The prevalence of substance use among adolescents warrants considerable concern since it often has detrimental effects on an individual's physical and mental health, and correlates with worsened social, physical, and employment outcomes. Research shows that adolescents with disabilities are especially susceptible to the development of substance…

Recent epidemiological data has indicated an increasing trend in the non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) among college students. NMUPD involves using a prescription medication without a prescription, or using the medication in a manner inconsistent with a health care provider's instructions. Among college students, prescription…

Smoking is a worldwide problem that threatens people's health. The average age of smokers has decreased with each passing day. Thus, studies focusing on preventing children or teenagers from starting smoking or studies aiming to help people quit smoking are one of the most effective ways of the fight against smoking. In order to prevent smoking…

This commentary on the special section on conscientiousness and healthy aging focuses on several topics brought up in this collection of articles. One is the promise of personality interventions. Despite skepticism on the part of some, such interventions may ultimately prove successful. This is in part because of similarities between personality…

This paper serves as an introduction to the special issue of Prevention Science entitled, "Innovations and Applications of Integrative Data Analysis (IDA) and Related Data Harmonization Procedures in Prevention Science." This special issue includes a collection of original papers from multiple disciplines that apply individual-level data…

Because researchers know so much more about the brain and development than they did when the 20th-century U.S. education system was designed, this knowledge can now be used to design a system in which all individuals are able to take advantage of high-quality opportunities for transformative learning and development. This playbook suggests a set…

The purpose of this study is to understand differences in demographics, frequency of tobacco use, and tobacco-related attitudes between youth/young adults who carry tobacco products and those who do not. Carrying tobacco is hypothesized to affect individuals' smoker identity and thereby their tobacco-related attitudes. Carriers are an influential…

Girls who receive higher quality fathering engage in less risky sexual behavior (RSB) than their peers. Previous research identifies higher levels of parental monitoring/knowledge and reduced affiliation with deviant peers as potential mediators of this observed fathering effect. Although paternal investment theory posits a causal effect of…

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships between sleep insufficiency, depressive symptoms, demographic factors, and the nonmedical use of prescription medications (NMUPMs) in the U.S. high school students. Data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System were used (n = 13,570) and analyzed using IBM SPSS 23™ (complex…

Background: Information seeking is crucial in the health behavior context. Cancer information seeking may play a key role in individuals' perceptions and subsequent health behaviors. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cancer information seeking on perceptions of cancer worry, fatalism and risk. Methods: Data from…

Poor academic performance has been linked with particular lifestyle behaviors, such as unhealthy diet, short sleep duration, high screen time, and low physical activity. However, little is known about how lifestyle behavior patterns (or combinations of behaviors) contribute to children's academic performance. We aimed to compare academic…

Objectives: Physical activity, including some form of vigorous activity, is a key component of a healthy lifestyle in young people. Self-efficacy and social support have been identified as key determinants of physical activity; however, the mechanism that reflects the interplay of these two factors is not well understood. The aim of the current…

Background: Social norm interventions have been implemented in schools to address concerns of alcohol use among high school students; however, research in this area has not incorporated measures of variability that may better reflect the complexity of social influences. Purpose: To examine the association between perceived alcohol norms, the…

Background: Much of the research literature on sexual consent and sexual consent education has been focused on college students, providing a significant gap in our understanding of high school students, especially ethnic minority youth, who are at greatest risk for unwanted sexual contact and sexual activity. Furthermore, recent research suggests…

The District of Columbia's Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012 (YBPA; DC Law L19-167) requires the mayor to review the programs, activities, services, and policies established as a result of the Act; report the current status of bullying in the District of Columbia; and provide recommendations for the continued implementation of the Act. The…