Urban Public Housing Developments Research Articles

Photo-Enhanced Health Promotion Messages to Target Reduction in Dietary Sugar among Residents of Public Housing.

Interventions intended to reduce the consumption of dietary sugars among those population groups demonstrating disproportionately greater and more frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and foods (SSBF) would benefit from intervention strategies that are tailored to population-specific barriers and facilitators. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the acceptability of photo-enhanced and theory-based health promotion messages that target the reduction in SSBF among adult residents of public housing developments, a population known for their high rates of chronic disease. Using the message development tool as a framework, we developed a series of 15 SSBF reduction messages, using an iterative process with community member input. We then evaluated the acceptability of the messages and compared three delivery mechanisms: print, text, and social media. We recruited participants who were residents of urban public housing developments, and who spoke either English or Spanish. A majority of participants identified as being of Hispanic ethnicity (73%). The message acceptability scoring did not appear to differ according to the assigned delivery mechanism, despite some imbalances in participants' characteristics across delivery mechanisms. The messages that targeted motivation were least likely to be accepted. In conclusion, our findings suggest that engaging members of the community at all phases of the development process was a feasible method to develop SSBF reduction messages with a high perceived acceptability.

Examining the role of parental factors on depression among Urban African American youth living in public housing

ABSTRACTThis study examined the potential risk and protective parental factors associated with depression among African American youth living in public housing. Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, 239 African-American youth surveys were collected during 2013–2014 in two urban public housing developments with low socioeconomic profiles. Over half (52.3%) of the sample was in high school and female (58%). 65.3% reported living with their mother while 38% reported being employed. Bivariate analysis revealed significant correlations between depression and maternal substance abuse, paternal monitoring, parent-child relationship, and family time. Results from the regression analyses indicated that higher depression scores were significantly associated with youth who reported poor parent-child relationships, low levels of paternal supervision and high levels of maternal drug abuse. These findings provide support for claims about the importance of parent-child relationship and paternal monitoring as a protective factor for depressive symptoms, particularly during adolescence. Moreover, findings suggest that interventions which are targeted towards urban African American youth should address parental factors as a pathway to decrease depression among this population.

Psychometric Properties of the CES-D Among Black Adolescents in Public Housing

Objective: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) has not been fully validated as a depression screening scale among Black adolescents. This study examines the psychometric properties of the CES-D as applied to Black adolescents, seeking to understand the unique way in which Black adolescents express their depression symptoms. Method: We hypothesized that the expression and factor structure of depressive symptoms measured by CES-D would be different when applied to Black adolescents. Black adolescents (N = 782) ages 11–21 were recruited from 9 urban public housing developments in 4 large U.S. cities. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to compare the fit of competing models. Convergent validity of the CES-D was examined via associations with gender, age, and suicidal ideation in the ESEM model. Results: Instead of the original 4-factor structure of the CES-D, a 2-factor ESEM model demonstrated satisfactory fit to our data (CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.04). Compared with females, Black males were less likely to endorse positive affect items of the CES-D (r = −0.13, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Conceptualizations of depression among Black adolescents may differ from any other populations previously studied. Clinicians should assess the unique expression of depression among Black youth when developing treatment plans.

Early Onset of Sexual Intercourse and Parental Incarceration among African American Youth Living in Urban Public Housing.

Mass incarceration, substance use, and adolescent early onset of sex (e.g., initiate sexual intercourse at 13years of age or younger) are social problems with disparate impacts on low-income African American communities. Two out of every five inmates in state and federal prisons are African American and the vast majority of these inmates are from low-income communities. Furthermore, this population experiences more severe consequences of substance use and abuse compared to other populations. In sum, African American youth endure the lion share of problems that mass incarceration and substance use leave in their wake. It is likely that the early onset of sex reported by African American youth in national data is related to mass incarceration and substance use in their communities. Using a sample of 142 African American youth, this paper assesses whether parental incarceration or substance, or both, are related to the likelihood of early onset of sex. Analytic procedures included chi-square and sequential logistic regression. The sample reported a mean age of 19 and 36% reported early onset of sex. Being male, paternal incarcerated, and maternal alcohol problems were associated with an increased likelihood of early onset of sex. Results point to a need for supportive services for the children of incarcerated parents, particularly those living in urban public housing developments.

Remixing Reggaetón: The Cultural Politics of Race in Puerto Rico by Petra R. Rivera-Rideau

Reviewed by: Remixing Reggaetón: The Cultural Politics of Race in Puerto Rico by Petra R. Rivera-Rideau Francisco D. Lara Remixing Reggaetón: The Cultural Politics of Race in Puerto Rico. By Petra R. Rivera-Rideau. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015. [xii, 224 p. ISBN 9780822359456 (hardcover), $84.95; ISBN 9780822359647 (paperback), $23.95; ISBN 9780822375258 (e-book), varies] Notes, bibliography, index. Petra R. Rivera-Rideau's Remixing Reggaetón presents an insightful reading of reggaetón as a discursive cultural practice inextricably linked to the experience of blackness in the African diaspora. In her analysis of reggaetón artists, song lyrics, music videos, and media coverage, she describes how the genre's origins and development, representation, and perception at the same time illuminate, challenge, reify, and transform conceptions of blackness and national identity in Puerto Rico. Well written and organized, and convincingly argued, her timely study resonates with and contributes significantly to current aca demic understandings of music, race, gender, sexuality, and nation, and their intersections within the context of the African diaspora. Reggaetón presents a rich and unique lens through which to explore these intersections. A discursive and multivalent genre with local roots and transnational linkages connecting Puerto Rico, New York, Jamaica, and Panama, reggaetón resists facile categorization, thanks to its multiple racial, ethnic, and national associations. At the same time, and as a result of its origins and popular association with blackness, the genre is discursively linked to hegemonic racial hierarchies reified in dominant discourses of race and national identity in Puerto Rico, the United States, and throughout much of the African diaspora. Thoughtful in its approach, Remixing Reggaetón consists of five chapters plus an introduction and a conclusion. While the introduction and conclusion serve to contextualize the study and outline the limitations of the analysis, the five remaining chapters each explore a different aspect of reggaetón's development, addressing its complex origins, reception, key figures, and diverse manifestations as they relate to the dynamics of race and racism that inform political, popular, and academic perceptions of the genre in Puerto Rico and the United States. In her introduction, Rivera-Rideau presents the major questions, issues, and theories that fed her research, as well as her primary arguments and a chapter outline. In the process, she problematizes the Puerto Rican myth of racial democracy and reggaetón's perceived association in the popular imagination with either blackness or Latinidad. She argues instead for an understanding of reggaetón as a "cultural practice of diaspora" (p. 11), or a multivalent form of expressive culture that allows its practitioners to challenge and reshape local notions of blackness in making meaningful connections with other marginalized communities in diaspora. As Rivera-Rideau argues, reggaetón "constitutes a space for Puerto Rican youth to engage in practices of self-fashioning that respond to local [End Page 81] racial politics and express an affinity with African diasporic populations" (p. 13). In subsequent chapters, Rivera-Rideau meticulously bears out this argument through her analysis while also noting the limitations of reggaetón's ability to upend racial stereotypes. Chapter 1, "Iron Fist against Rap," explores global diasporic connections and local dynamics of race and racism in the formation, representation, and reception of underground, a genre of Puerto Rican urban rap considered a precursor of reggaetón. Originating in the late 1980s and early 1990s, underground emerged from the Puerto Rican caseríos, the predominantly black urban public housing developments that became the focus of a governmental anti-violence campaign referred to as mano dura contra el crimen (iron fist against crime) during the 1990s. As Rivera-Rideau shows in the first third of the chapter, underground's characteristic musical elements, associated cultural practices, and aesthetics reveal the complex links between Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Panama, and New York City that resulted from migration and transnational circuits of cultural exchange. Establishing underground as an "exemplary circum-Carribbean music" (p. 33), Rivera-Rideau proceeds to show, through an analysis of newspaper articles and underground song lyrics and music videos, how underground artists made use of the resources of the diaspora in challenging perceptions of blackness and Puerto Ricanness. At the same...

Recruitment for health disparities preventive intervention trials: the early childhood caries collaborating centers.

BackgroundFour trials of interventions designed to prevent early childhood caries are using community-engagement strategies to improve recruitment of low-income, racial/ethnic minority participants. The trials are being implemented by 3 centers funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and known as the Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers (EC4): the Center for Native Oral Health Research at the University of Colorado, the Center to Address Disparities in Children’s Oral Health at the University of California San Francisco, and the Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities at Boston University.Community ContextThe community contexts for the EC4 trials include urban public housing developments, Hispanic communities near the US–Mexican border, and rural American Indian reservations. These communities have a high prevalence of early childhood caries, suggesting the need for effective, culturally acceptable interventions.MethodsEach center’s intervention(s) used community-based participatory research approaches, identified community partners, engaged the community through various means, and developed communication strategies to enhance recruitment.OutcomeAll 3 centers have completed recruitment. Each center implemented several new strategies and approaches to enhance recruitment efforts, such as introducing new communication techniques, using media such as radio and newspapers to spread awareness about the studies, and hosting community gatherings.InterpretationUsing multiple strategies that build trust in the community, are sensitive to cultural norms, and are adaptable to the community environment can enhance recruitment in underserved communities.

Descriptive analysis of individual and community factors among African American youths in urban public housing.

African American adolescents are disproportionately represented in urban public housing developments. These neighborhoods are generally characterized by high rates of poverty, crime, violence, and disorganization. Although evidence is emerging on youths in these communities, little is known about their depressive symptoms, perceived efficacy, or frequency of substance use and sex-risk behavior. Further, even less is known about their exposure to community and household violence, their parents' behavior, or their sense of connection to their communities. Using a sample of 782 African American adolescents living in public housing neighborhoods located in four large U.S. cities, this article attempts to rectify the observed gap in knowledge by presenting a descriptive overview of their self-reported depressive symptoms; self-efficacy; frequencies of delinquent and sexual-risk behavior; and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. The self-reported ratings of their parents' behavior as well as their exposure to community and household violence are presented. Analytic procedures include descriptive statistics and mean comparisons between genders and across research cities. Results suggest several differences between genders and across research sites. However, results are not very different from national data. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Understanding Alcohol Consumption and Its Correlates among African American Youths in Public Housing: A Test of Problem Behavior Theory

African American youths are overrepresented in urban public housing developments characterized by violence, poverty, and alternative market activities. Using Jessor and Jessor's problem behavior theory (PBT), the authors examined alcohol use and its correlates in a sample of African American youths from three public housing developments (N = 403). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the relative contributions of demographics, personality, environment, and behavior system variables in predicting past-year alcohol use. Results provide support for PBT. Depressive effects and causes were significant predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Delinquent behavior and affiliation with delinquent peers were also associated with alcohol use. Furthermore, age was related to alcohol use. Implications for practice and future inquiry are suggested. KEY WORDS: African American youths; alcohol use; disaggregated effects; problem behavior theory; public housing development ********** African American youths are overrepresented in urban public housing developments characterized by violence, poverty, and alternative market activities. In the past few years, research has begun to focus specifically on this vulnerable population of youths. This research has contributed to our understanding of how various domains relate to African American adolescents' symptoms and behaviors, especially in the context of public housing neighborhoods. Alcohol use or misuse is a common maladaptive behavior in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). Research evidence shows that problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption--for example, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological damage, and psychiatric problems--tend to be exacerbated in youths reporting early initiation (Odgers et al., 2008). In particular, evidence suggests that alcohol is the most widely used drug by youths (Office of Juvenile .Justice and Delinquency Prevention [OJJDP], 2008). African American youths drink less than other youths on average (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2009). However, results of national surveys reveal that while frequent heavy drinking among white male individuals ages 18 to 29 continued to drop, rates of heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems remained high among African Americans in the same age group (see, for example, SAMHSA, 2009). Consequently, the age-adjusted death rate from alcohol-related diseases for African Americans is 10% greater than it is for the general population (Kochanek, Murphy, Anderson, & Scott, 2004). Furthermore, alcohol use is related to the four leading causes of death among African Americans ages 12 to 20: homicide, unintentional injuries, car accidents, and suicide (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2006). In this group, alcohol consumption has also been linked to depressive symptoms (Grant, 1997). Other consequences of alcohol use or misuse include later adolescent predicaments, inhibiting acquisition of skills necessary for employment, and heightened health risks. We used Jessor and Jessor's (1977) problem behavior theory to help understand and explicate adolescent alcohol use in a sample of African American youths in public housing. The conceptual structure of the theory consists of three major systems that explain problem behavior: personality, perceived environment, and the behavior system. The theory asserts that each system serves either as instigator for or control against engaging in problem behavior. Proneness to problem behavior is determined by the balance between instigators and controls across the three systems. This study may guide development of interventions with greater potential to prevent the emergence of alcohol abuse and dependence during adolescence and early adulthood. This overview provides a context for understanding the significance of the social ecology in understanding African American adolescents' behavior in urban public housing. …

Rural versus Urban African-American Adolescents

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the differences between rural versus urban African-American adolescents on several scores of perceived competence in important areas of an adolescent's development. The sample included only African-American adolescents either living in urban public housing developments or a rural area approximately 40 miles away in the mid-south region. The Harter scale was utilized and the areas of competence included: scholastic competence, physical appearance, athletic competence, behavioral conduct, close friendships, social acceptance, and global self-worth. All scores were analyzed between environments and within gender. The urban sample scored significantly higher on several normed mean scores of self-competence with the exception of athletic ability, and social acceptance. In addition, the sample was contrasted with the original population norms developed by the authors of Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) scale and participants scored lower on several competencies including: scholastic abilities, athletic ability, social acceptance, close friendships, and behavioral conduct. The differences found may be influenced by parenting skills, environment, or the interaction between them. Implications for practice would suggest these youth have lower competency scores in important developmental areas, and should benefit from interventions designed to increase mastery in critical competency areas.

Several Factors Mitigate Seniors’ High Suicide Risk

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & Research NewsFull AccessSeveral Factors Mitigate Seniors’ High Suicide RiskJoan Arehart-TreichelJoan Arehart-TreichelSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:16 Aug 2002https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.37.16.0018Older Americans, and especially older white men, are at greater risk of suicide than any other group. And now some of the factors that increase seniors’ suicide risk have been identified in two studies reported in the August American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.Those factors are depression, poor sleep quality, limited social support, and the possession of firearms.In the first study, Carolyn Turvey, Ph.D., of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and her colleagues followed some 15,000 elderly subjects’ mental and physical health over a decade as part of the Established Populations for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly.Of those subjects, 21 committed suicide during the study period. Baseline and follow-up data about these 21 subjects were then compared with baseline and follow-up data about the remaining subjects (controls) to identify suicide risk factors.Depression, poor sleep quality, and absence of a relative or friend to confide in turned out to be risk factors, whereas medical illness and alcohol use were not.Interestingly, depression, poor sleep quality, and limited social support have previously been identified as risk factors for death by natural causes, as well as for death by suicide. Or as Turvey and her team noted in their study report: “It appears that these variables erode a will to live that affects mortality even in the absence of suicidal tendencies.”In the second study, Yeates Conwell, M.D., of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and his colleagues probed the role of firearms in senior suicide risk, since firearms are the most common method of suicide used by both men and women in later life.The subjects included 86 persons aged 50 or older who had committed suicide and 86 community control subjects individually matched on age, sex, race, and county of residence.The presence of a firearm in the home was found to be associated with an increased risk of suicide, even after controlling for psychiatric illness. Elevated risk was accounted for by access to handguns rather than to long guns and was more pronounced in men than in women.However, it is probably not the presence of a firearm in the home per se that constitutes a risk factor for senior suicides, but rather the recent purchase of a firearm, Conwell and his team contended. The reason, they explained in their study report, is that firearm suicide rates for the elderly have declined markedly in states that have instituted waiting periods or background checks, or both, for handgun purchases.Yet just as depression, poor sleep quality, limited social support, and the recent purchase of a handgun may put seniors at risk of suicide, social support and religious beliefs may help protect them against it. The reason to believe that this is the case comes from a third study published in the August American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.This study, headed by Joan Cook, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, focused on a senior group with a very low suicide risk—older African-American women. Indeed, compared with older white men, older African-American men, and older white women, senior African-American women have had the lowest suicide rate for decades.Cook and her colleagues interviewed 835 elderly African Americans, 77 percent of whom were women, in urban public housing developments to find out how many were having suicidal thoughts. They found that only 27 (about 3 percent) were. They then compared characteristics of the suicide-contemplation subjects with the subjects not contemplating suicide and found that the former were more likely to be experiencing depression and anxiety and to have less life satisfaction, fewer social supports, and fewer religious beliefs. In fact, some 90 percent of control subjects reported that they obtained a great deal of support and comfort from religion.The study reports “Risk Factors for Late-Life Suicide: A Prospective, Community-Based Study,” “Access to Firearms and Risk for Suicide in Middle-Aged and Older Adults,” and “Suicidality in Older Americans: Findings From the EPOCH Study” are posted on the Web at http://ajgp.psychiatryonline.org under the August issue. ▪ Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2002 10 407 ISSUES NewArchived

Suicidality in Older African Americans: Findings From the EPOCH Study

The authors examined the current frequency of suicidality and associated characteristics in a sample of 835 African-American older adult residents of six urban public housing developments who consented to participate in an intervention trial of mobile outreach. The frequency of passive and active suicidal ideation was 2.5% and 1.4%, respectively. Characteristics of individuals with both active and passive suicidality included elevated anxiety, social dysfunction, somatic symptoms, low social support, lack of a confidant, and low religiosity. Characteristics of those with passive, but not active, ideation also included older age, lower levels of education, elevated depressive symptoms, poorer cognitive functioning, and having recently discussed emotional problems with a healthcare provider. The characteristics of those reporting active, but not passive, ideation included having a history of mental health treatment and reporting no instrumental support. Multivariate analyses indicated that depression and religiosity were uniquely associated with passive suicidal ideation, and life satisfaction and religiosity were uniquely associated with active suicidal ideation. The authors discuss implications of these findings and offer suggestions for research and clinical practice. The authors examined the current frequency of suicidality and associated characteristics in a sample of 835 African-American older adult residents of six urban public housing developments who consented to participate in an intervention trial of mobile outreach. The frequency of passive and active suicidal ideation was 2.5% and 1.4%, respectively. Characteristics of individuals with both active and passive suicidality included elevated anxiety, social dysfunction, somatic symptoms, low social support, lack of a confidant, and low religiosity. Characteristics of those with passive, but not active, ideation also included older age, lower levels of education, elevated depressive symptoms, poorer cognitive functioning, and having recently discussed emotional problems with a healthcare provider. The characteristics of those reporting active, but not passive, ideation included having a history of mental health treatment and reporting no instrumental support. Multivariate analyses indicated that depression and religiosity were uniquely associated with passive suicidal ideation, and life satisfaction and religiosity were uniquely associated with active suicidal ideation. The authors discuss implications of these findings and offer suggestions for research and clinical practice.

Suicidality in Older African Americans: Findings From the EPOCH Study

The authors examined the current frequency of suicidality and associated characteristics in a sample of 835 African-American older adult residents of six urban public housing developments who consented to participate in an intervention trial of mobile outreach. The frequency of passive and active suicidal ideation was 2.5% and 1.4%, respectively. Characteristics of individuals with both active and passive suicidality included elevated anxiety, social dysfunction, somatic symptoms, low social support, lack of a confidant, and low religiosity. Characteristics of those with passive, but not active, ideation also included older age, lower levels of education, elevated depressive symptoms, poorer cognitive functioning, and having recently discussed emotional problems with a healthcare provider. The characteristics of those reporting active, but not passive, ideation included having a history of mental health treatment and reporting no instrumental support. Multivariate analyses indicated that depression and religiosity were uniquely associated with passive suicidal ideation, and life satisfaction and religiosity were uniquely associated with active suicidal ideation. The authors discuss implications of these findings and offer suggestions for research and clinical practice.

Life Satisfaction and Symptoms of Mental Disorder Among Older African American Public Housing Residents

This study examines life satisfaction and symptoms of mental disorder in a sample of 831 older African American residents of urban public housing developments. Symptoms of mental disorder included measures of emotional distress, alcohol-related problems, and cognitive impairment. Subjects reporting less life satisfaction had significantly greater emotional distress. Neither lifetime alcohol-related problems nor cognitive impairment were significantly related to life satisfaction. Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that emotional distress subscales accounted for most of the explained variance in life satisfaction. Social dysfunction was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction, accounting for 17% of the variance. Having a confidant, instrumental social support, religious support, or being female also contributed to the explained variance in life satisfaction.

Parent–youth concordance regarding violence exposure: relationship to youth psychosocial functioning

Purpose: To examine the relationship between parent–youth concordance with regard to youth exposures to violence and youth psychosocial functioning, including perpetration of violence, distress symptomatology, and social skillfulness. Methods: A battery of self-report questionnaires were completed by 333 parent–youth dyads residing in urban public housing developments. Concordance status (<50%, 50–80%, and >80%) was based on dyad agreement regarding youth’s violence exposures. The relationship between concordance and psychosocial factors was assessed by a series of analyses of covariance tests. Results: Parents underestimated the extent to which their children were victims of or witnesses to violence and suffered from distress symptoms. Low concordance status was associated with youth perpetration of violence and distress symptomatology, as well as lower self-esteem and problem-solving skillfulness. Youth in the low concordance group characterized their families as exhibiting less involvement, open communication, and parental monitoring. Conclusions: Concordance between parents and youth is associated with youth psychosocial competence and strong family functioning. Findings underscore the need to incorporate a parent component in primary and secondary violence-prevention programs. Further examination of the processes which contribute to concordance may enhance our ability to prevent youth engagement in violence and its untoward psychosocial sequelae.

Drug Trafficking and Drug Use among Urban African American Early Adolescents

The relation between drug trafficking (selling and delivering) and drug use among young adolescents has remained poorly characterized to date. In the current study, the associations between drug trafficking, cigarettes and/or alcohol use, and illicit drug use have been explored in three different areas—self-reported behaviors, personal feelings, and perception of friends' involvement—based on a sample of 455 African American youths 9 through 15 years of age residing in six urban public-housing developments. Results confirm findings from previous research that illicit drug use rarely occurs in the absence of cigarette/alcohol use or drug trafficking. By contrast, drug trafficking is equally likely to occur in isolation of, or along with, some drug use. The results support a potential role of drug trafficking in the genesis of illicit drug use. Prevention efforts should extend their focus beyond cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drug use to drug trafficking.

Use of lay health educators for smoking cessation in a hard-to-reach urban community

A description of the use of indigenous lay health educators as they participated in the implementation of a community-based smoking cessation program is provided. The target population was young black women who resided in several urban public housing developments. The intervention, which was conducted in tandem with a larger televised smoking cessation program, consisted of either class sessions conducted by or reminder visits from community lay health educators. The lay health educators were successful in organizing this population, often viewed as difficult to reach, to become more aware of the dangers of smoking and to become more interested in participating in a structured smoking cessation program. They motivated 235 individuals to sign up for the program; of these, 141 attended at least one class session or accepted at least an initial reminder visit. The results suggest that lay health educators may be able to mobilize this population to participate in health promotion programs. However, due to differences in this population related to smoking, the findings indicate that new methods must be developed for sustaining their involvement after they have been reached.