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(Medical Xpress)—Middle school children who completed a social-emotional skills learning program at school were 42 percent less likely to engage in physical fighting a year later, according to a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-skills-middle-schools.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 07 May 2013 07:50:01 EST news287130082 Students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills, are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use than their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-dating-middle-school-higher-dropout.html Health Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:22:00 EST news282568914 Bullying, whether it's physical aggression or spreading rumors, boosts the social status and popularity of middle school students, according to a new UCLA psychology study that has implications for programs aimed at combatting school bullying. In addition, students already considered popular engage in these forms of bullying, the researchers found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-cool-kids-middle-school-bully.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:07:42 EST news278262457 Fit kids aren't only first picked for kickball. New research from Michigan State University shows middle school students in the best physical shape outscore their classmates on standardized tests and take home better report cards. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-kids-finish-classroom.html Health Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:04:09 EST news274021442 (HealthDay) -- New data shows that while fewer American teenagers are smoking now than a decade ago, the rate of decline has slowed considerably. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-reductions-teen-stalled-cdc.html Health Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:27:36 EST news263744842 (HealthDay) -- Although fewer middle and high schools in the United States make sugary sodas available to students today, other sweet beverages, particularly sports drinks, are still widely available, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-sugary-sports-plentiful-schools.html Pediatrics Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:30:01 EST news263492616 Having a healthy heart and lungs may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading, according to findings presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-students-strong-hearts-lungs-grades.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:12:47 EST news263211160 (HealthDay) -- Pre-teens living in states that require vaccinations for incoming middle school students are more likely to be immunized than those in states without such requirements, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-pre-teens-vaccines-middle-schools-require.html Pediatrics Mon, 07 May 2012 10:40:01 EST news255605124 Anxiety, depression, stress and social support can predict early alcohol and illicit drug use in youth, according to a study from Carolyn McCarty, PhD, of Seattle Children's Research Institute, and researchers from the University of Washington and Seattle University. Middle school students from the sixth to the eighth grade who felt more emotional support from teachers reported a delay in alcohol and other illicit substance initiation. Those who reported higher levels of separation anxiety from their parents were also at decreased risk for early alcohol use. The study, "Emotional Health Predictors of Substance Use Initiation During Middle School," was published in advance online in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-middle-school-teacher-lowers-early.html Addiction Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:02:31 EST news251564539 When parents of middle school students participate in school-based, family interventions, it can reduce problem behavior, according to new research released online in the Journal of Adolescent Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-teens-behavioral-issues-parents-involved.html Health Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:30:03 EST news246272660 Research led by University of Southern California (USC) professor Mary Ann Pentz, Ph.D., shows that black middle school students whose close friends drink alcohol are more likely to drink alcohol in high school than their white classmates. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-underage-friends-high-indicator-future.html Health Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:17:58 EST news239357848 While it's been long established that watching violent scenes increases aggression levels, a new study in the medical journal Pediatrics suggests that profanity in the media may have a similar effect. Pediatrics is the top-ranked journal in its field and among the top 2 percent most-cited scientific and medical journals in the world. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-profanity-tv-video-games-linked.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:50:01 EST news238044243 Mental health screening has been demonstrated to successfully connect African-American middle school students from a predominantly low-income area with school-based mental health services, according to results of a new study led by the TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. The study was published in a recent online early edition of the Community Mental Health Journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-screening-african-american-students-school-based-mental.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:22:50 EST news227280159 Sleep duration has a significant association with feelings of external pressure to obtain or maintain a thin body among adolescent girls, especially those who are white, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-white-adolescent-girls-pressure-thin.html Health Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:32:55 EST news227244765 Middle school students who were offered healthier cafeteria food, more physical education and lessons about health choices improved their cholesterol levels and resting heart rates, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2011 Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-school-intervention-kids-heart-health.html Cardiology Fri, 13 May 2011 16:00:01 EST news224506695