Black Youth Research Articles

Development of a Video-Delivered Serial Drama Designed to Reduce Community Homophobia and HIV Stigma, Decrease Sexual Risk Behavior, and Increase HIV Testing Among Black Youth.

This article describes the development of a video serial drama intervention that was designed to address factors that influence HIV in the United States among Black youth. These include HIV testing, sexual behaviors not protected by condoms, negative attitudes towards sexual minorities, and HIV stigma. Behavior-change principles (social learning theory and education-entertainment) and input from members of the priority audience formed the basis of this 27-episode (3 minutes each) drama for dissemination on multiple platforms, including in public spaces or privately online. The developmental process, specifically involving members of the population of interest and use of behavioral theory, enriched the narrative elements and likely ensured intervention acceptability, enhancing effectiveness. Public health practitioners and prevention programmers may want to consider using this intervention and/or the narrative communication approach when intervening to change behavior.

Out-of-School Time Organized by Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Youth: Use of Youth Participatory Action Research as a Radical Pathway toward Social Justice

Out-of-School Time Organized by Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Youth: Use of Youth Participatory Action Research as a Radical Pathway toward Social Justice

Forming an alliance: mentor’s perspectives on the role of family and social networks in cross-racial mentoring relationships with black youth

ABSTRACT Little is known about how mentors’ interactions with youths’ families and broader social networks influences the mentoring relationship while considering differences in race and socioeconomic status between the mentor and the youth. This study utilized a constructivist grounded theory to examine how non-Black volunteer mentors perceived their interactions with the youth’s family impacted the youth mentoring relationship. The findings highlight the many benefits of mentors establishing a genuine connection with youths’ families and social networks and underline some of the difficulties associated with racial and class differences between the mentor and the youths’ family and social network.

“Too weak to fight, too scared to scream”: Understanding experiences of sexual coercion of Black female adolescents through digital storytelling

Black female adolescents are less frequently viewed as victims of violence or as agents of resistance. This study analyzed the experiences of sexual coercion of Black female adolescents on the South Side of Chicago through narrative scripts used to create digital stories. Using Sexual Script Theory and applying an intersectional lens, we analyzed a collection of 46 narrative transcripts from Black female youth, living on the South Side of Chicago, five of which specifically focused on the theme of sexual coercion. Under the broader theme of sexual coercion, the following subthemes were identified: (1) broken expectations of romance, (2) sex as a means of seeking attention from a male partner, (3) sex as a means of maintaining a partner, and (4) rape. By better understanding the social context of relationships for Black adolescent girls in heterosexual relationships, we may be able to better design sexual and reproductive health interventions for young women of color.

Relationship between suicide ideation and attempts, bully victimization, dating violence, and depressive symptoms among Black and Hispanic youth.

Suicide rates among Black and Hispanic youth have been increasing over the past decade in the United States. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for suicide ideation and attempt among Black and Hispanic youth in the United States using intersectionality theory and minority stress theory as a framework. Data from the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS; 2015-2019) were analyzed and delimited to include only Black and Hispanic youth. About 37% of the subsample identified as Black and 63% of the subsample identified as Hispanic; mean age was 16 years (SE = 0.02). Weighted multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore associations between suicide ideation and attempt, depressive symptoms, bullying, dating violence, and being threatened with a weapon. Black and Hispanic youth who had depressive symptoms, experienced bullying, dating violence, or threatened with a weapon all had increased odds of having suicide ideation and suicide attempt. Hispanic youth had the higher odds of suicide ideation and attempt than Black youth. Girls in the study also had elevated odds of suicide ideation. This study adds to the literature on risk factors of suicide in Black and Hispanic youth and bringing to awareness the gender disparities in suicide ideation and attempt among youth.

The Values in Perspective Comprehensive Sex Education Program: Experiences of Black Youth

Limited research is available on the acceptability of comprehensive sex education for economically marginalized Black youth. The current evaluation study collected quantitative self-report data from 109 high-school-aged predominately Black or African American economically marginalized youth after completing a comprehensive sex education program. Youth reported positive experiences with the program, improvement in socioemotional skill development, and increases in sexual risk avoidance behavior. Youth report of quality of experience predicted youth sexual risk avoidance. These findings serve as evidence for tailoring comprehensive sex education programs to youth demographic variables.

Abstract 17035: Relationship Between Neighborhood Level Deprivation and Blood Pressure Among 122,177 Adolescents, Analysis of PEDSnet Data

Introduction: Hypertension (HTN) begins in youth and accounts for ~80% of the cardiovascular disease burden in the US. Socio/environmental factors are critical, and greater knowledge of the relationship between neighborhood level deprivation and blood pressure (BP) in youth is needed. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that greater neighborhood deprivation is associated with intermediate/poor BP status in adolescents even after adjusting for other factors. Methods: Data from 2009 to 2019 were extracted from PEDSnet (a PCORI-funded aggregate of pediatric health data). We modeled the relationship between BP and neighborhood deprivation based on national Area Deprivation index (ADI; scaled 1-100) tertiles (ADI<25=best/low, 25-52, > 52=worst/high). The BP status of each youth was coded as good (BP score: 80-100) or intermediate/poor (BP score: 0-80) where BP score=100 if median BP <120/80mmHg and score=75 if median BP 120-129/<80mmHg. Analyses were carried out using SAS 9.4 with p<0.05 considered significant. The outcome of interest was poor/intermediate BP score. Results: Data from 122,177 youth, 13-17 years of age were analyzed. 51% were female, 58% were non-Hispanic white, and 22% non-Hispanic Black. 24% lived in neighborhoods with ADI <25; 35% lived in neighborhoods with ADI > 52. In a multivariate logistic model, ADI > 52 was associated with a 49% greater odds of intermediate/poor BP score. Due to significant interactions between ethnicity-race and ADI, compared to non-Hispanic Black youth, non-Hispanic White and Other youth had lower odds of intermediate/poor BP score by univariate analysis, but greater odds in the full model (Table). Female sex was associated with lower odds of HTN. The model’s goodness of fit was strong with a ROC, AUC of 0.73 (Figure). Conclusions: Higher neighborhood deprivation is associated with greater odds of hypertension in adolescents. Greater emphasis on measures to mitigate this risk are needed.

Associations Between Structural Stigma and Psychopathology Among Early Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective Ample evidence demonstrates that structural stigma – defined as societal-level conditions, cultural norms, and institutional policies and practices that constrain opportunities, resources, and well-being of stigmatized populations – is associated with psychopathology in adults from marginalized groups. Yet there is limited research on whether structural stigma is similarly associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms among youth. Method Structural stigma related to sex, sexual orientation, race, and Latinx ethnicity was measured using indicators of state-level policy and aggregated attitudes. Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 10,414; M age = 12 years, SD = 0.66; 48% female, 6.8% lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB), 13.4% Black, 20% Latinx), we examined associations of structural stigma with internalizing and externalizing symptoms among female, LGB, Black, and Latinx youth. Results LGB youth living in higher (vs. lower) structural stigma states had elevated levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In lower structural stigma states, there were no differences in externalizing symptoms between LGB and heterosexual youth. Similarly, Latinx youth and females living in higher (vs. lower) structural stigma states had elevated levels of externalizing symptoms. In lower structural stigma states, there were no differences in externalizing symptoms between Latinx youth and non-Latinx White youth. Structural stigma related to race was unrelated to internalizing or externalizing symptoms for Black youth. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence that macro-level social environments, in the form of structural stigma, contribute to adverse mental health outcomes for marginalized youth and partly explain disparities in externalizing symptoms.

Organizational and practitioner challenges to Black youth accessing mental health care in Canada: Problems and solutions.

Organizational and practitioner challenges to Black youth accessing mental health care in Canada: Problems and solutions.

When home reminds me of jail: The carceral nature of out-of-home care for Black youth in Ontario’s child welfare system

This article examines the intersections and paradoxes in out-of-home care (OOHC) for Black youth involved in Ontario’s child welfare system and the ways in which those experiences mirror treatment in the judicial system. Using an anti-carceral theory, this article weaves together the intersecting threads of anti-Black racism and carceral logic to construct Black youth’s experiences living in OOHC (non-relative foster care and group homes). Twenty-seven interviews were conducted with Black Caribbean youth from the Greater Toronto Area to understand their experiences in OOHC. In addition to exploring the ways in which OOHC is similar to carceral care, this study also describes youths’ narratives of police contact and involvement while under the care of the child welfare system. The data revealed a connection between OOHC and jail, a lack of autonomy, and policing as an intervention for Black youth. Additionally, the findings illustrated how social workers’ and child and youth workers' interactions are underpinned by carceral logic; their attempts to provide services to Black youth were often akin to policing, where surveillance, behavior management, and control were central to the ethics of care. Recommendations for policy and practice include reducing police intervention, ensuring both stability and flexibility, and discretion and honoring youth voice in applying policy and practice guidelines.

The Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families of Youth of Color: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Prospectively examine racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to COVID-19-related stressors and their impact on families. A racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse cohort of caregivers of youth (n = 1,581) representative of the population served by a pediatric healthcare system completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales in Oct/Nov 2020 and March/April 2021. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine exposure to COVID-19-related events (Exposure), impact of the pandemic on family functioning and well-being (Impact), and child and parent distress (Distress) across time and as a function of race and ethnicity, adjusting for other sociodemographic variables. Exposure and Distress increased over time for all participants. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, caregivers of Black and Hispanic youth reported greater Exposure than caregivers of White youth and caregivers of Black youth had a greater increase in Exposure over time than caregivers of White youth. Caregivers of White youth reported greater Impact than caregivers of Black and Other race youth. Exposure to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family psychosocial functioning varied by race and ethnicity. Although exposure to COVID-19-related events was greater among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black families, those of marginalized races reported less family impact than non-Hispanic White families, suggesting resiliency to the pandemic. Research should examine such responses to public health crises in communities of color, with a focus on understanding protective factors. These findings suggest the importance of culturally tailored interventions and policies that support universal psychosocial screenings during times of public health crises.

Updating, subtyping, and perceptions of the police: Implications of police contact for youths’ perceptions of procedural justice

AbstractIndividuals enter police encounters with expectations about how these interactions will unfold. These expectations are often rooted in racialized personal, vicarious, and collective experiences with the police. Bayesian updating posits that the way youth perceive treatment by the police during stops and arrests combines with prior expectations and perceptions to shape current views of the law, whereas subtyping suggests this process differs by race. This study examines intra‐ and interracial variability in these processes using longitudinal survey data from 3,085 Black and White youth. Regardless of race, youth who indicate they were treated with disrespect during police encounters had lower perceptions of procedural justice than did those with no contact, whereas contact perceived as respectful had no significant effects. For White but not Black youth, police encounters rated as “neutral” are associated with more negative views of the police. Other forms of legal socialization are also racialized, including messages conveyed in the media and by parents. Limited evidence exists that prior views of the police moderate the effect of police encounters on procedural justice or that these conditioning effects vary by race. Findings support updating, but race differences do not neatly align with findings expected with updating or subtyping theory.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sexual Orientation: An Intersectional Analysis of Nationally Representative Data

This study compared the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences across intersections of sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and economic status. Data collected between 1994 and 2018 from 12,519 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed in 2023 to generate adverse childhood experience prevalence estimates. Unadjusted 1-way ANOVAs and multivariate regressions were performed to compare differences in independent and cumulative adversity measures by sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy was conducted to estimate adversity scores across 24 groups that were stratified by sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. Adolescents with same-sex attractions and adults who identified with a sexual minority group reported more adverse childhood experiences overall than straight participants, although associations varied by type of adversity. Strikingly, adversity scores were higher among White youth with same-sex attractions than among Black youth with same-sex attractions, among more economically advantaged bisexual adults than among poorer ones, and among poor White participants than among poor Black and Hispanic participants, suggesting that the combination of disadvantaged and marginalized statuses does not necessarily correspond with greater childhood adversity. A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy interaction model showed that sexual orientation and poverty status contributed significant variance to cumulative adversity scores, whereas gender and race/ethnicity did not. The results show that disparities in adverse experiences can be more fully and accurately represented when sexual orientation and other social identities are modeled as intersectional configurations. Given that adverse childhood experiences are linked to morbidity and mortality, the findings have salient implications for understanding health disparities that affect population subgroups.

Exploring Persuasion Knowledge, Identity-Related Media Use, and Ad Skepticism of Black Immigrant and Refugee Adolescents

In the United States, where Black and Hispanic youth are disproportionately targeted by marketers, persuasion knowledge (PK) has not been thoroughly studied among underrepresented groups. The extent to which Black immigrant/refugee adolescents understand persuasion tactics and develop coping skills is explored in this mixed-methods study. Adolescents were aware of persuasion tactics on social media, relying on visual cues to identify sponsored posts. Media use was positively related to PK, and African American media use was associated with skepticism. Although there remains a need to further develop PK, adolescents demonstrated generally skillful coping strategies for influencers’ persuasion tactics.

Racial Disparity among Youth Decedents of Legal Intervention Trauma.

Legal intervention trauma (LIT) is defined as injury due to any encounter with law enforcement. This study investigates associations between demographics, violent status, and law enforcement tactics among youth decedents of LIT. Decedents of LIT age 26 years or younger were identified using the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System from 2003 to 2018. Decedents were classified as "violent" if they possessed a weapon, were committing a violent crime, or if law enforcement reported justified use of force. All others were classified as "nonviolent." Law enforcement tactics were stratified into "lethal" (firearm with standard ammunition) or "less lethal" (any other) force. Differences in the racial distribution across these classifications were assessed using chi-square tests of proportions. We identified 1,281 youth decedents of LIT; of which, 92.5% met violent criteria. Black youths were less likely than White youths to possess a weapon (71.6% vs 77.4%, p = 0.02) and were not more likely to be committing a violent crime (63.6% vs 60.4%, p = 0.27). They were, however, more likely than White youths to experience force reported as justified by law enforcement (89.9% vs 82.4%, p = 0.002) and to experience exclusively lethal force not preceded by less-lethal tactics (94.0% vs 88.7%, p = 0.001). Among the subset of 85 cases where law enforcement reported justified use of force despite the decedent not possessing a weapon or committing a violent crime, the precipitating event was more often a traffic stop for Black youths than for White youths (28.5% vs 6.66%, p = 0.02). These findings indicate a racial disparity among youth decedents of LIT.

Immigrant, black and racialized people’s health

Immigrant, black and racialized people’s health Learn about the research of Dr. Bukola Salami, Professor at Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, in this particular focus on Immigrant, Black, and Racialized People’s Health. Immigrants often arrive in Canada in better health than the Canadian-born population due to pre-arrival health screening. This phenomenon is called the healthy immigrant effect. However, the health of immigrants often declines after a period of time in Canada. Several factors contribute to this health decline, including poor socioeconomic outcomes, healthcare access barriers, and discrimination. Professor Salami’s research program focuses on policies and practices shaping migrant and Black people’s health. She has been involved in over 85 funded studies totaling over $230 million. She has led research projects on topics including African immigrant child health, immigrant mental health, access to healthcare for Black women, access to healthcare for immigrant children, Black youth mental health, the health of internally displaced children, the well-being of temporary foreign workers, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black Canadians, an environmental scan of equity-seeking organizations in Alberta, culturally appropriate practices for research with Black Canadians, international nurse migration, and parenting practices of African immigrants.

A Pandemic Adaptation and Its Aftermath: Using AI and In-Person Facilitation for Community Health Education in Liberia and the United States.

Health promotion commonly focuses on supporting youth wellness, as health behaviors acquired in childhood and adolescence tend to have a significant impact on an individual's future. Adolescent health education is associated with positive health and educational outcomes, yet young people experience barriers to fully engaging in learning about health issues that are often unique to their social location. Barriers for successful engagement in health education for African diaspora youth in North American and European contexts may include school initiatives built around engagement models that do not center Black youth; for Black youth in majority-Black societies, barriers may include access to resources or exclusionary practices based on other social characteristics. Global health promotion has used a variety of multimodal educational tools from radio to more recently online engagement, especially in African contexts, to reach young people. This essay shares experiences using AI and in-person facilitation to engage in community health education with youth in Liberia and the United States. In our practice, we found that there are far more underlying systemic and structural similarities to the inequities experienced between African and Black American youth and that utilizing AI tools alongside of in-person discussion may contribute to better outcomes for youth health education.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Problems and Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among US Emerging Adults.

Mental health problems in emerging adulthood are linked to tobacco and cannabis use, but whether race and ethnicity modifies these associations is unclear. We used data from wave 4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (youth n = 6898, young adult n = 10,304) to conduct latent class analysis (LCA) of six past 30-day tobacco and cannabis use indicators (i.e., cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), cigars, blunts, cannabis vaping, other cannabis). We estimated associations between past 30-day internalizing and externalizing (i.e., low (referent), moderate, high) problems and latent classes of tobacco/cannabis use (vs. never/former use) using adjusted multinomial logistic regression. We explored whether associations varied by race and ethnicity through stratification. We identified four exclusive use latent classes and two dual/poly use latent classes for both youth and young adult samples. Race/ethnicity-stratified models identified associations between internalizing/externalizing problems and most use classes for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White youth/young adults, with mixed results for non-Hispanic Black youth/young adults. For example, Hispanic (OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.09-5.74) and non-Hispanic White (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.18-3.06) youth with high internalizing problems had higher odds of ENDS + cannabis vaping. Externalizing problems were not associated with use among non-Hispanic Black youth while internalizing problems were not associated with use among non-Hispanic Black young adults. We observed racial/ethnic variation in mental health problems and tobacco and cannabis use. Understanding mental health problem and tobacco product and cannabis use comorbidity may better inform culturally relevant interventions aimed to prevent and reduce use.

Educating Black Girls Enduring Microaggressions in an Oreo World

The purpose of this article is to explore suburban Black Christian girls’ experiences of microaggressions in the public high school context. Through an ethnographic study, personal narratives were collected from six suburban Black Christian girls who all attended the same African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church where I served as the youth minister. These narratives offer insight into ways microaggression encounters in suburban schools can impact the personal identity, racial identity, and spiritual formation of Black adolescent girls. The Black sanctuary is the context where the girls in the study felt most accepted, represented, and safe. This implies re-imagining religious education practices with Black girls is important if pastors want to cultivate formative spaces that help Black youth thrive in an Oreo World.

B - 48 Heal-Thy Brain: the Intersectionality of Race, Sleep, and Socioeconomic Factors in ADHD.

This Paper is an examination of the history of sleep, sleep disorders, and socioeconomic factors as it relates to children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Previous research has revealed that many neurodivergent children struggle to obtain an adequate amount of sleep, which can negatively impact their daily lives. While discussing neurodivergence and sleep, there has also been a correlation to racial disparities regarding children of color having more "sleep debt" and sleep disturbances than others. As a consequence of these constraints, attempts to diagnose and treat ADHD have been severely underrepresented. Google Scholar and JSTOR databases from 2015 to 2023 were searched for studies. The samples reviewed included youth of various races, including Black, White, and Hispanic. Socioeconomic statuses within the samples also ranged in income between $50,000 and $100,000. Children with ADHD and multiple sleep problems have been shown to have more caregiver deficits and poorer quality of life, family functioning, and school attendance than children without a sleep problem (Sung et al., 2008). Teachers also reported more symptoms in Black youths, despite underreporting by parents. Lastly, a child in a low SES family being on average 2.21 times more likely to have ADHD than their high SES peers (Russell et al., 2015). Overall, examining the intersectionality of ADHD can provide clinicians and physicians with useful information at the time of diagnosis and will facilitate campaigns to better help neurodivergent oppressed populations.