Published since January 1, 1985

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health

ISSN: 2191-0278

Editors-in-Chief: Maria Demma Cabral, Imelda Coyne

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About this journal

Objective

The International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health (IJAMH) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, scientific journal which aims to publish original research on the promotion, prevention and improvement of adolescents’ health and well-being globally.

Starting 2025, the journal will be transferred to Diamond Open Access on a year-by-year basis. All articles will thus immediately appear under the Creative Commons license CC-BY. There will be no publication costs for the authors. The Open Access transformation is based on Subscribe-to-Open, an alternative model that enables the full Open Access transformation of journals by continuing existing subscriptions. The prerequisite for successful transformation is that subscriptions are continued to the same extent as before. The editors of the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health and the publisher De Gruyter would therefore like to thank all subscribers for their support in making the transformation to Open Access possible.

Our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of individuals during adolescence. To achieve this, we aim not only to publish research that supports their healthy growth and development but also to empower young people with chronic conditions and special health needs to successfully transition from pediatric to adult care. Starting in　2025, the journal will feature a dedicated section　"Transitions in Medicine and Health Care", focusing on this important topic. We work closely with the Society for Transition Medicine (Gesellschaft für Transitionsmedizin e.V., GfTM), whose official publication the journal is.

We seek original manuscripts, review articles, short communications, and letters to the editor from all disciplines worldwide. We welcome manuscripts from our colleagues in medicine, nursing, health services research, social work, psychiatry, psychology and youth work, public health and policy, and other disciplines working to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults.

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health regularly identifies focus topics that the editorial team considers to be of particular global relevance.

Focus Topics in 2024 and 2025

Innovations in Adolescent Health

Climate Change and Health

Refugee and Migrant Health

Promoting Mental Health

Diversity and Inclusion

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Our International Editorial Team is dedicated to producing a high-quality scientific journal that is essential reading for healthcare professionals, practitioners, researchers, educators, managers, policymakers, students, and other learners. All contributions submitted for publication undergo single-anonymized peer review by at least two renowned experts in the field, selected and invited by the Editors-in-Chief or the Associate Editors.

Article formats
Original Articles, Review Articles, Short Communications, Letters to the Editor

Your Benefits

Interdisciplinary approach to adolescent medicine and health
Vast variety of topics connected to health issues
Valuable communication platform for researchers and practitioners
International and authoritative editorial board
Ahead of print publication

History

Previously published by Freund Publishing House Ltd.

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Online submission of manuscripts

Ahead of Print / Just Accepted

Ahead of Print / Just Accepted

Volume 36 (2024)

Volume 35 (2023)

Volume 34 (2022)

Volume 33 (2021)

Volume 32 (2020)

Volume 31 (2019)

Volume 30 (2018)

Volume 29 (2017)

Volume 28 (2016)

Volume 27 (2015)

Volume 26 (2014)

Volume 25 (2013)

Volume 24 (2012)

Volume 23 (2011)

Volume 22 (2010)

Volume 21 (2009)

Volume 20 (2008)

Volume 19 (2007)

Volume 18 (2006)

Volume 17 (2005)

Volume 16 (2004)

Volume 15 (2003)

Volume 14 (2002)

Volume 13 (2001)

Volume 12 (2000)

Volume 11 (1999)

Volume 10 (1998)

Volume 9 (1997)

Volume 8 (1995)

Volume 7 (1994)

Volume 6 (1993)

Volume 5 (1992)

Volume 4 (1989)

Volume 3 (1988)

Volume 2 (1986)

Volume 1 (1985)

CiteScore	3.6	2023, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2024)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.398	2023, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2024; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.599	2023, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2024; Data Source: Scopus)

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You can easily submit your manuscript online. Simply go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijamh and you will be guided through the whole peer reviewing and submission process.

Your benefits of publishing with us

Unique interdisciplinary approach to adolescent medicine and health

Valuable communication platform for researchers and practitioners

No submission or publication fee

Accepted papers will be published online first as DOI-citable, forward-linked articles for the quickest possible visibility for the scientific community

Every article is easily discoverable because of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and comprehensive abstracting and indexing services

Secure archiving by De Gruyter and the independent archiving service Portico

Submission process

Submission of your manuscript via our submission tool ScholarOne following the Information for Authors

Single-anonymized high-quality peer review

A first decision on your paper is aspired within 3-6 weeks

Accepted articles are published online ahead of print, which is approximately 4 weeks after acceptance

Please note

Manuscripts must be written in clear and concise English

Before submitting your article, please have a look at the Submission Checklist, the Publication Ethics Statement and our Copyright Agreement

As a condition of submission, the Template for Ethical and Legal Declarations must be customized by the submitting author on behalf of all others and uploaded as a separate Word file.

IJAMH follows Tier 2 of our Data Sharing Policy. Authors are encouraged to provide a data availability statement. Please refer to the Data Sharing Policy for guidance on how to write a data availability statement.

Once your article is accepted, you have the option to publish it Open Access

Our repository policy allows you to distribute 30 PDF copies of your published article to colleagues (the PDF has to include the information that it is an author's copy). Please also feel free to distribute the link to the online abstract

Please also feel free to distribute the link to the online abstract. If you have any general questions, please visit our FAQ page for authors

For more detailed information, please contact the IJAMH Editorial Office

We look forward to receiving your manuscript!

Editorial

Editors-in-Chief

Maria Demma Ilagan Cabral, MD
Cottage Children's Medical Center, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Fields of expertise: Pubertal development, high risk teens, eating disorders, and adolescent contraception and gynecology, quality improvement

Imelda Coyne, PhD, MA, RSCN, RGN, RNT, FTCD, FAAN, FEANS
Professor & Director of the Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Fields of expertise: Patient and family centered care, participation, chronic illness management, decision making, digital interventions, transition care of adolescents

Associate Editors

Melissa Kang, MCH PhD, MBBS
Associate Professor, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
Fields of expertise: Adolescent public health, sexuality and sexual health, health services research, primary health care, refugee and migrant adolescents, qualitative research, mixed-methods research, access to health care

Hong-Gu (Linda) He, PhD, FAAN
Professor, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Fields of expertise: Children’s perioperative care, pain management, digital health, psychosocial interventions, quantitative & qualitative methods & systematic reviews

Lars Pape, MD/PhD
Professor & Director of the Clinic for Paediatrics II, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
Fields of expertise: Gastroenterology, hepatology, immunology, nephrology, transplantation, monitoring and optimization of immunosuppressive therapy, digitalization, transition care of adolescents

Golo Ahlenstiel, MD/PhD, FRACP, MBBS
Professor & Chair of Medicine at Blacktown Medical School, Western Sydney University, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia; Storr Liver Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
Fields of expertise: Gastroenterology, hepatology, immunology, integrated care, health systems, general medicine, transition care of adolescents

Jens Dingemann, MD/PhD
Professor & Director of the Centre of Pediatric Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Quality of Life working group, European Reference Network for rare Inherited Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA)
Fields of expertise: Neonatal surgery, pediatric surgical oncology, pediatric and adolescent thoracic surgery, congenital malformations, transition care of adolescents

Jo Wray, PhD, DHP(NC), C Psychol
Professor, Institute of Cardiovascular Science University College London, London, UK; Heart and Lung Directorate and Centre for Outcomes and Experience Research in Children’s Health, Illness and Disability (ORCHID), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Fields of expertise: quality of life, psychosocial functioning, congenital heart disease, solid organ transplantation, evaluation, family impact, transition care of adolescents

Editorial Board

Raziye Dut, MD
Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Pediatrics, Istanbul, Turkey

Editorial Office
Katarzyna Kowalska
E-mail: katarzyna.kowalska@degruyter.com

Volume 36 Issue 6

December 2024

Publicly Available December 24, 2024

Frontmatter

Page range: i-ii

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Editorial

Publicly Available December 13, 2024

Editorial

Page range: 523-523

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Review

December 17, 2024

Investigating various interventions to improve the quality of life of children and adolescents suffering from chronic diseases – a systematic review

FatemehSadat SeyedNematollah Roshan, Narges Rahmani, Leila Nikrouz

Page range: 525-540

Abstract

Introduction The transition from childhood to adulthood is an ups-and-down experience determined by increased independence, formation, and development of personal identity. Children with chronic diseases compared to their peers, face more challenges during this period that can exacerbate their symptoms and negatively affect their quality of life. This research aims to review the studies that have investigated the ways to improve the quality of life of children and adolescents with chronic diseases in Iran. Content In this study, a search was done in the international databases of PubMed, Scopus, web of Science, Google Scholar, and the internal databases of Magiran and SID with related keywords including children, adolescents, chronic diseases, quality of life, health, nursing interventions were carried out from 2010 to July 2024. Exclusion criteria included summaries of conference articles and foreign articles other than Persian and English. Summary and Outlook In the primary search, 363 articles were found. After removing duplicates and unrelated items, and finally, 36 articles (52.77 % in English, 47.22 % in Persian) were examined in line with the objectives of the present study. The results of the study indicate that non-pharmacological interventions can significantly improve the quality of life of adolescents with chronic diseases. Nursing interventions appear to have a positive and significant effect on the quality of life of children and adolescents with chronic illness.

Original Articles

December 3, 2024

A socio-ecological approach to understanding self-regulation among adolescents with developmental challenges and delays

Yok-Fong Paat, Satish Mahadevan Srinivasan, Mei-Ling Lin

Page range: 541-550

Abstract

Drawing from the socio-ecological model, this study examined the relationships between child, family, and neighborhood/community factors and self-regulation among five subgroups of adolescents aged 12–17 years with developmental challenges and delays (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delay, learning disability, and intellectual disability). Data for this study came from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative dataset (n=3,181). Using multiple regression analyses, we found that not all five subgroups of adolescents shared similar experiences. In sum, having good health and health insurance was positively associated with self-regulation, while adverse childhood experiences and being bullied were negatively linked to self-regulation. Family and neighborhood/community-related variables that were positively related to adolescents’ self-regulation consisted of parent-child closeness, having college-educated parents, household food security, and parents’ knowledge of where to obtain help in their neighborhood. Family variables negatively associated with adolescents’ self-regulation included living in two-parent households and receiving public assistance, but only for adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Socio-demographic variables significantly linked to adolescents’ self-regulation were biological sex, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and race. Future research and practice should focus on identifying and addressing the diverse ecological factors influencing adolescents’ social-emotional development to improve behavioral outcomes and support their transition to adulthood.

December 4, 2024

Social, academic, and emotional self-efficacies in adolescent girls and their determinants: a cross sectional study

Hemn Kaka Mirza, Mahlagha Dehghan, Mohammed Faris Abdulghani, Mohammad Ali Zakeri, Abdollah Dakkalirad, Peiman Prandeh Afshar

Page range: 551-559

Abstract

Objectives To examine the levels of social, academic, and emotional self-efficacy in school-aged girls and to identify the factors that contribute to these self-efficacies. Methods This study included 246 girls in Sistan and Baluchistan, located in southeastern Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 246 teenagers between the ages of 11 and 18 and the questionnaire consisted of a demographic form, the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C), the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), and the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Results The mean scores for social, academic, and emotional self-efficacies were found to be 27.24 ± 5.67, 30.52 ± 6.47, and 22.29 ± 6.36, respectively. All categories of self-efficacy had mean scores that were higher than the questionnaire midpoint. Furthermore, for every type of self-efficacy, the study identified significant predictors. To be more precise, social self-efficacy was significantly predicted by anxiety, depression, and education level (R 2 =13.7 %, p<0.001). Additionally, anxiety and age were significant predictors of academic self-efficacy (R 2 =4.9 %, p=0.002). Lastly, anxiety and education level were significant predictors of emotional self-efficacy (R 2 =9.2 %, p<0.001). Conclusions The results suggest that focusing on reducing depression and anxiety levels could potentially have a positive impact on various aspects of self-efficacy.

October 21, 2024

Psychiatric hospitalizations among adolescents during the pandemic in Italy: a retrospective study

Rosaria Di Lorenzo, Anna Cutino, Martina Morgante, Giulia Panini, Sergio Rovesti, Tommaso Filippini, Paola Ferri

Page range: 561-570

Abstract

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted child and adolescent mental health. The study outcome was the evaluation of the pandemic impact on adolescents’ hospitalizations in an acute psychiatric ward. Methods With an observational and retrospective design, we collected selected variables among adolescents hospitalized in an acute psychiatric ward from 01/07/2017 to 30/06/2022. Data were statistically processed. Results Our sample consisted of 118 minors with an average age of 15.7 ± 1.2 SD, mostly represented by females (61 %) and Italians (60.2 %), who made 204 hospitalizations in the study period. The admissions by years drastically decreased in 2020 concomitantly with the lockdown and increased in the first half of 2022. The admission rate was higher in winter and spring, except in 2020 when all admissions decreased (p=0.000). Females more frequently were hospitalized for suicidal behavior and acute anxiety (p=0.000) and were discharged with acute stress reactions, eating disorders, and mood disorder diagnoses (p=0.000). Differently, males more frequently were hospitalized for aggressive behavior (p=0.000) and discharged with ADHD diagnosis (p=0.000). At multiple linear regression, the duration of hospitalization (dependent variable) was negatively associated with “the pandemic period” (p=0.017) and “absent aggressive behavior” (p=0.003), and positively with “autism” diagnosis (p=0.000). Conclusions We highlighted the more stressful impact of COVID-19 pandemic on female adolescents, who required more frequently psychiatric hospitalizations due to suicidal behavior, anxiety and mood disorders.

November 25, 2024

Reliability and validity of the Game Addiction Scale in Malaysian Adolescents

Muhammad Zaheerul Roslan, Muhammad Syawal Amran, Werner Sommer

Page range: 571-578

Abstract

Objectives Problematic gaming behavior has been an issue in many countries, raising the need for assessment tools. The Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents (GASA) by Lemmens et al. is widely used for assessing game addiction and has been adopted for use in various countries. The GASA consists of 21 items covering several criteria of game addiction: salience, tolerance, mood modification, relapse, withdrawal, conflict, and problems. The present study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the GASA when applied to Malaysian adolescents. Methods The study was conducted in two phases (reliability assessment for phase 1 and validity assessment for phase 2). The Malay version of the Game Addiction Scale was created using a forward-translation procedure with the help of panelists consisting of researchers and educators from the fields of Psychology, Medicine, and Education to translate from English to Malay. The participants of the study were presented with both versions (Malay and English) during the data collection process. The study checked content validity with the help of 33 panelists and reliability based on the scores of 116 participants who spent at least 1 h and up to 6 h per week playing games. Results The reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and provided high reliability ranging from 0.671 to 0.903 for all criteria. All criteria scored higher than 0.8 except for relapse (α=0.788) and problems (α=0.671) criteria, indicating that the instrument provides high reliability. The findings from the study show acceptable content validity with high I-CVI values ranging from 0.73 to 0.94 and an S-CVI/Ave value of 0.80. Internal consistency was excellent (α=0.949) and the Content Validity Index (I-CVI) was high for most items. Conclusions The results suggest that GASA is suitable for application among adolescents in Malaysia.

October 22, 2024

Waist-height ratio highlights detrimental risk for olanzapine associated weight gain earlier than body mass index

Ibrahim Mohammed Badamasi, Abiola Tajudeen, Shakirat D. Owolabi, Margaret I. Ojeahere, Asuku A. Yusuf, Mujittapha U. Sirajo, Mustapha I. Gudaji

Page range: 579-585

Abstract

Objective The objective of the current study was to compare the level of sensitivity of body mass index (BMI) or waist-height ratio (WHtR) in identifying physically determinable adiposity levels that are considered to be landmarks for commencing intervention to prevent more sinister cardio-metabolic risks among schizophrenia patients receiving olanzapine. Methods The study was a descriptive crossectional one among patients with schizophrenia recieving olanzapine and healthy volunteers as controls. Key measurement of anthropological parameters were compared between the population. Results Our findings revealed significantly higher rates of abnormal body mass index (BMI) (X 2 =17.06, p=0.000036; OR=4.58, CI=2.16–9.74) and abnormal waist-height ratio (WHtR) (X 2 =35.57, p=2.46E-9; OR=6.37, CI=3.39–12.00) among the schizophrenia patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Notably, BMI identified 43.3 % of the schizophrenia patients as having concerning weight changes, whereas WHtR identified 64.7 %, indicating that WHtR is a more sensitive measure. This discrepancy means that an additional 21.4 % of schizophrenia patients would benefit from weight management guidance based on WHtR rather than BMI. Conclusion Our results underscore the critical importance of WHtR in assessing adiposity among schizophrenia patients treated with olanzapine, highlighting its value as a tool for monitoring and managing cardiometabolic risks in this population.

December 10, 2024

A cross-sectional study of satisfaction with life among 1st year students and doctors of a teaching hospital of the national capital region

Arpita Goswami, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Paul, Preeti Upadhyay, Pragya Tripathi, Tulika Rani Roy

Page range: 587-593

Abstract

Objectives With rising work pressure, balancing personal life is not easy for any professional. Aspirations at the time of admission into professional college do not last for long, as we observe doctors who are less satisfied than enthusiastic first-year students at dental college. The present study aimed to determine subjective well-being and comparison of satisfaction with life among first professional dental students and doctors of a teaching hospital in the National Capital Region, India. Methods The current study was conducted for one month among 100 1st year dental students and 100 junior doctors, including the faculty of a teaching hospital in the National Capital Region, India. Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was used to assess the level of satisfaction in their lives. Associated factors which might affect this satisfaction were also enquired for. Results The mean age of first professional dental students and doctors was 19.3 ± 1.6 and 27.52 ± 2.54 years, respectively. 76 (76%) 1st professional students and 68 (68%) doctors were found to be satisfied with their lives when assessed over SWLS. Odds of being satisfied were significantly more in the age group of 20–25 years. Those students and doctors who had opted for dental, taking it as a reputed profession or as their ambition, were found to be more satisfied with their lives. Students who were satisfied with the hostel accommodation were significantly more satisfied with their lives. Among doctors, those who were either married or were in a relationship and who were satisfied with their income were more satisfied. Conclusions A significant proportion of doctors and 1st professional dental students were satisfied with their lives. More students were satisfied with their lives than doctors. Factors like satisfaction with income and reason for joining the dental profession were found to have significant associations.

December 10, 2024

Menstrual disorder and its treatment seeking among adolescent girls in India: evidence from nationwide survey

Praveen Kailash Chokhandre, Shrikanta R. Vatavati, Basavaraj I. Pundappanavar, Jyoti S. Hallad

Page range: 595-603

Abstract

Background Adolescents make up 18 % of India’s total population, with 116 million being girls. Most research has focused on menstrual health and hygiene practices, with limited studies on menstrual pain/disorder (MPD) among adolescent girls using micro-level data from specific regions of India. Objectives This study aims to investigate the prevalence of menstrual pain/distress, its treatment-seeking behavior, and its associated predictors among adolescent girls. Methods The study employed data from a cross-sectional study design and interviewed 6,715 adolescent girls from 16 major States of India. Results The prevalence of MPD among adolescent girls was 61.8 %. Of these, a higher proportion of girls reported severe abdominal/back pain (90 %), followed by severe distress/irritation (26 %) and heavy bleeding (21 %). Findings suggest that girls who were educated about menstrual health were more likely to identify MPD and seek its treatment. Regarding treatment seeking for MPD, surprisingly, only about 14.3 % of girls sought treatment from health personnel, while 61 percent did not seek treatment at all. Home remedies (57 %), medical shops (25 %), and frontline workers or primary health centers (20 %) were found to be the preferred source of treatment. The prevalence of MPD and its treatment-seeking varies significantly by socio-economic characteristics. Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of providing menstrual health education and raising awareness of early identification and treatment-seeking among adolescent girls. The Government of India’s efforts in initiating Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthaya Karyakram (RKSK) programs are noteworthy. Having sufficient and well-trained peer educators can accelerate the process of health education and generate demand for healthcare services.

Reviewer Acknowledgment

Publicly Available December 17, 2024

Reviewer acknowledgment

Page range: 605-606

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Online ISSN: 2191-0278
Type: Journal
Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
First published: January 1, 1985
Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year
Audience: Researchers and practitioners interested in the topic of IJAMH