Adolescent health behaviors and related factors: a review.

This review examined research relevant to adolescent health behavior in order to identify key behaviors and factors related to behaviors for targeting health-promoting interventions. The 34 studies reviewed sampled mainly Caucasian subjects ranging in age from 12 to 24 years. The majority of the studies were descriptive and cross-sectional, and they dealt with a specific health behavior or group of behaviors such as eating, sleeping, and exercise. Primary factors related to health behavior included gender, family structure, ethnicity, knowledge, and attitudes. Increased knowledge of factors that impact adolescent health behaviors is essential so that public health nurses (PHNs) and other health professionals can be more responsive to developmental and lifestyle factors influencing the health of youth within families and communities.

Teenage pregnancy: "having a baby won't affect me that much".

This qualitative study explored the experience of pregnancy from the perspectives of female adolescents. Interviews were conducted over a 16-week period with eight pregnant students who attended an alternative school program for pregnant teens. The hermeneutic social science method based on the work of Kockelmans (1975) and Steeves and Kahn (1995) guided the analysis. Overall, participants expressed a sense of optimism and confidence in their abilities to manage single parenthood, achieve educational goals, and maintain supportive relationships with the fathers of their babies. The findings support previous research and raise questions that warrant further study, particularly in relation to fighting behaviors.

Human botulism (type F)--a rare type.

An unusual presentation of type F botulism (one of the world's three reported outbreaks) is described. The diagnosis was complicated by the presence of pre-existing Adie's myotonic pupil. There was also a history of self-inflicted small-caliber gunshot wound to the right brain 10 years before the onset of the botulism. Post-traumatic seizure disorder, also present in this patient, was under good control. No offending food was ever discerned, despite exhaustive study.

The effects of cooling the egg on the respiratory movements of the hatching duck (Anas platyrhynchos).

1. The ambient temperature of pipped eggs of the domestic duck was reduced from 39 degrees C to 24 +/- 1.5 degrees C for a period of 1 hr. 2. In the majority of embryos there was a notable increase in the amplitude of respiration. 3. The respiratory frequency of each embryo fell, but remained above a value of 60 breaths/min. 4. When the eggs were rewarmed there was a reduction in the respiratory amplitude within a period of 10 min and the respiratory frequencies of the majority of embryos returned to normal within a period of 30 min. 5. These results are compared with those obtained previously in similar studies on the domestic fowl and quail.