An empirical test of ecodevelopmental theory in predicting HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic youth

Advancing Adolescent and Young Adult HIV Prevention and Care and Treatment Through Use of Multi-level Theories and Frameworks: A Scoping Review and Adapted HIV Ecological Framework

While multi-level theories and frameworks have become a cornerstone in broader efforts to address HIV inequities, little is known regarding their application in adolescent and young adult (AYA) HIV research. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review to assess the use and application of multi-level theories and frameworks in AYA HIV prevention and care and treatment empirical research. We systematically searched five databases for articles published between 2010 and May 2020, screened abstracts, and reviewed eligible full-text articles for inclusion. Of the 5890 citations identified, 1706 underwent full-text review and 88 met the inclusion criteria: 70 focused on HIV prevention, with only 14 on care and treatment, 2 on both HIV prevention and care and treatment, and 2 on HIV-affected AYA. Most authors described the theory-based multi-level framework as informing their data analysis, with only 12 describing it as informing/guiding an intervention. More than seventy different multi-level theories were described, with 38% utilizing socio-ecological models or the eco-developmental theory. Findings were used to inform the adaptation of an AYA World Health Organization multi-level framework specifically to guide AYA HIV research.

Influence of families and other adult support on HIV prevention outcomes among black men who have sex with men

BACKGROUND

Prior research has consistently shown that the involvement of families plays a vital role in reducing risk behaviors, such as engaging in condomless sex, and promoting HIV prevention behaviors among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). With the aim of expanding the existing knowledge, this study aimed to examine the specific influence of families and other supportive adults in facilitating casual condom use, partner condom use, HIV testing, and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) utilization among young Black MSM.

METHODS

A sample of YBMSM aged 18-29 years (N = 400) was collected online. We used a path analysis to examine the influence of family factors on PrEP stigma and PrEP use. Respondents were recruited from December 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022. We used a path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of family factors on PrEP use through HIV testing and encouraging condom use.

RESULTS

Among BMSM, other adult support was positive and directly associated with condom use by both casual partners (β = 0.04, p < .05) and partners (β = 0.17, p < .01). Condom use by casual partners was negative and was directly associated with HIV testing (β = - 0.15, p < .01).

CONCLUSION

The primary aim of this research was to examine the influence of family and adult support on HIV prevention behaviors among young Black MSM, including condom use, HIV testing, and PrEP use. Our findings highlight the significance of implementing interventions that incorporate families and other supportive adults to enhance the engagement of young Black MSM in HIV prevention behaviors.

The Impacts of Inclusionary State Immigrant Policies on Psychosocial Outcomes Among Latinx Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

State-level policies that exclude immigrants, primarily undocumented, from public services and benefits have been found to have negative psychosocial impacts on Latinx adults, regardless of nativity. The effects of inclusionary policies-that is, extending public benefits to all immigrants-remain underexamined, as well as the impacts on adolescents.

METHOD

We used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2009 to 2019 to examine the association between 7 state-level inclusionary policies and bullying victimization, low mood, and suicidality among Latinx adolescents via 2-way fixed-effects log-binomial regression models.

RESULTS

Banning the use of eVerify in employment was associated with decreased bullying victimization (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.53-0.74), low mood (PR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.98), and suicidality (PR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62-0.86). Extending public health insurance coverage was associated with decreased bullying victimization (PR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.49-0.67), and mandating Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) training for health care workers was associated with decreased low mood (PR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69-0.91). Extending in-state tuition to undocumented students was associated with increased bullying victimization (PR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04-1.30), and extending financial aid was associated with increased bullying victimization (PR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.08-2.19), low mood (PR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08-1.40), and suicidality (PR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01-1.89).

CONCLUSION

The relationships between inclusionary state-level policies and Latinx adolescent psychosocial outcomes were mixed. Although most inclusionary policies were associated with improved psychosocial outcomes, Latinx adolescents residing in states with inclusionary policies related to higher education had worse psychosocial outcomes. Results suggest the importance of elucidating the unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies and the importance of continued efforts to reduce anti-immigrant sentiment.

The relationship between cumulative ecological risk and health risk behaviors among Chinese adolescents

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship between cumulative ecological risk and individual risky behavior and multiple forms of aggregated behaviors among adolescents, and examine the gender differences.

METHODS

A large-scale, nationally representative, and students-based investigation was conducted in rural and urban areas of eight provinces in China from October to December 2021. A total of 22 868 adolescents with an average age of 14.64 years completely standardized questionnaire in which the sociodemographic characteristics, socio-ecological risk factors and risky behaviors were used to analyze.

RESULTS

Of included students, 48.4% encountered the high level of social-ecological risk. The prevalence of breakfast intake not daily, alcohol use (AU), smoking, physical inactivity, prolonged screen time (ST) on weekdays and weekends, suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, suicidal attempt, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) was 41.0%, 11.9%, 3.4%, 61.9%, 15.1%, 51.1%, 27.7%, 13.9%, 6.5% and 27.0% respectively. 22.2% of participants engaged in high-risk behaviors. All were significantly influences of increased cumulative ecological risk on individual behavior and low-risk clustering behaviors separately. The odds ratio of breakfast intake not daily, AU, smoking, physical inactivity, prolonged ST in weekday and weekend, suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, suicidal attempt, and NSSI for the adjusted model in low versus high level of cumulative ecological risk was respectively significant in both boy and girls, and the ratio of odds ratios (ROR) was separately 0.95 (p = 0.228), 0.67 (p < 0.001), 0.44 (p < 0.001), 0.60 (p < 0.001), 0.78 (p = 0.001), 0.83 (p = 0.001), 0.80 (p = 0.001), 0.83 (p = 0.022), 0.71 (p = 0.005), 0.75 (p = 0.001). Girls encountering a high level of cumulative ecological risk were more likely to engage in multiple forms of clustering risky behaviors than boys (RORs: 0.77, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Research and effective inventions at the social-ecological environment, based on the view of cumulative risk, are needed to promote the healthy development of behaviors in adolescence, and pay more attention to decreasing the occurrence of risky behaviours in girls than boys.

Efficacy of a Digital Health Preventive Intervention for Adolescents With HIV or Sexually Transmitted Infections and Substance Use Disorder: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

HIV or sexually transmitted infections remain a significant public health concern in the United States, with adolescents affected disproportionately. Adolescents engage in HIV/STI risk behaviors, including drug use and condomless sex, which increase the risk for HIV/STIs. At-risk adolescents, many of whom are racial minorities, experience HIV/STI disparities. Although at-risk adolescents are disproportionately affected by HIV/STI risk behaviors and infections and although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine HIV/STI testing for adolescents, relatively few adolescents report having ever been tested for HIV/STI. With expected increases in health clinic visits as a result of the Affordable Care Act combined with technological advances, health clinics and mobile health (mHealth), including apps, provide innovative contexts and tools to engage at-risk adolescents in HIV/STI prevention programs. Yet, there is a dearth of efficacious mHealth interventions in health clinics to prevent and reduce both condomless sex and drug use and increase HIV/STI testing for at-risk adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a theory-driven, culturally congruent mHealth intervention (hereon referred to as S4E [Storytelling 4 Empowerment]) that has demonstrated feasibility and acceptability in a clinical setting. The next step is to examine the preliminary efficacy of S4E on adolescent HIV/STI testing and risk behaviors. This goal will be accomplished by 2 aims: the first aim is to develop a cross-platform and universal version of S4E. The cross-platform and universal version of S4E will be compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems and multiple mobile devices, aimed at providing adolescents with ongoing access to the intervention once they leave the clinic, and the second aim is to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of S4E, relative to usual care control condition, in preventing or reducing drug use and condomless sex and increasing HIV/STI testing in a clinical sample of at-risk adolescents aged 14-21 years living in Southeast Michigan.

METHODS

In this study, 100 adolescents recruited from a youth-centered community health clinic will be randomized via blocked randomization with random sequences of block sizes to one of the 2 conditions: S4E mHealth intervention or usual care. Theory-driven and culturally congruent, S4E is an mHealth adaptation of face-to-face storytelling for empowerment, which is registered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

RESULTS

This paper describes the protocol of our study. The recruitment began on May 1, 2018. This study was registered on December 11, 2017, in ClinicalTrials.gov. All participants have been recruited. Data analysis will be complete by the end of March 2024, with study findings available by December 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has the potential to improve public health by preventing HIV/STI and substance use disorders.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03368456; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03368456.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/47216.

Sociocultural influences on alcohol expectancies in early adolescence: Findings from the ABCD study

OBJECTIVE

Alcohol expectancies (AE) during early adolescence predict early alcohol use initiation and problem drinking both cross-sectionally and prospectively well into adulthood. Yet, our understanding of the sociocultural factors associated with AE during this development period remains limited. This study examines associations between AE and sociocultural factors across various domains (i.e., individual, family, peer, school, community, and culture) in a demographically diverse sample of 10- to 14-year-old youth in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study).

METHOD

This cross-sectional study used 2-year follow-up data from the ABCD Release 3.0 for N = 5,322 early adolescents (Mage = 12 years [SD = 0.6]; 47% male). Approximately 60% identified as non-Hispanic/Latinx White, 17% as Hispanic/Latinx, 11% as non-Hispanic/Latinx Black, 2% as non-Hispanic/Latinx Asian, and 11% as mixed/other race-ethnicity. Separate models for positive and negative AE outcomes were conducted using linear mixed-effect models while controlling for demographic covariates.

RESULTS

Positive AE were most strongly associated with familism, followed by other peer, school, community, and cultural level factors. Negative AE were most strongly associated with the peer-level factor of relational victimization and the individual-level factor of negative life events, followed by other peer, school, and community-level factors.

CONCLUSION

The present findings reveal the potential constellation of sociocultural factors that may serve as targets for modifying AE during the middle school years. Study results also underscore the need for future research that integrates cultural factors into our understanding of alcohol use risk and resilience during early adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Diet Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing a Parenting Intervention Simultaneously Targeting Healthy Eating and Substance Use Prevention among Hispanic Middle-School Adolescents

Parents play a significant role in adolescent health behaviors; however, few nutrition interventions for Hispanic adolescents involve parents. This study assessed the effects of a 10-week parenting intervention simultaneously targeting nutrition and substance use prevention. Hispanic parent/6th-8th-grade adolescent dyads (n = 239) were randomized to Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG+; nutrition/substance use prevention), FPNG (substance use prevention only), or Realizing the American Dream (RAD; academic success control). Surveys assessed diet, alcohol use, substance use intentions, and substance use norms at baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and at 16 weeks post-intervention (T3). Latent change modeling assessed diet changes; adolescent substance use outcomes were assessed using effect sizes. Among adolescents, those in FPNG+ increased fruit (+0.32 cup equivalents, p = 0.022) and fiber intake (+1.06 g, p = 0.048) and did not change added sugars intake at T2; those in FPNG and RAD reduced their intake of fruit and fiber (p < 0.05 for both). FPNG+ parents marginally increased fruit/vegetable intake (+0.17 cup equivalents, p = 0.054) and increased whole grains intake (+0.25-ounce equivalents, p < 0.05), in contrast to the reduction among RAD and FPNG parents (p < 0.05). Reductions in added sugar intake at T2 were greater among FPNG and FPNG+ parents relative to RAD parents (p < 0.05). FPNG+ and FPNG had comparable substance use outcomes (i.e., both had lower alcohol use and intentions to use substances relative to RAD). Engaging parents in a nutrition and substance use prevention parenting intervention yielded positive changes in dietary intake and maintained substance use prevention outcomes among their adolescent children.

Relationship between chronotype and mental behavioural health among adolescents: a cross-sectional study based on the social ecological system

BACKGROUND

Health risk behaviors (HRBs) is a kind of phenomenon behavior that often occurs in adolescence, and also often appears in clusters. Previous studies suggested an association between social ecological risk factors (SERFs) and HRBs. This study explored 1) whether chronotype moderates the risk of HRBs associated with SERFs and 2) whether mental health is a mediator in this relationship.

METHODS

Adolescents were recruited from 39 junior or senior schools (three cities, 13 schools per city) using a multistage cluster sampling method conducted between October, 2020 and June, 2021. The Social Ecological System, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Brief Instrument on Psychological Health Youths, and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance questionnaires were used to measure the SERFs, chronotype, mental health and HRBs. Latent category analysis was used to explore the clustering mode of HRBs. The primary exposure was SERFs, and the primary outcome was HRBs; chronotype was a moderator, and mental health was a mediator. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between SERFs and chronotype and mental behavioral health status. Mediation moderate analysis using the PROCESS method was used to explore the relationship between these variables. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the model.

RESULTS

In total, 17,800 individuals were initially enrolled. After excluding 947 individuals with invalid questionnaires, 16,853 participants were finally included in the analysis. The mean age of participants was 15.33 ± 1.08 years. After adjusting for covariates, multivariable logistic regression found that high levels of SERFs (odds ratio [OR] = 10.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.88-11.43, P < 0.01), intermediate chronotype (OR = 5.24, 95% CI: 4.57-6.01, P < 0.01), and eveningness (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.64-2.05, P < 0.01) were associated with higher HRBs frequency. This study also assessed the interaction between chronotype, SERFs and HRBs (OR = 27.84, 95% CI: 22.03-35.19, P < 0.01) and mental health (OR = 18.46, 95% CI: 13.16-25.88, P < 0.01). The moderated mediation analyses examined the relationship between chronotype, SERFs, mental health and HRBs.

CONCLUSIONS

SERFs may be important variables in measuring the effect of the adolescent psychosocial environment on HRBs; this effect is mediated by mental health and moderated by chronotype.

The Mental Health of Black Youth Affected by Community Violence: Family and School Context as Pathways to Resilience

Black youth who experience community violence occupy multiple environments with varying levels of influence on how they display resiliency to prevent adverse mental health outcomes. Considering the recent rise of mental health concerns (i.e., increase in suicidal outcomes) among Black youth, along with the abundance of research illustrating the detrimental impact of community violence, more research is needed to examine how different environmental factors (e.g., family and school) shape how youth protect their mental health while displaying resiliency navigating community violence. The purpose of this study was to examine how family and school contexts predict Black youths' ability to display resiliency to navigate community violence and prevent adverse mental health outcomes. This study utilized a path analysis to examine the associations between parent relationships, parent bonding, school climate, resilience to adverse community experiences, community violence, and mental health among 548 Black adolescents in Chicago. Findings highlight that parent relationships, parent bonding, and school climate influence the association between resilience to community violence and mental health outcomes among Black youth. Implications for mental health practice and policy among Black youth are discussed.

Theories of Change and Mediators of Psychotherapy Effectiveness in Adolescents With Externalising Behaviours: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Externalising behaviours are becoming a remarkably prevalent problem during adolescence, often precipitating both externalising and internalising disorders in later adulthood. Psychological treatments aim to increase the social functioning of adolescents in order for them to live a more balanced life and prevent these negative trajectories. However, little is known of the intervening variables and mediators involved in these treatments' change mechanisms. We conducted a systematic review, exploring the available evidence on mediators of psychological treatments for externalising behaviours and symptoms amongst adolescents (10 to 19 years old).

METHODS

A systematic search was performed on Medline and PsycINFO databases, which identified studies from inception to February 23, 2020. Eligible studies included randomised controlled trials that enrolled adolescents with externalising symptoms and behaviours as, at least, one of the primary outcomes. A group of 20 reviewers from the COST-Action TREATme (CA16102) were divided into 10 pairs. Each pair independently screened studies for inclusion, extracted information from the included studies, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies and the requirements for mediators, following Kazdin's criteria. Risk of bias of RCTs was assessed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Extracted data from the included studies were reported using a narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), after removing duplicates, 3,660 articles were screened. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. In a second stage, 965 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. A total of 14 studies fulfilled all inclusion criteria. The majority were related to systemic psychological treatment approaches. Two types of mediators were identified as potentially being involved in the mechanisms of change for better social improvements of adolescents: to increase healthier parent-adolescent relationships and parental discipline. However, there were significant and non-significant results amongst the same mediators, which led to discussing the results tentatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Family variables were found to be the largest group of investigated mediators, followed by relational, behavioural, and emotional variables. No cognitive or treatment-specific mediators were identified. Both adequate behavioural control of adolescents' peer behaviour and a better positive balance in their relationships with their parents seemed to buffer the effects of externalising behaviours in adolescents. Several methodological limitations concerning mediation testing design, outcome measures, and mediator selection have been identified.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was not required. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021231835.

Suicidal behaviors among Latina adolescents: An ecodevelopmental approach and narrative review

INTRODUCTION

For the past several decades, Latina adolescents have consistently shown high rates of suicidal behaviors (i.e., suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts), higher than Latino adolescents and adolescents of most other ethnic groups. Yet, progress toward establishing evidence-based intervention efforts to address this urgent public health issue has been slow. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarize empirical findings on etiological factors associated with Latina adolescent suicidal behaviors using an ecodevelopmental, gender-specific framework that contextualizes Latina adolescent development.

METHODS

To be included, peer reviewed empirical manuscripts had to focus on suicidal behaviors (i.e., suicide attempts, suicide plan, and/or suicidal ideation) of adolescents (ages 11-19 or in grades 7-12) who self-identified as either Latina or Hispanic and a girl in the United States.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies met review criteria and focused on microsystemic and intrapersonal predictors. Microsystemic predictors included family (i.e., family-adolescent discrepancies in acculturation, family functioning, family-daughter interactions), peer (i.e., victimization, friendships), and school (i.e., functioning, achievement) factors, while intrapersonal predictors were emotional vulnerability, psychosocial functioning, and substance use.

CONCLUSIONS

Family-related phenomena were the most widely studied. Research on school and peer microsystems was comparatively sparse, and several promising intrapersonal development factors have been underexplored. A notable limitation of existing studies is that samples consisted primarily of U.S.-born adolescents living in urban areas. Additional research is needed to characterize factors on other ecodevelopmental levels, identify resilience processes, and examine within-group diversity among Latina adolescents. Implications for intervention and future directions are discussed.

Social Determination of HIV: Women's Relationship Work in the Context of Mass Incarceration and Housing Vulnerability

We contrast a typical "social determinants of health" framing with a more dynamic and complex "social determination of health" framing to analyze HIV-related sexual risk among women in low-income, segregated neighborhoods in New Haven, CT. Using an abductive approach, we analyze repeated, longitudinal qualitative interviews conducted over a 2-year period with a sample of 14 HIV-negative women who engaged in sex with men during the study period. Three case studies are presented to demonstrate how behaviors and sexual practices typically described as HIV "risks" can be understood as part of the work of establishing and maintaining monogamous committed relationships, which we call "relationship work," shaped in a context characterized by housing vulnerabilities and the many manifestations of mass incarceration and the surveillance state. We conclude by suggesting that for these women, their relationship work is the work of HIV prevention and life in low-income segregated neighborhoods is their HIV-related risk.

Cannabis Use Among Court-Involved Minority Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Adolescents

We examined the effects of family functioning and beliefs regarding peers' cannabis use among minority (n = 112) and non-minority (n = 275) sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), first-time court-involved adolescents. We examined longitudinally the effects of baseline general family functioning and peer cannabis use beliefs on self-reported cannabis use and cannabis-related consequences after 12 months. At baseline, 39.2 percent of adolescents reported using cannabis. Minority SOGI adolescents reported worse family functioning (p = .017) and higher peer cannabis use beliefs (p = .047). Higher peer cannabis use beliefs at baseline predicted recent cannabis use at the 12-month assessment for both minority and non-minority SOGI adolescents. Better family functioning predicted a lower likelihood of recent cannabis use at 12 months for non-minority SOGI adolescents, but not for minority SOGI adolescents. Baseline peer cannabis use beliefs and family functioning predicted cannabis-related consequences for both cohorts at 12 months when accounting for intermediate (i.e., four-month and eight-month) data. Among all first-time court-involved adolescents, those who believed greater cannabis use among their peers reported more subsequent cannabis use themselves. Conversely, higher general family functioning may be less of a protective factor for minority SOGI adolescents. These results suggest the utility of feedback interventions to modify peer norm beliefs among first-time court-involved adolescents.

Associations between Parent-Child Communication on Sexual Health and Drug Use and Use of Drugs during Sex among Urban Black Youth

Black youth and their families living in urban settings may experience unique stressors that contribute to underlying issues due to the environmental context. Such factors may exacerbate and promote drug use and engagement in risky sexual behaviors, unknowingly. Little is known about how family factors, peer pressure, condom use, and other related factors are associated with substance use and engaging in sexual behaviors while on drugs among urban African American youth aged 12-22 (N = 638). We used regression models to examine associations between parental bonding, parent-adolescent sexual health communication, condom use, peer pressure on substance use, and having sex while on drugs. Multivariate results indicated that parental bonding was statistically significant and associated with drug use (OR: 1.36, 95%CI: 1.36). Our study highlights that parental bonding plays a critical role in youth using drugs while living in urban environments.

Parent-Child Dyad's Collective Family Efficacy and Risky Adolescent Health Behaviors

BACKGROUND

Parents play an influential role in their children's health behaviors. Research has shown that individuals' efficacy beliefs (personal and collective efficacy) are closely related to their behaviors and can be modified to improve health outcomes. Existing evidence confirms the effect of self-efficacy on various health outcomes. However, the effects of parent-child dyads' collective efficacy beliefs on adolescents' health outcomes are less clear. Bandura and his colleagues postulated that family members' perceived collective family efficacy plays an important role in their psychological well-being and possibly their health behaviors. However, few study results have delineated the relationship between collective family efficacy and risky adolescent health behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to examine the relationships among parent-adolescent dyads' collective family efficacy, satisfaction with family functioning, depressive symptoms, personal efficacy beliefs, and adolescent risky health behaviors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed 158 parent-adolescent dyads from the Midwestern region of the United States. Linear regression and path modeling were conducted to examine the influences of dyads' personal and collective efficacy beliefs on the adolescents' negative attitudes toward healthy lifestyle practices, injury prevention, safe sex practices, substance use prevention, and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Risky adolescent health behaviors were strongly correlated with higher depressive symptoms. The dyads' personal and collective efficacy beliefs emerged as protective factors for adolescent health risks directly and indirectly through depressive symptoms. Both adolescents' and parents' perceived collective family efficacy buffered the effect of parent-adolescent dyads' depressive symptoms on adolescent risky health behaviors with significant direct and indirect effects. Adolescents' family efficacy, satisfaction with family functioning, and filial efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and risky health behaviors.

DISCUSSION

Parent-adolescent dyads' perceived collective family efficacy buffers adolescents from depressive symptoms and risky health behaviors. This finding suggests that family interventions should not only address adolescents' personal-level efficacy but also their collective aspects of efficacy beliefs within the family context.

Sex behaviours and family sexuality communication among Hispanic adolescents

This study compared the extent to which Hispanic teenagers talk with mothers, fathers and extended family members about risks of sex, protection and relational sex, as well as the moderating role of teenagers' gender on the association between sexuality communication and risky sexual behaviours. Analysis is based upon 474 Hispanic young people's responses to a school-based survey recruited from six New England high schools. We (1) calculated descriptive statistics and tests of difference by teenagers' gender, and (2) ran logistic regression models for three sexual behaviours (vaginal sex, oral sex and number of sex partners) separately by gender. There were significant gender differences in teenagers' talk with mothers and fathers, but not extended family members. There was consistent "gender matching" between teenagers and the extended family member they talked to. The content of sexuality communication, the family member the teenager talked to and the gender of the teenager all contributed to whether communication was protective for teenagers' sexual behaviour. There are substantial differences in the types of sexuality communication Hispanic teenagers have with different family members, which are closely tied to teenager's and the family member's gender. Results suggests that one size does not fit all when it comes to family communication about sex and sexuality.

Methods and rationale to assess the efficacy of a parenting intervention targeting diet improvement and substance use prevention among Latinx adolescents

Latinx adolescents are at higher risk for chronic diseases relative to adolescents of other ethnic groups, in part because of their lack of adherence to diet recommendations and their higher rates of substance use. Given the proximal influence of family factors during the developmental stage of adolescence, parenting interventions may be an effective way to promote healthy nutrition and substance use prevention simultaneously. This article describes the design and theoretical rationale of a study assessing the effects of Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG Plus), a 10-week culturally-tailored nutrition and substance use prevention parenting program, on diet and substance use outcomes among Latinx middle school students (6th-8th grade). The 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial compares FPNG Plus (substance use prevention and healthy nutrition), FPNG (substance use prevention only), and a comparison condition (focusing on academic success) in 1494 parent-child dyads from 18 schools, randomized at the school level. Adolescents and parents will complete surveys pre- and post-intervention, and 16-weeks after program participation, regarding diet behaviors, substance use, and parenting practices. A random subsample of 126 dyads (42 from each program), will participate in additional data collection to assess the home food environment, detailed dietary intake (via two 24-h recalls), and provide biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk (blood pressure, total cholesterol and HbA1c). If successful, this study will provide evidence contributing to helping Latinx parents assist their adolescent children develop and maintain long-lasting positive lifestyle behaviors in order to prevent concurrent substance use and diet-related chronic diseases.

Pre- and Post-Immigration Correlates of Alcohol Misuse among Young Adult Recent Latino Immigrants: An Ecodevelopmental Approach

Latinos in the United States experience numerous alcohol-related health disparities. There is accumulating evidence that pre-immigration factors are associated with post-immigration alcohol use, but the explanation for health disparities remains unclear. The present study is a secondary analysis of data from the Recent Latino Immigrant Study (RLIS), the first community-based cohort study to examine the pre- to post-immigration alcohol use trajectories of young adult Latino immigrants during their initial years in the United States. Exploratory analysis and hierarchical multiple logistic regression were performed to assess associations between various pre- and post-immigration factors and alcohol misuse among young adult Latino immigrants early in the immigration process. Using an ecodevelopmental approach, we examined potential social and environmental determinants across multiple levels of influence associated with post-immigration alcohol misuse in this population. The study sample consisted of 474 young adult Latino immigrants between the ages of 18-34. The sample was comprised of the following national/regional origins: Cuban (43%), South American (28.7%), and Central American (28.3%). Approximately half of the sample (49.6%) reported a family history of substance use problems (FHSUP+). Participants who reported FHSUP+ and who engaged in alcohol misuse prior to immigrating to the US were more likely to engage in post-immigration alcohol misuse. Results revealed various social and environmental factors associated with pre-immigration alcohol misuse in this population. Study findings can inform culturally tailored prevention interventions aimed at mitigating problem drinking behaviors among young adult recent Latino immigrants.

Latinx Immigrant Farmworker Community Health Promotion: A Needs Assessment

The present study examined the health promotion intervention needs of Latinx immigrant farmworker families residing in Oregon. Grounded theory qualitative procedures were used to analyze the needs assessment data from 31 Latinx immigrant farmworker residents and key informant interviews as well as four focus groups with resident youth and parents. A theoretical model of how key family-based health behaviors can both confer risk for and protection against negative physical, mental, and social health outcomes among Latinx farmworking communities emerged. Six primary areas of concern emerged from these data, leading to the identification of primary health promotion intervention needs with three foci: (a) the provision of sustainable supports and resources, (b) skill development so that individuals could successfully negotiate identified challenges, and (c) greater community efficacy. Findings underscore the importance of social support and resource accessibility for Latinx immigrant populations.

Assessment of sexually transmitted disease/HIV risk among young African Americans: comparison of self-perceived and epidemiological risks utilizing ecodevelopmental theory

Background

Recent advances in understanding the developmental processes associated with adolescents warrant new thinking and systematic application of key concepts of risk and protective processes. This study examined the association between epidemiological and self-perceived risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV among young African Americans (AAs) and the multilevel factors identified using ecodevelopmental theory.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on wave 1 data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health comprising 1,619 AA youth aged 14-18 years. Epidemiological and self-perceived HIV-risk indices were developed and their associations with ecodevelopmental system parameters evaluated.

Results

Significant discordance (P<0.0001) in the youths' self-perceived risk and epidemiological risk (the "gold standard") was recorded with Cohen's k-coefficient of 0.144 (95% CI 0.104-0.193). Adolescents who felt like talking to their mother had no trouble getting along with schoolteachers, perceived that teachers treated student fairly, experienced mother's disapproval of their sexual debut, and had close friends who knew how to use condoms correctly, were positively related to low epidemiological risk of contracting STDs/HIV. Being older, male, and a mother's positive attitude toward their adolescent's use of birth control (in exosystem) were associated with high epidemiological risk of contracting STDs/HIV. Furthermore, poor connection with the mother (did not feel like talking to mother) and growing older were related to low accuracy of self-risk perception among AA youths.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate the strong need to align self-perceived risk with epidemiological risk of acquiring STDs/HIV using the key multilevel ecodevelopmental system factors identified. This will require changes in relevant social attitudes and norms associated with risk measurement, and allow for a rational basis for safe health practices and behaviors among AA youths.

Development and formative evaluation of a family-centred adolescent HIV prevention programme in South Africa

Preventing HIV among young people is critical to achieving and sustaining global epidemic control. Evidence from Western settings suggests that family-centred prevention interventions may be associated with greater reductions in risk behaviour than standard adolescent-only models. Despite this, family-centred models for adolescent HIV prevention are nearly non-existent in South Africa - home to more people living with HIV than any other country. This paper describes the development and formative evaluation of one such intervention: an evidence-informed, locally relevant, adolescent prevention intervention engaging caregivers as co-participants. The programme, originally consisting of 19 sessions for caregivers and 14 for adolescents, was piloted with 12 groups of caregiver-adolescent dyads by community-based organizations (CBOs) in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. Literature and expert reviews were employed in the development process, and evaluation methods included analysis of attendance records, session-level fidelity checklists and facilitator feedback forms collected during the programme pilot. Facilitator focus group discussions and an implementer programme workshop were also held. Results highlighted the need to enhance training content related to cognitive behavioural theory and group management techniques, as well as increase the cultural relevance of activities in the curriculum. Participant attendance challenges were also identified, leading to a shortened and simplified session set. Findings overall were used to finalize materials and guidance for a revised 14-week group programme consisting of individual and joint sessions for adolescents and their caregivers, which may be implemented by community-based facilitators in other settings.

Alcohol Use Severity Among Adult Hispanic Immigrants: Examining the Roles of Family Cohesion, Social Support, and Gender

BACKGROUND

This study examined (a) the direct association of family cohesion on alcohol use severity among adult Hispanic immigrants; (b) the indirect association of family cohesion on alcohol use severity via social support; and (c) if gender moderates the direct and indirect associations between family cohesion and alcohol use severity.

METHOD

Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 411 (men = 222, women = 189) participants from Miami-Dade, Florida.

RESULTS

Findings indicate that higher family cohesion was directly associated with higher social support and lower alcohol use severity. Higher social support was also directly associated with lower alcohol use severity. Additionally, family cohesion had an indirect association with alcohol use severity via social support. Moderation analyses indicated that gender moderated the direct association between family cohesion and alcohol use severity, but did not moderate the indirect association.

CONCLUSIONS

Some potential clinical implications may be that strengthening family cohesion may enhance levels of social support, and in turn, lower alcohol use severity among adult Hispanic immigrants. Furthermore, strengthening family cohesion may be especially beneficial to men in efforts to lower levels of alcohol use severity.

Suicide Risk and Resiliency Factors Among Hispanic Teens in New Mexico: Schools Can Make a Difference

BACKGROUND

Youth suicide is a serious public health problem in the United States. School environments, and the attention of school adults, are promising but minimally studied avenues for promoting mental health among students.

METHODS

The 2013 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey data were analyzed to identify ways in which the school environment influences suicide attempts in a sample of Hispanic students. Factors examined were: relationships with school adults, speaking a language other than English at home, being born outside the United States and not having enough to eat. Odds ratios were used to measure relationships.

RESULTS

Factors influencing suicide attempt were similar for boys and girls. The odds of suicide attempt declined by approximately one third as measures of positive relationships with school adults increased. Post-high school education plans also were protective. Being born outside the United States and not having enough to eat increased the odds of past-year suicide attempt. Speaking a language other than English at home was a weak risk factor for suicide attempt only among Hispanic girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Teachers and other school adults can decrease suicide risk for Hispanic teens by forming supportive relationships with students. Special consideration should be given to providing free breakfast in schools.

Culture's Influence on Stressors, Parental Socialization, and Developmental Processes in the Mental Health of Children of Immigrants

Children of immigrants represent one in four children in the United States and will represent one in three children by 2050. Children of Asian and Latino immigrants together represent the majority of children of immigrants in the United States. Children of immigrants may be immigrants themselves, or they may have been born in the United States to foreign-born parents; their status may be legal or undocumented. We review transcultural and culture-specific factors that influence the various ways in which stressors are experienced; we also discuss the ways in which parental socialization and developmental processes function as risk factors or protective factors in their influence on the mental health of children of immigrants. Children of immigrants with elevated risk for mental health problems are more likely to be undocumented immigrants, refugees, or unaccompanied minors. We describe interventions and policies that show promise for reducing mental health problems among children of immigrants in the United States.

Externalizing and internalizing pathways to Mexican American adolescents' risk taking

This study used four waves of data from a longitudinal study of 749 Mexican origin youths to test a developmental cascades model linking contextual adversity in the family and peer domains in late childhood to a sequence of unfolding processes hypothesized to predict problem substance use and risky sexual activity (greater number of sex partners) in late adolescence. Externalizing and internalizing problems were tested as divergent pathways, with youth-reported and mother-reported symptoms examined in separate models. Youth gender, nativity, and cultural orientation were tested as moderators. Family risk, peer social rejection, and their interaction were prospectively related to externalizing symptoms and deviant peer involvement, although family risk showed stronger effects on parent-reported externalizing and peer social rejection showed stronger effects on youth-reported externalizing. Externalizing symptoms and deviant peers were related, in turn, to risk taking in late adolescence, including problem alcohol-substance use and number of sexual partners. Peer social rejection predicted youth-reported internalizing symptoms, and internalizing was related, in turn, to problem alcohol and substance use in late adolescence. Tests of moderation showed some of these developmental cascades were stronger for adolescents who were female, less oriented to mainstream cultural values, and more oriented to Mexican American cultural values.

"Scaling-out" evidence-based interventions to new populations or new health care delivery systems

Background

Implementing treatments and interventions with demonstrated effectiveness is critical for improving patient health outcomes at a reduced cost. When an evidence-based intervention (EBI) is implemented with fidelity in a setting that is very similar to the setting wherein it was previously found to be effective, it is reasonable to anticipate similar benefits of that EBI. However, one goal of implementation science is to expand the use of EBIs as broadly as is feasible and appropriate in order to foster the greatest public health impact. When implementing an EBI in a novel setting, or targeting novel populations, one must consider whether there is sufficient justification that the EBI would have similar benefits to those found in earlier trials.

Discussion

In this paper, we introduce a new concept for implementation called “scaling-out” when EBIs are adapted either to new populations or new delivery systems, or both. Using existing external validity theories and multilevel mediation modeling, we provide a logical framework for determining what new empirical evidence is required for an intervention to retain its evidence-based standard in this new context. The motivating questions are whether scale-out can reasonably be expected to produce population-level effectiveness as found in previous studies, and what additional empirical evaluations would be necessary to test for this short of an entirely new effectiveness trial. We present evaluation options for assessing whether scaling-out results in the ultimate health outcome of interest.

Conclusion

In scaling to health or service delivery systems or population/community contexts that are different from the setting where the EBI was originally tested, there are situations where a shorter timeframe of translation is possible. We argue that implementation of an EBI in a moderately different setting or with a different population can sometimes “borrow strength” from evidence of impact in a prior effectiveness trial. The collection of additional empirical data is deemed necessary by the nature and degree of adaptations to the EBI and the context. Our argument in this paper is conceptual, and we propose formal empirical tests of mediational equivalence in a follow-up paper.

The Relationship Between Acculturation, Ecodevelopment, and Substance Use Among Hispanic Adolescents

Using structural equation modeling, we examined the relationship of Hispanicism on recent substance use and whether Americanism moderated the effect in a sample of 1,141 Hispanic adolescents. The Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire (BIQ) was used to determine the degree of individual comfort in both Hispanic (Hispanicism) and American (Americanism) cultures. Hispanicism was associated with greater family functioning (β = 0.36, p < .05) and school bonding (β = 0.31, p < .01); Americanism moderated the effect of Hispanicism on substance use (β = 0.92, p < .01). Findings suggest that Hispanic culture was protective against substance use, however those effects differed depending on level of Americanism.

Modeling ecodevelopmental context of sexually transmitted disease/HIV risk and protective behaviors among African-American adolescents

Risk and protective processes are integrated developmental processes that directly or indirectly affect behavioral outcomes. A better understanding of these processes is needed, in order to gauge their contribution to sexual risk behaviors. This retrospective cross-sectional study modeled the ecodevelopmental chain of relationships to examine the social contexts of African-American (AA) adolescents associated with sexually transmitted disease (STD)- and HIV-risk behaviors. We used data from 1,619 AA adolescents with an average age of 16±1.8 years obtained from the first wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health for this study. Confirmatory factor analysis followed by structural equation modeling was conducted to identify the latent constructs that reflect the social-interactional components of the ecodevelopmental theory. Among contextual factors, findings indicated that a feeling of love from father, school, religion, and parent attitudes toward adolescent sexual behavior were all factors that played significant roles in the sexual behavior of AA adolescents. AA adolescents who reported feeling love from their father, feeling a strong negative attitude from their parents toward having sex at a very young age, and having a strong bond with school personnel were associated with better health statuses. The level of parents' involvement in their children's lives was reflected in the adolescents' feeling of love from parents and moderated by their socioeconomic status. Being male, attaining increased age, and being a sexual minority were associated with higher likelihood of exhibiting risky sexual behavior. In contrast, higher socioeconomic status and fathers' level of involvement were indirectly associated with reduced STD/HIV-related sexual risk behavior. In conclusion, our findings suggest that interventions aimed at maximal protection against STD/HIV-related risk behavior among AA adolescents should adopt both self- and context-based strategies that promote positive functioning in the family, school, and peer microsystems.

Association between Socio-Ecological Risk Factor Clustering and Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems in Hispanic Adolescents

Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic adolescents in the U.S. report higher rates of several mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) problems such as substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and internalizing and externalizing problems. There is evidence of common pathways in the development of MEB problems with certain subgroups of Hispanic adolescents being at greater risk. In the present article, we report analysis of baseline data for 959 Hispanic adolescents who participated in one of two randomized controlled trials evaluating a family-based preventive intervention. Utilizing latent class analysis, we identified subgroups of Hispanic adolescents based on socio-ecological risk and protective factors (e.g., parent-adolescent communication, parental involvement in school). Three distinct socio-ecological risk subgroups (high, medium, and low risk) were identified and exhibited significant differences from each other across a majority of socio-ecological risk and protective factors. Adolescents in higher socio-ecological risk subgroups reported greater MEB problems across all outcomes. Individual comparisons revealed significant differences between the low socio-ecological risk group and both the medium and high socio-ecological risk group in lifetime alcohol use, smoking, and sex, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems. Implications for intervention include focusing on specific risk subgroups and targeting shared risk and protective factors rather than specific MEB outcomes.

Immigration Stress and Alcohol Use Severity Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adults: Examining Moderating Effects of Gender, Immigration Status, and Social Support

OBJECTIVE

Identifying and understanding determinants of alcohol use behavior among Hispanic immigrants is an increasingly significant public health concern. Although prior research has examined associations of cultural stressors with alcohol use among Hispanics, few studies have tested these associations among recent adult immigrants. As such, this study aimed to examine (a) the association of immigration stress on alcohol use severity among recently immigrated Hispanic adults (≤ 1 year in the United States) and (b) the moderating effects of gender, immigration status, and social support.

METHOD

A hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted on a sample of 527 participants in South Florida.

RESULTS

Results indicated that, after controlling for demographic variables, preimmigration drinking behavior, and dimensions of social support, the association of higher immigration stress with higher alcohol use severity was statistically significant. Moderation analyses indicated that immigration stress had a statistically significant association with alcohol use severity among men, but not women. Also, dimensions of social support consistently reduced the deleterious effect of immigration stress on alcohol use severity.

CONCLUSION

This study adds to the scarce literature on cultural stressors and alcohol use among recent Hispanic immigrants. Findings suggest that it may be important to design gender-specific interventions and that increasing levels of social support may offset the effects of immigration stress on alcohol use.

Intracultural accusations of assimilation and alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults: Moderating effects of acculturation, enculturation, and gender

Individuals, including Hispanics, tend to drink most heavily during emerging adulthood (ages 18-25 years old). Research has suggested that intercultural stressors (e.g., ethnic discrimination) may increase levels of alcohol use among Hispanics. However, the relationship between intracultural stressors (e.g., accusations of assimilation-when Hispanics accuse a member of their heritage group of acculturating to U.S. culture) and alcohol use has been examined to a lesser extent. Accordingly, the present study aimed to (a) examine the association between family accusations of assimilation and alcohol use severity; and (b) examine if acculturation domains, enculturation domains, and gender moderated that association. A hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 181 Hispanic emerging adults. Results indicated that higher family accusations of assimilation were associated with higher levels of alcohol use severity (β = .18, p < .05), and all variables entered in the model accounted for ΔR2 = 15.1% of the variance of alcohol use severity. A moderation analysis indicated that higher family accusations of assimilation were associated with higher alcohol use severity among men, but not women. Of the four acculturation/enculturation domains, none had a moderation effect. However, there was a statistically significant three-way interaction among family accusations of assimilation, gender, and affective enculturation. This three-way interaction suggests that among men, higher family accusations of assimilation were associated with higher alcohol use severity at lower levels of affective enculturation. This study addresses a literature gap on intracultural stressors and substance use among Hispanics, and discusses recommendations for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Gender, Generational Status, and Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication: Implications for Latino/a Adolescent Sexual Behavior

There is little research on how specific parent-adolescent sexual communication topics influence Latino/a youth's sexual behaviors, and how gender and generational status may moderate effects. This study examined effects of three different messages on intercourse and condom use among 1944 Latino/as from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (T1 mean age=15.46; sd=1.50). Results indicated discussing health consequences predicted higher odds of intercourse one year later across gender and generation groups. Birth control recommendation effects on subsequent intercourse and condom use differed by generational status and gender. Results indicated that message content is important for understanding effects of parent-adolescent sex communication on adolescents' behavior, and underscored the need to consider gender and generational status in Latino/a parent-adolescent sexual communication studies.

An Exploration of Family and Juvenile Justice Systems to Reduce Youth HIV/STI Risk

Using in-depth interviews with 20 probation youth (60% female; 35% white; 30% Hispanic; mean age 15years, range=13-17), their caregivers (100% female; mean age 44years, range=34-71) and 12 female probation officers (100% white; mean age 46years, range=34-57), we explored how family and probation systems exacerbate or mitigate sexual risk. We conducted thematic analyses of interviews, comparing narratives of families of sexually risky (n=9) versus non-sexually risky (n=11) youth. Family functioning differed by youth sexual risk behavior around quality of relationships, communication, and limit-setting and monitoring. The involvement of families of sexually risky youth in probation positively influenced family functioning. Data suggest these families are amenable to intervention and may benefit from family-based HIV/STI interventions delivered in tandem with probation.

A Review of Teen Dating Violence Prevention Research: What About Hispanic Youth?

The purpose of this article is to provide a critical review of the literature on evidence-based teen dating violence (TDV) prevention programs with a particular focus on highlighting gaps in the literature with regard to prevention efforts targeting Hispanic teens. The target populations, characteristics, designs, and results of TDV prevention studies reported in the scientific literature for the last 20 years were reviewed and analyzed according to cultural and contextual factors associated with TDV among Hispanic teens. To date, three studies have focused on a predominantly Hispanic population with only one study looking at the long-term effects of a TDV intervention. There is a growing need to develop and evaluate immediate and long-term effects of TDV prevention programs that address ethnic pride, acculturation and acculturative stress, familism, and gender norms within the context of Hispanic communities (e.g., machismo and marianismo). The authors discuss the implications for research, prevention practice, and policy regarding TDV prevention for Hispanic teens.

Using the Program Logic Model to Evaluate ¡Cuídate!: A Sexual Health Program for Latino Adolescents in a School-Based Health Center

BACKGROUND

Addressing the disparities in pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates for Latino youth in the United States requires an evidence-based approach. Although randomized controlled trials for sexual risk reduction interventions have shown promise in improving short-term outcomes, program sustainability has not been extensively examined in school settings where teens spend time. Latina teen pregnancy rates are nearly twice the national average. Adolescents comprise only 17% of the U.S. population, yet they account for 50% of STIs. ¡Cuídate! is a high-impact sexual health group program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that has not been replicated in a real-world setting.

AIMS

The program logic model (PLM) was used as the systematic approach to plan, implement, and evaluate a sustainable model of sexual health group programing (¡Cuídate!) in a U.S. high school with a large Latino student population.

METHODS

The PLM provided the framework for the evaluation of outputs, outcome, and impact. A multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance was used as the means to evaluate the participant outcomes immediately postprogram and at 8-12 weeks.

RESULTS

¡Cuídate! was executed within an existing school structure and time constraints, below cost projections, and with high participant retention (95.8%). Three cohorts (N = 24) of female teens demonstrated significant increases in STI or HIV knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention to use condoms (p < .01). Condom use increased postprogram. No participants initiated sexual behavior, nor were there any reported pregnancies or STIs.

CONCLUSIONS

An evidence-based intervention previously tested in randomized controlled trials can be sustained in a school-based health center with similar results of efficacy.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Our success served as a platform for a sustainable program. We continue to extend the impact of the program by delivering ¡Cuídate! in the school setting using a community health worker.

Ecodevelopmental predictors of early initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among Hispanic adolescents

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test the transactional relationships of risk and protective factors that influence initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among Hispanic youth. Ecodevelopmental theory was used to identify factors at multiple ecological levels with a focus on four school-level characteristics (i.e. school socioeconomic status, school climate, school acculturation, and school ethnic composition). A sample of 741 Hispanic adolescents (M age=13.9, SD=.67) and their caregivers were recruited from 18 participating middle schools in Miami-Dade County, FL. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized ecodevelopmental model of early substance use, accounting for school clustering effects. Results provided strong support for the model (CFI=.95; RMSEA=.03). School SES was indirectly related to the likelihood of starting substance use through perceived peer use norms (β=.03, p<.02). Similarly, school climate had an indirect effect on substance use initiation through family functioning and perceptions of peer use norms (β=-.03, p<.01). Neither school ethnic composition nor school acculturation had indirect effects on initiation of substance use. Results highlight the importance of the interplay of risk and protective factors at multiple ecological levels that impact early substance use initiation. Further, findings underscore the key role of school level characteristics on the initiation of substance use and present opportunities for intervention.

Bicultural stress, identity formation, and alcohol expectancies and misuse in Hispanic adolescents: a developmental approach

Hispanic immigrant youth engage in increased health risk behaviors, such as alcohol misuse, due in part to being confronted with acculturative stress in addition to facing major normative developmental challenges, such as identity consolidation (Berry et al. in Appl Psychol 55:303-332, 2006). Using a developmental psychopathology framework, in the present study we examined the effect of bicultural stress on alcohol misuse among immigrated Hispanic adolescents, indirectly through trajectories of identity formation and alcohol expectancies. Our sample consisted of 302 recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents (53 % male; Mage = 14.5 at baseline) who were interviewed every 6 months for 3 years. Bivariate growth curve modeling was used to examine the influence of initial early bicultural stress on later alcohol misuse via change in identity development (i.e., coherence and confusion) and subsequent growth in cognitive alcohol expectancies. Findings revealed that initial levels and growth of identity coherence were not significantly associated with either bicultural stress or tension reduction (TR) alcohol expectancies. Multiple mediation analyses indicated that the effect of bicultural stress at time 1 on the frequency of being drunk at time 6 was mediated via high initial levels of identity confusion, followed by growth in risky TR expectancies (T4-T6). A developmental approach to the genesis of alcohol use problems in immigrant youth is discussed.

Acculturation, risk behaviors and physical dating violence victimization among Cuban-American adolescents

The purpose of this study is to describe the relationships among acculturation, risk behaviors, and reported physical dating violence among Cuban-American ninth grade adolescents. Participants (N=82) completed a questionnaire that assessed their level of acculturation to the U.S. (Americanism), their maintenance of the Hispanic culture (Hispanicism), binge drinking, drug use, sexual intercourse, condom use and physical dating violence victimization. Multiple logistic regression was conducted. Hispanicism was associated with a decrease in odds of reporting physical dating violence victimization. Drug use and not using a condom were associated with an increase in odds of reporting physical dating violence victimization.

Do parent-adolescent discrepancies in family functioning increase the risk of Hispanic adolescent HIV risk behaviors?

In the family-based prevention science literature, family functioning, defined as positive parenting, parental involvement, family cohesion, family communication, parental monitoring of peers, and parent-adolescent communication, has been shown to ameliorate HIV risk behaviors in Hispanic youth. However, the majority of studies have relied solely on parent or adolescent reports and we know very little about parent-adolescent family functioning discrepancies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether and to what extent parent-adolescent discrepancies in family functioning increased the risk of HIV risk behaviors, including substance use and sexual risk behaviors, and whether these associations vary as a function of acculturation and youth gender. A total of 746 Hispanic 8th grade youth and their primary caregivers were included in the study. Structural equation modeling findings indicate that parent-adolescent family functioning discrepancies are associated with an increased risk of Hispanic adolescent HIV risk behaviors, including lifetime and past 90-day alcohol and illicit drug use, and early sex initiation. In addition, study findings indicate that results vary by acculturation and youth gender. Findings are discussed in the context of existing family-based research and practice in preventing and reducing HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic youth and their families.

The role of acculturation and family functioning in predicting HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic delinquent youth

The present study examined the relationship between Berry's acculturation typology and HIV risk behaviors and whether family functioning mediated any such effects. A total of 235 high risk Hispanic adolescents were categorized into one of Berry's four acculturation typologies through the use of cut-off scores on measures of Hispanicism and Americanism. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of acculturation typology on HIV risk behaviors and the indirect effects of acculturation typology on HIV risk behaviors through family functioning. Acculturation typology was related to HIV risk behaviors. Family functioning partially mediated the effects of acculturation typology on the HIV risk behavior outcomes. These findings suggest that both Americanism and Hispanicism play an important role in the etiology of HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic youth and that both, along with family functioning, are important to consider when designing preventive interventions for this population.

Family Efficacy as a Protective Factor Against Immigrant Adolescent Risky Behavior

Research suggests that family efficacy—defined as a family’s beliefs in its capability to manage different situations in order to achieve a desired outcome—is linked to a decreased likelihood of adolescents to engage in risky health behaviors. It is not clear, however, if this is true for immigrant families when they are encountering with increased challenges in their host countries. To provide holistic nursing care to immigrant families, it is important to know the sources of family efficacy particularly for immigrant adolescents when they are developing health behavior. This integrative review examined existing literature to learn about the sources of family efficacy among immigrant adolescents and how different domain of family efficacy is related to risky behaviors. We examined 22 studies on the topics of immigration, adaptation, risky adolescent behavior, and family function. Findings showed that multidimensional sources of family efficacies (specifically those in the relational, pragmatic, and value-laden domains) exert significant positive effects on immigrant adolescents’ health behaviors.

Acculturation and HIV-related sexual behaviours among international migrants: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This review examines the global literature regarding the relationship between acculturation and HIV-related sexual behaviours among international migrants. Seventy-nine articles published in English-language journals prior to July 2012 met the criteria for inclusion. We conducted a systematic review and subset meta-analysis of correlations between acculturation and five types of sexual behaviours including condom use, multiple partnerships, early sexual initiation, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other unsafe sexual practices. Immigrants high in mainstream acculturation were more likely to have multiple partnerships, early sexual initiation, STDs and unsafe sex (rs ranged from 0.10 to 0.16), but acculturation was not associated with condom use (r = 0.02). Gender moderated the relationships between acculturation and multiple partnerships, STDs and unsafe sex. The relationship between acculturation and unsafe sex also varied across ethnicity. These findings suggest that acculturation may serve as a risk factor towards immigrants' HIV-related sexual health. We offered a theoretical framework and suggested applying cross-cultural and longitudinal designs in future research on acculturation and health behaviours.

The role of acculturation and family functioning in predicting HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic delinquent youth

The present study examined the relationship between Berry's acculturation typology and HIV risk behaviors and whether family functioning mediated any such effects. A total of 235 high risk Hispanic adolescents were categorized into one of Berry's four acculturation typologies through the use of cut-off scores on measures of Hispanicism and Americanism. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of acculturation typology on HIV risk behaviors and the indirect effects of acculturation typology on HIV risk behaviors through family functioning. Acculturation typology was related to HIV risk behaviors. Family functioning partially mediated the effects of acculturation typology on the HIV risk behavior outcomes. These findings suggest that both Americanism and Hispanicism play an important role in the etiology of HIV risk behaviors among Hispanic youth and that both, along with family functioning, are important to consider when designing preventive interventions for this population.

Ecodevelopmental and intrapersonal moderators of a family based preventive intervention for Hispanic youth: a latent profile analysis

Hispanic adolescents are disproportionately affected by externalizing disorders, substance use and HIV infection. Despite these health inequities, few interventions have been found to be efficacious for this population, and even fewer studies have examined whether the effects of such interventions vary as a function of ecodevelopmental and intrapersonal risk subgroups. The aim of this study was to determine whether and to what extent the effects of Familias Unidas, an evidence-based preventive intervention, vary by ecodevelopmental and intrapersonal risk subgroups. Data from 213 Hispanic adolescents (mean age = 13.8, SD = 0.76) who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial evaluating the relative efficacy of Familias Unidas on externalizing disorders, substance use, and unprotected sexual behavior were analyzed. The results showed that Familias Unidas was efficacious over time, in terms of both externalizing disorders and substance use, for Hispanic youth with high family ecodevelopmental risk (e.g., poor parent-adolescent communication), but not with youth with moderate ecodevelopmental or low ecodevelopmental risk. The results suggest that classifying adolescents based on their family ecodevelopmental risk may be an especially effective strategy for examining moderators of family-based preventive interventions such as Familias Unidas. Moreover, these results suggest that Familias Unidas should potentially be targeted toward youth with high family ecodevelopmental risk. The utility of the methods presented in this article to other prevention scientists, including genetic, neurobiological and environmental scientists, is discussed.

Macro-level approaches to HIV prevention among ethnic minority youth: state of the science, opportunities, and challenges

The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately affect ethnic minority youth. These disconcerting health disparities indicate that although existing HIV preventive strategies for ethnic minority youth have been efficacious, they have not significantly reduced the impact of the epidemic in this population. Macro-level interventions, such as structural or policy interventions, have the potential to impact the HIV epidemic at a population level, and thus reduce the HIV health disparities that exist among ethnic minority youth and other segments of the U.S. population. This article calls for a paradigm shift to develop, evaluate, and disseminate interventions that target upstream/macro-level factors or that, at a minimum, integrate both a macro and individual level perspective. The article also discusses the challenges in developing and evaluating such interventions. Psychologists and other behavioral scientists can play a critical role in reducing the impact of HIV on ethnic minority youth by integrating macro-level approaches to future HIV prevention strategies.

U.S. drug use and migration experiences of Mexican female sex workers who are injection drug users

OBJECTIVE

To describe U.S.-based drug/sex behaviors and correlates of lifetime U.S. drug use by Mexican female sex workers who inject drugs (FSW-IDUs).

METHODS

Between 2008-2010, 315 migrant FSW-IDUs residing in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico responded to questionnaires.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven percent (n=85) of FSW-IDUs were U.S. migrants; of these, 46% (n=39) were deportees. One-half of U.S.-migrant FSW-IDUs consumed illicit drugs in the U.S., and two-thirds of these injected drugs in the U.S. Among U.S. injectors, over 75% ever received or shared used injection equipment. The majority (92%) of U.S.-migrant FSW-IDUs never obtained U.S. drug treatment services. HIV prevalence was 4% among U.S.-migrant and 5% among non-U.S. migrant FSW-IDUs; 100% of U.S.-migrant and 75% of non-U.S. migrant FSW-IDUs were unaware of their HIV status.

CONCLUSIONS

Binational coordination to improve access to substance use treatment and HIV testing services in Mexico and the U.S. among marginalized binational migrants may be critical to containing HIV transmission.

Multilevel modeling in psychosomatic medicine research

The primary purpose of this study is to provide an overview of multilevel modeling for Psychosomatic Medicine readers and contributors. The article begins with a general introduction to multilevel modeling. Multilevel regression modeling at two levels is emphasized because of its prevalence in psychosomatic medicine research. Simulated data sets based on some core ideas from the Familias Unidas effectiveness study are used to illustrate key concepts including communication of model specification, parameter interpretation, sample size and power, and missing data. Input and key output files from Mplus and SAS are provided. A cluster randomized trial with repeated measures (i.e., three-level regression model) is then briefly presented with simulated data based on some core ideas from a cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention in prostate cancer.

Predicting homophobic behavior among heterosexual youth: domain general and sexual orientation-specific factors at the individual and contextual level

As a form of bias-based harassment, homophobic behavior remains prominent in schools. Yet, little attention has been given to factors that underlie it, aside from bullying and sexual prejudice. Thus, we examined multiple domain general (empathy, perspective-taking, classroom respect norms) and sexual orientation-specific factors (sexual orientation identity importance, number of sexual minority friends, parents' sexual minority attitudes, media messages). We documented support for a model in which these sets of factors converged to predict homophobic behavior, mediated through bullying and prejudice, among 581 students in grades 9-12 (55 % female). The structural equation model indicated that, with the exception of media messages, these additional factors predicted levels of prejudice and bullying, which in turn predicted the likelihood of students to engage in homophobic behavior. These findings highlight the importance of addressing multiple interrelated factors in efforts to reduce bullying, prejudice, and discrimination among youth.