Search results

Purpose.Food insecurity in the United States is a major public health issue. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the availability and quality of printed materials addressing food security targeted to special populations by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).Design.Nutrition education resources addressing food security available from USDA websites were selected for analysis.Setting.Not applicable.Participants.The review team consisted of project staff (n = 6), two of who were fluent in Spanish.Method.Selection criteria were established to identify the food-security materials, and a group of reviewers assessed the quality of each publication both quantitatively and qualitatively. A consensus meeting among the reviewers was held to make final determinations of the quality of the materials. The quantitative data analysis consisted of basic descriptive statistics.Results.Among the 27 materials initially identified, 20 were either irrelevant or of low relevance to food security. Moreover, very few of them were intended for minority populations. The quality of most of the materials ranged from "average" to "good." Some of the major weaknesses include readability level, lack of cultural relevance, and inadequate coverage of food insecurity.Conclusion.Very few materials on food insecurity are of high quality. In the development of such materials, emphasis should be given to the readability level, content, and cultural relevance.

Purpose. Evaluate youth assets or potential strengths and sexual intercourse associations by household income. Design. Data consisted of youth and parent responses from randomly selected households from a cross-sectional study and wave one of a longitudinal extension of that study. Youth assets and sexual intercourse were compared for four income categories. Setting. Midwestern racially diverse, inner-city neighborhoods. Subjects. One adolescent (12–19 years) and one parent (2335 pairs). Measures. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression. Variables assessed included parent and youth demographics, youth sexual intercourse, and youth assets (adult and peer role models, family communication, use of time [religion or sports], community involvement, future aspirations, responsible choices, and health practices). Results. Youths' mean age was 14.9 (6 1.8) years, and 52% were female; 44% of respondents were white. Use of time (religion) was significantly associated with never having sex for all but the lowest income youth (OR range = 1.79-2.64). The variable peer role models was significant for the lowest income (OR = 2.01) and two upper income groups (ORs = 2.52 and 4.27, respectively). The variable future aspirations was significant for the lowest income youth (OR = 1.77). Conclusion. The youth asset variable future aspirations was critical for the lowest income households. Other asset variables, such as peer role models and use of time (religion) were critical regardless of income. (Am J Health Promot 2011;25[5]:301-309.)

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