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National AAP Updates
Teen Drug Use Has Not Rebounded From Drop During Early Years Of COVID-19 Pandemic, Survey Finds
The AP (12/17) reports, “Teen drug use hasn’t rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results from a large annual national survey released Tuesday.” Roughly “two-thirds of 12th graders this year said they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days.” That is “the largest proportion abstaining since the annual survey started measuring abstinence in 2017.” The Monitoring the Future survey found that “among 10th graders, 80% said they hadn’t used any of those substances recently, another record.” Meanwhile, “among 8th graders, 90% didn’t use any of them, the same as was reported in the previous survey.”
Adolescents Who Identify As Transgender Or Gender Diverse Are Less Physically Active Compared With Those Who Identify As Cisgender, Analysis Finds
Healio (12/17) reports “adolescents who identified as transgender or gender diverse appeared to be less physically active compared with those who identified as cisgender, a cross-sectional analysis” showed. One researcher said that as a result, primary care providers “should ask questions about gender identity and physical activity in adolescents.” The investigator added, “Most adolescents don’t reach the recommended levels of physical activity, and this is especially the case for transgender and gender-diverse adolescents.” The findings were published in the Annals of Epidemiology.
AAP News: AAP CEO recounts decades of achievements, continuing work to improve child health
Treatment With Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Helps Ease Severe Symptoms Of Anxiety, Depression In Children With CF, Study Finds
Cystic Fibrosis News Today (12/17) reports, “Treatment with Trikafta [elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor] may help ease severe symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study in the U.S. suggests.” According to the researchers, “the findings show depression and anxiety aren’t common among children with CF at the start of Trikafta and the ‘percentage of patients experiencing severe symptoms of depression and anxiety may decrease with ongoing use of [Trikafta].’” The findings were published in Pediatric Pulmonology.
Team Sports In Childhood May Help Sharpen Children’s Brains, Research Suggests
HealthDay (12/17) reports, “There may be something special about team sports in childhood that helps sharpen a [child’s] brain, new research shows.” Investigators found that “children who were on soccer or volleyball teams scored higher on tests of ‘executive function’ – thinking skills needed to organize, remember details, make decisions and stay focused – compared to [children] who didn’t play sports or played individual sports only.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open. Alison Brooks, MD, professor of orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, believes “U.S. [children] can expect to reap the same cognitive rewards from team sports.” She “pointed to a 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics report on the value of organized sports for [children].” Brooks “said it found benefits to ‘positive self-esteem and relationships with peers, less anxiety and depression, better bone health’ as well as healthier hearts, less obesity and ‘better cognitive and academic performance.’”
AAP News: Healthy habits can help children succeed in school
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