Suchergebnisse

In this study, we examine how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth, who tend to experience greater feelings of isolation and discrimination than heterosexual youth, find and become integrated into supportive activities and resources. As part of a larger study on supportive lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth environments, 66 go-along interviews with LGBTQ youth, from Massachusetts, Minnesota, and British Columbia were conducted. Analysis of these interviews identified important cues that prompt self-agency and integration into supportive environments and affirmative identities. In particular, we argue <em>indirect links </em>or cues<em> </em>such as media and print advertisements increase awareness of supports and resources, while <em>personal links,</em> such as referrals from trusted friends, adults, and regularly attended programs, can help youth form denser networks of support.

It is well known that parental and community-based support are each related to healthy development in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, but little research has explored the ways these contexts interact and overlap. Through go-along interviews (a method in which participants guide the interviewer around the community) with 66 youth in British Columbia, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, adolescents (aged 14-19 years) reported varying extent of overlap between their LGBTQ experiences and their parent–youth experiences; parents and youth each contributed to the extent of overlap. Youth who reported high overlap reported little need for resources outside their families but found resources easy to access if wanted. Youth who reported little overlap found it difficult to access resources. Findings suggest that in both research and practice, considering the extent to which youth feel they can express their authentic identity in multiple contexts may be more useful than simply evaluating parental acceptance or access to resources.

Attention toward who can use which gender binary, multi-stall bathroom has brought to the forefront, once again, the ways in which youth are supported or marginalized. No study has documented sexual and gender minority youths' experiences with and perspectives about bathrooms. We collected qualitative data in 2014-2015. Participants were 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth, aged 14-19, in the United States and Canada. Their comments describe first- and second-hand bathroom experiences, identify advocacy efforts, and highlight the roles of peers and adults in making bathrooms safe (or not). Youth emphasized the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms in fostering a sense of safety and inclusivity. Adult support and gay-straight alliances (GSAs) were important contributors to a welcoming environment and fostered advocacy efforts for gender-neutral bathrooms. We encourage purposeful inclusivity of youths' voices when enacting bathroom-specific policies and legislation that directly influence their health and well-being.

Purpose To understand the trade-offs, defined as compromises or decisions students must make to prioritize one important need over another, as a result of economic constraints, food insecure (FI) college students experience and the perceived impact of these challenges on health, well-being, and academic achievement. Design 8 Semi-structured focus groups. Setting Seven 2- and 4-year Minnesota colleges. Participants 53 students initially screening positive for FI. Method The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis, a systematic approach for identifying and analyzing patterns across qualitative data, was used through four analysis phases to identify themes and categories. Results We identified five themes within trade-offs: sacrificing food, missing out on relationships, sacrificing academic studies, choosing between basic needs, and maintaining physical and mental well-being. The trade-offs students described were multifaceted, caused notable stress and worry, and presented challenges to students' well-being. Conclusion This study provides evidence on the complexities of FI among students and details on what students may be sacrificing as a result of making trade-offs. Understanding the trade-offs students are experiencing can help college staff to prioritize which issues to focus on to improve student health and academic performance.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS. Sexual identity disparities in smoking behaviors are well established; however, there is limited research on whether these disparities have diminished as the social and political landscape has changed for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Thus, we examined changes in prevalence and sexual identity disparities in three smoking behaviors among Canadian adolescents from 1998 to 2013. METHODS. Data are from the provincially representative British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (N = 99,373). Using sex-stratified, age-adjusted logistic regression models, we estimated: (i) trends in lifetime cigarette use, early onset, and past 30-day use for heterosexual and three subgroups of sexual minority (i.e. mostly heterosexual, bisexual and gay/lesbian) youth; (ii) sexual identity disparities in these cigarette-related behaviors within each survey year (1998, 2003, 2008, 2013); and (iii) whether the size of the disparity has changed from 1998 to 2013. RESULTS. Smoking has declined for all youth from 1998 to 2013, although less consistently for sexual minority youth. Within-year disparity estimates indicated elevated prevalence of cigarette use for sexual minority compared to heterosexual youth, particularly among females. Trends in sexual identity and smoking behaviors indicated that the degree of differences between heterosexual and sexual minority youth have remained stable or, in some case, widened. Heterosexual and sexual minority youth differences widened for early onset among sexual minority boys and lifetime and past 30-day use for sexual minority girls. CONCLUSIONS. Efforts to prevent smoking behaviors among youth should continue. Tailored preventive strategies for sexual minority youth might help address existing disparity gaps.

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.