The Moderating Effects of Culture on Peer Deviance and Alcohol Use among High-Risk African-American Adolescents

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashir Nasim ◽  
Faye Z. Belgrave ◽  
Robert J. Jagers ◽  
Karen D. Wilson ◽  
Kristal Owens
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Heavy Alcohol ◽  
Cultural Variables

African-American adolescents have lower rates of alcohol consumption than White youth. However, African-American youth suffer disproportionately more adverse social, mental, and physical health outcomes related to alcohol use. Affiliating with negative peers is a risk factor for alcohol initiation and consumption. Cultural variables have shown moderating effects against other risk factors for African-American youth and therefore were the focus of this study. Specifically, we tested whether three culturally-relevant variables, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and ethnic identity were promotive or protective for alcohol initiation and use within the context of negative peer affiliations. The sample consisted of 114 at-risk African-American adolescents whose ages ranged from 13 to 20. Participants were administered a questionnaire with measures of alcohol initiation and use, peer risk behaviors, ethnic identity, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and demographic items. Peer risk behaviors accounted for significant percentages of the variance in age of alcohol initiation, lifetime use, and current and heavy alcohol use after adjusting for age and gender. Cultural variables showed both promotive and protective effects. Africentric beliefs were promotive of delayed alcohol initiation, whereas both Africentrism and religiosity moderated peer risk behaviors effect on alcohol initiation. Africentric beliefs were also inversely related to lifetime alcohol use revealing a promotive effect. Moreover, there were significant protective effects of ethnic identity and religiosity on heavy alcohol consumption. One implication of these findings is that prevention programs that infuse cultural values and practices such as Africentrism, ethnic identity, and religiosity may delay alcohol initiation and reduce use especially for youth with high risk peers.

Sitting in the Pews: Theological Beliefs and Racial/Ethnic Identity Among African American Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 0044118X2110466
Author(s):  
Pamela P. Martin ◽  
Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes ◽  
Meredith O. Hope
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Biblical Principles ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Church attendance, prayer, and faith practices play a significant role in the life experiences among African Americans, especially youth. Few studies on religious behaviors among African American youth investigate the relationship between theological orientations and racial identity. These orientations include biblical principles, other-worldliness, and social legacy. A total of 187 African American adolescents ( Mage = 15) attending 18 predominantly Black churches in two Midwestern cities participated in the study. Results provided support for two theological orientations that were associated with racial/ethnic identity in distinct ways. More specifically, other-worldliness was linked to more negative feelings about the appearance of African American adolescents and being more likely to endorse negative stereotypes about African Americans. Adolescents who perceived their church as communicating a theology based upon biblical principles reported rejecting negative stereotypes about African Americans. Study findings suggest theological orientations may be associated with shaping racial/ethnic identity attitudes among African American adolescents.

Individual- and Family-Level Correlates of Socio-Emotional Functioning among African American Youth from Single-Mother Homes: A Compensatory Resilience Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1355-1384
Author(s):  
Emma M. Sterrett-Hong ◽  
Carlye Kincaid ◽  
Cecily R. Hardaway ◽  
Monica Adams ◽  
Mary MacFarlane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Control ◽  
Emotional Functioning ◽  
Single Mother ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Family

The majority of research on African American adolescents raised in single-mother homes has focused on externalizing problems, with less attention to other facets of socio-emotional functioning. Using a compensatory resilience approach, the current study examined risk and protective factors at the family (maternal warmth, monitoring, psychological control) and youth (ethnic identity and religiosity) levels as predictors of depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and self-esteem among African American adolescents from single-mother homes ( n = 193). Lower levels of psychological control, higher levels of monitoring, and higher levels of youth ethnic identity were associated with at least one of the outcomes, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and self-esteem. In addition, self-esteem, but not hopelessness, mediated the associations between the family- and youth-level factors and youth depressive symptoms. The importance of targeting maternal psychological control and youth ethnic identity, as well as self-esteem, in intervention programs for African American youth from single-mother families is discussed.

Cultural and Universal Parenting, Ethnic Identity, and Internalizing Symptoms Among African American Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 009579842110342
Author(s):  
Lydia HaRim Ahn ◽  
Angel S. Dunbar ◽  
Erica E. Coates ◽  
Mia A. Smith-Bynum
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Analytic Model ◽  
Atlantic Region ◽  
The Relationship

The present study tested a path analytic model that addressed two questions regarding the connection between one aspect of racial socialization (cultural pride reinforcement), communication between mothers and their adolescent children, adolescent ethnic identity, and mental health. First, we tested whether quality of communication moderated the relationship between cultural pride reinforcement and ethnic identity affirmation and anxiety/depressive/withdrawn symptoms. Then, we examined whether cultural pride reinforcement and quality of communication with mothers were directly linked to ethnic identity affirmation and in turn lower anxiety/depressive symptoms and withdrawn behaviors. Our sample included 111 African American adolescents (58.2% female; ages 14–17) in the mid-Atlantic region. Results of a path analysis indicated that cultural pride reinforcement and quality of communication independently and uniquely related to internalizing symptoms through ethnic identity affirmation. Findings contribute to a novel understanding of how both cultural (cultural pride reinforcement) and universal (quality of communication) are important factors to foster African American adolescents’ healthy adjustment and sense of self.

scholarly journals The Moderating Effects of the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Intervention and Parenting Factors on Family Mealtime in Overweight and Obese African American Adolescents

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1745
Author(s):  
Dawn K. Wilson ◽  
Allison M. Sweeney ◽  
Mary Quattlebaum ◽  
Haylee Loncar ◽  
Colby Kipp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
African American ◽  
Parenting Styles ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Motivational Strategies ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Parental Feeding Practices ◽  
Parental Concerns ◽  
Parental Feeding

Few studies have integrated positive parenting and motivational strategies to address dietary outcomes such as frequency of family mealtime. The Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial was a randomized group cohort trial (n = 241 dyads) testing the efficacy of integrating a motivational plus family weight loss (M + FWL) intervention for healthy eating and weight loss in overweight and obese African American adolescents. The current study tested the interaction of parenting styles (responsiveness, demandingness) and parental feeding practices (restriction, concern about child’s weight, pressure to eat) and the FIT intervention on frequency of family mealtime over 16 weeks. Multilevel modeling demonstrated significant interactions between the group-based treatment and responsiveness (p = 0.018) and demandingness (p = 0.010) on family mealtime. For the group-based M + FWL intervention, increased responsiveness and reduced demandingness were associated with increased frequency of family mealtime from baseline to 16 weeks. There was also a negative association between parental restriction and frequency of family mealtime, but a positive association between parental concerns about their adolescent’s weight and frequency of mealtime. These findings are the first to demonstrate that an authoritative or nurturing parenting style moderated intervention effects for improving the frequency of family mealtime in overweight and obese African American adolescents.

scholarly journals Sleep Disturbance and Risk Behaviors among Inner-City African-American Adolescents

2011 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 1130-1142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Grace Umlauf ◽  
John M. Bolland ◽  
Brad E. Lian
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Sleep Disturbance ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
African American Adolescents

Resiliency factors protecting against teenage alcohol use and smoking: influences of religion, religious involvement and values, and ethnicity in the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study

Twin Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
AC Heath ◽  
PAF Madden ◽  
JD Grant ◽  
TL McLaughlin ◽  
AA Todorov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Religious Values ◽  
High Heritability ◽  
The Difference

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of ethnicity (African American vs European/other ancestry), family religious affiliation, religious involvement, and religious values, to risk of alcohol and cigarette use in adolescent girls; and to estimate genetic and shared environmental effects on religious involvement and values. Telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of female like-sex twin pairs, aged 13–20 (n = 1687 pairs, including 220 minority pairs), as well as with one or both parents of twins aged 11–20 (n = 2111 families). These data, together with one-year follow-up twin questionnaire data, and two-year follow-up parent interview data, were used to compare ethnic differences. Proportional hazards regression models and genetic variance component models were fitted to the data. Despite higher levels of exposure to family, school and neighborhood environmental adversities, African American adolescents were less likely to become teenage drinkers or smokers. They showed greater religious involvement (frequency of attendance at religious services) and stronger religious values (eg belief in relying upon their religious beliefs to guide day-to-day living). Controlling for religious affiliation, involvement and values removed the ethnic difference in alcohol use, but had no effect on the difference in rates of smoking. Religious involvement and values exhibited high heritability in African Americans, but only modest heritability in EOAs. The strong protective effect of adolescent religious involvement and values, and its contribution to lower rates of African American alcohol use, was confirmed. We speculate about the possible association between high heritability of African American religious behavior and an accelerated maturation of religious values during adolescence.

“Broken windows”: Relationship between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among low-income African American adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dexter R Voisin ◽  
Dong Ha Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Broken Windows ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions

This study explored the association between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among African American youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from 683 African American youth from low-income communities. Measures for demographics, neighborhood conditions (i.e. broken windows index), mental health, delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors were assessed. Major findings indicated that participants who reported poorer neighborhood conditions compared to those who lived in better living conditions were more likely to report higher rates of mental health problems, delinquency, substance use, and unsafe sexual behaviors. Environmental factors need to be considered when addressing the behavioral health of low-income African American youth.

Exploring Psychosocial Task Resolution and Self-Concept among African-American Adolescents

1996 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 803-810
Author(s):  
Craig C. Brookins
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Developmental Task ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Highly Correlated

Developmental task resolution and self-concept of adolescents were examined for a sample of 110 African-American youth. The Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory was used to measure Erikson's stages of psychological development and the Bronstein-Cruz Child/Adolescent Self-concept and Adjustment Scale was used to measure multiple components of the self-concept. Scores for Self-concept and Resolution of Identity stages were highly correlated although scores on Resolution of Identity, commonly seen as the primary psychosocial task of adolescence, were not related to scores on either Emotional Well-being or Family Relations. The results are discussed in terms of improving understanding of relationships between processes in development, identity, and other salient psychosocial variables.

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