Sport participation provides a direct means to attain health-enhancing physical activity; however, sport participation declines during adolescence, and over 85% of adolescent females fail to meet the recommended 60 min of moderate-vigorous physical activity daily. Given the importance of overcoming barriers to sport and increasing equity in women’s sports, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify factors associated with sport participation among adolescent girls and operationalize those factors into theoretical constructs to guide future research. Six databases were systematically searched, and 36 records were included for review. Factors impacting girls’ sport participation were categorized as personal, peer, family, socioeconomic, environmental, or other factors. Of these categories, personal factors, including self perceptions and desirable personal outcomes related to sport, were most frequently associated with sport participation. Most research on girls’ sport participation lacks theoretical framework, so to aid future studies, this review categorized important participatory factors into the constructs of the theory of planned behavior. Future research would benefit from theory-driven prospective approaches to make clear and consistent predictions about factors impacting sport participation, as well as mixed-method approaches aimed to provide more robust understanding of girls’ experiences with and perceptions of factors impacting their participation in sports.

Background: Girls with disabilities and their caregivers are challenged during pubertal transitions, particularly with menses onset. More than 50% of caregivers report concern and anxiety related to menarche, and they have sought health care providers to discuss options. Menstrual suppression planning and education from nurse practitioners (NP) is key to ensure quality of life for these girls and their caregivers. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to examine and evaluate the state of the science surrounding the use of medical modalities for menstrual suppression in adolescent girls with disabilities. Data sources: Articles were identified through systematic electronic search of the following databases: CINAHL, Medline, Health Sources: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and Academic Search Complete. Conclusions: Results indicate that the most common medical modality used for menstrual suppression in girls with disabilities is the combined oral contraceptive pill, but depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system have been recommended. Concerns related to menstrual suppression include expressed wishes of the girl and her caregivers, existing comorbid conditions, and risks associated with medical modalities used for suppression. Implications for practice: Meaningful conversations about concerns and expectations related to pubertal transitions are essential to ensure smooth transitions. NPs should provide counseling and discuss the variety of interventions available for menstrual suppression, being mindful of the need for comprehensive gynecological care. Additional studies using robust methods, including longitudinal and prospective strategies, are needed to better inform NPs of the goals and desirable outcomes for these girls and their caregivers.

Introduction: Adolescent females discontinue sports at higher rates than males, which contributes to their lower overall physical activity during this important period of development. Potentially useful for understanding this disparity, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provides a framework to study one's intentions through their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. This study examined whether TPB constructs predict female adolescents’ intentions to continue participating in sports and remain physically active. Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire to collect data from 271 female adolescents who recently participated in organized sports. Structural equation modeling was used to test TPB's ability to predict participants’ intentions of continued sports participation and their intentions of regular exercise in one year. Results: Structural equation models for both outcomes exhibited acceptable fit. Participants’ intention of participating in sports next year was predicted by attitudes ( β = 0.84, p < 0.001) and subjective norms ( β = 0.35, p = 0.005). Participants’ intentions of exercising next year were predicted by attitudes ( β = 0.30, p = 0.009), subjective norms ( β = 0.27, p = 0.009), and perceived behavioral control ( β = 0.28, p = 0.001). These findings support TPB as a useful framework for understanding female adolescents’ intentions and highlight the importance of enjoyment, parental support, and peer acceptance in sustaining sports participation and physical activity. Discussion: Findings support TPB as a useful framework for understanding adolescent female athletes’ intentions of continued sports participation and future physical activity. Based on these findings, interventions to enhance continued girls’ sports participation should promote supportive, confidence-building environments, foster encouraging social interactions between teammates and peers, and reduce structural barriers related to access and cost. These approaches align with public health priorities and support pathways to lifelong engagement in sport and physical activity.

At the forefront of precision medicine, integrating pharmacogenetics into clinical practice holds promise for increasing treatment efficacy and reducing adverse drug reactions. By understanding the relationship between medications and genetic variability, pharmacogenetics can help tailor cardiovascular treatment in women, avoiding the trial-and-error approach and improving cardiovascular health outcomes. This article provides a review of factors that influence the therapeutic benefit of drugs and the risks for toxic effects. Pharmacogenetics, as one of these factors, is highlighted with examples of its role in the use of three common medications (clopidogrel, warfarin, and HMG-CoA [3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA] reductase inhibitors, commonly known as “statins”) for treatment of cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore clinical practice and decisions made during ostomy pouching system changes and procedures performed by nurses with different nursing credentials using a validated metric-based clinical simulation procedure. DESIGN: Explanatory sequential mixed methods design. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The study population comprised 24 participants with different nursing credentials: 6 were certified ostomy care nurse specialists, 8 were registered nurses working in acute care, and 10 were senior baccalaureate student nurses. Data were collected between September 2021 and February 2024 at the Clinical Learning and Research Center within the Clemson University School of Nursing (Clemson, SC, USA). METHODS: This study used a validated metric-based clinical simulation procedure to assess tasks performed during ostomy pouching system changes, task duration, and supplies used. The simulated experience was followed by administration of the System Usability Scale and a structured debriefing interview. Two-way repeated-measure ANOVA, mixed-effects logistic regressions, and single factor ANOVA were used to analyze quantitative variables according to variable type. Content analysis was used to analyze debriefing interviews and comments made by the participants during the simulated experience. RESULTS: Certified nurses with expertise in ostomy management (CWOCN, CWON, COCN) spent significantly longer performing ostomy and peristomal skin care and pouching system changes tasks when compared with registered and student nurses. Differences between the nurse groups were observed for product selection, skin barrier sizing and adhesion, ostomy and peristomal skin care, along with infection control task categories. Scores on the perceived usability of ostomy pouching systems were above average for ostomy care specialists and registered nurses. Certified nurses with expertise in ostomy care had significantly higher perceived usability scores when compared with student nurses. Conclusions: Variability in psychomotor and critical thinking tasks were observed among 3 groups nurses with different credentials. This knowledge provides targets for expanding training of nurses in ostomy care.