Should I give kids money? The role of pocket money on at-risk behaviors in Italian adolescents

Background. Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated. Objective. To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence. Method. 989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models. Results. Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors. Conclusions. Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors

Sequence treatment with Intragastric Balloon BIB (R)

Background: Since 1998, we adopted the BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB®) in our clinical practice for treatment of obesity and morbid obesity. Aim of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of a second balloon to continue weight loss or to produce better weight loss. Methods: Since March 1998, 522 BIB® were inserted in 480 obese and morbidly obese patients (124 male and 356 female). 38 patients (15 male and 23 female) had two balloons and four (1 male and 3 female) underwent three balloon insertions. At first insertion mean age was 40 years (21-65); mean weight was 126 kg (82-229), mean BMI was 43.2 kg/m2 (29-81.1), and mean initial % excess weight was 76% (13.3-216.3). The patients were given a balanced diet of 1000 kcal/day with temporary addition of omeprazole, vitamins and oligoelements. Results: When the first BIB was removed, the mean weight loss was 19.9 kg (8-50), the mean reduction in BMI was 6.6 kg/m2 (2.7- 15.9) and the mean %EWL was 25.7%. At the second balloon removal, the mean weight loss was 7 kg (from +11 kg to -33 kg), the mean reduction in BMI was 2.6 kg/m2 (from +3.9 to -8.6) and the mean %EWL was 10.1%. Only with second balloon we observed six cases of intolerance with removal before the due date. Conclusion: Our experience shows that second balloon insertion is less effective in terms of weight loss and %EWL than the first balloon and that the incidence of complications is greate

Psychosocial determinants of sleep difficulties in adolescence: the role of perceived support from family, peers, and school in an Italian HBSC sample

The present study explores the concurrent contribution to sleep problems of individual-related, family-related, and school-related factors in adolescence. Gathering from the Italian 2018 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) data collection, we used hierarchical logistic regression on a sample of 3397 adolescents (51% females, Mage = 13.99, SD = 1.62) to explore the contribution to sleep problems of the individual (Model 1: alcohol use, smoking, screen time, physical activity), familial (Model 2: parental communication, parental support), and school-related (Model 3: peer support, schoolmates/students support, teacher support and school pressure) variables. 28.3 percent of adolescents reported having sleep difficulties. Overall, Model 3 significantly improved over Model 2 and Model 1. Data showed that increasing smoking (OR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03-1.20) and screen time (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.08) were associated with sleep difficulties but not alcohol use and physical activity. Also, impaired communication with both parents and increasing parental support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.78-0.90) were associated with decreased odds of sleep problems. Finally, both increases in school pressure (OR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.26-1.56) and lack of student support (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.10-1.42) were associated with a higher likelihood of sleep problems, while peer support and teacher support were not.   Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of an integrated approach to the study of sleep difficulties in adolescence that includes specific psychosocial contributors such as the quality of parental communication and perceived parental support and considers the quality of the day-to-day relationship with schoolmates and the school level of demands. What is Known: • Adolescents' are at-risk of more significant sleep difficulties, and recent literature highlights the importance of an integrated approach to understanding this phenomenon, including biological, psychosocial, and contextual factors. • The literature lacks findings that consider the concurrent contribution of individual and psychosocial factors to sleep difficulties in adolescence. What is New: • The quality of parental communication and perceived parental support, as expressions of adult figures' emotional and behavioural availability in the adolescent's life, are significant determinants of sleep difficulties. • The quality of day-to-day relationships with schoolmates and the school level of demands contribute to adolescent sleep problems