For teens who've experienced childhood trauma, playing team sports may help them avoid depression and anxiety later in life. But the cost of teen sports puts them out of reach for many could benefit.
American teens are chronically sleep deprived, in part because of early school start times. But how much difference can a later start make? As Seattle's school district found out, it can help a lot.
City supervisors tried to ban menthol cigarettes and vape flavors in 2017, but tobacco purveyors funded a drive to put the measure to voters instead. Now dueling ads vie for hearts and minds.
The nation's leading group of pediatricians has updated its guidelines for tackling teen mental health issues. One recommendation: Annual depression screening for all adolescents 12 and older.
With a new regulation, the administration will allow any company or nonprofit group to refuse to cover contraception by claiming a religious or moral exemption to the federal health law.
The number of homeless Californians under age 24 keeps rising, and many aren't getting the physical and mental health care they need, teen advocates say. Mobile clinics are trying to fill the gaps.
A national survey finds that U.S. mothers are having their first child later than ever — it's a 45-year trend. The big reason seems to be a steady drop in the number of teen moms.
It's hard for anyone to get enough of the sunshine vitamin in the wintry North, and dark-skinned teens may be especially prone to a deficiency, doctors find. A weekly supplement can help.
Three years after bariatric surgery, more than 200 severely obese teens studied had dropped about a third of their weight and improved their metabolism, heart health and self-esteem.
A large study suggests some may use e-cigarettes to quit smoking tobacco. But the survey also shows that nearly 10 percent of young adults who have never smoked tobacco have used the devices.
A British study that tracked the health of thousands from childhood through midlife finds early distress to be even more potent than adult stress in predicting later diabetes and heart disease.
Kids on club teams have an advantage in making the high school team. But many families are being priced out by the high cost of league fees, equipment, and travel that club sports require.
Just a couple extra hours can make a real difference, a study shows. Adults who slept only five or six hours were four times more likely to get sick when exposed to a common cold virus.
Doctors and parents often miss the signs of female athlete triad syndrome — low energy, low bone density and irregular menstruation in an otherwise healthy-looking girl or teen.
In NPR's most recent poll, a majority of American adults say they played sports in their youth. Many say they encourage their kids to play, too, and see health benefits as well as lifelong lessons.
