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The family social environment is the first environment that a child experiences and has implications for children's health. However, the majority of family social environment measures do not account for its complexity. There is a need for novel approaches for assessing the family social environment that transcends the traditional way of measuring family composition and interaction. The purpose of this secondary data analysis research was to identify distinct family social environment typologies that consider both family composition and interaction and to describe the characteristics of the identified family social environment typologies. A series of latent class analysis results indicated three distinct typologies of family social environment with significant differences in family composition, family problem-solving skills, and demographic characteristics. The process used to identify the typologies and significant differences between the typologies showcases how the field could advance family-focused research by considering family composition and interaction.

Draws on an experiment conducted in four education centers for nontraditional & low-performing secondary students in greater Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, in 1996 to determine whether adolescents are more honest about sensitive self-disclosure in computerized or paper-&-pencil self-administrated questionnaires. Subjects (Ss)(N = 368 adolescents, age 12+) answered items about drug use, sexual activity, criminal behavior, self-harm, family substance abuse, domestic violence, & sexual abuse/violence via either computer or paper. Analysis finds that Ss using paper reported more of most behaviors/circumstances than did those on computers. This effect was complicated by a distance effect for computer users: those sitting very close to other students made the fewest reports. It is concluded that the lack of privacy available in most computer laboratories may cause adolescent survey Ss to underreport sensitive information. 2 Tables, 21 References. E. Blackwell

The direct exposure to physical or psychological trauma from torture or war leads to well-documented individual health consequences. Less understood are the inclusive and intergenerational effects of war trauma on family systems and youth adjustment. The purpose was to examine mechanisms in war-affected families that explained the significant emotional and behavioral consequences of intergenerational trauma in youth through the use of multiple methods. Quantitative assessments of maternal and paternal caregivers and youth characterized associations between parent torture, parent mental health distress, parent physical health problems, family functioning, and youth adjustment. Narrative statements further contextualized processes through which the trauma of a parent impacted youth and family systems. The research was conducted in partnership with local, refugee-serving community-based organizations. The study sample included parents and youth in 96 Karen families, originating from Burma in Southeast Asia, who had been resettled to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Path analysis results indicated that parent torture (β = −0.173) had statistically significant negative direct effects on youth adjustment. Parent torture had a negative indirect effect on youth adjustment through the mental health (β = −0.345) and physical health problems of parents (β = −0.305), and youth gender (β = 0.126) and trauma exposure of youth (β = −0.048). Family functioning type demonstrated a positive direct effect on youth adjustment (β = 0.449). Family type had an indirect effect on youth adjustment through youth gender (β = 0.142), youth trauma exposure (β = −0.165), parent physical health problems (β = −0.202), and parent mental health (β = 0.509). The current study developed and tested the first model of intergenerational trauma's effects on the adjustment of Karen refugee youth. Results emphasize that individual recovery from torture must be accompanied by adjunct interventions focused on family systems and youth adjustment, to holistically address intergenerational sequala of trauma.

Purpose Pediatric obesity disproportionately impacts Hispanic or Latino/a adolescents. Culturally appropriate family-based behavioral initiatives to improve weight status are warranted. The purpose of this research was to determine prevalence rates and identify protective factors associated with having overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile) to inform Hispanic or Latino/a-targeted behavioral intervention development. Design Secondary data analyses of a population-based statewide survey. Setting Minnesota public high schools. Participants Male (n = 2,644) and female (n = 2,798) Hispanic or Latino/a 9th and 11th graders (N = 5,442). Measures Obesity-related behaviors (meeting fruit and vegetable [F&V] and physical activity [PA] recommendations), family caring, family country/region of origin, and weight status. Analysis Stepwise logistic regression models (F&V, PA), stratified by biological sex, were used to identify protective factors of overweight/obesity. Results The overall prevalence of meeting F&V and PA recommendations was 11.0% and 11.8%, respectively. Meeting F&V recommendations was not protective against overweight/obesity in either sex. Yet, males and females who met PA recommendations had significantly lower odds of having overweight/obesity ( p < .05). In F&V and PA models, family caring was protective against overweight/obesity in females ( p < .05), and family country/region of origin was protective against overweight/obesity in both sexes ( p < .05). Conclusion Findings illustrate a need for obesity prevention initiatives for Hispanic or Latino/a youth. More research is needed to understand the protective nature of family caring and country/region of origin.