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Purpose. Improve and expand an existing youth asset scale. Design. Consisted of seven steps: (1) review of poorer-performing items and constructs, (2) literature review for relevant new asset constructs/items, (3) review of revised instrument by panel of experts, (4) qualitative review through focus group research, (5) pilot-test of instrument, (6) evaluation of the performance of the instrument in a longitudinal study, and (7) conduct of test-retest analysis. Subjects/Setting. Youth (N = 1111) recruited through canvassing of randomly selected census tracts and blocks. Measures. Youth Asset Survey (YAS). Analysis. Factor analysis was conducted on 50% of the baseline data and repeated on the second half of the baseline data. Correlations were computed for the test-retest analysis. Results. Following modifications to the YAS based upon qualitative research, the survey was administered to youth (mean age, 14.3years; 53% female; 39% white, 28% Hispanic, 23% African-American, 9% other). Cronbach α = .55–.92. A majority (27 of 34) of α ≥ .65. All items loaded on one construct at α ≥ .40. The final results yielded 17 constructs assessed via 61 items. Spearman correlations and intraclass correlations ranged from .60 to .82 and .58 to .87, respectively. Conclusion. The results generally suggest that the expanded YAS is a reliable and valid measure of assets.

This study investigated significant relationships between youth assets and youth alcohol, tobacco, and drug use that differ according to family structure (one‐ or two‐parent households). Data were collected from a randomly sampled inner‐city population (n=1,256 teenagers and 1,256 parents of the teenagers) using in‐home, in‐person interviews. Logistic regression analyses, stratifying by one‐ and two‐parent household status, were conducted with nine youth assets as the independent variables and youth alcohol, tobacco, and drug use as the dependent variables. Results indicated that the associations between assets and risk behaviors varied depending upon whether the youth lived in one‐ or two‐parent households. Continued research is warranted to further investigate associations among family structure, youth assets, and youth risk behaviors.

Hispanic females, ages 15-19, experienced the highest birth rates and smallest decline in birth rates over the past decade compared to youth of other racial/ethnic groups. This study's purpose was to investigate relationships among a series of protective factors, or youth assets, and sexual activity in the Hispanic/Latino youth population. Data were collected from Hispanic youth and their parents (N=232 youth/parent pairs) in randomly selected households using in-person, in-home interview methods. Independent variables were nine youth assets; "never had sexual intercourse" was the dependent variable. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Three assets were found to be significantly associated with whether or not Hispanic/Latino youth ever had sexual intercourse. Odds of never having had sexual intercourse were at least three times higher for youth with the Peer Role Models, Use of Time (religion), or Responsible Choices assets, compared to youth without these assets. Further Hispanic youth asset/risk behavior research is merited.

The potential of Community Involvement as a protective factor (youth asset) for eight adolescent risk behaviors was examined in this study. Cross-sectional data were collected from a randomly-selected population using in-home, in-person interviews in racially diverse inner-city neighborhoods of two Midwestern cities. Research participants were teenagers (n=1,278) and parents of the teenagers (n=1,278). Data included demographic variables; eight adolescent risk behaviors, including sexual activity, violence and the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. This study found youth with the Community Involvement asset were significantly (p