Longitudinal predictors of cigarette use among students from 24 Texas colleges

ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine differences between current and non-current cigarette users, focusing on sociodemographic factors, non-cigarette tobacco product use, parental and friend use, and alcohol and marijuana use; and to identify predictors of cigarette use sixmonths later. Participants: Participants included young adults (n = 4,296) from 24 Texas colleges, participating in a young adult cohort study, beginning in fall 2014. Methods: Mixed effects logistic regressions were conducted accounting for school-level variability. Results: Cigarette users were older, more likely to report use of non-cigarette tobacco products and peer use of cigarettes than non-current users. Wave 1 cigarette and non-cigarette tobacco product use, marijuana use and binge drinking, and peer use all uniquely predicted cigarette use at wave 2. Conclusions: Colleges need prevention programs targeting multiple tobacco products, because non-cigarette tobacco use and other risky behaviors appear to be independent risk factors for cigarette use in young adults.     

Significant life events as a journey of meaning making and change among at-risk youths

The study examined at-risk youths’ meaning making of their own significant life events and the contribution of these events to changes in their lives. Narrative interviews with 14 Israeli at-risk youths (aged 16–18) revealed three themes: (a) the event as a powerful, emotional-awakening experience; (b) self-inquiry following the event, differentiating between life before and after, and (c) biographical changes in the youths’ lives. Despite the diversity of the events, certain similarities were identified among them: they were perceived as surprising in their timing and intensity, as conveying a broader message, and as the cause of the youths’ choice to take responsibility for themselves and their interactions with significant others. Use of narrative theories of personality provides insight into at-risk youths’ meaning making of their difficult experiences. The deep exploration and construction of these experiences reveal the process in which difficult life events can lead to positive changes.     

An examination of ecological predictors of health literacy in black college students

Objective: Health literacy is a determinant of health, but disparities in health literacy persist. This study examined the influence of ecological factors on college students’ health literacy. Participants: During January 2016 a nonrandom sample of black undergraduate students (n = 298) aged 18–24 were recruited from enrollment lists at two urban universities in the Southeastern United States. Methods: Information on health literacy as well as numerous intrapersonal, social, and cultural-environment factors was obtained using an electronic questionnaire and then statistically modeled. Results: Ecological factors accounted for 28.7% of the variance in health literacy. In particular, reappraisal (B = 0.323, p < .001), suppression (B = ?0.289, p < .001), campus health education (B = 0.192, p < .05), campus tobacco culture (B = ?0.174, p < .05), and perceived norms (B = ?0.153, p < .05) directly predicted health literacy. Conclusions: Although intrapersonal factors influence health literacy, the sociocultural environment of college can also foster or hinder college students’ health literacy.     

DIGITAL DIVIDES AND CAPITAL CONVERSION: The optimal use of information and communication technology for youth reading achievement

Analysis of a nationally representative survey of 15-year-old Canadian youth indicates how capital can be converted from one form to another by examining the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and reading achievements. Overall there is a negligible linear relationship but a pronounced curvilinear one between these variables, suggesting an optimal level of ICT use. This optimal point varies by gender (males are able to use ICT more before negative effects set in), and by parental education (with girls from highly educated homes gaining more from the use of ICT). Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Validity of the AUDIT-C screen for at-risk drinking among students utilizing university primary care

ABSTRACT

Objective: Research is needed to establish the psychometric properties of brief screens in university primary care settings. This study aimed to assess the construct validity of one such screen, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), for detecting at-risk drinking among students who have utilized on-campus primary care.

Participants: 389 students recently seen in university primary care completed a confidential online survey in December 2014.

Methods: Bivariate correlations between the AUDIT-C and measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences provided concurrent evidence for construct validity. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses determined optimal cut-off scores for at-risk drinking.

Results: The AUDIT-C significantly correlated with measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences (p < .001). Analyses support optimal AUDIT-C cut-off scores of 5 for females and 7 for males.

Conclusions: The AUDIT-C is a valid screen for at-risk drinking among students who utilize university primary care.     

Trajectories of discrimination among Chinese American youth: Variation,predictors, and outcomes

Using 3 waves of longitudinal data from 444 Chinese American adolescents (M_age = 13.04 at Wave 1, 54% identified as women), the current study explored if there was variation in discrimination trajectories from early to late adolescence and whether contextual and individual factors predicted trajectories as well as if trajectories were associated with academic achievement and mental health. Three distinct discrimination trajectories were identified: low-increasing, moderate-stable, and high-decreasing. The results also revealed that neighborhood Chinese concentration and adolescents' acculturation predicted discrimination trajectories. Different trajectories were also associated with depressive symptoms; adolescents in the high-decreasing trajectory reported higher levels of depressive symptoms in late adolescence than in the other two trajectories. The findings highlight the heterogeneity in Chinese American adolescents' discrimination experience.     

Interpreting the effectiveness of a summer reading program: The eye of the beholder

In applying a methods-oriented approach to evaluation, this study interpreted the effectiveness of a summer reading program from three different stakeholder perspectives: practitioners from the school district, the funding agency supporting the program, and the policymakers considering mandating summer school. Archival data were obtained on 2330 students reading below benchmark in Grades 2–5. After propensity score matching participants to peers who did not attend the summer program, the final sample consisted of 630 students. Pre-to-posttest growth models revealed positive effects in Grades 2–4 (standardized slopes of .40–.54), but fifth graders demonstrated negligible improvement (standardized slope of .15). The standardized mean differences of propensity score matched treatment and control group students indicated null effects in all grade levels (d = −.13 to .05). Achieving proficient reading performance also was not attributable to summer school participation. Findings underscore the importance of operationalizing effectiveness in summative evaluation.     

The multifaceted nature of poverty and differential trajectories of health among children

The relationships between poverty and children’s health have been well documented, but the diverse and dynamic nature of poverty has not been thoroughly explored. Drawing on cumulative disadvantage and human capital theory, we examined to what extent the duration and depth of poverty, as well as the level of material hardship, affected changes in physical health among children over time. Data came from eight waves of the Korea Welfare Panel Study between 2006 and 2013. Using children who were under age 10 at baseline (N?=?1657, Observations?=?13,256), we conducted random coefficient regression in a multilevel growth curve framework to examine poverty group differences in intra-individual change in health status. Results showed that chronically poor children were most likely to have poor health. Children in households located far below the poverty line were most likely to be in poor health at baseline, while near-poor children’s health got significantly worse over time. Material hardship also had a significant impact on child health.     

Problem drinking among at-risk college students: The examination of Greek involvement,freshman status,and history of mental health problems

ABSTRACT

Objective: Scarce research has examined the combined effect of mental health difficulties and demographic risk factors such as freshman status and Greek affiliation in understanding college problem drinking. The current study is interested in looking at the interaction among freshman status, Greek affiliation, and mental health difficulties. Participants and Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 413) from a private and public Midwestern university completed a large online survey battery between January 2009 and April 2013. Data from both schools were aggregated for the analyses. Results: After accounting for gender, age, and school type, the three-way interaction indicated that the highest drinking levels were reported in freshman students who reported a history of mental health problems although were not involved in Greek life. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in the context of perceived social norms, as well as alcohol-related screenings and intervention opportunities on college campuses.     

When She Earns More Than He Does: A Longitudinal Study of Dual‐Earner Couples

In a random sample of 286 full‐time‐employed dual‐earner couples, we tested 3 competing hypotheses: when wives earn more than their husbands, (a) each partner's marital‐role quality (MRQ) decreases; (b) his MRQ increases, whereas effects on her MRQ are mixed; and (c) relationships vary with gender‐role beliefs (i.e., gender‐role ideology and subjective rewards of salary). We conceptualized salary as a couple‐level predictor with 4 components, 2 time varying and 2 time invariant, and estimated the relationship between 2 time‐varying components and MRQ. Women's MRQ was not significantly related to change in relative earnings. However, among men, the relationship varied by salary rewards.     

Educational success among elementary school children from low socioeconomic status families: A systematic review of research assessing parenting factors

Prior research has focused primarily on the educational benefits of high socioeconomic status (SES). Little is known about educationally successful youth from low-SES backgrounds, and no published review has systematically evaluated the methodological characteristics of research in this area. The primary aim of this report was to systematically review methodological characteristics of research identifying parenting factors conducive to the educational success of low-SES youth. A secondary aim was to briefly summarize the substantive findings of research in this area. A bibliographic search of 11 electronic databases, a manual search of two journals, and reference harvesting yielded 30 English-language studies published between 1994 and 2014 employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs that met a-priori study eligibility criteria. Studies of parent–school involvement, parental expectations for current and long-term academic performance, and warm, responsive, and consistent parenting styles identified the strongest predictors of academic achievement among low-SES elementary school children. Findings for parent–school involvement differed depending on whether the parent behaviors were performed in the home (e.g., helping with homework) or school environment (e.g., attending parent–teacher conferences), with home-based parent-involvement activities found to have stronger positive associations with children's academic achievement. Further investigation of parenting behaviors and beliefs that are positively associated with the academic success of children from low-SES families is needed.     

A structural model of early indicators of school readiness among children of poverty

Factors that affect children’s school readiness potential are evident even from birth. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses that certain factors related to gender, approaches to learning, age at school entry, family income, and the health status of the child at birth have an effect on low-socioeconomic status (SES) children’s readiness for school. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) was used to test the hypotheses. Included in the sample were 1700 children of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. All the children were in the lowest SES quintile of the children making up the ECLS-B cohort. The hypothesized model suggested that there were both direct and indirect influences on children’s school readiness performance. Potential risk factors and implications for ameliorating negative influences were identified.