributed to the problem, even among the young. If your level is consistently at or above 140mmHg/ 90mmHg (referred to as 140 over 90). The 140 figure is the systolic pressure — the pressure reached when the heart forces the blood around the body — and 90 is the diastolic pressure — the lowest pressure that occurs between heartbeats when the heart relaxes.

In India, experts say, the prevalence of hypertension ranges from 20-40 per cent in urban adults and 12-17 per cent among rural adults. But there’s no reason to worry. Simple measures will help to cut your risk.

1. Go for a weekly jog
Jogging for just an hour a week can increase your life expectancy by six years, according to a Copenhagen City Heart cardiovascular study of around 20,000 men and women aged from 20 to 93.

Researchers believe jogging delivers multiple health benefits, improving oxygen uptake and lowering blood pressure, as well as many more benefits. However, any physical activity can help lower blood pressure by strengthening the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort, thereby decreasing the force on the arteries. Power walking can be just as effective as jogging.

2. Enjoy yoghurt
Just one small pot a day can reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure by a third, according to a study presented at the University of Minnesota in the US. Scientists think naturally occurring calcium can make blood vessels more supple, enabling them to expand slightly and keep pressure low.

They found those who ate a 120g pot daily were 31 per cent less likely to develop high blood pressure over a 15-year period than those who did not.

3. Go bananas
Eating potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, and reducing salt intake could save thousands of lives every year, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal online.
Potassium is an important mineral that controls the balance of fluids in the body and helps to lower blood pressure. Making sure you eat five.

4. Down with salt
Salt draws in fluid, raising the volume and pressure of blood in your arteries. But it’s not just the salt cellar you have to worry about — processed foods such as biscuits, breakfast cereals, takeaways and ready meals contain 80 per cent of the salt we consume, says the Blood Pressure Association. Check labels: more than 1.5g salt per 100g is a lot, but less than 0.3mg per 100g is a little.

5. Lose weight
Research has shown that dropping just a few kilos can have a substantial impact on your blood pressure. Excess weight makes your heart work harder and this strain can lead to high blood pressure.

6. Don’t smoke
The nicotine in cigarettes stimulates your body to produce adrenaline, making your heart beat faster and raises your blood pressure, making your heart work harder.

7. Work less
Regularly putting in 40 hours per week at the office raises your risk of hypertension by 14 per cent, the University of California, US, found.The risk rises with overtime. Compared with those who worked fewer than 40 hours a week, workers who clocked up more than 51 hours were 29 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure. Overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthily, say researchers. So try to down tools with enough time to relax in the evening and eat a healthy supper. Set a message on your computer as a reminder to go home.

8. Seek help for snoring
Loud, incessant snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. And more than half of those with this have blood pressure significantly higher than expected for their age and general health.

Cutting out cigarettes and alcohol and losing weight will help.

9. Switch to decaf
Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, US, found caffeine consumption of 500mg, roughly three cups, increased blood pressure by three points. Effects lasted until bedtime.

Scientists say that caffeine can raise blood pressure by tightening blood vessels and magnifying the effects of stress.

10. Think beetroot
A study published in the journal Hypertension found drink ing a 250ml cup of the juice can cut blood pressure readings in those with high blood pressure by around seven per cent. It’s thought the effect is produced by beetroot’s naturally high levels of nitrate. Eating other-rich foods — cab bage and spinach — might also help

Source: Viral news chart

Strict parenting may reduce teen smoking

Parents who set limits are less likely to have kids who smoke, regardless of their ethnic and racial backgrounds, according to a new U.S. study.

Researchers surveyed middle schoolers from diverse backgrounds and found those whose parents had an “authoritative” and “structured” parenting style were also more likely to be discouraged from smoking by their parents and less likely to become smokers.

“Many past studies have examined broad parenting styles, however this study looked at how specific parenting strategies may help protect youth from cigarette smoking initiation,” said Cassandra Stanton, an assistant professor in the oncology department at Georgetown University, who led the study.

“We also note that unlike many studies in the area that are conducted in largely white middle class samples, this study was conducted in an urban multi-ethnic low-income school district,” Stanton told Reuters Health.

It’s important to identify ways of helping parents prevent kids from starting to smoke, Stanton’s team writes in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, because the majority of lifetime smokers begin before the age of 18.

Although the number of teenage smokers has declined significantly, one in three young adults reports smoking at least once in the past 30 days, according to a 2012 report by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Past research has found links between low discipline, parental disengagement and increased risk of smoking, Stanton’s team notes. Rates of smoking vary among ethnic groups, with white students smoking daily at a rate twice that of African American and Latino students. However, African Americans and Latinos experience significantly higher rates of smoking-related health complications later in life compared with whites.

To delve deeper into which parenting strategies are effective among a diverse set of families, the researchers recruited 459 eighth graders from two low-income inner-city schools in the Northeast. The students averaged 13-years-old, with 29 percent identifying themselves as Hispanic, 34 percent as African American, 17 percent as non-Hispanic white and 20 percent as other/mixed ethnicity.

The students took a comprehensive survey in class with parental consent. The survey asked about the student’s smoking history and whether the student’s parents smoked. It also asked questions about parenting styles, such as discipline and warmth, and whether the student would receive punishments and discussion of the dangers of tobacco if caught smoking.

The researchers then followed up four years later to assess whether students had smoked.

Stanton’s group found that what they called controlling parenting, which was associated with rule enforcement, curfews and set bedtimes, was more likely than a less strict, more understanding parenting style to go hand in hand with so-called anti-tobacco parenting strategies.

Those anti-tobacco strategies include punishing a child if he or she has been caught smoking and discussing with the child the motivations behind smoking and why smoking is so dangerous. Being on the receiving end of such anti-tobacco strategies was in turn linked to a lower likelihood of lifetime smoking for the student.

The association held regardless of race or ethnicity, which the researchers say should be reassuring because other cultural differences don’t seem to alter the effectiveness of this approach.

It is important for parents to take an active role in protecting their children from developing an addiction to tobacco, Stanton said.

“Setting and enforcing clear standards of behavior and actively monitoring and supervising a teen’s activities are important strategies for protecting youth from risky behavior,” she said.

“To protect youth from experimenting with tobacco and ultimately developing an addiction to tobacco, it is important to talk about the risks of tobacco, as well as set and enforce clear rules and consequences that are specific to tobacco.”

Heather Patrick at the Health Behaviors Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute, who was not involved in this study, believes structure and authority in parenting is an important tool in preventing teens from smoking. However, she cautions, “heavy-handed” parenting can often cause stress and strain in the relationship.

Patrick said smoking cessation interventions should be tailored to different groups to be more effective. “It’s helpful for intervention materials to have images that show a diversity of racial and ethnic groups,” she wrote in an email.

It’s also helpful, she said, for anti-smoking messages to provide examples, “like how to deal with cravings, how to be smoke free when all of your friends are smoking, or how to deal with conflict at home, to connect with the kinds of experiences real teen smokers face.”

Source: US web daily