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Two Studies Examine Teen Behaviors on MySpace

A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health finds that 54% of teens use social networking sites to talk about risky behaviors such as sex, alcohol use, and violence. Researchers looked at 500 MySpace profiles of individuals in the United States who identified themselves as 18-year old males and females. References made to risky behaviors included text and photos.

However, the study finds that teens may not be actually engaging in the activities. They may be instead talking about sex, drug use, or violence because they are thinking about doing those things, or because they want to brag to peers without actively participating in the activities. Researchers say teens who merely brag to their peers may receive positive feedback that may encourage them to engage in risky behaviors.

In a second study conducted by the same research team, researchers looked at 190 profiles of 18-20-year old males and females that contained three or more references to sexual behavior or substance abuse. Researchers created a profile for "Dr. Meg", and sent single e-mail messages to half of profilers, warning them that they had posted risky information and offering information about clinical resources. After three months, 42.1% of profilers who received an e-mail, and 29.5% of those who did not receive an e-mail either removed references or made their profiles private. Experts say it is important for parents to be more involved in the online lives of their children. They suggest that parents create their own online profiles to monitor their child's profile. It is also a good idea to have access to their children's passwords for networking sites. Experts also believe that parents can use social networking sites as positive tools to learn about their children's favorite movies, music, and hobbies. These sites can make it easier to get to know your children.

Should Teens Take Melatonin for Help with Sleep?

Getting adequate sleep may be as much of a challenge for some teens as it is for some adults. Parents who take melatonin, a dietary supplement that regulates the sleep cycle and is available without a doctor's prescription, may give the supplement to their teens. However, is this supplement safe for teens? The National Institutes of Health say there is limited research on the safety of using melatonin in children under age 18.

Melatonin products are synthetic versions of the hormone made naturally by the pineal gland, which helps regulate the body's sleep pattern. The natural production of melatonin is determined by light and dark. When darkness falls, the gland produces more melatonin, which promotes sleep. While melatonin is generally regarded as safe in recommended doses for children older than age 10, experts recommend that adolescents try natural ways to fall asleep. Parents should keep children on a consistent sleep schedule, and keep their room as dark as possible to increase natural melatonin production.

Sleeplessness is associated with poor school performance and disciplinary problems, depression, ADD, increased accidents among teen drivers, and teen suicide.

Teens Who Misbehave May Be At Risk for Adulthood Problems

A study conducted by the Medical Research Council of the U.K. and published in the British Medical Journal shows that people who displayed behavioral problems during the teen years were likely to develop mental health problems in adulthood. The study involved 3,500 males and females. Researchers began the study when the participants were teenagers and followed them for 40 years. Teachers evaluated the participants at ages 13 and 15. They compared the participants with peers with respect to problematic behaviors including disobedience, lying, truancy, daydreaming in class, and poor response to discipline. The findings suggest that conduct problems during adolescence may be indicative of more serious problems in the creation and maintenance of positive social relationships. This can have a long-term negative impact on the individual's mental health. While there are few studies that track behavior over such a long period of time, there are many short term studies that have uncovered similar results. Researchers say that adolescents from age 14-26 are at the greatest risk for mental health problems, therefore the results of the long-term study are not surprising. Experts believe that early intervention, such as the use of guidance counselors and screenings would help discover potential mental health problems much earlier than later.

Drop in U.S. Air Pollution Linked to Longer Lifespan

Recent research conducted by Brigham Young University indicates the average drop in pollution between 1980 and 2000 appears to have added approximately five more months to people's lives. The study showed that residents of cities that did the best job cleaning up air pollution showed the biggest increase in lifespan.

Research shows that long-term exposure to dirty air shortens a person's lifespan as well as contributes to cardiovascular and lung disease. The researchers at BYU used data on air pollution concentrations and life expectancy from the late 1970's and the late 1990s to determine whether cleaner air had any effect on health. They found that for every 10 microgram per cubic meter decrease in air pollution, life expectancy rose by about seven months. Air pollution levels averaged about 21 micrograms per cubic meter between 1979-1983 and had fallen to an average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter by 1999-2000. Though there are several studies that link air pollution to increased mortality and poor health, this study is among the first to show how cleaning pollution affects health.