Black Male Adolescents Research Articles

Internal/External Locus of Control, Self-Esteem, and Parental Verbal Interaction of At-Risk Black Male Adolescents

We investigated the relationship between three factors--internal/external locus of control, self-esteem, and parental verbal interaction--for at-risk Black male adolescents in the United States. Forty-two male students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 who had been identified by their teachers as being at risk completed the Locus of Control Scale for Children (Nowicki & Strickland, 1973), the Self-Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967), and the Verbal Interaction Questionnaire (Blake, 1991). A moderate positive relationship found between self-esteem and parental verbal interaction was consistent with a previous finding for White high school students. A moderate negative relationship found between locus of control and self-esteem differed from a previous finding of no significant relationship for Black elementary children. A weak, yet significant, negative relationship was found between locus of control and parental verbal interaction.

Cocaine selling among urban black and white adolescent males.

Data from a longitudinal study of juvenile detainees are used to examine the relationships between cocaine selling, substance use, and other delinquency among the Black and White males in the study. A descriptive comparison of rates of cocaine selling among the youths is followed by a descriptive comparison of prevalence of substance use and other delinquency across four subgroups: White and Black males indicating they sold and did not sell cocaine. These comparisons are followed by analyses of variance examining the relationships between involvement in substance use and other delinquency, and ethnicity, cocaine selling, and the interaction of ethnicity and cocaine selling. Important ethnicity and cocaine-selling effects are found, but not ethnicity by cocaine-selling interactions. The implications of our findings for theory and service provision are drawn.

Estimation of Body Composition in Black Adolescent Male Athletes

Twenty national class, junior level, track and field competitors were measured for body density (BD) via underwater weighing corrected for residual lung volume, and for skinfold (SF) thicknesses, to determine the accuracy of anthropometric estimations of body composition in athletic adolescent black males. BD was transformed to fat-free body (FFB) weight values using the formulas of Brozek, Lohman (age-adjusted), and Schutte (young black men), respectively. For each SF equation, total error (TE) was highest with the formula of Lohman (2.31–4.14 kg) and lowest with the formula of Schutte (2.02–3.62 kg). TE was further reduced when SF estimates of BD were transformed to FFB via the formula of Brozek and were compared to criterion values of FFB based on the formula of Schutte (2.05–3.10 kg). Therefore, racial influences affecting hydrostatically determined FFB differed from those affecting anthropometric estimations.

AIDS risk among black male adolescents: Implications for nursing interventions

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a devastating disease the incidence of which is increasing in the black heterosexual community. Only 12% of the nation's population is black, yet 28% of the people with AIDS are black. AIDS currently threatens black adolescents because of their high risk sexual behavior. No cure exists for AIDS nor is a vaccine available. However, AIDS is preventable. Presently, teaching people how to avoid becoming infected with the human immunodefiency virus is the only strategy for reducing the spread of AIDS. Nurses can be an important link in the chain of AIDS prevention in this country. Minimal information is available to assist nurses in learning how to effectively intervene with adolescents, especially black male adolescents, regarding AIDS prevention. This article reviews research on AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and high risk sexual behavior among black male adolescents, suggests strategies for using the nursing process as an AIDS education model in working with black male adolescents, and provides guidelines for nurses to use when working with black male adolescents concerning the issue of sexuality education and AIDS prevention.

Alcohol and Drug Use during Sexual Activity

The relation of alcohol and drug use during sexual activity to increased HIV risk-associated behavior was examined among 108 inner-city Black male adolescents who completed a self-administered questionnaire. Adolescents who reported a greater number of days in which they had sex while "high" reported more unprotected coitus, a greater number of coital partners, a greater number of risky coital partners, and more frequent insertive anal intercourse than did those who reported fewer days on which they had sex while high. For the most part, these relations remained significant when total frequency of sexY, a correlate of having sex while high, was included in the regression equation. The only exception was failure to use condoms. These results support the view that alcohol and drug use during sexual activity may affect the nature of the sexual behavior in which Black male adolescents engage, although it may not affect whether they use condoms.

Tibia vara: A complication of adolescent obesity

Tibia vara is characterized by inhibited growth of the medial portion of the proximal tibial growth plate, leading to progressive bowleg deformity. Twenty-nine adolescent patients with this condition were reviewed: all were black, 27 (93%) were male, and 19 (66%) had only one side affected. Progressive deformity rather than knee discomfort was the most common presenting complaint. The deformity reportedly developed rapidly during the adolescent growth spurt. The body weights of these patients exceeded the 95th percentile for age and gender by an average of 43 kg. The absence of significant symptoms and a body habitus that obscured the deformity often resulted in delayed diagnosis. Physicians involved in the care of obese black male adolescents should carefully examine them for tibia vara, which has a reported prevalence of 2% to 3% in this population. Treatment options are severely restricted if the condition is not diagnosed early.

Cultural sensitivity treatment and research issues with black adolescent drug users

Adolescent drug abuse is one of the nations' leading social problems. Secondary intervention programs have rarely designed treatments to address specific issues pertinent to the black adolescent drug user. Among these special issues is cultural sensitivity in clinical practice and research. A review of the research literature revealed no empirical work that has been conducted in the area of cultural sensitivity as it relates to black male adolescent substance abusers. The author proposes methodological considerations as applied to four phases of treatment: assessment, planning intervention, implementation, and termination and gives suggestions for how culturally sensitive therapeutic intervention can be conducted with chemically dependent adolescent black males.

Family Structure, Parental Strictness, and Sexual Behavior among Inner-City Black Male Adolescents

Family structure, parental strictness, and sexual behavior were examined among 200 Black male adolescents who completed an anonymous questionnaire. Adolescents who lived with both of their parents reported using condoms more consistently in the past year and were less likely to report fathering a pregnancy as compared with adolescents who did not live with both of their parents. Parental strictness was related to sexual behavior, but the relation differed depending on whether the perceived strictness of the mother or the father was examined. Adolescents who perceived that their mothers were more strict than did other adolescents reported less frequent coitus and with fewer women. Adolescents who perceived that their fathers were more strict than did other adolescents reported using condoms more consistently in the past year.

Firearm Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population

In the United States approximately 30 000 people die from firearm injuries each year. Many more are wounded. In the mid 1980s, more than 3000 of the dead were children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years.1 In 1989 nearly 4000 firearm deaths were among children 1 to 19 years of age, accounting for 12% of all deaths in that age group.2 All of these deaths or injuries affect other children because the victims who are killed or wounded are frequently relatives, neighbors, or friends. Comparison data for childhood age groups demonstrate that in 1987, 203 children aged 1 to 9 years, 484 children aged 10 to 14 years, and 2705 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years died as a result of firearm injuries.1 Firearm deaths include unintentional injuries, homicides, and suicides. Among the 1- to 9-year-olds, half of the deaths were homicides and half were unintentional. Among the 10- to 14-year-olds, one third of the deaths were homicides, one third were suicides, and one third were unintentional. Among the 15- to 19-year-olds, 48% were homicides, 42% were suicides, and 8% were unintentional.1 Firearm homicides are the leading cause of death for some US subpopulations, such as urban black male adolescents and young adults.3 Table 1 indicates how firearms contributed to the deaths of children and adolescents (homicides, suicides, and all causes) in 1987. Table 2 illustrates the unusual scale of firearm violence affecting young people in the United States compared with other developed nations.4 Firearm injuries are the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths to children younger than 15 years of age in the US.5

Black male adolescents: parenting and education in community context

The objective of this collection is to look at Afro-American young men within their full social and community context. The book consists of 19 chapters in four sections focusing on the structural conditions, parenting, education and social identity of young black men. Seventeen chapters are written specifically for this analysis; only two chapters have been previously published in other forms. The authors of these chapters are both university and community-based researchers and practitioners and are uniquely qualified due to their work, insights and experiences with young black men. What these writers provide are insights that can help us to better understand these young men as well as the conditions that dispose them toward successful and productive roles or toward self-destruction. Contents: Section One: Up Against the Odds; Section Two: Families and CommunitiesoParenting; Section Three: Education for Survival and Success; Section Four: Development of Cultural Identity.

Adolescent Males' Condom Use: Relationships between Perceived Cost-Benefits and Consistency

The relationship between males perceived cost benefits and consistency of condom use in 4 areas preventing pregnancy avoiding AIDS partner expectations and embarrassment and reduction of pleasure--is examined. The stratified nationally representative sample of 1880 never-married males 15-19 years provided the data (the National Survey of Adolescent Males). There was overrepresentation of black and Hispanic men. Measures utilized and defined are as follows: consistency of condom use subjective expected utility of condom use the personal cost benefits of preventing pregnancy the normative belief in preventing pregnancy avoiding AIDS partner expectations embarrassment and reduction of pleasure and control variables (e.g. current age race family income living in a female-headed family at age 14 educational goals age at 1st intercourse region metropolitan residence importance of religion being born again locus of control and self-esteem). Although 1 limitation is the accuracy of teen reports of condom use which may be overreported the results indicate the consistency of adolescent males condom use is high. Males use of condoms is motivated both by perceptions of personal cost benefits to themselves and by cost benefits related to normative expectations. Consistency is significantly associated with males degree of belief in normative male contraceptive responsibility and perceived decreased pill use by partner. The utility for pregnancy prevention in contrast to prior research was not associated with condom use in either bivariate or multivariate analysis. This could be accounted for by the specification of the measure or that normative belief motivates condom use to a greater degree than perceived personal benefit. Worry about AIDS covaries with condom use but perceived risk is not related. Partner expectation is strongly related to condom use. Condom use is associated with the males degree of belief in a normative male responsibility to prevent pregnancy rather than as a personal benefit and the utility of the partner appreciating condom use. The findings for condom consistency and condom use at least intercourse follow a similar pattern except for utility (partner appreciates) and disutility (embarrassment). Consistency is not associated with current age and is positively associated with age at 1st intercourse. Those with >2 partners in the last year are more inconsistent users. The highest consistency is among black adolescent males. The implication for sex education is that emphasis should be on the benefit of consistent condom use in preventing AIDS and pregnancy encouragement of women to insist on condom use male responsibility in contraception and general social norms supporting condom use.

A Group Counseling Model for Developing Manhood Among Black Male Adolescents

The session began with the showing of a videotape on successful African-American men in America. The audience was a combination of young black men and adult observers. After the audience watched the videotape, Dr. Lee demonstrated his model in a brief discussion with the young men. Later he explained the model to the adults.

The Measurement of Parental Influence

The influence that parents have on the social, behavioral, and psychological status of their children is the focus of a large and important body of literature in the social sciences. The data collected to study parental influence often describe individual mothers and fathers, leaving the researcher with the problem of representing the joint influence of these individuals as parents. A diagonal ANOVA model is proposed to represent parental influence as the weighted effects of one variable that describes father and one that describes mother. Extensions of the diagonal model that facilitate tests of various hypotheses pertaining to variation in the relative influence of mother and father are proposed. Models that represent the effects of asymmetry of parental characteristics are discussed as well. This application of the diagonal ANOVA model is illustrated using data on the effects of social bonds to mother and to father as a deterrent to the delinquent behavior of black and white male adolescents.

Black male adolescents: Age at sexual debut and demographic psychosocial profile

Black male adolescents: Age at sexual debut and demographic psychosocial profile

Interrelationships between psychological factors, overweight, and blood pressure in adolescents

Relationships between psychological factors and physical factors such as body mass, overweight, and blood pressure were examined in a sample of black and white adolescents enrolled in health science courses. Black female adolescents were significantly more overweight and obese than either other group. Psychological factors were not significantly associated with body mass (weight/ height 2) for females. A small percentage of the variance in body mass for black (6%) and white (4%) males was explained by Trait Anger, the frequent experience of anger and the intensity of anger (S-Anger-Reaction/TP) in pressure situations. Trait Anger also significantly ( p < 0.01) discriminated between black male adolescents who were normal weight and those 20% overweight for age and height. The relationships between traditional risk factors and blood pressure among adolescents who were 20% underweight, normal weight, and 20% overweight for age and height suggest that few traditional risk factors contribute significantly to the prediction of blood pressure in overweight adolescents. In contrast, psychological measures of suppressed anger (Anger-In, Anger Expression) were significantly ( p < 0.001) associated with blood pressure among overweight adolescents. The findings regarding the associations between overweight and psychological factors are complex. Prospective studies using better measures of overweight are needed to clarify the processes involved.

Partner pregnancy related experience: Black male adolescents and young adults

This paper is concerned with the issue of occupational discrimination. It identifies four occupational classes—joblessness; unskilled/semi-skilled employment; skilled manual/non-manual employment; and professional/managerial employment. It then asks, using the framework of a multinomial logit model, how much of the difference in the relative probabilities of Catholics and Protestants, in Northern Ireland, being in these occupational classes is the result of differences in inter-community worker attributes and how much is the result of prejudice. The answer to this question is based on a concept of a `religion penalty' which is developed and defined in this paper. The empirical base from which these answers spring is the Sample of Anonymised Records (SAR) drawn from the 1991 Census for Northern Ireland. We conclude that a great deal of the over-representation of Catholic men among the jobless, and their under-representation as employees in professional/managerial occupations, had to do with the fact they faced a religion penalty—even after controlling for what they were, they were penalised for who they were. The situation for Catholic women was considerably better than for Catholic men. Again, the over-representation of Catholic women among the jobless, and their under-representation in skilled manual/non-manual jobs, had much to do with the fact that they faced a religion penalty though the size of this penalty was much lower than that faced by Catholic men.

Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, and Risky Sexual Behavior among Inner-City Black Male Adolescents

Sexual knowledge, attitudes toward sex and contraception, contraception use, and sexual behavior were examined among 200 Black male inner-city junior and senior high school students who completed an anonymous questionnaire. Virtually all of the students (97%) reported having had coitus at least once. Most (78%o) reported not using any contraceptive during initial coitus, and a majority (54%) reported not using one during their most recent coitus. Multivariate multiple regression analyses revealed that students with greater sexual knowledge and more positive attitudes toward contraception were more likely to report using contraception than were other students. Students with more liberal sexual attitudes reported greater sexual activity, including a higher frequency of, and number of female partners for, coitus and fellatio. Among students who reported involvement in a steady romantic relationship, relatively liberal sexual attitudes were associated with self-reports of a sexual relationship with a woman besides their girlfriend.

Partner pregnancy related experiences: Black male adolescents and young adults

Partner pregnancy related experiences: Black male adolescents and young adults

Neurological soft signs and school achievement: the mediating effects of sustained attention.

A group of 115 black male adolescents drawn from a clinically unselected birth cohort, half of whom were known to have had neurological soft signs at age 7, were examined at age 17 to determine the relation between soft signs and performance on standard tests of school achievement and sustained attention. Three signs measured at age 17--dysgraphesthesia, difficulties with rapid alternating movements (dysdiadochokinesis), and motor slowness--were related to lower concurrent and past IQ and to impaired performance on laboratory and paper-and-pencil measures of sustained attention. The relation between signs and the attentional measures remained significant after IQ was statistically controlled. The three age 17 soft signs as well as age 7 signs were related to impaired performance on standardized tests (age 17) of school achievement. Most of the relation between signs and school achievement could be accounted for by the variance signs shared with sustained attention. One sign, mirror movements, was unrelated to all other attentional and cognitive measures.

Effects of methylphenidate on cardiovascular responses in attention deficit hyperactivity disordered adolescents

The short-term dose effects of methylphenidate were examined on cardiovascular measures in 11 black male adolescents diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a double-blind, crossover design with randomized order, the subjects received placebo and each of three methylphenidate doses (0.15, 0.3, and 0.5 mg/kg) for a period of 2 weeks per medication dosage. Significant main effects were found for diastolic and systolic blood pressure; however, pairwise comparisons revealed a significant linear increase in diastolic blood pressure only. Because of the unexpected increase in diastolic blood pressure, careful monitoring of black adolescents who are receiving methylphenidate is recommended.