A new brief questionnaire, the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), for the detection and description of binge-eating is described. Data from two separate populations demonstrate satisfactory reliability and validity. The scale has measures of both symptoms and severity. All items in the DSM-III definition of bulimia and Russell's definition of bulimia nervosa are covered but the questionnaire is more than just an operationalised checklist of these diagnostic criteria.

Objective To determine whether a theoretically based sex education programme for adolescents (SHARE) delivered by teachers reduced unsafe sexual intercourse compared with current practice. Design Cluster randomised trial with follow up two years after baseline (six months after intervention). A process evaluation investigated the delivery of sex education and broader features of each school. Setting Twenty five secondary schools in east Scotland. Participants 8430 pupils aged 13-15 years; 7616 completed the baseline questionnaire and 5854 completed the two year follow up questionnaire. Intervention SHARE programme (intervention group) versus existing sex education (control programme). Main outcome measures Self reported exposure to sexually transmitted disease, use of condoms and contraceptives at first and most recent sexual intercourse, and unwanted pregnancies. Results When the intervention group was compared with the conventional sex education group in an intention to treat analysis there were no differences in sexual activity or sexual risk taking by the age of 16 years. However, those in the intervention group reported less regret of first sexual intercourse with most recent partner (young men 9.9% difference, 95% confidence interval − 18.7 to − 1.0; young women 7.7% difference, − 16.6 to 1.2). Pupils evaluated the intervention programme more positively, and their knowledge of sexual health improved. Lack of behavioural effect could not be linked to differential quality of delivery of intervention. Conclusions Compared with conventional sex education this specially designed intervention did not reduce sexual risk taking in adolescents.

tranexamic acid (3.36; 2.21 to 4.96), and a reduction in norethisterone treatment (0.67; 0.46 to 0.95) for cases of menorrhagia. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were prescribed slightly less commonly in groups receiving intervention (0.61; 0.38 to 0.90). The odds of hysterectomy in the education group were increased by 2.33 (0.94 to 4.87). There were no demographic differences between practices. CommentThe data show a positive change in behaviour among doctors as a result of education. The results also validate previously reported randomised controlled trial data.3 There were no before and after differences in control practices, indicating that external confounders had no effect. The trend towards an increased chance of hysterectomy in intervention groups may be because they had already received appropriate first line treatment. These women may proceed to more appropriate surgery as a result of this intervention.

Both family structure and processes have been associated with young people's sexual behaviour, but most studies are cross‐sectional and focus on only one outcome: age at first intercourse. This paper uses longitudinal data from a survey of Scottish teenagers () to show how low parental monitoring predicts early sexual activity for both sexes (with some reverse causation), and for females it also predicts more sexual partners and less condom use. A lot of spending money also predicts early sexual activity and, for males, having more sexual partners. Comfort talking with parents about sex, however, seems to bear little relationship to sexual behaviour.

BackgroundScreen entertainment for young children has been associated with several aspects of psychosocial adjustment. Most research is from North America and focuses on television. Few longitudinal studies have compared the effects of TV and electronic games, or have investigated gender differences.PurposeTo explore how time watching TV and playing electronic games at age 5 years each predicts change in psychosocial adjustment in a representative sample of 7 year-olds from the UK.MethodsTypical daily hours viewing television and playing electronic games at age 5 years were reported by mothers of 11 014 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention and prosocial behaviour were reported by mothers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Change in adjustment from age 5 years to 7 years was regressed on screen exposures; adjusting for family characteristics and functioning, and child characteristics.ResultsWatching TV for 3 h or more at 5 years predicted a 0.13 point increase (95% CI 0.03 to 0.24) in conduct problems by 7 years, compared with watching for under an hour, but playing electronic games was not associated with conduct problems. No associations were found between either type of screen time and emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems or prosocial behaviour. There was no evidence of gender differences in the effect of screen time.ConclusionsTV but not electronic games predicted a small increase in conduct problems. Screen time did not predict other aspects of psychosocial adjustment. Further work is required to establish causal mechanisms.