Systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales: A study protocol for psychometric properties

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Application of developmental assets, one of existing Positive Youth Development (PYD) frameworks, has gained momentum in research, policy formulations, and interventions, necessitating the introduction of the most efficient scales for this framework. The present study protocol aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales to document the underlying logic, objectives, and methodologies earmarked for the identification, selection, and critical evaluation of these scales.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P), the intended search will encompass databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and PsycINFO, spanning from the inception of 1988 to 1st of April 2024. The review will include articles published published in English language focusing on individuals aged 10 to 29 years and reporting at least one type of reliability or validity of developmental assets scales. The review process will be in compliance with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), and the overall quality of evidence will be determined using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) guidelines.

DISCUSSION

This comprehensive assessment aims to identify potential biases in prior research and offer guidance to scholars regarding the optimal scales for developmental assets in terms of validity, reliability, responsiveness, and interpretability The evidence-based appraisal of the scales strengths and limitations is imperative in shaping future research, enhancing their methodological rigor, and proposing refinements to existing instruments for developmental assets.

A scoping review of the research evidence of the developmental assets model in Europe

Introduction

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a strength-based perspective that focuses on the resources to promote a successful transition to adulthood, derived from the Relational Developmental Systems theory. In this line, the Developmental Assets (DA) model focuses on describing the personal resources (Internal Assets) and contextual resources (External Assets) that help to reach PYD. Most research from this approach has been carried out in United States and, to a lesser extent, in the European continent. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the evidence collected for the DA model in Europe.

Methods

Web of Science database was used to search for articles published between 2013 and February 2024. Initially, there were 55 possible articles to be included, but after applying the exclusion criteria, this number was reduced to 11.

Results

The findings suggested that the evidence for DA in Europe was in line with North American research, so that a higher presence of DA was related to higher well-being, better psychological adjustment, and lower risk behaviors. Internal Assets were the most influential assets, with the Positive Identity category being especially remarkable. Commitment to Learning and Social Competencies were also highlighted in the studies included in the review. Concerning External Assets, Positive Boundaries-expectations and Empowerment were emphasized as protective factors in youth development. These assets were found to present a protective effect against risk behaviors and were positively associated with PYD and socioemotional skills.

Discussion

Thus, these findings support the applicability of the DA framework in promoting PYD in European context, and some intervention strategies are discussed considering cultural diversity.

Examining developmental assets of young Black sexual gender minority males in preventing suicidal behaviors

Black gay and bisexual male adolescents and young adults (BGBMA/YA) are at higher risk for suicidal outcomes given their minoritized and stigmatized identities at the intersection of race and sexual orientation. This study explores key developmental assets, including family support and family communication, and their role in preventing depression symptoms and suicidal outcomes among BGBMA/YA. A cross-sectional survey was administered to participants (N = 400, Mage = 23.46, SD = 2.59) recruited through Amazon M-Turk, community-based organizations, and social media sites. A path analysis was conducted to examine associations among external assets (family support, communication about sex and drugs with parents, open family communication), depression symptoms, and suicidal attempts and plan to die by suicide. About 28 % of respondents reported a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Depression symptoms and communication about sex and drugs with parents were positively associated with plan to die by suicide. Family support was negatively associated with depression symptoms. Depression symptoms were positively associated with suicide attempts. Family support was indirectly and negatively associated with suicide attempts. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are discussed.

The Role of Family Support and Communication on PrEP Attitudes and Stigma Among Black Men who Sex with Men (BMSM)

BACKGROUND

This study addresses the gap in the literature on protective factors for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) stigma and attitudes among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and young adults using the Developmental Assets Framework to examine how external assets (eg, family support, open family communication, and communication with parents about sex and drugs) can help reduce stigma and increase positive attitudes toward PrEP use.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was administered to participants (N = 400, mean age = 23.46, standard deviation = 2.59) using Amazon Mechanical Turk, social media sites, and community-based organization. A path analysis was conducted to examine associations between stigma and positive attitudes toward PrEP among external assets (family support, communication with parents about sex and drugs, and open family communication).

RESULTS

Communication with parents about sex and drugs was positive and directly associated with PrEP stigma (β = 0.42, P < 0.001). Family support was negative and indirectly associated with stigma associated with PrEP (β = -0.20, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to use a developmental asset framework to assess positive PrEP attitudes and stigma among young BMSM. Our results underscore that parents have an influence on human immunodeficiency virus prevention behaviors for BMSM. In addition, their influence can be both positive by helping lowering PrEP stigma and negatively lowering PrEP attitudes. It is critical that we develop culturally competent human immunodeficiency virus and sexuality prevention and intervention programs for BMSM and their families.

Childhood Protective Factors and Future Adult Health Outcomes in an Urban Environment

Purpose

To evaluate protective factors that help individuals overcome adverse health outcomes associated with childhood trauma in an urban environment.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included adults born between 1970 and 1995 who grew up in the former Cabrini-Green Homes, a low-income, Chicago public housing development. Participants completed surveys asking about general health, smoking, and mental health status. Surveys included questions related to neighborhood and family support, community safety, and childhood youth program participation. Simple regression models were performed to compare childhood exposure of adverse and protective factors to adult health outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to adjust for age, sex, and educational attainment.

Results

334 former residents completed the survey, and only those that reported an adversity score ≥ 2 were included in the analysis (n = 248). For those individuals who reported that their families cared for them as children, they described feeling hopeful about the future (OR 2.77, 95% CI, 1.28-6.00, aOR 2.63, 95% CI, 1.21-5.75) and reported decreased smoking rates as adults (OR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.14-0.66, aOR 0.35, 95% CI, 0.16-0.78). Better self-reported adult health status was associated with residents who believed the neighborhood looked out for one another (OR 2.31, 95% CI, 1.21-4.42, aOR 2.01, 95% CI, 1.02-3.95).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that a caring family and neighborhood connectedness are protective in mitigating childhood adversity. Devoting resources to strengthen families and communities is a promising strategy to promote healthier adult behaviors.

Family Stressors and Resources as Social Determinants of Health among Caregivers and Young Children

Life course-informed theories of development suggest it is important to integrate information about positive and negative aspects of the social environment into studies of child and parental wellbeing, including both stressors that compromise health and resources that promote well-being. We recruited a sample of 169 pairs of caregivers and young children (birth to 5 years) from a community health clinic and administered survey questions to assess stressors and resources. We constructed inventories of stressors and resources and examined the relationships between these inventories and caregivers' depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep problems, and young children's medical diagnoses derived from electronic health records. Cumulative stressors and resources displayed bivariate and adjusted associations with caregivers' depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep problems. For depressive and anxiety symptoms, these associations were evident in models that included stressors and resources together. Caregivers with high stressors and low resources displayed the highest levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and sleep problems. In terms of children's health outcomes, only modest trends were evident for developmental/mental health outcomes, but not other diagnostic categories. Future studies are needed to examine stressors and resources together in larger samples and in relation to prospectively assessed measures of child well-being.

Developmental Assets, Self-Control and Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescence: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model in a Longitudinal Study

From the perspective of positive youth development, developmental assets and self-control play critical roles in promoting adolescent development. However, their effects have not been evaluated in the current issue, internet gaming disorder (IGD). IGD is gradually becoming an important social problem among worldwide youth and has been included in the eleventh International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Therefore, the present study was determined to investigate the relationship between developmental assets, self-control, and IGD. A two-wave longitudinal study, with each wave spanning half a year apart, was conducted in a sample of 1023 adolescents (aging from 11 to 15, 49.36% boys) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the moderated mediation model revealed that T1 developmental assets could predict less IGD at T2 directly or through T1 self-control indirectly. Furthermore, the moderating effect of gender was not significant in the mediation model. Overall, adolescents who experience more developmental assets are less likely to suffer IGD. Moreover, developmental assets are conducive to developing a higher level of self-control, which in turn contributes to preventing or intervening in IGD as well. Therefore, measures should be taken to construct developmental assets to prevent or reduce IGD during adolescence.

The Role of Developmental Assets in Gender Differences in Anxiety in Spanish Youth

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders during emerging adulthood. Some consistent gender differences have been reported in anxiety with women suffering more anxiety than men, which has detrimental consequences in most life spheres in the youth and later life stages. The understanding of the development of anxiety in emerging adulthood requires a developmental perspective. The Developmental Assets Theory was postulated to describe the individual and the contextual resources which may foster positive youth development and mental health. The present study aims to analyze to what extent the gender differences in anxiety may be partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted in which a sample of 1,044 youths (75.5% women; age range = 18-28; M age = 20.47, SD = 3.08) enrolled in 11 universities from different regions in Spain filled in self-report measures of developmental assets and anxiety symptoms. The participants completed an online survey with the scales, Developmental Assets Profile developed by the Search Institute (1) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) (2). The results showed more anxiety in the female subsample (at both the symptoms and clinical levels). Some gender differences in developmental assets were also observed. A partial mediation model, based on regression analyses, indicated that gender differences in anxiety were partly explained by gender differences in developmental assets. Thus, higher anxiety in the women was partly due to lower scores in positive identity and higher scores in positive values. These results suggested the need to design programs to prevent anxiety with specific measures for women youth to nurture positive identity and promote strengths and coping skills that allow them to get the benefits of well-being derived from positive values, thus, preventing worry and stress overload, which may lead to anxiety.

Internal developmental assets and substance use among Hispanic adolescents. A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To determine the associations between internal assets (planning and decision-making, interpersonal competence and commitment to learning) and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana use and other drugs).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted in four countries (Chile, Mexico, Spain and Peru).

METHODS

Adolescents aged 12-18 self-completed a multi-purpose questionnaire between 2016 and 2019. Multiple logistic regressions and structural equation models were performed to analyse the association between internal assets (planning and decision-making, interpersonal competence, and commitment to learning) and substance use.

RESULTS

The results indicate that planning and decision-making and commitment to learning are conducive to the prevention of substance use. On the contrary, interpersonal competence was not associated with substance use.

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that planning and decision-making and commitment to learning can be relevant factors in explaining substance use during adolescence. Internal assets can be an important aspect to include in health promotion interventions with children, youth and families to prevent substance use. These findings may be useful for researchers, schools, paediatric nurse practitioners, and health professionals in general to design health programs focused on children and adolescents. Furthermore, the Developmental Assets framework has been proved as a suitable frame of reference for paediatric nurse practitioners to assess and develop child and adolescent positive development and design health promotion interventions to prevent substance use.

Adolescent developmental assets and longitudinal weight status and psychosocial health outcomes: Exploratory analysis from a youth cohort study in Taiwan

BACKGROUNDS

Asset-based youth development has been proposed to be associated with health behaviors and psychological well-being in adolescents. This study aims to extend the current knowledge regarding the effects of positive youth development on weight status and psychosocial health outcomes in young adulthood using a large representative longitudinal sample.

METHODS

Data were retrieved from the Taiwan Youth Project that comprised a longitudinal cohort of adolescents (N = 2688) surveyed at grades 7, 8, 9, and 12, and at age 22. Principal component analysis was used to construct developmental asset scores based on 35 items selected from the relevant questions at wave 1. Outcomes were standardized scores of body mass index, self-rated healthiness and happiness, depressive symptomology and deviant behaviors in the subsequent waves. Generalized estimating equation analysis was applied to assess the impact of developmental assets on these repeatedly measured outcome variables.

RESULTS

As compared to those with the highest quintile level of developmental assets, individuals with the lowest quintile level were more likely to rate themselves unhealthy (β = 0.33 [95% confidence interval 0.26, 0.40]) and unhappy (β = 0.47 [0.41, 0.54]) and report more depressive symptomatology (β = 4.18 [3.35, 5.01]) and deviant behaviors (β = 0.63 [0.44, 0.81]). No association was found between body mass index and developmental asset scores.

CONCLUSION

The results concluded a longitudinal association between adolescent developmental assets and psychological and behavioral health outcomes. Further research may be required to investigate whether positive youth development could be translated into long-term benefits in adult physical conditions, such as obesity.

Associations of adverse and positive childhood experiences with adult physical and mental health and risk behaviours in Slovenia

Background: Many studies demonstrated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and diminished health functioning in adulthood. A growing literature has shown that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) co-occurring with ACEs reduce the risks for negative outcomes. Objective: The aim was to investigate how ACEs and PCEs are simultaneously associated with health outcomes in adulthood, including self-rated health, physical and mental health outcomes, and health-risk behaviours. Methods: A panel sample of 4,847 Slovenian adults was used and the data were weighted to closely resemble the Slovenian population. A series of logistic regression analyses were performed to examine how ACEs and PCEs predict the risk of various health outcomes. Results: Significant associations, as measured by adjusted odds ratios, were found between higher ACEs exposure and each of the 16 health outcomes evaluated. Adjusting for above median PCEs attenuated the association between ACEs and 6 health outcomes (poor self-rated physical and mental health, depression, anxiety, suicide attempt, physical inactivity; OR for ≥ 4 vs. 0 ACEs, 1.48-9.34). Mirroring these findings, above median PCEs were associated with lowered odds of these 6 health outcomes after adjusting for ACEs (OR for above vs. below median PCEs, 0.46-0.67), but not with odds of physical health outcomes and most of the health-risk behaviours. Stratified analyses by ACEs exposure level showed that the association between PCEs and self-rated health remained stable across ACEs exposure levels, while the association between PCEs and mental health outcomes and physical inactivity varied across ACEs exposure levels. Conclusions: Our results suggest that above median PCEs attenuate the association between ACEs and poor self-rated health, mental health problems, and physical inactivity in later life, and are negatively associated with these health problems even in the concurrent presence of ACEs. Interventions to promote PCEs can help to reduce unfavourable long-term health outcomes following childhood adversity.

Association Between Substance Use Behaviors, Developmental Assets and Mental Health: A Glance at Latin American Young College Students

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an approach that promotes resilience and focuses on youth strengths rather than their weaknesses as done by the traditional deficit-based perspective. Research in Europe and North America show that developmental assets are associated with school success, psychological well-being, and lower health risks among youth and young adults. However, not much research has been done on these associations in Latin American contexts. The purpose of this research study is to assess the association between substance use behaviors, such as drunkenness and the use of illicit drugs, and mental health, together with the mediating role of developmental assets representing youth strengths (e.g., social competence) and contextual resources (e.g., social support at home or school). Cross-national data was collected from Colombian (n = 210; 70.4% females) and Peruvian (n = 349; 66.5% females) 1st year university students. Results shed light on the protective role of developmental assets regarding substance use behaviors and mental well-being. Specifically, the results showed direct negative associations between developmental assets and substance use behaviors and positive associations of developmental assets with mental health indicators. Internal assets appear to be a stronger predictor of social, emotional, and psychological well-being compared to external assets. We did not find any statistical significance in the association of substance use behavior and mental health. We discuss implications regarding research, policy, and practice.

Connections between Family Assets and Positive Youth Development: The Association between Parental Monitoring and Affection with Leisure-Time Activities and Substance Use

This study aimed to determine the associations between parental monitoring and affection and three adolescent lifestyle aspects: constructive leisure, non-constructive leisure and substance use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four countries (Chile, Mexico, Spain and Peru). Adolescents aged 12-15 self-completed a multi-purpose questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to analyse the association between the parental monitoring and affection variables and the outcomes in terms of the children's lifestyles. The results indicate that parental monitoring is conducive to more constructive leisure and less non-constructive leisure and seems to be conducive to the prevention of substance use. Furthermore, parental affection is conducive to constructive leisure and the prevention of substance use. The discussion focuses on the fact that the family can be a protective resource associated with positive adolescent development.

Role of optimism in adolescent mental health: a protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence is a critical period of human development, where adaptive or maladaptive experiences can happen. These experiences are associated with psychological, social, biological and health factors. Previous empirical evidence suggests that mental health is associated with individual assets and positive states, whose presence may become a factor of protection and resistance to mental disorders. Among these, optimism could play a fundamental role in sustaining physical and mental well-being and in dealing with threats potentially harmful to health. Given the rise of research on optimism and its importance in the various health outcomes, it is necessary to initiate processes of compilation and synthesis of this evidence to facilitate the understanding of the importance of this variable on the mental health of adolescents.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The included studies will be experimental, observational, cross-sectional and longitudinal focussed on the role of optimism on mental health in adolescents, regardless of whether they belong to clinical or non-clinical populations. This systematic review protocol will be carried out following the Cochrane Manual for systematic reviews and will follow the statement on systematic reviews and meta-analysis of PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols). Searches will run from October 2019 to March 2020, and will be carried out from the following electronic databases: APA PsycNet, BVS (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde), Web of Science, PubMed Central and Scopus. Two reviewers will obtain the eligible articles, published from January 2009 onward, to assess the quality of each study and extract the data. For the presentation of the results, a narrative and quantitative synthesis will be carried out that groups the data found.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The approval of an ethics committee is not required for a systematic review protocol. The results will be presented at congresses in social sciences and psychology and will be published in a peer-reviewed social or health science journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42019142616.

Associations between connections to parents and friends and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: The mediating role of developmental assets

BACKGROUND

We tested a model that incorporated potential developmental assets through which connections to parents and friends reduce the likelihood of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents.

METHOD

Data came from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey, a population-based survey of 8th, 9th, and 11th grade students (N = 119,452). Chi-square test, t-test, and correlations evaluated bivariate relationships between all variables. Indirect effects of three developmental assets (social competency, positive identity, and empowerment) were modeled simultaneously on associations between connections to parents and friends, and past-year NSSI.

RESULTS

Bivariate analyses demonstrated protective effects of parent and friend connections on NSSI and that all developmental assets were negatively associated with NSSI. After accounting for demographic variables and associations between developmental assets in a multiple mediator path model, connections to parents showed a stronger, negative direct relationship with NSSI than did connections to friends. Developmental assets, especially positive identity and empowerment, accounted for a greater proportion of the effect of connections to friends on NSSI than the effect of connections to parents. Finally, social competency was no longer significantly related to NSSI in the multiple mediator path model.

CONCLUSION

Clinical efforts to prevent NSSI should focus on enhancing adolescents' sense of positive identity and empowerment, as well as connections to parents and prosocial friends.

Association Among Internal Assets, Bullying, and Emotional Distress in Eighth Grade Students

BACKGROUND

Adolescents are in a unique developmental stage, ideal for initiating healthy behaviors and benefiting from health promotion interventions. In this study, we used positive youth development and resilience frameworks, to investigate the role of internal assets as a protective factor for bullying and emotional distress among early adolescents, with attention to whether those associations vary by sex.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey, a cross-sectional, population-based survey of Minnesota youth. Participating eighth grade students (N = 42,841) reported on internal assets, physical, relational and cyberbullying involvement, and emotional distress.

RESULTS

Logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex and controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, revealed that students with higher internal assets had lower odds of all forms of bullying victimization and perpetration than those with lower internal assets. Higher levels of internal assets were also associated with lower odds of emotional distress. All associations were significant for boys and girls, but appeared stronger for girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that internal assets may buffer young teens from bullying and from the emotional distress that may result from bullying involvement. Approaches bolstering internal assets may be beneficial for combating bullying and emotional distress during early adolescence.

Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental and Relational Health in a Statewide Sample: Associations Across Adverse Childhood Experiences Levels

IMPORTANCE

Associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and risks for adult depression, poor mental health, and insufficient social and emotional support have been documented. Less is known about how positive childhood experiences (PCEs) co-occur with and may modulate the effect of ACEs on adult mental and relational health.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate associations between adult-reported PCEs and (1) adult depression and/or poor mental health (D/PMH) and (2) adult-reported social and emotional support (ARSES) across ACEs exposure levels.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data were from the cross-sectional 2015 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, a random digit-dial telephone survey of noninstitutionalized Wisconsin adults 18 years and older (n = 6188). Data were weighted to be representative of the entire population of Wisconsin adults in 2015. Data were analyzed between September 2016 and January 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The definition of D/PMH includes adults with a depression diagnosis (ever) and/or 14 or more poor mental health days in the past month. The definition of PCEs includes 7 positive interpersonal experiences with family, friends, and in school/the community. Standard Behavioral Risk Factor Survey ACEs and ARSES variables were used.

RESULTS

In the 2015 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey sample of adults (50.7% women; 84.9% white), the adjusted odds of D/PMH were 72% lower (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.21-0.39) for adults reporting 6 to 7 vs 0 to 2 PCEs (12.6% vs 48.2%). Odds were 50% lower (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.36-0.69) for those reporting 3 to 5 vs 0 to 2 PCEs (25.1% vs 48.2%). Associations were similar in magnitude for adults reporting 1, 2 to 3, or 4 to 8 ACEs. The adjusted odds that adults reported "always" on the ARSES variable were 3.53 times (95% CI, 2.60-4.80) greater for adults with 6 to 7 vs 0 to 2 PCEs. Associations for 3 to 5 PCEs were not significant. The PCE associations with D/PMH remained stable across each ACEs exposure level when controlling for ARSES.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Positive childhood experiences show dose-response associations with D/PMH and ARSES after accounting for exposure to ACEs. The proactive promotion of PCEs for children may reduce risk for adult D/PMH and promote adult relational health. Joint assessment of PCEs and ACEs may better target needs and interventions and enable a focus on building strengths to promote well-being. Findings support prioritizing possibilities to foster safe, stable nurturing relationships for children that consider the health outcomes of positive experiences.

Health assets in a global context: a systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

To provide an up-to-date overview of health assets in a global context both from a theoretical perspective and its practical applications to address health inequalities and achieve sustainable health.

DESIGN

A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive search, including 10 electronic bibliographic databases and hand searches, was undertaken to capture the wide range of terms associated with 'health assets' and 'asset-based approaches to health'.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Any peer-reviewed published and grey literature in English related to 'health assets' or 'assets' in a 'health' context was included without any date, country or study design restrictions and the quality of evidence was appraised according to the Oxford Level of Evidence.

OUTCOMES

A broad consideration of all outcome measures including clinical outcomes, patient-level, community-level and population-level impacts and costs, was adopted.

RESULTS

478 publications were included. Health assets were researched in 40 countries, predominantly in the West such as the USA and the UK. A number of broad health assets were identified including community and individual assets. Even though research was conducted in a number of different settings, most occurred in the community, clinical, care or educational settings. A wide variety of interventions and approaches were implemented, most commonly related to education and/or training, asset mapping or asset approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Globally, authors most often referred to general 'health assets', 'assets' or some form of 'community asset' in relation to health. Overall, the idea of health assets is framed within a positive paradigm focusing on health creation rather than curative approaches. The sustained credibility of the global 'health assets' literature depends on future research on definitional, theoretical and evaluative issues in order to convince policy-makers and service commissioners of its necessity and added value to the traditional deficit approach.

Developmental Benefits of Extracurricular Sports Participation Among Brazilian Youth

Youth sporting activities have been explored as a way to impact positive personal transformation and development, glaringly demonstrated by world-wide investments in public policies, programs, and projects. We studied positive effects of participation in sports on the developmental assets of 614 adolescents (13.1 ± 1.7 years) actively engaged in extracurricular sport programs targeted at socially disadvantaged youths, from five municipalities across five states of the southern, south-eastern and north-eastern regions of Brazil. Participants responded to a developmental assets questionnaire designed to capture sociodemographic and human development data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to explore associations between years of participation in sport and human development indicators, controlling for age and sex. Our results showed that the quality of the young people's support network and duration of program participation positively influenced sport participation, which, in turn, was associated with willingness to learn. A strong association was also observed between sport participation and developmental assets. Thus, we offer new evidence of a relationship between positive development and environmental factors in which individual and contextual forces can be aligned, and we provide new reference data for developing countries.