Latent Class Groups of Concurrent Substance Use Among Adolescents in an Urban Community: Correlates With Mental Health, Access to Drugs and Alcohol, and Risk Perception.

BACKGROUND: Concurrent substance use among adolescents has been associated with an increase in physical and mental health problems. These outcomes tend to be exacerbated among adolescents of color in underserved urban settings. The purpose of this study was to understand alcohol and concurrent drug use patterns among adolescents in an underserved urban community to provide targeted prevention and treatment recommendations. METHOD: This study examined data among adolescents in an underserved urban community (N = 1789; 56.90% female; 70.86% Hispanic/Latino/a; meanage = 15.96 ± 1.56). Using latent class analysis (LCA) and multinomial logistic regression modeling, analyses identified independent correlates of latent class membership. RESULTS: Five latent classes (LC) were identified including LC group 1: Predominant alcohol use and limited to no concurrent-drug use (n = 213; 11.9%); LC group 2: Concurrent drug and alcohol use including methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana use, and alcohol use (n = 74; 4.2%); LC group 3: Concurrent drug and alcohol use, with no marijuana use (n = 204; 11.39%); LC group 4: High Concurrent drug use and alcohol use (n = 204; 11.40%); and LC group 5: Concurrent drug use without alcohol use (n = 1101; 61.52%). Significant between group differences were noted between latent class groups and sociodemographic characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression models identified the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and corollary clinical features of substance use on latent class groupings of alcohol and concurrent drug use. CONCLUSION: Understanding concurrent substance use LC groups among adolescents is essential to providing targeted interventions and treatment programs, as well as early intervention programs that may help reduce substance use during adolescence.

Gender-Specific Patterns of Relations among Acculturative Stress, Family Processes, and Prosocial Behaviors in Latinx Youth.

The present study was designed to examine the direct and indirect relations between acculturative stress and Latinx youth prosocial tendencies. In addition, we considered family conflict, parental support, and parental psychological control as explanatory mechanisms. Participants included 306 (53.8% female, Mage = 15.50, SD = .42; range = 14 to 18) Latinx adolescents and their parents (87.9% mothers). The majority of adolescents were born in the U.S. (n = 206, 68.0%; average time in U.S. = 10 years) and identified as a Mexican heritage group member (n = 248, 81.0%). Findings differed by youth gender and suggest that for boys, parental support (but not psychological control) serves as underlying mechanism in the effects of acculturative stress and family conflict on youth's prosocial behaviors. Contrastingly, for girls, parental support (but not psychological control) serves as underlying mechanism in the negative effects of family conflict (but not acculturative stress) on youth's prosocial behaviors. The findings are discussed in the context of the need for integrative theories that account for cultural, family and gender-related socialization mechanisms to better understand prosocial behaviors among Latinx youth.

Understanding Links between Pandemic-Related Racial Attitudes and Out-Group Prosocial Behaviors.

The current study examined COVID-19 pandemic racial attitudes in out-group empathy and out-group prosocial behaviors. Participants included 467 young adults who completed measures of their racial attitudes during the pandemic, out-group perspective taking and empathic concern, and out-group prosocial behaviors. Results demonstrated that pandemic-related racial attitudes were significantly, positively associated with out-group perspective taking and out-group empathic concern, which both positively predicted multiple forms of out-group prosocial behaviors, including emotional, dire, compliant, and anonymous prosocial behaviors. These findings highlight the important role of perspective taking and empathic concern toward individuals outside one's own ethnic group in explaining how racial attitudes during the pandemic were associated with helping behaviors. Discussion focuses on how color-conscious attitudes during an unprecedented U.S. pandemic crisis might be one avenue for promoting prosociality and harmony.

The Buffering Role of Community Self-Efficacy in the Links between Family Economic Stress and Young Adults' Prosocial Behaviors and Civic Engagement.

The goal of the current study was to examine the predictive role of economic stress and community self-efficacy on prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers, and civic engagement. In addition, we considered the multiplicative effects of economic stress and community self-efficacy on these distinct types of prosocial behaviors (different targets of prosocial behaviors). The sample consisted of 202 young adults (M age = 20.94 years; 76.5% women; 67.5% reported identifying as racially White; 7.7% Black; 5.7% Asian; 5.5% Native; 13.6% other and included groups such as Mestizo, mixed race, and Mexican) who reported on their economic stress, community self-efficacy, and tendencies to engage in prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers as well as civic engagement. The results demonstrated that economic stress was not directly associated with prosocial behaviors or civic engagement. Community self-efficacy was positively associated with civic engagement and prosocial behaviors toward both friends and strangers. The interaction term was positively associated with prosocial behaviors toward friends. Discussion focuses on the critical role of community self-efficacy as a buffer against stress and as a predictor of multiple forms of prosocial behaviors.

Kindness towards all: Prosocial behaviors to address U.S. Latinx youth social inequities.

Latinx youth in the United States face structural barriers that contribute to inequities across multiple domains (e.g., education, juvenile justice, healthcare systems), as racial biases permeate social institutions. The systemic oppression resulting from racism can be seen in disparities across many indicators of health, including physical health, education, socioeconomic conditions, and the overrepresentation of ethnic and racial minority individuals, including Latinx individuals, incarcerated and exposed to violence. We present an approach to combat social inequities and injustices by promoting and fostering prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions that benefit others) between majority and minority members of our society. Existing theories and research on the factors that can promote such behaviors across youth from different backgrounds is summarized though we highlight work in U.S. Latinx youth. Factors that enhance and undermine prosocial behaviors towards diverse others is also summarized. Finally, some recommendations for intervention and policy efforts are briefly presented.

Culture-Related Adaptive Mechanisms to Race-Related Trauma Among African American and US Latinx Youth.

African American and US Latinx families have faced over two centuries of systemic racism and discrimination, elevating risk for trauma, adversity, and disparities for their youth. These circumstances have compromised the health and well-being of many of these youth. However, many other African American and US Latinx youth are able to succeed despite these challenges. In recent years, scholars have begun to identify ways in which minoritized youth adapt and respond to adversity to become competent, well-functioning individuals. Drawing on two conceptual models of cultural resilience, one grounded in the study of African American youth and one grounded in the study of US Latinx youth, we summarize supportive research associated with each model. Using these conceptual models to guide our critical review of extant studies, we present an integrative review of work to guide the design of strength-based, cultural asset-centered research studies and preventive interventions targeting African American and US Latinx youth.

Understanding Racial Attitudes Among Students and Teachers in a Ethnically/Racially Diverse High School.

This study examined the role of racial attitudes in a diverse high school setting. Teachers and students were recruited from a public charter high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The final sample consisted of 19 students and 10 teachers who participated in face-to-face interviews regarding racial attitudes and racial bias in the academic setting. Three themes emerged among the teacher interviews: rejecting racial inequalities, contradicting thoughts and color-blind explanations, and racially conscious explanations. For the student interviews, two themes emerged: color-blind racial attitudes and witnessing/experiencing bias. These findings yield evidence that color-blind racial attitudes are prevalent in diverse schools among students and teachers, presenting a challenge to intervention efforts in schools aimed at promoting racial justice.

A longitudinal study of paternal and maternal involvement and neighborhood risk on recent immigrant Latino/a youth prosocial behaviors.

The goal of the current study was to examine the role of neighborhood risk and maternal and paternal involvement on multiple forms of prosocial behaviors among recent immigrant US Latino/a adolescents. Additionally, we examined the interactions between parental involvement and neighborhood risk in order to test protective effects of mothers' and fathers' involvement. Participants were 302 adolescents (53.3% male, Mage = 14.51 years, range = 13-17) and their primary caregiver. Data were collected from adolescents in two US cities: Los Angeles (n = 150) and Miami (n = 152). The results demonstrated that maternal involvement was positively associated with emotional, dire, compliant, and anonymous prosocial behaviors. Paternal involvement was positively associated with emotional prosocial behaviors, but this result became non-significant when maternal involvement was also included in the model. While there were no direct links between neighborhood risk and prosocial behaviors, compliant helping increased only when neighborhood risk increased and paternal involvement decreased. Discussion focuses on the role of multiple influences in shaping prosocial behaviors among immigrant youth, with a focus on parental involvement.

Health risk assessment of volatile organic compounds at daycare facilities.

Children are particularly vulnerable to many classes of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in indoor environments. The negative health impacts associated with chronic and acute exposures of the VOCs might lead to health issues such as genetic damage, cancer, and disorder of nervous systems. In this study, 40 VOCs including aldehydes and ketones, aliphatic hydrocarbons, esters, aromatic hydrocarbons, cyclic terpenes, alcohols, and glycol ethers were identified and qualified in different locations at the University of Missouri (MU) Child Development Laboratory (CDL) in Columbia, Missouri. Our results suggested that the concentrations of the VOCs varied significantly among classrooms, hallways, and playground. The VOCs emitted from personal care and cleaning products had the highest indoor levels (2-ethylhexanol-1, 3-carene, homomenthyl salicylate with mean concentration of 5.15 µg/m3 , 1.57 µg/m3 , and 1.47 µg/m3 , respectively). A cancer risk assessment was conducted, and none of the 95th percentile dose estimates exceeded the age-specific no significant risk levels (NSRL) in all classrooms. Dimensionless toxicity index scores were calculated for all VOCs using a novel web-based framework called Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi), which integrates multiple sources of toxicity data. According to the method, homomenthyl salicylate, benzothiazole, 2-ethylhexyl salicylate, hexadecane, and tridecane exhibited diverse toxicity profiles and ranked as the five most toxic indoor VOCs. The findings of this study provide critical information for policy makers and early education professionals to mitigate the potentially negative health impacts of indoor VOCs in the childcare facilities.

A Parallel Process Model of Integration and Multidimensional Prosocial Behaviors in Recent Immigrant U.S. Latinx Adolescents.

With a growing population of Latinx youth immigrating to the United States, it is important to understand how Latinx youth adapt to mainstream U.S. culture. Given that the majority of research examining social development among recent immigrant adolescents has focused on negative adjustment outcomes, research examining positive social behaviors is needed to avoid deficit approaches to their development, gain a holistic understanding of youth development, and improve interventions with this population.This study examined the associations among trajectories in cultural integration and multiple prosocial behaviors among recent immigrant U.S. Latinx adolescents in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California. Adolescents (N = 302; 53.3% males; M age = 14.51 years) completed measures of integration and prosocial behaviors across six time points. Latent growth curve models indicated that integration significantly increased, though this growth tapered off over time. The growth in prosocial behaviors depended on the specific form of helping assessed. While the growth in altruistic and compliant prosocial behaviors was stagnant, there was an increase in anonymous prosocial behaviors and a decrease in public and dire prosocial behaviors. Emotional behaviors did not linearly change, though slightly tapered off by the final time points. Parallel process latent growth curve model results indicated positive correlations between the slopes of cultural integration and most forms of prosocial behaviors. These findings highlight the positive role of cultural integration as an acculturative process for U.S. Latinx youth and the multidimensionality of prosocial behaviors.

The interplay of community and family risk and protective factors on adjustment in young adult immigrants.

We examined the direct and interactive effects of community violence and both family cohesion and conflict on collective efficacy and aggressive behaviours among immigrant young adults. Participants included 221 young adults (ages 18-26; mean age = 21.36; 45.7% female, 190 born outside the U.S.) who completed self-report measures of their exposure to neighbourhood violence, social cohesion, collective efficacy and prosocial behaviours toward friends and strangers. Results, in general, showed that community violence and family cohesion were positively associated with collective efficacy whereas community violence and family conflict were positively associated with aggressive behaviours. Family cohesion and conflict also moderated the links between community violence and aggressive behaviours. Discussion focuses on the interplay of community and family processes and the relations to adjustment of immigrant young adults.

Life Events and Prosocial Behaviors Among Young Adults: Considering the Roles of Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern.

The authors examined the altruism born of suffering model in a culturally diverse sample of young adults. They hypothesized that major life events would interact with perspective taking to predict empathic concern, which would predict multiple types of prosocial behaviors among young adults. The sample included 202 young adults (M age = 20.94 years; 76.5% girls; 36.5% White, 50.5% Latino) who reported on their exposure to major life events, perspective taking and empathic responding, and tendency to engage in six forms of prosocial behaviors. Life events indirectly, positively predicted prosocial behaviors via empathic concern. Empathic concern and perspective taking also interacted to predict empathic responding. The results demonstrated links that support the altruism born of suffering model, suggesting that life stressors might not always be negative and might promote resilience and social connection among young adults under specific conditions.

Exposure to environmental toxicants and young children's cognitive and social development.

Background Understanding the role of environmental toxicant exposure on children's development is an important area of inquiry in order to better understand contextual factors that shape development and ultimately school readiness among young children. There is evidence suggesting negative links between exposure to environmental toxicants and negative physical health outcomes (i.e. asthma, allergies) in children. However, research on children's exposure to environmental toxicants and other developmental outcomes (cognitive, socioemotional) is limited. Objectives The goal of the current review was to assess the existing literature on the links between environmental toxicants (excluding heavy metals) and children's cognitive, socioemotional, and behavioral development among young children. Methods This literature review highlights research on environmental toxicants (i.e. pesticide exposure, bisphenol A, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tobacco smoke, polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, phthalates and gas pollutions) and children's development across multiple domains. Results The results highlight the potential risk of exposure to multiple environmental toxicants for young children's cognitive and socioemotional development. Discussion Discussion will focus on the role of environmental toxicants in the cognitive and socioemotional development of young children, while highlighting gaps in the existing literature.

Associations among Life Events, Empathic Concern, and Adolescents' Prosocial and Aggressive Behaviors Toward Specific Targets.

The goal of the present study was to examine the links between life events and adolescents' social behaviors (prosocial and aggressive behaviors) toward specific targets and to examine how empathic concern may play a role in these associations. The study examined two hypotheses: both the mediating role of empathic concern and the moderating role of empathic concern. The sample included 311 high school students from the Midwest (M age = 16.10 years; age range = 14-19 years; 58.7% girls; 82.7% White, 13.6% Latino). The results demonstrated support for the moderation model as well as complex links between life events and prosocial and aggressive behaviors toward specific targets. The discussion focuses on the role of empathic concern in understanding how life events are ultimately associated with adolescents' social development.

The Roles of Familism and Emotion Reappraisal in the Relations Between Acculturative Stress and Prosocial Behaviors in Latino/a College Students.

Researchers have demonstrated mixed associations between acculturative stress and prosocial behaviors (actions intended to benefit others) among Latino/a adolescents and emerging adults. The current study aimed to examine the relations between acculturative stress and Latino/a young adults' prosocial behaviors via familism values and emotion reappraisal. Participants were 1,527 Latino/a college students (M age = 20.35 years, SD = 3.88; 75.2% women) from universities across the United States. The results demonstrated direct and indirect links between acculturative stress and prosocial behaviors. Specifically, acculturative stress was positively related to familism values, which in turn were positively associated with multiple forms of prosocial behaviors. Additionally, emotion reappraisal was positively associated with specific forms of prosocial behaviors. There was also evidence that familism and emotion reappraisals moderated the associations between acculturative stress and specific forms of prosocial behaviors. Discussion focuses on the interplay of culture-related and emotion-regulation processes associated with Latino/a young adults' positive social outcomes.

Investigadores han demostrado relaciones mixtas entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales (acciones que benefician a otros) en adolecentes y adultos jóvenes Latino/as. Esta investigación examino las relaciones entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales de parte de valores de la familia y reevaluaciones de emociones. Los sujetos eran 1,527 estudiantes universitarios de patrimonio Latino/a (M edad = 20.35 años, SD = 3.88; 75.2% mujeres) en universidades en los Estados Unidos. Los resultados demostraron asociaciones directas y indirectas entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales. Específicamente, estrés de aculturación estaba asociado positivamente con varias formas de comportamientos prosociales. Además, reevaluaciones de emociones estaba relacionado positivamente con especificas formas de comportamientos prosociales. Había también evidencia que valores de la familia y reevaluaciones de emociones moderaron las asociaciones entre estrés de aculturación y especificas formas de comportamientos prosociales. La discusión se enfoca en la interacción de procesos culturales y regulación de emociones asociadas con los éxitos sociales positivos en adultos jóvenes Latino/as.

The roles of parenting practices, sociocognitive/emotive traits, and prosocial behaviors in low-income adolescents.

The goal of the current study was to examine the links among parenting practices (i.e., use of social and material rewards), sociocognitive and socioemotive traits (i.e., perspective taking, prosocial moral reasoning, and empathic concern), and prosocial behaviors among adolescents in a low-income, Midwestern community. Participants were 311 adolescents (M age = 16.10 years; range = 14-19 years; 58.7% girls; 82.7% White; 13.6% Latino). The results demonstrated that social rewards were positively associated with perspective taking, empathic concern, and prosocial moral reasoning, which were each associated with multiple forms of prosocial behaviors. Material rewards were negatively associated with prosocial moral reasoning and empathic concern. There were also direct links between material and social rewards and prosocial behaviors. Discussion will focus on the intervening role of social cognitions and emotions in explaining links between parenting practices and low-income adolescents' prosocial behaviors.

Longitudinal Associations between Maternal Involvement, Cultural Orientations, and Prosocial Behaviors Among Recent Immigrant Latino Adolescents.

Prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions that benefit others) are important markers of healthy social functioning, and understanding the factors that predict such outcomes among recent immigrant Latino adolescents is important. The current study examines the longitudinal associations between maternal involvement and prosocial behaviors via collectivism values. Data comes from a longitudinal project (Construyendo Oportunidades Para los Adolescentes Latinos) of 302 recently immigrated U.S. Latina/o adolescents (53.3% male, average age = 14.51 years old). The current study uses data from three times points across 2 years. The results demonstrated that maternal involvement was positively associated with collectivism values. Collectivism was positively associated with changes in prosocial behaviors. There was also partial support for a reverse-causal model. Discussion focuses on the links among parenting, cultural values, and prosocial behaviors among immigrant U.S. Latina/o adolescents.

Influences on Infant Feeding: Perceptions of Mother-Father Parent Dyads.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine interrelational-, organizational-, and community-level influences on how coparents collaborate about infant and toddler feeding. STUDY DESIGN AND SAMPLE: Using qualitative methods, we interviewed mother-father parent dyads to explore the potential influences on infant and toddler feeding. Participants were purposively recruited from two Midwest, rural, university-system pediatric clinics. Thematic analysis was used to code the data. MEASURES: Mother-father dyadic interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview schedule. Twenty-four mother-father dyads who had a child between the ages of 6 and 36 months were interviewed together. RESULTS: Major themes include interpersonal factors (peer behavior reinforcement, dyad and important others infant feeding conflict, conflict resolution proactiveness), organizational factors (healthcare provider infant-feeding support, workplace flexibility), and community factors (public perception on breastfeeding and social media influence). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Community-based collaboration can be a platform for mother-father dyads, researchers, public health nurses, and other healthcare providers to proactively create interventions that include opportunity for building coparenting skills and infant-feeding knowledge that promote team management of common early childhood feeding challenges.

Bidirectional relations between different forms of prosocial behaviors and substance use among female college student athletes.

Bidirectional, longitudinal relations between alcohol and marijuana use and prosocial behaviors in women college student athletes were examined. Participants were 187 female college students (Mage = 19.87 years; 91% White) who completed questionnaires on their use of marijuana and alcohol, and six forms of prosocial behaviors across 6 years (2004-2010). The findings yield overall evidence that earlier marijuana use predicted lower levels of most specific forms of prosocial behaviors for women athletes in later young adulthood. Early expressions of altruistic behaviors predicted less marijuana use in later young adulthood. Expression of public prosocial behaviors early in young adulthood predicted higher levels of hazardous drinking in late young adulthood. These novel findings have important implications for links between prosocial development and substance use in women college athletes.

Co-parenting and feeding in early childhood: Reflections of parent dyads on how they manage the developmental stages of feeding over the first three years.

Family-level influences on the development of healthy eating behaviors start in infancy and toddlerhood with how families manage developmental stages of feeding. Little research on home feeding environments for young children has examined how mothers and fathers collaborate around feeding issues or contribute jointly to feeding. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine co-parenting with regard to infant/toddler feeding practices. Twenty-four sets of co-resident, biological parents with a child between 6 months and 3 years were interviewed together about their feeding practices and how they discussed and collaborated on feeding during the main stages of feeding development in the first three years. Analyses illuminate themes related to how specific domains of co-parenting (satisfaction with labor, support, agreement, conflict) factor into infant and toddler feeding as well as how additional factors such as having older children and employment schedules shape how both food parenting practices and co-parenting are managed in relation to feeding. Mothers were the primary managers of feeding labor. Fathers participated in feeding in different ways and levels starting in infancy and increased involvement in feeding over the first few years requiring an ongoing negotiation around co-parenting related to feeding. Overall, this study develops insights into how multiple caregivers construct a family environment specifically related to early feeding - a perspective missing from current conceptualizations of home feeding environment. Attention to the concept of co-parenting within home feeding environments should help inform more effective approaches to intervene with families on issues around childhood obesity and family health.