Diverse Urban Youth Research Articles

Let’s Play! Exploring the Impact of Summer Day Camp Participation on the Physical and Psychosocial Experiences of Diverse Urban Youth

Let’s Play! Exploring the Impact of Summer Day Camp Participation on the Physical and Psychosocial Experiences of Diverse Urban Youth

Studying Adolescent Athletes for Evaluation of Mental Health and Substance Use in an Urban Setting

This study aims to understand the association among sport participation, substance use and mental health of adolescent athletes within a diverse urban youth population. Data included a convenience sample of predominantly Black and Hispanic youth (85.7%) ages 14 to 18 years, who were Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center (MSAHC) patients who presented for an annual physical exam or pre-participation exam (PPE) and were cleared for high school sport(s) participation. During the encounter, participants self-reported their use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana on a 6-point frequency scale, dichotomized to indicate use in the past 30 days. Anxiety and depression were assessed using two self-reported questions. Demographic data (e.g. ethnicity, gender, age) and whether participants had a current mental health provider were also extracted from the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses showed adolescents with one year of sport participation had significantly lower odds of alcohol use in the past 30 days (OR=0.22, 95%CI= [0.12,0.41]) compared to individuals who did not participate in sport(s). Adolescents with two or more years of sport participation had significantly lower odds of alcohol (OR=0.46, 95%CI= [0.23,0.93]) and marijuana use (OR=0.10, 95%CI= [0.01,0.72]) in the past 30 days compared to individuals who did not participate in sport(s). Adolescents with one year of sport participation had lower odds of reported depression (OR=0.56, 95%CI= [0.33,0.94]) compared to individuals who did not participate in sport(s). Adolescents with two or more years of sport participation had significantly lower odds of reported depression (OR=0.35, 95%CI= [0.16,0.75]) and anxiety (OR=0.36, 95%CI= [0.15,0.86]) compared to individuals with no sport participation. These effects were found after adjusting for whether they were currently engaged with a mental health provider. Results of this study suggest that engagement in organized sport(s) may have protective effects against substance use, depression and anxiety. Additionally, the PPE could be used as an opportunity to promote engagement in extracurricular activities in addition to organized sports, to maximize the opportunity for adolescents to experience these benefits.

235. Studying Athletes for Evaluation of Risk (Safer)

The aim of this study is to understand the association among sport participation, substance use and mental health, above what can be attributed to receiving care from a mental health provider, within a diverse urban minority youth population.

Urban Youth Perspectives on the Benefits and Challenges of Outdoor Adventure Camp

Consistent evidence indicates that urban youth, and particularly youth of color, report relatively low levels of participation in quality youth program experiences and spend less time outdoors as compared to non-urban and White youth. Outdoor adventure camps (OACs) provide an excellent opportunity for engaging these youth in experiences that can help promote positive youth development (PYD). In the present study, we examined the experiences and perceptions of 75 urban youth who participated in a 3-day high adventure camp experience. Through a mixed-method approach, results indicated that urban youth from all racial and ethnic backgrounds grew in several PYD outcomes including social competencies and self-improvement capacities. Many youth also reported growing in their connection to nature as a consequence of participating in the OAC. Youth thought camp was a positive and worthwhile experience, reflecting key attributes of a PYD setting. Overall, the OAC provided a challenging and engaging growth environment for youth. Findings highlight implications for socially just and culturally inclusive outdoor adventure programming aimed at diverse urban youth.

Ethnic Inequalities in Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and a major risk factor is obesity in early age groups. Obesity in children and youth is a growing public health concern, and inequalities exist across social groups. Evidence on ethnic disparities in obesity risk is mixed, and little is known about ethnicity and obesity in late adolescence. Moreover, broad ethnic identity categories may be less informative for understanding disparities in obesity risk than the psychosocial process of ethnic identity development during this unique developmental period. Differences in the salience of ethnic identity seem particularly relevant to examining obesity inequalities in multicultural, multigenerational settings. Aims and Objectives: To examine the gender-specific associations of strength of ethnic identity with the obesity prevalence in ethnically diverse urban youth from British Columbia (BC), Canada. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study of an adolescent cohort with self-reported data on ethnic identity, sociodemographics, height and weight using regression modeling with interaction terms. Results: Above-average ethnic identity was associated with the higher obesity prevalence in young men only. Multivariable-adjusted models showed that young men reporting the strongest ethnic identity had 57% higher odds of being obese (odds ratio 1.57 [95% confidence interval: 1.05–2.37]). Conclusion: Associations varied by gender and ethnic group: stronger ethnic identity was significantly associated with the higher obesity prevalence in young men from Asian and Indigenous cultural heritage, whereas young women from Indigenous backgrounds with stronger ethnic identity showed a nonsignificant lower obesity prevalence. Future research directions and public health program implications are discussed.

Summer in the City: Cultivating Political Agents in Boston Out-of-School-Time Programs.

Diverse urban youth need a wide range of program opportunities and formats to develop their own sense of political agency and leadership. One size does not fit all.

Coping styles of adolescents experiencing multiple forms of discrimination and bullying: evidence from a sample of ethnically diverse urban youth.

We used a latent class analysis (LCA) to characterize coping styles of urban youth and examined if coping styles moderated the association between experiencing discrimination and bullying and depressive symptoms. The data come from the 2006 Boston Youth Survey, where students were asked to select 2 behaviors they do most often when they are upset, from a list of 15 options. A total of 927 (75%) students contributed to the LCA analytic sample (44% non-Hispanic Blacks, 29% Hispanics, and 58% girls). Relative and absolute fit indices determined the number of classes. An interaction term between types of discrimination and bullying experienced and coping style tested for moderation. The LCA revealed that a 3-class solution had the best fit (Lo-Mendell-Rubin likelihood ratio test, 4-class vs 3-class, p-value .12). The largest coping style class was characterized by high endorsement of distractive coping strategies (59%), the second class was characterized by using supportive coping strategies (27%), and the third class was characterized by using avoidance coping strategies (12%). We found a significant interaction between discrimination and coping style for depressive symptoms. The relationship between experiencing discrimination and depression varied based on coping style and the type of discrimination and bullying experienced.

Family Belongingness, Gang Friendships, and Psychological Distress in Adolescent Achievement

The authors investigated connections among social, psychological, and academic functioning of ethnically diverse urban youth. Participants included 310 seventh graders (mean age = 12.10 years) from an ethnically diverse middle school in which no ethnic group was a majority. Social engagements with family and gang members were predictive of academic achievement in the expected directions, with psychological distress mediating the effects of these social engagements on academic achievement. Implications for counselors’ work with ethnically diverse urban youth are discussed.

The home environment and family asthma management among ethnically diverse urban youth with asthma.

Although the pediatric psychology literature underscores the importance of illness-related aspects of the home environment for optimal family asthma management, little is known about the contribution of more global aspects of the home environment (e.g., family routines/schedule, quality of stimulation provided to child) to asthma management in ethnic minority and urban families. The goals of this study were to (a) explore ethnic/racial group differences in global and specific dimensions of home environment quality among Latino, non-Latino White (NLW), and African American urban children with asthma; and (b) examine associations between the quality and quantity of support and stimulation within the home environment, as measured by the HOME Inventory, and family asthma management. Urban, low-income children (N = 131) between the ages of 6 and 13 with asthma and a primary caregiver participated in a multimodal assessment, including an in-home observation and semistructured interviews to assess aspects of home environment quality and family asthma management practices. While controlling for poverty, no ethnic group differences were found in the global home environment; however, there were significant differences in specific dimensions (e.g., Family Participation in Developmentally Stimulating Experiences, and Aspects of the Physical Environment) of home environment quality. Across the whole sample, home environment quality predicted family asthma management. When examining this association for specific ethnic groups, this finding did not hold for the Latino subsample. The results highlight the need to consider ethnic group differences in non-illness-specific aspects of the home environment when addressing families' asthma management strategies.

Equivalent harm? The relative roles of maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence in antisocial outcomes for young adults

Abstract This study investigates whether child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) have an equivalent effect on young adult violence and criminality, including adult relationship violence, and whether experiencing both types of family violence enhances the risk of adverse outcomes. The study utilizes data from the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS), a cohort study of the development of delinquency and other youth problems in a community sample of 1000 diverse urban youth, followed from age 14 to adulthood, to bolster our knowledge of these phenomena. Responses to well-validated measures come from a combination of interviews with parents and youth and from official records. Results generally indicate that maltreated children are more likely to demonstrate adult antisocial behavior than children exposed to IPV. Thus, our results indicate that both types of family violence are not equivalently harmful in the development of antisocial and violent behavior. In addition, the results indicate that experiencing both forms of family violence increases the risk of some antisocial outcomes in young adulthood compared to experiencing either one in isolation. Implications for research and services are considered.

A Sexual Assault Primary Prevention Model with Diverse Urban Youth

In this study, a nonprofit community mental health clinic developed a socioecological model of sexual abuse prevention that was implemented in a public school. The goal of the program was to promote and create community change within individuals and the school community by reducing tolerance of sexual violence and sexual harassment. Participants were 5th–12th graders at a school from a Midwest city. Completed measures were obtained from 202 students, and a quasiexperimental time series research design was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the prevention program. The program was found to be effective at increasing participant's knowledge of sexual abuse, awareness of school and community sexual assault support resources, and identification of components of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

The Career Locus of Control Scale for Adolescents: Further Evidence of Validity in the United States

This study examined the construct validity of the Career Locus of Control Scale (CLCS) among diverse urban youth within the United States (N = 308). Confirmatory factor analyses verified two of the three models as acceptable fits. Two new models were also explored. Model 5 (Internality, Luck, and Non-Control), which was one of the new models, was the most useful explanation of the data. Abstract and concrete educational attitudes correlated with the CLCS subscales in a manner consistent with expectations. No significant differences in the CLCS subscales were found as a function of race; male students had significantly higher levels of concrete attitudes and scored significantly higher on Powerful Others than female students. Age was not related to Internality, abstract attitudes, or concrete attitudes but was significantly associated with Luck and Non-Control.

Longitudinal associations between family dinner and adolescent perceptions of parent–child communication among racially diverse urban youth.

We examined changes in adolescent self-reported parent-child communication using growth curve models conditional on family meal frequency over a 3.5-year period among a population of racially diverse, low-income adolescents from an urban environment (n = 4,750). Results indicated that although both family dinner frequency and adolescent perceptions of parent-child communication scores were characterized by negative linear growth over time (both p < .001), family dinner frequency was positively associated with adolescent perceptions of parent-child communication scores over time (p < .001). Study findings suggest that families with teenagers may enhance parent-child communication and ultimately promote healthy adolescent development by making family dinner a priority. In addition, the communication benefits of family dinner at the beginning of sixth grade may be protective through eighth grade.

School Engagement as a Mediator of Academic Performance Among Urban Youth: The Role of Career Preparation, Parental Career Support, and Teacher Support

Drawing from the contributions of vocational psychology, this study examined school engagement as a mediator of academic performance through the effects of career preparation (career planning, career decision-making self-efficacy), parental career support, and teacher support among diverse urban youth in middle school and high school ( N = 285). Based on structural equation modeling, all structural paths of the proposed hypothetical model were significant. The effects of teacher support and parental career support on school engagement were mediated by career preparation; in turn, the effect of career preparation on grades was mediated by school engagement. Teacher support also had a direct effect on school engagement.The middle school students had significantly higher grades than the high school students, but there were no significant grade-level differences in terms of school engagement, career preparation, parental career support, or teacher support.The limitations of the study and its implications for research, practice, and public policy are discussed.

Relationships Between Alcohol-related Informal Social Control, Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Problem Behaviors Among Racially Diverse Urban Youth

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationships between alcohol-related informal social control and parental monitoring on alcohol use, behavior and intentions; violent behavior; and delinquent behavior in a racially diverse population of young urban adolescents. Baseline surveys were administered to 6th grade male and female students in 61 urban Chicago schools as part of Project Northland Chicago, a group randomized trial for the prevention/reduction of substance use. A subset of their parents (n = 3,034) was also surveyed regarding alcohol use, violence, and delinquency and related issues. Structural equation modeling was used to assess relationships between alcohol-related informal social control (as measured by parental perceptions of neighborhood action regarding youth drinking) and parental monitoring (as reported by parents), and three adolescent outcomes (alcohol use, behaviors and intentions; violent behavior; and delinquent behavior; as reported by teens). Associations between alcohol-related informal social control and parental monitoring were positive and significant (P < .001). Direct paths from parental monitoring to all three adolescent outcomes were negative and statistically significant (alcohol use, behaviors and intentions, P < .001; violent behavior, P < .001; and delinquent behavior, P < .001). Alcohol-related informal social control was not significantly associated with adolescent outcomes. Efforts to engage parents to be more active in monitoring adolescents' activities may be related to lower levels of underage drinking, violence and delinquency among both female and male urban youth. Neighborhood norms and action against teenage drinking may be too distal to adolescent outcomes to be directly associated.

Facing a Fragile Future: A Quantitative Investigation Into Perceived Career Barriers Among Diverse Urban Youth With Disabilities

The failure of our current transition planning for culturally and ethnically diverse students with disabilities has been documented throughout the literature. Despite transition mandates, students with disabilities, particularly those from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds, continue to be unemployed or underemployed. The purpose of this study was to document barriers to career goals that students themselves identify. The researchers surveyed 128 urban high school students with disabilities from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds to identify the barriers they perceived to affect their career planning goals and choices. Students were asked to respond to a questionnaire that asked them to rank the importance of specific career barriers that might keep them from their future career goals. The five most frequently cited barriers included dropping out of school, being lazy, grades, drugs and alcohol, and low school attendance. Significant gender, ethnic, and school preparation differences were found. Implications for interventions and career development support are discussed.

Are Success Learning Experiences and Self-Efficacy Beliefs Associated With Occupational Interests and Aspirations of At-Risk Urban Youth?

To help increase access to educational and occupational options for a growing yet underrepresented population of low-income, culturally diverse, urban middle school students, we need to increase our understanding of important factors in their career development. The results of this study supported some applications of Krumboltz’s social learning theory to at-risk urban youth and found (a) a significant and positive association between participants’ success learning experiences and their expressed occupational interests, and (b) a positive association between their career self-efficacy beliefs and inventoried occupational interests. However, no association was found between participants’ success learning experiences and their highest or most ideal occupational aspirations. Further research with methods and measures that are reliable and validated with this population is needed to replicate the results of this study. In turn, career counselors might use this understanding to better design effective interventions for at-risk diverse urban youth.

Diverse Urban Youth's Nature: Implications for Environmental Education

Diverse urban youth are a priority for environmental education. This project focused on urban youth's perceptions of nature and suggestions for environmental education. A mixed-methods approach addressed urban youth through (1) informal discussions and questionnaires, (2) an autophotography project, and (3) interviews. This effort supported previous research, extended current literature, and generated ideas to enhance environmental education. Effective environmental education should center education on flora, present nature as a system, include interactive activities, and create programs from the youth's perspective.

Holding the line with a watchful eye: the impact of perceived parental permissiveness and parental monitoring on risky sexual behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care.

Adolescents in psychiatric care are at increased risk of HIV, yet little is known about the family factors related to sexual risk taking among these youth. We explored whether perceived parental monitoring and perceived parental permissiveness were linked to high-risk sexual behavior in 169 ethnically diverse urban youth seeking mental health services in Chicago, and we tested whether adolescent gender moderated these associations. We evaluated sexual risk taking at a global level and for specific risk behaviors (e.g., sex without a condom, sex while using drugs and alcohol). Girls reported more risky sex overall than boys, and girls were more likely than boys to report having sex without a condom. At low levels of parental permissiveness, rates of risky sex among boys and girls' did not differ, but at high levels of permissiveness girls reported more sexual risk taking than boys, and girls were more likely than boys to report having sex while using drugs and alcohol and having sex without a condom. Findings highlight the complexity of adolescent sexual behavior and the need for multilevel assessment of risk taking. Results suggest that parental monitoring and permissiveness are more strongly associated with sexual risk taking in troubled girls than troubled boys, and they underscore a need for gender-sensitive, family-focused HIV-prevention programs.

The Assessment of Ethnic Identity in a Diverse Urban Youth Population

This article examines the assessment of ethnic identity in a multiethnic, probability sample of urban adolescents using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The concept of ethnic identity captures the incorporation of ethnicity into self-perception, providing a pivotal link to the social psychological consequences of minority status. A more generalizable psychometric examination of an instrument used extensively in research on African American youth to capture this phenomenon is warranted. This investigation seeks to identify revisions of the MEIM that would render it more useful for interethnic and intraethnic comparisons, utilizing a sample more heterogeneous and representative than those of prior studies. Item and exploratory factor analyses indicate that 10 of 14 items can be combined into a short form (MEIM-S) that measures aspects of this phenomenon that are comparable across ethnic groups, and identify two factors. In general, Whites score significantly lower than African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos, whose scores tend to be similar to one another, consistent with the literature on interethnic variation in the salience of ethnic identity.