Latino Youth Research Articles

Artful Spaces/Safe Places: A Gallery Provokes Voices that Interrogate Common Narratives of Latino Immigrant Children

What do Latino immigrant children’s voices say as they are provided a safe community space to be heard and soft clay through which to speak? Through art work, focus groups, gallery exhibitions, and filtering data (Author, 2018) this critical ethnographic research (Madison, 2012; Merriam & Tissdell, 2016; Wolcott, 2008; Thomas, 1993) exposes the complex political nature of linguistic, cultural, and national negotiations in which Latino children and their families in this study engage daily. This work troubles stereotypic mainstream narratives (Dillard, 2012; hooks, 1990, 1994; Janks, 2010) and points out the need for strong community/university collaborations to impact the excavation of deeper understandings of people in our neighborhoods. This ethnographic portrait of families, part of a larger study, involved the community director in an urban Spanish speaking church and faculty from literacy education and visual art at IUPUI. In this study children created clay objects called “hanging journals” during a summer program. These clay artworks acted as semiotic mediators (Kress, 2010; Pahl & Rowsell, 2012) for voices of this group—voices which routinely go unheard, or are devalued. Using theoretical frameworks from the fields of literacy and art, layered with multiplex ethnographic research tools, the volume on these important and complicated voices was turned up to hear buried stories and to interrogate commonly accepted narratives that swirl around Latino immigrants and their families.
 This study provides a peek into the authentic narratives of children as they share the daily navigation of a transnational existence, and shows the power of the arts to communicate across contested spaces. This study embraces the necessity of authentic university/community collaborations as a two-way street to understand and empower Latino youth, to better prepare future teachers as agents of change, and to expose versions of immigrant ways of being and knowing that are misconstrued.

Outcomes of the Adelante community social marketing campaign for Latino youth.

The authors designed and evaluated an innovative, branded campaign called 'Adelante' to promote positive youth development (PYD) and reduce risk behaviors among Latino youth near Washington, DC. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the intervention and a comparison community to evaluate campaign exposure and changes in PYD outcomes. The sample consisted of 1549 Latino and immigrant adolescents surveyed at three time points in intervention and comparison communities. A social marketing campaign was implemented using outdoor advertising, Web, video and social media channels to promote PYD and health outcomes over a 1-year period from 2015 to 2016. Measures included media use; self-reported exposure to campaign promotions; Adelante message receptivity; validated PYD scales; substance use, sexual risk taking, violence-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, intentions and risk behavior. Outcomes were regressed first on campaign exposure to examine dose-response effects of the Adelante campaign over time. Second, we compared outcomes between the Adelante and comparison communities. We observed a positive effect of self-reported exposure on multiple outcomes, including improvements in pro-violence and sexual risk outcomes and lower pro-violence attitudes and lower risky attitudes toward sex. Adelante was effective in improving youth risk outcomes and offers a promising model for future health promotion with Latino and immigrant populations.

Associations of Parental Monitoring and Violent Peers with Latino Youth Violence.

This study aimedtoexamine the associations of parental monitoring and violent peers with violence among Latino youth, and whether these associations varied by acculturation. 133 adolescents were surveyed. Associations between parental monitoring, peer violence, and physical and non-physical violence were examined using bivariate and multivariable negative binomial regression. Multivariable analysis was stratified by age and acculturation. A path model examined whether peer violence mediated the relationship between parental monitoring and youth violence. Stratified analysis demonstrated that peer violence increased the risk of physical (RR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02-1.20) and non-physical violence (RR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.62) for high-acculturated youth, whereas parental monitoring was protective for low-acculturated youth (physical RR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.78-0.99; non-physical RR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.68-0.93). In path analysis, low parental monitoring increased risk of involvement with violent peers, which was associated with increased risk of youth violence. Interventions may benefit from focusing on parental monitoring, peer violence, and tailoring by acculturation.

Broken Windows and Catching Frogs: Exploring Concepts of Historic and Contemporary Parental and Community Involvement

ABSTRACT Parental and community supports are important factors for Latino student academic success. The purpose of this paper is to explore the parental and community activism surrounding the San Antonio v. Rodriguez school finance case in order to better understand how historic means of activism relate to the contemporary ways that Latino parents and community members continue to be involved in the education of Latino youth. Historic methods, guided by a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, were employed to analyze archival records and oral histories. This critical analysis revealed influences of labor organizing, traditional civil rights, and the Chicano movement surrounding the parental and community involvement that prompted this lawsuit. Learning from historic events allows us to challenge the contemporary White normative definitions of parental involvement that marginalize the ways Latino parents and community members support student success.

Association of food parenting practice patterns with obesogenic dietary intake in Hispanic/Latino youth: Results from the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth)

Some food parenting practices (FPPs) are associated with obesogenic dietary intake in non-Hispanic youth, but studies in Hispanics/Latinos are limited. We examined how FPPs relate to obesogenic dietary intake using cross-sectional data from 1214 Hispanic/Latino 8-16-year-olds and their parents/caregivers in the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth). Diet was assessed with 2 24-h dietary recalls. Obesogenic items were snack foods, sweets, and high-sugar beverages. Three FPPs (Rules and Limits, Monitoring, and Pressure to Eat) derived from the Parenting strategies for Eating and Activity Scale (PEAS) were assessed. K-means cluster analysis identified 5 groups of parents with similar FPP scores. Survey-weighted multiple logistic regression examined associations of cluster membership with diet. Parents in the controlling (high scores for all FPPs) vs. indulgent (low scores for all FPPs) cluster had a 1.75 (95% CI: 1.02, 3.03) times higher odds of having children with high obesogenic dietary intake. Among parents of 12–16-year-olds, membership in the pressuring (high Pressure to Eat, low Rules and Limits and Monitoring scores) vs. indulgent cluster was associated with a 2.96 (95% CI: 1.51, 5.80) times greater odds of high obesogenic dietary intake. All other associations were null. Future longitudinal examinations of FPPs are needed to determine temporal associations with obesogenic dietary intake in Hispanic/Latino youth.

Fatherhood among gang-involved U.S. Latino youth: Qualitative inquiry into key stakeholders’ perspectives.

Fatherhood among gang-involved U.S. Latino youth: Qualitative inquiry into key stakeholders’ perspectives.

A qualitative assessment of US Black and Latino adolescents’ attitudes about targeted marketing of unhealthy food and beverages

ABSTRACTFood marketing targeted to Black and Latino adolescents primarily promotes energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and likely contributes to diet-related health disparities. Targeted marketing raises further public health concerns as Black and Latino youth are also exposed to greater amounts of unhealthy food marketing in the media and their communities. However, little is known about Black and Latino adolescents’ attitudes toward brands and marketing that target them directly. Focus groups with Black and Latino adolescents (N= 51) explored their attitudes toward targeted and non-targeted brands of food, beverages, and restaurants. Pile sorting activities using cards printed with targeted and non-targeted brand logos were used as an elicitation technique. Overall, participants indicated more positive attitudes about the targeted brands discussed in the focus groups than the non-targeted brands, and participants often described targeted brands as being for someone most like them. Some participants expressed appreciation for marketing that recognized “someone like them” as potential consumers, while others raised ethical issues regarding targeting of unhealthy foods. Participants’ strong affinity for targeted brands, and ambivalent attitudes about targeted marketing of unhealthy products, highlight an opportunity to increase awareness of food marketing targeting communities of color and address targeted marketing through countermarketing and grassroots advocacy campaigns.

The double burden of food insecurity and obesity among Latino youth: Understanding the role of generational status.

Obesity is linked to food insecurity and generational status; however, little is known about how both impact obesity risk among Latino youth. To investigate the joint effect of generational status and food insecurity on obesity prevalence among Latino youth. We pooled data from the 2011 to 2017 waves of the National Health Interview Survey to derive a sample Latino youth aged 12 to 17 (N=7532). Four generational categories were constructed: first generation (foreign-born children); second generation (US-born child; foreign-born parent[s]); 2.5 generation (US-born child; one foreign-born parent and one US-born parent); third generation (US-born child; U.S.-born parent[s]). Food insecurity was defined by monthly instances of food scarcity over the past year. Obesity was measured using age- and sex-specific body mass index percentile cut-offs. Log-binomial multivariable regression models estimated the association between generational status and food insecurity categories on obesity. Obesity percentages among food-insecure households ranged from 12.8% in the first generation, 15.8% in the second, 24.3% in the 2.5, and 19.2% in the third. In fully adjusted models, 2.5 generation food secure youth had the highest prevalence of obesity (aPR: 1.53; 95% CI, 1.09-2.16) when compared with first generation food secure youth, followed by third generation food insecure youth (aPR: 1.49; 95% CI, 1.01-2.20). Food security status is associated with increased obesity prevalence among Latino youth across the generations. Given that obesity is a risk factor for top causes of mortality and morbidity, growing rates among this population is of public health and clinical importance.

Association between bullying victimization and physical fitness among children and adolescents

Background/ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between being bullied and the physical fitness components, and to determine whether a healthy physical fitness level is related with lower victimization in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity compared to unfit overweight/obese peers. Method:The present cross-sectional study included a total of 7,714 youths (9-17 years), categorized as normal-weight or overweight/obese and fit or unfit according to sex-specific handgrip strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) cut-points. Bullying (physical, verbal, social exclusion, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying) was assessed through the Standard Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey questions. Results:Boys and girls that were categorized as fit (healthy level of CRF) showed lower traditional bullying compared to unfit counterparts. Also, a healthy level of CRF could be a protective factor of traditional bullying among overweight/obese youths compared to unfit overweight/obese peers. Conclusions:CRF is related with lower risk for experiencing traditional bullying in Latino youths with and without obesity, thus emphasizing the role of fitness even among youth with excess of adiposity.

Rios, Victor M. Human targets: schools, police, and the criminalization of Latino youth

Resenha do livro de Victor M. Rios. Human Targets: Schools, Police, and the Criminalization of Latino Youth, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2017.

Unpacking the Influence of Abuse and Depression on Grades among Urban Ethnic Minority Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background:Both depression and a history of abuse have known negative consequences on the overall health of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Research is not clear, however, on the interactive influence of abuse and depression on academic achievement, especially among AYAs of color.Objective(s):This study aims to assess the interactive influence of abuse and depression on academic grades among African American and Latino AYAs.Methods:The study sample was made up of 476 predominantly urban African American and Latino youth ages 14 to 24. Study participants completed a demographic questionnaire (which included self-reported grades) and the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care-Fast Screen. Screenings for abuse were done through three structured methods using the Childhood Maltreatment Interview Schedule-Short Form, a short-structured questionnaire, and a face-to-face unstructured interview with a clinical provider.Findings:Depression had a significant main effect on grades, while abuse did not. Abuse and depression had a significant interactive effect on grades in that non-depressed adolescents who reported abuse had an almost four point higher average grade score than their non-depressed counterparts who did not report abuse.Conclusions:Our findings highlight an unexpected effect in AYAs of color with a history of abuse but no history of depression, suggesting that perhaps there is something intrinsic to this group’s resilience or their support systems that protects both against depression and supports their academic achievement. In conclusion, abuse alone does not serve as a predictor of grade achievement. Further work should be done to determine influential factors behind this relationship, with recommendations for school-based counselors and medical providers to screen for depression along with abuse in AYAs in order to determine how best to support this population.

The criminogenic and psychological effects of police stops on adolescent black and Latino boys.

Proactive policing, the strategic targeting of people or places to prevent crimes, is a well-studied tactic that is ubiquitous in modern law enforcement. A 2017 National Academies of Sciences report reviewed existing literature, entrenched in deterrence theory, and found evidence that proactive policing strategies can reduce crime. The existing literature, however, does not explore what the short and long-term effects of police contact are for young people who are subjected to high rates of contact with law enforcement as a result of proactive policing. Using four waves of longitudinal survey data from a sample of predominantly black and Latino boys in ninth and tenth grades, we find that adolescent boys who are stopped by police report more frequent engagement in delinquent behavior 6, 12, and 18 months later, independent of prior delinquency, a finding that is consistent with labeling and life course theories. We also find that psychological distress partially mediates this relationship, consistent with the often stated, but rarely measured, mechanism for adolescent criminality hypothesized by general strain theory. These findings advance the scientific understanding of crime and adolescent development while also raising policy questions about the efficacy of routine police stops of black and Latino youth. Police stops predict decrements in adolescents' psychological well-being and may unintentionally increase their engagement in criminal behavior.

Depression in Latino and Immigrant Refugee Youth: Clinical Opportunities and Considerations.

This article reviews the risk and protective factors and symptom presentation of depression in Latino and immigrant refugee children and adolescents. The significance of culture, linguistics, and community in the emergence of depression in Latino and immigrant refugee children and adolescents and their families is explored. The article provides practical implications for diagnosis and treatment of depression in this special population of youth.

Barriers and facilitators to healthy eating among low-income Latino adolescents

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to healthy eating among low-income Latino adolescents using an intervention development framework. MethodsSemi-structured interviews (n = 30) were conducted with Latino youth ages 13–17 who had overweight or obesity at a safety-net clinic in San Francisco, CA. Adolescent beliefs and attitudes regarding healthy eating and individual, family, and community level barriers and facilitators were elicited. Interviews were analyzed using an inductive approach and the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation (COM-B) model. ResultsParticipants had capability gaps; while they demonstrated basic nutrition knowledge, they also held significant misconceptions about healthy eating, equating “organic” with healthy and failing to recognize sugar in a number of beverages and foods. Families were a source of support through role modeling and purchasing fresh produce, yet in many cases also undermined adolescents’ healthy eating goals through purchases of high calorie low nutrient food, an opportunity facilitator and challenge. By contrast, peers were mostly a negative influence due to frequent consumption of high calorie low nutrient food. The school environment posed opportunity challenges as participants found school lunch unpalatable and had ready access to unhealthy options nearby. Participants were motivated to improve their eating habits but often not resilient in the face of obstacles. ConclusionsInterventions to promote healthy eating among low-income Latino adolescents should address common nutritional misconceptions, target families as well as teens, consider peer influences, and advocate for policy approaches that improve the school food environment.

Examining Latino Family Participation in Treatment for Childhood ADHD: The Role of Parental Cultural Factors and Perceptions

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health disorder in childhood. Unfortunately, Latino youth and their families are at increased risk of demonstrating poor treatment outcomes. The current study examined the impact of parental cultural factors and perceptions on Latino family participation in a psychosocial intervention for childhood ADHD. Sixty-one Latino youth and at least one of their primary parents and teachers participated in the current study. Results indicated that parental acculturation, attitudes regarding treatment, and baseline severity of child symptomatology and functional impairment were related to treatment participation outcomes. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Familism and inflammatory processes in African American, Latino, and White youth.

African Americans and Latinos make up the two largest minority groups in the United States, and compared with Whites, these ethnic minority groups face disproportionate risk for certain physical health problems. However, factors that may protect these groups against early risk for poor health are not entirely understood. Familism, which emphasizes family interdependence and commitment, and is more prevalent among Latino and African American families, may be one such factor. The current study examined whether values and behaviors related to familism were differentially associated with inflammatory processes among White, African American, and Latino youth. Participants were 257 youth who completed measures of familism values and behaviors and whose parents reported on their ethnicity. Participants also provided blood samples for the assessment of proinflammatory cytokine responses to bacterial challenge and of sensitivity to anti-inflammatory features of cortisol and interleukin (IL)-10. Significant familism values and behaviors by ethnicity interactions were observed. For Latino and African American youth but not for White youth, more familism values were associated with greater sensitivity to IL-10. Additionally, for African American youth, more familism behaviors were associated with decreased cytokine responses to bacterial challenge and greater sensitivity to cortisol and IL-10. By contrast, familism behaviors were associated with lower sensitivity to cortisol in White youth and were not associated with any inflammatory outcomes in Latino youth. This pattern of findings suggests that for African American youth and to some extent for Latino youth, familism values and behaviors may be protective against the elevated risk for poor health they face. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Effective Engagement with Latino Youths and Communities

California's 4-H Youth Development Program adopted an asset-based and systematic community development approach to studying successful Latino-serving youth development programs. This effort included a scan of Latino engagement resources and Latino-serving youth development settings as well as key informant interviews. Beyond generating important data, the research process itself facilitated impactful Latino community outreach, relationship building, and engagement, suggesting multiple potential benefits to using a community development approach in research.

Centro SOL: A Community-Academic Partnership to Care for Undocumented Immigrants in an Emerging Latino Area.

From 2000 to 2014, the Latino population in Baltimore city, an emerging Latino settlement area, experienced rapid growth. Many of these individuals are undocumented and not eligible for coverage. Academic medical centers often lead the way in addressing the health needs of undocumented immigrants; however, examples from emerging immigrant areas are limited. In October 2013, Johns Hopkins Medicine clinicians established the Center for Salud/Health and Opportunities for Latinos (Centro SOL) to better address the health needs of Baltimore's growing Latino community. Centro SOL's mission focuses on four core activities: clinical services; advocacy and community engagement efforts; pipeline/education opportunities; and research consultations. Progress is measured through a scorecard reviewed annually by Centro SOL leadership. Centro SOL's program has expanded health care access for undocumented immigrants, patient safety and quality of service/care programs for patients with limited English proficiency, and pipeline opportunities for Latino youth. In 2017, 2,763 uninsured patients received primary or specialty care and 290 people received group therapy to address stress-related conditions. In addition, 49 Latino students (ranging from high school to postgraduate students) received mentorship at Centro SOL. In the next five years, Centro SOL plans to expand the pipeline for Latinos interested in health professions fields and to further improve access to health services for Latino families through both advocacy efforts and enhanced clinical services.

Socioeconomic Adversity, Social Resources, and Allostatic Load Among Hispanic/Latino Youth: The Study of Latino Youth.

We examined associations among socioeconomic adversity, social resources, and allostatic load in Hispanic/Latino youth, who are at high risk for obesity and related cardiometabolic risks. Participants were 1343 Hispanic/Latino youth (51% male; ages 8-16 years) offspring of Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos participants. Between 2012 and 2014, youth underwent a fasting blood draw and anthropometric assessment, and youth and their enrolled caregivers provided social and demographic information. A composite indicator of allostatic load represented dysregulation across general metabolism, cardiovascular, glucose metabolism, lipid, and inflammation/hemostatic systems. Socioeconomic adversity was a composite of caregiver education, employment status, economic hardship, family income relative to poverty, family structure, and receipt of food assistance. Social resources were a composite of family functioning, parental closeness, peer support, and parenting style variables. Multivariable regression models that adjusted for sociodemographic factors, design effects (strata and clustering), and sample weights revealed a significant, positive, association between socioeconomic adversity and allostatic load (β = .10, p = .035), and a significant, inverse association between socioeconomic adversity and social resources (β = -.10, p = .013). Social resources did not relate to allostatic load and did not moderate or help explain the association of adversity with allostatic load (all p values > .05). Statistically significant, but small associations of socioeconomic adversity with both allostatic load and social resources were identified. The small effects may partially reflect range restriction given overall high socioeconomic adversity and high social resources in the cohort.

Racial/ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life and health status across pre-, early-, and mid-adolescence: a prospective cohort study.

To examine (1) racial/ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and overall health status among Black, Latino, and White youth during adolescence; (2) whether socioeconomic status (SES) and family contextual variables influence disparities; and (3) whether disparities are consistent from pre- to early- to mid-adolescence. A population sample of 4823 Black (1755), Latino (1812), and White (1256) youth in three US metropolitan areas was prospectively assessed in a longitudinal survey conducted on three occasions, in 5th, 7th, and 10th grades, when youth reported their HRQOL using the PedsQL™ short-form Total, Physical and Psychosocial scales and youth and parents separately reported on youth's overall health status. Parents reported their education and household income to index SES, family structure, and use of English at home. Based on analysis conducted separately at each grade, marked racial/ethnic disparities were observed across all measures of HRQOL and health status, favoring White and disfavoring Black, and especially Latino youth. More strongly present in 5th and 7th grade, HRQOL disparities decreased by 10th grade. Most disparities between White and Black youth disappeared when adjusting for SES. However, even after adjusting for SES, family structure, and English use, overall health status disparities disfavoring Latino youth remained across all three assessments. Racial/ethnic disparities in adolescent HRQOL and health are substantial. These disparities appear consistent from pre- to early-adolescence but diminish for HRQOL by mid-adolescence. As disparities appear influenced by SES and other family contextual variables differently in different racial/ethnic groups, efforts to reduce health disparities in youth should address culturally specific conditions impinging on health.