School-based strategies to reduce suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and discrimination among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in Western Canada
Abstract This study explored the relationships between the existence of and length of time since implementation of school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and explicit anti-homophobic bullying policies in secondary schools across British Columbia, Canada, with experiences of anti-gay discrimination, suicidal ideation and attempts among lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), mostly heterosexual, and exclusively heterosexual students. Analyses of […]
Enacted stigma and HIV risk behaviours among sexual minority indigenous youth in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
Abstract Enacted stigma has been linked to increased HIV risk behaviours among sexual minority youth, but despite higher rates of HIV and other STIs, there is very little research with Indigenous youth. In this study, secondary analyses of three population-based, school surveys were conducted to explore the associations between HIV risk and enacted stigma among […]
Adolescent pregnancy among lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens
This chapter focuses on a rarely-explored issue. Most people who think of adolescent pregnancy, assumes it is an issue exclusively among heterosexual youth. After all, pregnancy during the teen years usually requires penile–vaginal intercourse; there are no known countries where clinicians will provide artificial insemination to adolescents wishing to become pregnant, as adult lesbian women […]
Weight-related teasing in the school environment: Associations with psychosocial health and weight control practices among adolescent boys and girls
Abstract Weight-related teasing has been found to be associated with low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, body dissatisfaction, and weight control behaviors in adolescents. While research has typically examined weight-related teasing directed towards the individual, little is known about weight-related teasing at the school level. This study aimed to determine the association between the school-level prevalence of […]
Social Norms in the Development of Adolescent Substance Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of the International Youth Development Study
Abstract Identifying specific aspects of peer social norms that influence adolescent substance use may assist international prevention efforts. This study examines two aggregated measures of social norms in the school setting and their predictive association with substance (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) use 2 years later in a large cross-national population-based cohort of adolescents. The primary hypothesis […]
Multiple types of harassment: associations with emotional well-being and unhealthy behaviors in adolescents
Abstract Purpose: To explore relationships between harassment (i.e., race-, weight-, socioeconomic-status (SES)-based, and sexual) and health-related outcomes, including self-esteem, depressive symptoms, body satisfaction, substance use, and self-harm behavior, among diverse adolescents. Method: Cross-sectional analysis using data from a population-based study of adolescents participating in Eating and Activity in Teens 2010 (EAT 2010) (n = 2,793; […]
Teenagers and texting: Use of a youth ecological momentary assessment system in trajectory health research with Latina adolescents
Abstract Background: Adolescent females send and receive more text messages than any others, with an average of 4050 texts a month. Despite this technological inroad among adolescents, few researchers are utilizing text messaging technology to collect real time, contextualized data. Temporal variables (ie, mood) collected regularly over a period of time could yield useful insights, […]
Indicators of victimization and sexual orientation among adolescents: Analyses from Youth Risk Behavior Surveys
Abstract Objectives: We used nuanced measures of sexual minority status to examine disparities in victimization and their variations by gender, age, and race/ethnicity. Methods: We conducted multivariate analyses of pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Results: Although all sexual minorities reported more fighting, skipping school because they felt unsafe, and […]
Four organizations partnered to address youth homelessness in Vancouver: Analysis of an intersectoral collaboration
In the mid-2000’s, health care and social service providers in Vancouver witnessed street-involved youth with undiagnosed and/or under-treated mental illnesses repeatedly entering their services in a state of chaos and crisis. They had no means of intervening with youth through the housing and mental health systems. In an attempt to break this cycle and fill […]
Studying the playbook: Which pathways mediate relationships between sports team participation and health-risk behaviors among alternative high school students?
Abstract Alternative high school (AHS) students engage in high levels of substance use and risky sexual behaviors. Sports team participation holds great potential for building resilience and preventing health-risk behaviors. Yet, little is known about sports team participation among this population. We used logistic regression-based path analytic frameworks (multiple mediator models) to simultaneously explore whether […]
