Black Male Adolescents Research Articles

What Works for Adolescent Black Males at Risk of Suicide: A Review.

We reviewed the controlled studies that report outcome findings for Black adolescent males 24 years of age and younger at risk of suicide. Our review identified 48 articles published from 2000 to 2015, 33 that met our initial criteria for full-text articles review, resulting in 6 that met all inclusion criteria. We sought to understand what works for Black males experiencing suicide ideation or engaging in suicidal behaviors (e.g., attempts). We identified crossover effects for multisystemic therapy for reducing the risk for suicide ideation and attempts. Attachment-based family therapy was salient for use as a component of clinical practice for Black males being treated for suicide ideation. While remaining randomized control trials did involve Black youth, dis-aggregated data based on ethnicity and gender were not reported. Overall, the located studies are too few to provide unequivocal guidance for practice.

Treating Mental Illness Among Diabetic Black Male Adolescents: A Review.

To examine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for treatment evidence for Black male adolescents suffering from comorbid mental illness and diabetes mellitus. A review of the studies published in English-language journals was conducted. We found no RCT focused on Black males with diabetes mellitus Type 2 (DMT2). However, we found RCT inclusive of Black male adolescents with diabetes mellitus Type 1 (DMT1). Multisystemic therapy appears to be the best supported overall treatment for DMT1 management and psychosocial functioning followed by an enhanced form of behavioral family systems therapy for diabetics. Metformin was the only treatment in this review noted for use within DMT2. Metformin and a nursing-based telephone case management intervention realized utility as secondary services. There are gaps present for what effectively treats comorbid mental illness and DMT2 in Black male adolescents. For comorbid mental illness and DMT1, there are gaps in additional efficacious treatments, effectiveness across conditions, and effect duration beyond 24 months.

Feelings Matter: Depression Severity and Emotion Regulation in HIV/STI Risk-Related Sexual Behaviors

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention models may not address psychological complexities among adolescents with mental illnesses. This study examined contextual factors related to HIV/STI risk among heterosexually active Black adolescents with mental illnesses to inform the development of targeted HIV/STI prevention strategies. Black adolescent males and females (aged 14-17) were recruited from outpatient mental health programs in Philadelphia, PA to complete a computer-assisted personalized interview on sociodemographics, sexual behaviors, and emotion regulation (N = 53). Two sample t-tests, Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests and regression modeling were used to examine differences in the study measures by gender and relationship status. Reports of sexual partner concurrency were high-both while already in a sexual relationship (67.3%) and multiple sexual partners in the same day (42.3%). Boys reported significantly more risk behaviors than girls. Sadness dysregulation predicted currently being in a relationship, older age at first oral sex, fewer vaginal sexual partners and fewer unprotected oral sexual encounters. Coping difficulties predicted a greater number of vaginal and oral sexual partners, and a lower age at first vaginal sex. Increasing depression severity was related to older age at first vaginal sex, fewer vaginal sexual partners and fewer unprotected oral sexual encounters in the past 3 months. This formative work suggests that coping mechanisms should be addressed in HIV/STI prevention research through the inclusion of activities targeted toward emotion regulation and decreasing sexual risk behaviors. Psycho-education and skills building may mitigate the psychopathology that contributes to HIV/STI risk in the target demographic.

Prosocial Behaviors of Black Adolescent Boys: An Application of a Sociopolitical Development Theory

Sociopolitical development theory asserts that critical social analysis informs prosocial behaviors. We suggest that one aspect of Black adolescents’ critical social analysis development is an oppression analysis, in which Black adolescents consider (1) the importance of race to they are, (2) their personal feelings about their racial group, and (3) the experience of oppression for minority groups. The current study examined oppression analysis as a latent construct among a sample of 265 Black male adolescents in Grades 7 to 10 from three suburban districts in the Midwestern United States. Structural equation modeling revealed that received parental racial pride messages, but not school-based discrimination experiences, predicted Black male adolescents’ oppression analysis. An oppression analysis and school-based discrimination had direct effects on prosocial behaviors. Racial pride messages had an indirect effect on prosocial behaviors through oppression analysis. In addition, an oppression analysis had an indirect effect on prosocial behaviors through social-emotional skills. This research offers insight into the role of Black boys’ critical social analysis among individual and contextual factors in facilitating positive developmental outcomes.

The influence of potentially traumatic household characteristics on blunt use among Black youth

ABSTRACTThe residential status of mothers and fathers in the household has been shown to influence drug use and other health outcomes among adolescents. However, no studies have examined if these household characteristics influence blunt use (marijuana mixed with or replacing tobacco in cigar paper), specifically among Black adolescents. Using data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, this study was designed to examine the relationship between household characteristics (non-residential mother vs. residential mother and non-residential father vs. residential father) and blunt use among Black male and female adolescents. Findings revealed that Black males with non-residential fathers were more likely to have smoked blunts in their lifetime than Black males with residential fathers, illustrating the importance of fathers in the lives of Black males.

Do low levels of physical activity in female adolescents cause overweight and obesity? Objectively measured physical activity levels of periurban and rural adolescents

The increase in obesity levels in South African adolescents is attributed to an energy imbalance such that physical inactivity is causally related to adiposity. However, in some settings obesity occurs in spite of high physical activity levels. To examine objectively measured physical activity levels of rural black female and male adolescents from periurban to rural settings in relation to weight status, and specifically the direction and strength of the associations. Seven-day accelerometry-derived pedometry data (step counts and activity energy expenditure) were collected for 178 adolescents (85 females, 93 males; age 13.7 - 18.0 years) living in six demographic surveillance site villages. Anthropometric measures were body mass index (kg/m2), waist circumference (cm) and sum of skinfolds (mm). Weight status was determined using international growth standards for stunting, underweight (UW), normal weight (NW), overweight (OW) and obesity (OB). Females had greater adiposity and lower 7-day average step counts and activity energy expenditure, and achieved fewer days at ≥10 000 steps and more days at <5 000 steps (p<0.05). The age and gender-weighted prevalences for female/male stunting, UW-NW, OW-OB, <5 000 steps/day and ≥12 500 steps/day were 12.4%/20.7%, 74.3%/99.1%, 25.8%/0.9%, 12.3%/0.9% and 50%/64.9%, respectively (females v. males, p<0.05). In multivariate models (weighted and adjusting for age, gender, village, season), step counts and activity energy expenditure were positively related to adiposity measures (p<0.05). Both UW-NW and OW-OB periurban to rural adolescents were active to highly active on most days of the week. Physical activity was directly associated with adiposity measures.

From Alienation to Efficacy: An Examination of Racial Identity and Racial Academic Stereotypes Among Black Male Adolescents

Black male adolescents face unique barriers in schools that may contribute to racial disparities in educational outcomes. Their social-cognitive strengths, however, influence their confidence to be academically successful despite these barriers. This study explored whether racial academic stereotypes and racial centrality were associated with and predicted school efficacy among 103 urban Black male adolescents. Findings indicated that racial centrality had the strongest relationship with and was the strongest predictor of school efficacy. Youth mentoring programs and educators who work with urban Black male adolescents play a key role in promoting and shaping their efficacious beliefs toward their academic success.

“I Have Goals to Prove All Those People Wrong and Not Fit Into Any One of Those Boxes”

Adolescents form their identities by both accommodating (endorsing) and resisting (challenging) cultural stereotypes. Most research on Black males focuses on how they accommodate to negative stereotypes (e.g., delinquency, aggression), but a growing literature emphasizes how youth resist stereotypes. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed to examine patterns of resistance and accommodation at the intersection of racial and gender stereotypes among Black adolescent males ( N = 21). Findings indicate that, overall, Black males resist racial stereotypes more readily than gender. Using an intersectionality lens, we found three paths of resistance: (a) the “accommodators” endorsed racial and gender stereotypes, (b) the “resisters” resisted both sets of stereotypes, and (c) the “exceptions” resisted racial stereotypes but accommodated to gender. Implications for the study of resistance, identity, and intersectionality are discussed.

Cortical area and volumetric density during pubertal growth: longitudinal analysis in black and white South African adolescent males

Cortical area and volumetric density during pubertal growth: longitudinal analysis in black and white South African adolescent males

The Role of Male Closeness on Black Adolescent Male Weight Status in Father‐Present Versus Male‐Kinship Households

Black males from the ages of 12‐19 years olds are the only adolescent group in the United States to experience a significant increase in obesity rates from 1999‐2010. This rise translates into an increase in the odds of obesity prevalence of 1.05 annually. This study used the National Survey of American Life‐Adolescent, a nationally representative sample of African American and Caribbean Black adolescents (n=434), to examine the relationship between male closeness and BMI in father‐present and male‐kinship households among Black adolescents. Obesity levels were similar between father‐present (19%) and kinship households (20%). However, a greater percentage of adolescent males in male‐kinship homes (68%) were normal weight than in father‐present homes (60%). Male‐kinship homes reported higher percentages of male closeness (49%) in comparison to father‐present homes (46%). Ethnic differences were not present between households. In the initial bivariate analysis, Paternal Closeness Scores were negatively correlated with BMI in adolescent males who reported excellent relationship with a male in their life (p=.05). Yet, after accounting for age, household income, ethnicity, and participation in sports, higher male closeness was only predictive of lower BMI in kinship homessage (p=<.01). Family structure has a macro level role on obesity in Black adolescent males. Future interventions among Black adolescents should focus on male bonding as a way to reduce obesity levels.

The role of sexually explicit material in the sexual development of same-sex-attracted Black adolescent males.

Sexually explicit material (SEM) (including Internet, video, and print) may play a key role in the lives of Black same-sex sexually active youth by providing the only information to learn about sexual development. There is limited school- and/or family-based sex education to serve as models for sexual behaviors for Black youth. We describe the role SEM plays in the sexual development of a sample of Black same-sex attracted (SSA) young adolescent males ages 15-19. Adolescents recruited from clinics, social networking sites, and through snowball sampling were invited to participate in a 90-min, semi-structured qualitative interview. Most participants described using SEM prior to their first same-sex sexual experience. Participants described using SEM primarily for sexual development, including learning about sexual organs and function, the mechanics of same-gender sex, and to negotiate one's sexual identity. Secondary functions were to determine readiness for sex; to learn about sexual performance, including understanding sexual roles and responsibilities (e.g., "top" or "bottom"); to introduce sexual performance scripts; and to develop models for how sex should feel (e.g., pleasure and pain). Youth also described engaging in sexual behaviors (including condom non-use and/or swallowing ejaculate) that were modeled on SEM. Comprehensive sexuality education programs should be designed to address the unmet needs of young, Black SSA men, with explicit focus on sexual roles and behaviors that may be inaccurately portrayed and/or involve sexual risk-taking (such as unprotected anal intercourse and swallowing ejaculate) in SEM. This work also calls for development of Internet-based HIV/STI prevention strategies targeting young Black SSA men who may be accessing SEM.

Effects of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness in Male Adolescents in Lusaka, Zambia.

Tobacco smoke is harmful to health. In the acute phase it causes changes in the cardiovascular system that result in an increase in blood pressure (BP). An increase in arterial stiffness due to arteriolar endothelial dysfunction has been cited among the causes. Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) and Arterial Stiffness Index (ASI) are used as measures of arterial stiffness in the adult population. To determine the acute effects of tobacco smoke on arterial stiffness in black male adolescents in Lusaka, Zambia. This was an observational study done at the University of Zambia School of Medicine Cardiovascular Research Laboratory in the month of December 2014. Twenty-two (22) black, male-adolescent (age range 19-25 years), active-smokers, consented to participate in the study. The Complior Analyse Unit (V1.9 Beta Version 2013; ALAM-Medical, France) protocol was used to obtain the carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV) and carotid-femoral ASI (cfASI) starting 15 minutes before smoking, on immediate cessation of smoking and thereafter every 15 minutes up to an hour after smoking. ASI was a surrogate measure of the loss of elasticity in the arteries. The mean baseline cfPWV was 7.9±1.94 m/s and cfASI was 26.1±6.0 m/s. Smoking two tobacco cigarettes (2.8 mg Nicotine) in 15 minutes caused an increase in mean cfPWV and cfASI from their baseline values to cfPWV of 8.5±1.87 m/s and cfASI of 28.6±6.19 m/s respectively. These values reverted to baseline within 15 minutes post-smoking cessation. There was further reduction in both cfPWV and cfASI to more stable values at 45th and 60th minutes which were statistically significantly lower than the peak values recorded. The mean baseline cfPWV and cfASI in these late adolescents were comparatively higher than those recorded in non-smoking black adolescents and smoking white men and women. These recordings were also much higher than the values recorded 60 minutes after cessation of smoking. Compared to these values, we conclude that tobacco smoke may be the cause of the significant acute increase in cfPWV and cfASI in African male adolescents presumably signifying an increase in arterial stiffness probably due to endothelial dysfunction in elastic arteries. These alterations in vascular compliance may predispose these individuals to developing hypertension and other cardiovascular complications. There is need for further investigation of this phenomenon.

Haemodynamic responses to tobacco smoke inhalation in male adolescents in Lusaka, Zambia.

Tobacco smoke causes changes in the levels of catecholamines in the blood. This leads to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This is due to nicotine which has also been noted to cause a decrease in vasodilatory activities leading to an increase in both the blood pressure and heart rate. To determine the acute effects of tobacco smoke on haemodynamics in black male adolescents in Lusaka, Zambia. This was an observational study done at the University of Zambia School of Medicine Cardiovascular Research Laboratory in the month of December, 2014. Twenty-two (22) black, male-adolescent (age range 19-25 years), active-smokers, consented to participate in the study. The Diasys Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring system (Novacor, France) was used to obtain the Systolic and Diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) and the heart rate. These were obtained 15 minutes before smoking at 5 minute intervals and averaged to obtain the baseline, during the 15 minutes of smoking and on immediate cessation of smoking and thereafter every 15 minutes up to an hour after smoking. There was a significant rise in SBP (mmHg) during smoking (127.9 ± 13.80 mmHg) from baseline values (113.5 ± 13.15 mmHg) (P = .00). It took 30 minutes for the SBP to return to baseline after cessation of smoking. DBP (mmHg) also increased from baseline (79.5 ± 8.79 mmHg) to 85.6 ± 10.92 mmHg during smoking (P = .01). It returned to baseline values immediately after cessation of smoking. The heart rate (bpm) was also noted to significantly increase during smoking (95.2 ± 16.72 bpm) from the values noted before smoking (74.3 ± 13.75 bpm) (P = .05). The mean value for heart rate returned to baseline value by the 15th minute of recovery. The present study demonstrates that smoking may be the cause for the acute increases in SBP, DBP and heart rate in smokers. The smoking caused significant increases in all the haemodynamic indices considered in this study within 15 minutes. Both SBP and DBP increase are indices for stroke and coronary heart disease respectively. The effect of increased SBP was noted to last for 30 minutes while DBP returned to baseline immediately after smoking. A significant increase in heart rate was also noted in the study.

“Girls Have More of an Educational Brain”

Although Black boys throughout the African diaspora are dropping out of high school in alarming rates, little is known about how educational identity and attainment is shaped by the intersection of race and gender in the high school environment. Utilizing an ecological and intersectionality theoretical lens, this study draws on data gleaned from semistructured interviews with Black male and female adolescents in their first year at a public high school in Bermuda ( N = 35, mean age = 14.3). Findings indicated that the girls committed twice as many disciplinary infractions as the boys. However, girls’ disciplinary problems were less likely to interfere with their academic performance because they were perceived, by both boys and girls, to be more educationally focused, better behaved, and they were more likely to seek out social-emotional support when needed. This study contributes to our understanding of the higher drop-out rates among men of African descent and points to the important role that gender stereotypes and school-based adults play in determining educational identity and attainment.

Toward a Relational Perspective on Young Black and Latino Males: The Contextual Patterns of Disclosure as Coping

In this article, David J. Knight investigates where and when Black and Latino male adolescents engage in self-disclosure—sharing their emotions, thoughts, and social perceptions—with their peers. Building from asset-based research and ecological theories of development, Knight analyzes in-depth interviews and finds that these adolescents may consider context in their decisions regarding whether or not to disclose to peers. Participants who reported disclosing behaviors tended to do so outside of school settings, while those who did not report disclosure discussed how experiences with community violence contributed to their decision not to share their feelings. Knight discusses the implications of this work for practitioners who hope to provide safe educational settings for young men of color.

A Reflection on Ferguson

It has been a number of months since the events of Ferguson, MO, broke and captured our attention. For some, it had no meaning; some saw it as justifiable; for others there was outrage; and for yet others, there was fear and flashback of things we’ve seen before. As a graduate of the NYU masters program I can still hear Martha Rogers talking about patterns, mutual simultaneous interactions, open systems and events as dynamic. As an advanced practice child and adolescent psychiatric nurse and an African-American, I would be remiss not to raise the following issues and questions: Why in 2013 and 2014 are we seeing an increase in the number of Black adolescent males being killed? Why is there an increase in the pattern? Why are normal adolescent behaviors such as playing loud music with peers, walking home at night, or mouthing off now resulting in death for one segment of the population? The solidarity across the country of protesters who have been alarmed by these events has been well coordinated and provides some level of validation that we are not all complacent and there is a recognition of the value of all youth. I worry about the impact of these events, one after another seemingly provoked by normal human behaviors on the perception of other young Black males. What is their understanding of how normal adolescent behaviors can and does result in death?How do these events hamper their freedom to engage in the world with others from a position of curiosity, healthy adolescent risk-taking, moral development, and psychosocial understanding? How dowe as practitioners interpret, discuss, and frame these events for minority youth we work with in practice?

Racial and gender identity among Black adolescent males: an intersectionality perspective.

A considerable amount of social identity research has focused on race and racial identity, while gender identity, particularly among Black adolescents, remains underexamined. The current study used survey data from 183 Black adolescent males (13-16 years old) to investigate the development and relation between racial and gender identity centrality and private regard, and how these identities impact adjustment over time. It was found that dimensions of racial and gender identity were strongly correlated. Levels of racial centrality increased over time while gender centrality, and racial and gender private regard declined. In addition, racial and gender identity uniquely contributed to higher levels of psychological well-being and academic adjustment. These findings are discussed within the context of existing identity theories and intersectionality theory.

Understanding Black Male Mathematics High Achievers from the Inside Out: Internal Risk and Protective Factors in High School

The gendered and racialized narrative of Black male adolescents in urban spaces is one often fraught with deficit-based assumptions and presuppositions about their abilities, competencies, and proclivities with regard to schooling in general and mathematics in particular. Yet despite these conventional beliefs, compounded by the dearth of Black male representation in many STEM-related careers, there remain Black male adolescents who, during their high school years, nevertheless achieve a high degree of mathematical success. This study endeavors to unpack the internal, interrelated processes and strategies through which a cohort of 13 high-achieving, Black male high school students develop positive mathematical, social, racial, and gendered identities. Drawing on narrative analysis, we utilized semi-structured interviews to identify and explore how internal protective and risk factors operated in their lives. Results identify not only several coping strategies, beliefs, practices, and habits that foster positive mathematical identity trajectories for our respondents, but also several internal challenges that Black male adolescents must successfully negotiate both in- and out-of-school throughout the attainment process. We also discuss how these findings relate to in-school practices that might promote and sustain Black male achievement in high school mathematics.

Eating attitudes, body image satisfaction and self-esteem of South African Black and White male adolescents and their perception of female body silhouettes

This cross-sectional study of urban high schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, sought to examine eating attitudes, body image and self-esteem among male adolescents (n = 391). Anthropometric measurements, Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Rosenberg self-esteem, body image satisfaction and perception of females were collected at age 13, 15 and 17 years. Descriptive analysis was done to describe the sample, and non-parametric Wilcoxon Mann–Whitney test was used to test for significant differences between data that were not normally distributed (EAT-26). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analyses were conducted to test for associations between self-esteem scores and eating attitudes, body mass indices and body image satisfaction scores. To assess the differences between groups that were normally distributed chi-square tests were carried out. Ethnic differences significantly affected adolescent boys’ body mass index (BMI), eating attitudes and self-esteem; White boys had higher self-esteem, BMI and normal eating attitudes than the Black boys did. BMI was positively associated with self-esteem (p = 0.01, r = 0.134) and negatively with dieting behaviour in White boys (p = 0.004, r = −0.257), and with lower EAT-26 bulimic and oral control scores in Black boys. In conclusion, the findings highlight ethnic differences and a need to better understand cultural differences that influence adolescent attitudes and behaviour.

Racial differences in the longitudinal associations between adolescent inhalant use and young adulthood STI risk

Background: In the US, nearly half of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur among 15–24-year-olds, and disproportionate rates of infections exist among blacks. Modifiable factors that drive STI transmission from adolescence into young adulthood should be identified, especially among this vulnerable population.Methods: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 13 123) was used to examine racial differences in the prevalence of adolescent inhalant use and unadjusted and adjusted longitudinal associations between inhalant use and adulthood STI risk.Results: Adolescent inhalant use was more commonly reported by whites than blacks. Inhalant use was an indicator of adulthood multiple partnerships among all groups except black females and was an especially strong indicator of 10 or more past year partnerships among men (white risk ratio (RR): 3.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–8.32; black RR: 4.47, 95% CI: 1.34–14.90). Adolescent inhalant use was also predictive of adulthood STI among white women and black men, with black male inhalant users having more than twice the risk of a biologically-confirmed or self-reported STI in adulthood than non-users (RR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.29–4.25).Conclusions: White adolescents and, more so, black male adolescents inhalant users experience disproportionate adulthood STI risk and, thus, constitute a priority population for STI prevention.