Impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Growth of Low Income, Ethnic Minority Adolescents

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Katherine R. Arlinghaus ◽  
Stacey L. Gorniak ◽  
Daphne C. Hernandez ◽  
Craig A. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Minority Adolescents ◽  
Affirmative Response ◽  
Hurricane Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ethnic Minority Adolescents

Abstract Objective: This study examined the differential impact of Hurricane Harvey on adolescent standardized Body Mass Index (zBMI), physical activity, diet, and perceived stress. Methods: Prior to Hurricane Harvey, 175 ethnic minority adolescents were recruited from an independent school district in Houston. Height and weight were directly measured. The School Physical Activity and Nutrition Questionnaire assessed diet and physical activity. Stress was assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale. High hurricane impact was classified as at least 1 affirmative response to house damage, rescue, displacement, or going without food, water, or medicine. Repeated measures such as ANCOVA models were developed to assess differences in zBMI, physical activity, diet, and stress between the hurricane impact groups. Regression models were used to assess stress as a mediator of the hurricane impact and zBMI change relationship. Results: Students who were highly impacted by the hurricane had a greater decrease in zBMI than those less impacted from pre-hurricane to 15 weeks post-hurricane (95% CI 0.02 to 0.25, p<0.05). Physical activity and diet did not differ by impact. Perceived stress at 3 weeks post-hurricane mediated the impact and zBMI change relationship (β=-0.04 95% CI -0.12 to -0.002). Conclusion: The decrease in zBMI among highly impacted students warrants further monitoring. Perceived stress, immediately following the hurricane, impacted student growth months later.

Stress, Hope, and Loneliness in Young Adolescents

2011 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 919-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adela Yarcheski ◽  
Noreen E. Mahon ◽  
Thomas J. Yarcheski
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Young Adolescents ◽  
Perceived Stress Scale ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Loneliness Scale ◽  
Minority Adolescents ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ethnic Minority Adolescents

A sample of 134 young adolescents attending a middle school responded to the Perceived Stress Scale, the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents, and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Correlational analyses indicated that higher scores on stress were significantly associated with lower scores on hope (r = -.55) and higher scores on loneliness (r= .52). Unlike an earlier study with predominately ethnic minority adolescents, the present findings with predominately Euro-American adolescents supported the relationship proposed between stress and hope; the relationship proposed between stress and loneliness was supported.

scholarly journals Engaging older adults as advocates for age-friendly, walkable communities: The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M Patch ◽  
Terry L Conway ◽  
Jacqueline Kerr ◽  
Elva M Arredondo ◽  
Susan Levy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Advocacy Training ◽  
Advocacy Program ◽  
Transportation Activity

Abstract As the U.S. population ages, communities must adapt to help older adults thrive. Built environment features, like safe sidewalks and crosswalks, provide the foundation for age- and physical activity-friendly communities. Controlled studies are needed to evaluate advocacy training programs that instruct and support seniors to advocate for more walkable neighborhoods. The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study evaluated an advocacy program that taught seniors to evaluate pedestrian environments using the validated MAPS-Mini audit tool, identify barriers, and advocate for improvements. Participants (n = 50) were recruited from four low-income senior housing sites in San Diego, CA, which were randomly assigned to an 8-week advocacy program or physical activity (PA) comparison intervention. Evaluation included surveys, accelerometers to assess PA, and direct observation. Primary outcomes were seniors’ advocacy confidence and skills. Main analyses used repeated measures ANOVAs. Seniors in the advocacy condition (n = 17) increased their advocacy outcome efficacy (p = .03) and knowledge of resources (p = .04) more than seniors in the PA condition (n = 33). Most seniors in the advocacy condition completed a street audit (84%), submitted an advocacy request (79%), or made an advocacy presentation to city staff (58%). Environmental changes included repairs to sidewalks and crosswalks. City staff approved requests for lighting, curb cuts, and crosswalk markings. Seniors’ accelerometer-measured PA did not significantly increase, but self-reported transportation activity increased in the PA condition (p = .04). This study showed the potential of advocacy training to empower seniors to make communities more age- and activity-friendly.

Abstract P267: New Urbanism and Its Impact on Active Living among Inner City Children/Youth

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory W Heath ◽  
Sarah White-Woerner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Active Living ◽  
The South ◽  
City Community ◽  
New Urbanist ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Urban Trail

Introduction: Although it is known that urban design and land use at the community level contributes to active living, there remains a paucity of such information among low income and diverse populations affected by such infrastructure. Reconstruction of an inner city community in Chattanooga, Tennessee afforded the opportunity to assess the impact of new urbanist construction on active living among African-American children/youth living in the inner city. Hypothesis: Transportation and recreational physical activity levels among children/youth residing in a new urbanist community was hypothesized to be higher compared to demographically similar children/youth who reside in a more traditional inner city community. Methods: Using the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) we examined an urban trail and recreational park areas of two distinct communities to assess physical activity, sports, and recreational of children/youth. SOPARC data were collected in each of 4 settings in each community (East, a traditional and South, a new urbanist) during four 1-h observation periods during 7 days of clement weather. Observations were made during each day of the week in each setting (i.e., Sunday through Saturday). Results: The SOPARC assessments of the urban trail and pedestrian/bicycle routes in the South and East yielded a total of 672 and 436 children/youth observations, respectively. South children/youth were over three times more likely to engage in vigorous physical activity compared to their East counterparts (Mantel-Haenszel Chi Square = 19.67; P< 0.00001). Conclusions: The present findings support the hypothesis that enhanced environmental supports, such as those found within the South community, increase the likelihood of greater levels of activity among children/youth compared to children/youth that were not exposed to these environmental enhancements. This comparative difference was most remarkable when examining the SOPARC assessment differences along the transport path/sidewalk routes, with South children/youth being significantly more likely than the East children/youth to engage in more vigorous forms of physical activity along this transport/recreational corridor, providing evidence that access to these types of ‘urban’ trails appears to translate into increased opportunities for physical activity among children/youth.

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