Sexual Harassment, Abuse and Healing in East Africa.

Sexual harassment is a serious problem in East Africa. Sexual harassment can occur where one person uses a position of authority to compel another person to engage in an otherwise unwanted sexual activity. Sexual harassment leaves inner wounds in a person that affect negatively their psychological and spiritual lives. In the context of Africa, often it is women who are the targets of sexual harassment but not always. This paper addresses one of the most pernicious violations of that trust. Not only in East Africa, but globally, children are traumatized by sexual abuse, harassment, and discriminatory behaviour at the hands of those on whom they rely for their well-being. In my ministry of teaching, giving motivational seminars and advising secondary school girls and boys in academic issues and in their process of growth through adolescent period, I personally have come across many similar cases. It provoked me to think about the problem. Therefore, in this paper I intend to address some of the issues of sexual harassment, give a brief explanation of what these experiences are, bring to awareness some of the causes, explore their impact on growth and development and propose some ways of enabling such victims to seek healing and integration

Youth Identity in the Digital Age

The digital culture has a profound influence on the formation of personal identity among the youth of Gens Y and Z. The networked society has strongly affected the process of forming an “inner identity,” a critical task in the adolescent period. The design of digital social media and apps can enslave youth in the “hive” and take away the solitude and resources needed for them to cultivate their “inner identity.” Therefore, there is a need for institutions such as school, family, and church to reinvent better ways to accommodate youth and engage them with digital media with responsibility and discernment.

Effects of Cannabinoid Exposure during Neurodevelopment on Future Effects of Drugs of Abuse: A Preclinical Perspective

The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in the earliest stages of embryonic, postnatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Aberrant activity of this system at key developmental phases has been shown to affect neural development. The aim of this review is to synthesise and analyse preclinical insights within rodent populations, focusing on the effects that perinatal (embryonic, gestational and early postnatal developmental stages) and adolescent (postnatal day 21–60) cannabinoid exposure impose across time on the subsequent activity of various drugs of abuse. Results in rodents show that exposure to cannabinoids during the perinatal and adolescent period can lead to multifaceted behavioural and molecular changes. In the perinatal period, significant effects of Δ9-THC exposure on subsequent opiate and amphetamine reward-related behaviours were observed primarily in male rodents. These effects were not extended to include cocaine or alcohol. In adolescence, various cannabinoid agonists were used experimentally. This array of cannabinoids demonstrated consistent effects on opioids across sex. In contrast, no significant effects were observed regarding the future activity of amphetamines and cocaine. However, these studies focused primarily on male rodents. In conclusion, numerous gaps and limitations are apparent in the current body of research. The sparsity of studies analysing the perinatal period must be addressed. Future research within both periods must also focus on delineating sex-specific effects, moving away from a male-centric focus. Studies should also aim to utilise more clinically relevant cannabinoid treatments.

Cannabidiol Exposure During the Mouse Adolescent Period Is Without Harmful Behavioral Effects on Locomotor Activity, Anxiety, and Spatial Memory

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid whose purported therapeutic benefits and impression of a high safety profile has promoted its increasing popularity. CBD’s popularity is also increasing among children and adolescents who are being administered CBD, off label, for the treatment of numerous symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. The relative recency of its use in the adolescent population has precluded investigation of its impact on the developing brain and the potential consequences that may present in adulthood. Therefore, there’s an urgency to identify whether prolonged adolescent CBD exposure has substantive impacts on the developing brain that impact behavioral and cognitive processes in adulthood. Here, we tested the effect of twice-daily intraperitoneal administrations of CBD (20 mg/kg) in male and female C57BL/6J mice during the adolescent period of 25–45 days on weight gain, and assays for locomotor behavior, anxiety, and spatial memory. Prolonged adolescent CBD exposure had no detrimental effects on locomotor activity in the open field, anxiety behavior on the elevated plus maze, or spatial memory in the Barnes Maze compared to vehicle-treated mice. Interestingly, CBD-treated mice had a faster rate of learning in the Barnes Maze. However, CBD-treated females had reduced weight gain during the exposure period. We conclude that prolonged adolescent CBD exposure in mice does not have substantive negative impacts on a range of behaviors in adulthood, may improve the rate of learning under certain conditions, and impacts weight gain in a sex-specific manner.

Self-esteem and wellbeing among tribal and non-tribal adolescent girls

Background: Adolescent period reports experiences of changes in physical, mental and social functions. Self-esteem has a significant contribution to wellbeing and depression in adolescent. The aim and objective was to evaluate self-esteem and wellbeing among adolescent girls with tribal and non-tribal ethnicity.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in which 2 schools and 1 institute selected using purposive sampling. The total enumeration method of random sampling was obtained to select participants. Total of 360 adolescent girls (180 each tribal and non-tribal adolescent girls) were selected for the study. Socio-demographic datasheet, adolescent wellbeing scale and Rosenberg self-esteem scale were used for the assessment.Results: The adolescent girls with tribal ethnicity found to have low self-esteem and wellbeing (depressive) compared to adolescent girls with non-tribal ethnicity. 33.9% of tribal adolescent girls and 13.3% of non-tribal adolescent girls found in depressive dimension.Conclusions: The deliberate efforts to build self-esteem and wellbeing among tribal adolescent girls can help to promote their mental health. The mental health promotion and wellness programs specific to ethnicity and culture requires to uphold the wellbeing of the adolescent girls with tribal ethnicity.

Age as a determining variable in the practice or abandonment of physical exercise among young people

Background Numerous studies have reported a gradual decline in the practice of physical exercise with age, confirming high dropout rates in the adolescent period. The aim of this study was to investigate the motivation or barriers that lead to greater or lesser adherence to physical exercise among children and adolescents. Methods In this study, 1,081 individuals volunteered to participate [239 children (age: 10.89 ± .66 years) and 842 adolescents (age: 14.9 ± 1.75 years)]. For this purpose, we used the Self-Report on Motivation for Exercising (AMPEF) and Self-Report on Barriers to Exercising (ABPEF) questionnaires. Results The most significant motivational factors in the practice of physical exercise (in both children and adolescents) are competition, social recognition and challenge (t = -16.02, p < .001), prevention and positive health (t = 5.24, p < .001) and affiliation, fun and well-being (t = -19.54, p < .001), while the barriers focus on fatigue and laziness (t = -13.20, p < .001) and body image and physical-social anxiety (t = -5.71, p < .001). It is also observed that adolescents showed significantly higher motivation than children and greater presence of barriers in the practice of physical exercise. Conclusions The age is a determining variable to include in preventive and intervention programs for the practice of physical exercise.

Determination of BMI and Constitution of Females Living in Ecologically Unfavorable Conditions of the Aral Sea Region

From the ontogenetic point of view, the adolescent period is considered an achievement of human biological development and a period that has accurate measurements of all morphofunctional indicators. The negative impact of environmental pollution is considered as one of the main factors of the phenotypic variability of the organism. The adaptation of the body to environmental factors contributes to the formation of the phenotype. This ensures optimal conditions for its vital activity. Somatotypes are considered as ways of adapting the body to the environment. The anthropometric survey was conducted on 84 females aged 20 years. This work is aimed at analyzing the main anthropometric indicators among females and identifying the features of physical development characteristic of the studied territory. According to the results of our study, the body weight deficit and asthenization of the body in females were revealed.

Clinical And Anamnestic Characteristics Of The Health State Of Adolescents With Vegetative Dysfunction Syndrome

The publication discusses the features of clinical and anamnestic data in adolescents with autonomic dystonia syndrome. Analysis of the health status of children and adolescents in the Youth Center of the city of Tashkent in dynamics for the period 2018-2020 testifies to the persistence of an increase in the incidence of adolescents in socially significant classes of diseases: nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine systems, accompanied by metabolic disorders, arterial hypertension. The growth rate of pathology increases in the adolescent period of ontogenesis. The psychological status of adolescents with ADS demonstrates a high frequency of disorders accompanied by high emotional instability, contributing to social and psychological maladjustment. ADS contributes to the formation of multiple organ pathology, the predominance of disharmonious and sharply disharmonious physical development, inconsistency of body mass index, impaired formation of reproductive health in adolescents with a high frequency of delayed sexual development.

The effect of age and genotype on lung function in children with cystic fibrosis

Identifying the initial manifestations of pulmonary functional disorders associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) is essential for timely correction of the therapy and improvement of the prognosis.The aim of the study was to identify the age periods with the highest risk of a decrease in lung function in children with different CF genotypes.Methods. Lung function (LF) was analyzed using spirometry results in CF patients aged 6 to 18 years from the Registry of patients with cystic fibrosis in the Russian Federation 2018.Results. The forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was statistically significantly lower in children aged 6 – 10 years with “severe” genotypes than in the children with “mild” genotypes. The lung function was reduced at 11 – 14 years of age in both “severe» and “mild” genotypes without any statistically significant difference. In general, the trend of a decrease in lung function in “severe” genotypes persists in the adolescent period from 15 to 18 years. The lung function is better in adolescents aged 15 – 18 with the “mild” variants of genotypes compared to the patients aged 11 – 14 years.Conclusion. The “severe” variants of CFTR negatively affect LF of CF patients in all age groups. The LF values in patients with “mild” genotypes at the age of 15 – 18 years were higher than in children aged 11 – 14 years with the same genotypes. There is a need for improved programs of medical care for adolescents with CF.