Teen health resources from A to Z

A Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

For articles, book suggestions, resources, and forums on ADHD, visit the ADHD Parent's Place, an online community: www.adhd.com/

Check out the National Institute of Mental Health's Web site on ADHD at www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm

Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood, by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, Touchstone Books, 1995

Fact:

* Some symptoms often evident in a person with ADD or ADHD: Sense of underachievement, difficulty getting organized, tendency to speak without thinking, constant thrill-seeking, easily bored or distracted, has trouble following instructions, impulsive behavior, worrying needlessly and endlessly, and depression.

B Blue Jeans

"Bacteria Dye Jeans," by Helen Pearson, Nature, March 27, 2002 www.nature.com/nsu/020325/020325-4.html

You can read "Bug-Wash Jeans," by Amanda Onion at abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/ jeans021015.html

C Computer

To visit the company that developed the virtual keyboard, visit www.vkb.co.il/

Fact:

* The virtual keyboard responds to a maximum of 120 keystrokes per minute, even under very bright lights. Its inventors believe the device can be helpful to surgeons needing both sterile and mobile computers in the operating room.

D Dissection

For dissection alternatives, visit the Humane Society of the United States' Humane Education Loan Program: www.hsus.org/ace/11378

To read the National Science Teachers Association's position statement, "Guidelines for Responsible Use of Animals in the Classroom," visit www.nsta.org/159&psid=2

E Ecstasy

For resources and activities on battling ecstasy, see TE7 and TE8.

Exercise

Most teen girls stop exercising by the time they hit age 17, according to a study published recently by the New England Journal of Medicine. Find graphs of data and more information online at www.msnbc.com/news/803520.asp

For more on the Gyrotonic Extension System, visit: www.gyrotonic.com

F Fear

For more information on the fear gene, see the BBC News Web site: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/257 4195

For information on phobias, see "Fear Not!" by Jeffrey Kluger, Time, April 2, 2001,p 52.

Fact:

* The best way for teens to overcome their fears is to talk about them, says Ted Feinberg, director of the National Association of School Psychologists. "When fear disrupts your normal course of function, that's when you need professional attention," he says.

G Grandparents

"Analysis of birth intervals in a non-contracepting Indian population: An evolutionary ecological approach," by D.L. Leonetti, D.C. Nath, M.S. Steele: J. Biosocial Sci., 2000, 32:343-354. Read the scientific paper here: csde.washington.edu/pubs/wps/99.3.pdf

"Weighing the Grandma Factor," by Natalie Angler, The New York Times, November 5, 2002

H Hygiene

Information on endotoxins and allergies can be found in The Chicago Tribune's article at: www.personalmd.com/news/n0919111301.shtml

The National Institute of Health issued a press release on health benefits for kids with multiple pets: www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/releases/petallergyrsk.htm

Facts:

* More than 75 percent of all liquid hand soaps and 30 percent of bar soaps contain antibacterial agents, according to a study conducted by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston Massachusetts.

* Americans spent $400 million last year On antibacterial cleansers.

I Instant Messaging

You can read "On the Mobile," Dr. Sadie Plant's complete study on the behavioral effects of mobile phone use, at this Web address: www.motorola.com/mot/documents/0,1028,296,00.pdf

Fact:

* Dr. Plant studied the common traits and characteristics of cell phone users and identified six distinctive behavioral types. She compared these personalities with that of six different kinds of birds. Owls, for example, keep their cell phone use to a minimum, making and taking only necessary calls. But starlings are aggressive and chatty users.

J Joking

The world's funniest joke can be found online at: abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/ joke021003.html

For more information on Lee Berk's research into laughter as medicine check out www.ocmetro.com/metro110101/hot25/berk.html

Facts:

* People of different nationalities laugh at different types of jokes. For example, Germans prefer duck jokes. In October, scientists determined the world's funniest joke--which happens to be violent--as part of the largest study on humor conducted so far.

K Kissing

An interesting article on diseases caused by mouth bacteria can be found at www.ostlerdds.com/perio_heart3.html

Facts:

* Mouth bacteria react with sugar and starches in foods to produce an acid that eats away at tooth enamel.

* Halitosis, or bad breath, is caused by bacteria that thrive between teeth and under the gums. The best way to prevent it is to brush and floss regularly.