Search results

Purpose. To examine the effects of 10 youth developmental assets on adolescent tobacco use. Design. Survey of a randomly selected sample using in-home interviewing methodology. Setting. Inner-city areas of two midsized Midwestern cities. Subjects. The researchers studied 1,350 teen-parent pairs. Measures. Demographic information, adolescent self-reported tobacco use, eight developmental asset Likert scales, and two one-item developmental asset measures. Results. The response rate was 51%. Logistic regression results indicate that youth who possess nine of 10 developmental assets examined are significantly less likely to report tobacco use than youth with low levels of assets. Adjusting for youth age, race, gender, parental income and education, and family structure, significant odds ratios include the following: nonparental adult role model, 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.45, 3.02); peer role models, 2.48 (95% CI = 1.87, 3.29); family communication, 1.73 (95% CI = 1.29, 2.31); use of time (organized groups), 1.77 (95% CI = 1.28, 2.44); use of time (religion), 2.49 (95% CI = 1.86, 3.33); good health practices (exercise/nutrition), 1.61 (95% CI = 1.21, 2.14); community involvement, 1.66 (95% CI = 1.07, 2.58); future aspirations, 2.06 (95% CI = 1.42, 2.99); and responsible choices, 2.21 (95% CI = 1.55, 3.15). Conclusions. The findings of this study support the view that certain developmental assets may serve to protect youth from risk-taking behaviors, particularly tobacco use. Limitations include cross-sectional data and three scales with alphas below .7.

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.

Purpose. To investigate the possible positive cumulative effects that youth assets may have on youth sexual behaviors. Design. Cross-sectional data were collected from a randomly selected population by in-home, in-person interviews. Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted to determine the potential cumulative effects that youth assets may have on youth sexual behaviors and to test for significant asset by sexual risk behavior trends. Setting. Racially diverse inner-city neighborhoods in two midwestern cities. Subjects. Teenagers (n = 1350; mean age = 15.2 years) and parents of the teenagers (n = 1350). The response rate was 51%. Measures. Demographic factors, nine youth assets, and five sexual behavior outcomes. Results. Significant (p < .05) trends and odds ratios (ORs) were found for three of the five youth sexual behavior outcomes. Youths with more assets were more likely to have never participated in sexual intercourse (OR = 1.32). Of sexually active youths, those with more assets were more likely to have delayed first intercourse until at least 17 years of age (OR = 1.47) and to have used birth control at last sexual intercourse (OR = 1.18). Nonsignificant (p > .05) results were found for current sexual activity and number of sexual partners. Conclusions. The results generally support the notion that the more assets adolescents possess, the more likely they are to engage in positive behavior. Practitioners planning asset-based teenage pregnancy prevention programs might consider promoting several specific youth assets.

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