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; […]
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 […]
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 […]
Relationships between sports team participation and health-risk behaviors among alternative high school students
Abstract Background: Evidence suggests that sports team participation differentially relates to health-risk behaviors. Few studies have explored relationships among high-risk youth. Purpose: To examine associations between weekly sports team participation and health-risk behaviors (substance use, sexual risk-taking, violence involvement) among alternative high school (AHS) students. Methods: Data for this repeated cross-sectional analysis came from the […]
Associations between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and fast-food restaurant frequency among adolescents and their friends
Abstract Objective: To assess associations between adolescents and their friends with regard to sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB)/diet soda intake and fast-food (FF) restaurant visits. Design: Population-based, cross-sectional survey study with direct measures from friends. Setting: Twenty Minneapolis/St Paul schools during 2009–2010. Participants: Adolescents (n = 2,043; mean age, 14.2 ± 1.9 years; 46.2% female; 80% non-white). […]
Multiple perpetrator rape among girls evaluated at a hospital-based Child Advocacy Center: Seven years of reviewed cases
Abstract The aim of this study was to describe contextual events, abuse experiences, and disclosure processes of adolescents who presented to a hospital-based Child Advocacy Center for medical evaluation and evidentiary collection as indicated after experiencing multiple perpetrator rape during a single event (n = 32) and to compare these findings to a group of […]
Mediation by peer violence victimization of sexual orientation disparities in cancer-related tobacco, alcohol, and sexual risk behaviors: Pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveys
Abstract Objectives: We examined the role of adolescent peer violence victimization (PVV) in sexual orientation disparities in cancer-related tobacco, alcohol, and sexual risk behaviors. Methods: We pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. We classified youths with any same-sex sexual attraction, partners, or identity as sexual minority and the remainder as heterosexual. We […]
Sexual-orientation disparities in school: The mediational role of indicators of victimization in achievement and truancy because of feeling unsafe
Abstract Objectives: We examined sexual-orientation identity disparities in truancy and academic achievement, and the mediational role of victimization in a large high-school sample. Methods: We utilized pooled data, measuring sexual identity, from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System Surveys. Multilevel logistic regression modeling estimated the odds of low grades and truancy because of feeling […]
Buried above ground: A university-based study of prevalence and risk/protective factors for suicidality among sexual minority youth
Abstract This study examined differences in suicidal behavior between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) and non-LGBTQ university students as well as investigated the importance of risk and protective factors in the prediction of suicidality between these two groups. A total of 1,205 university students participated in the survey. Findings show, compared to non-LGBTQ […]
