Adolescence is a time when youth make decisions, both good and bad, that have consequences for the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions put them at risk of lifelong health problems, injury, or death. The Institute of Medicine held three public workshops between 2008 and 2009 to provide a venue for researchers, health care providers, and community leaders to discuss strategies to improve adolescent health.
With all of the progress African Americans have made, they still face many risks that threaten the entire race or place segments in jeopardy of survival. This work examines the widespread problem and suggests solutions. This two-volume set examines the issues and policies that put African Americans at risk in our culture today, utilizing the most recent research from scholars in the field to provide not only objective, encyclopedic information, but also varying viewpoints to encourage critical thinking. The entries comprehensively document how African Americans are treated differently, have more negative outcomes in the same situations than other races, and face risks due to issues inherent in their past or current social and economic conditions. Care is taken to note distinctions between subgroups and not further a "blanket approach" to the diverse members of this minority population. Intended for members of the African American community; societal scholars; students in the fields of health, social studies, and public policy; as well as general readers, this work will provide readers with a deeper understanding of key components affecting the lives of African Americans today.
This unique text offers an interdisciplinary collection of the most current articles concerning the scientific study of Child Health Psychology. The subjects of many articles are applicable to pediatrics, family medicine, child nursing, developmental, clinical child, and pediatric psychology. Emphasizing the scientific basis of the field, this empirical research is invaluable to the specialist, teacher, or student seeking the most contemporary research methods used to study psychological aspects of children's health care.
The United States has the dubious distinction of leading the industrialized world in overall rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), with 12 million new cases annually. About 3 million teenagers contract an STD each year, and many will have long-term health problems as a result. Women and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to these diseases and their health consequences. In addition, STDs increase the risk of HIV transmission. The Hidden Epidemic examines the scope of sexually transmitted infections in the United States and provides a critical assessment of the nation's response to this public health crisis. The book identifies the components of an effective national STD prevention and control strategy and provides direction for an appropriate response to the epidemic. Recommendations for improving public awareness and education, reaching women and adolescents, integrating public health programs, training health care professionals, modifying messages from the mass media, and supporting future research are included. The book documents the epidemiological dimensions and the economic and social costs of STDs, describing them as "a secret epidemic" with tremendous consequences. The committee frankly discusses the confusing and often hypocritical nature of how Americans deal with issues regarding sexualityâ€"the conflicting messages conveyed in the mass media, the reluctance to promote condom use, the controversy over sex education for teenagers, and the issue of personal blame. The Hidden Epidemic identifies key elements of effective, culturally appropriate programs to promote healthy behavior by adolescents and adults. It examines the problem of fragmentation in STD services and provides examples of communities that have formed partnerships between stakeholders to develop integrated approaches. The committee's recommendations provide a practical foundation on which to build an integrated national program to help young people and adults develop habits of healthy sexuality. The Hidden Epidemic was written for both health care professionals and people without a medical background and will be indispensable to anyone concerned about preventing and controlling STDs.
Taking an approach grounded in the media effects tradition, this book provides a comprehensive, research-oriented treatment of how children and adolescents interact with the media. Chapters review the latest findings as well as seminal studies that have helped frame the issues in such areas as advertising, violence, video games, sexuality, drugs, body image and eating disorders, music, and the Internet. Each chapter is liberally sprinkled with illustrations, examples from the media, policy debates, and real-life instances of media impact.
In the early 1980s we witnessed the birth of one of the most complex and perplexing social problems faced by modern society: the epidemic of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Originally published in 1993 this title looks at the social psychology surrounding HIV and AIDS. The organization of the volume centres upon two themes: The Theoretical Roots of Prevention and The Dilemma of the PWA (person with AIDS). The goal of this volume is not to evaluate previous attempts to answer these social problems, but to provide theoretical analyses of some of the basic sociopsychological processes that underlie the problems. Over 20 years on this is a snapshot of research into HIV and AIDS and attitudes of the time looking at social problems that are very much still with us.
