A cigarette hanging from a teenager’s mouth is a sight that makes most adults cringe. With 22% of high school students and 10% of middle school children smoking in America, the habit is considered an epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, a recent article in Pediatric Nursing journal shows that there are effective quitting programs available that offer hope.

Deborah J. Fritz and her co-authors report in the January-February 2008 issue that the Computerized Adolescent Smoking Cessation Program (CASCP) is effective in getting teenagers to quit, inexpensive, and easily implemented in schools.

Fritz studied 128 teenagers, 14-19 years old, divided in half for control and experimental groups. The experimental group completed four CASCP computer sessions as well as questionnaires and post-intervention testing. Not only did the experimental group report more quit attempts than the control group subjects, who did not participate in the computer sessions, but 23% of the teens actually quit smoking.

The encouraging results show the CASCP program does work and that such programs should be implemented in schools whenever possible, says Fritz. Nurses play a key role in recruiting adolescents into smoking cessation programs and/or referring them to agencies such as the American Lung Association for help. School nurses should also advocate for implementing programs like CASCP and for incorporating smoking cessation into health classes. (A Computerized Smoking Cessation Intervention for High School Smokers; Deborah J. Fritz, PhD, FNP, RN, et al.; Pediatric Nursing, January-February 2008, www.pediatricnursing.net)

Key Strategies Can Protect Youth from Sexual Abuse
The numbers speak louder than words: There are over 83 pregnancies per 1,000 adolescents in the United States, compared with 10 in Japan and 12 in the Netherlands. However, according to a recent article in Pediatric Nursing journal, understanding the risk factors for sexual assault and early sexual behavior and then implementing protective steps can go a long way in keeping children safe.

In the January-February 2008 issue of the journal, authors Lynn Rew and Katherine Bowman outline the forces that put children at risk, including permissive parenting, lack of sex education, unsupervised leisure time and exposure to mass media. Not only do parents need to step in and monitor their children, but communities and schools must act to set up effective programs and education, Rew and Bowman advise.

Nurses are in an ideal position to have a positive impact, the authors say. For example, public and community health nurses can plan and implement community-wide programs. They can also be alert to individuals at risk and take appropriate protective steps. Third, nurses can join with other health care professionals and act as advocates to inspire lawmakers to strengthen national sexual health policies. (Protecting Youth from Early and Abusive Sexual Experiences; Lynne Rew, EdD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, and Katherine Bowman, PhD, RN; Pediatric Nursing, January-February 2008, www.pediatricnursing.net)

Early Risk Factors Have Powerful Impact on Child Behavior Problems
Understanding the specific risk factors that cause behavior problems in young children can help nurses and other pediatric health care professionals intervene in time to prevent serious future consequences, according to a recent report in Pediatric Nursing journal.

In an in-depth research analysis in the January-February 2008 issue, authors Tracy Magee and Sister Callista Roy analyze data from an 8-year study using a sample of 721 children. The sample was taken from a larger study, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Children and Young Adults conducted by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Magee’s and Roy’s analysis focused on the effects of three factors: mother, environment and child. The authors considered the mother’s mental state and discipline methods, as well as the quality/safety of home and school environments. They also considered different behaviors between male and female children. Results showed that young toddlers with difficult temperament, regardless of gender, were 2.3% more likely to exhibit later behavior problems. Boys who had less able mothers and difficult temperament at a young age were the highest risk group; these children had an eightfold risk for behavior problems in subsequent years.

For nurses to have a positive influence, the authors say, there must be more nursing education on childhood growth and development. They also emphasize that nurses should advocate for clean water, adequate housing, access to health care and better education for all children so risk factors – and families’ living situations – are improved across the country. (Predicting School-Age Behavior Problems: The Role of Early Childhood Risk Factors; Tracy Magee, PhD, RN, CPNP, and Sister Callista Roy, PhD, RN, FAAN; Pediatric Nursing, January-February 2008, www.pediatricnursing.net)

Members of the media:
Feel free to use these news briefs as filler in your publications. For more information, or if you would like to interview one of the authors, contact Janet D’Alesandro at janetd@ajj.com or 856-256-2422..

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Pediatric Nursing is a clinically-based journal focusing on the needs of professionals in pediatric practice, research, administration and education.