Examining social-cognitive determinants of intention and physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls using structural equation modeling.

Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate components within the theories of reasoned action (TRA), planned behavior (TPB), and self-efficacy (SET) for understanding moderate and vigorous physical activity among 1,797 Black and White adolescent girls. Modest to strong support was provided for components of TPB and SET; weak support was provided for components of TRA. Perceived behavioral control was related to vigorous physical activity. Self-efficacy was related to moderate and vigorous physical activity, and it accounted for the effect of intention on physical activity. The observed relationships were similar between Black and White girls. Self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control are independent influences on physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls and warrant study as potential mediators in physical activity interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of body fat on weight concerns, dating, and sexual activity: A longitudinal analysis of Black and White adolescent girls.

Using data from a 2-year longitudinal study of 200 Black and White adolescent girls (mean age was 13 years 8 months at study entry), the authors investigated the implications of differences in body fat for dating and sexual activity and the implications of heterosexual activity for dieting and weight concerns. Among White girls, and Black girls with college-educated mothers, more body fat was associated with a lower probability of dating, even among nonobese girls. However, dating and sexual experience were unrelated to subsequent dieting and weight concerns. For both Blacks and Whites, body fat was the key determinant of dieting, weight dissatisfaction, and eating concerns. These findings indicate that adolescent girls' concerns about weight have a basis in real experiential differences, and efforts to promote healthy attitudes and eating habits may be more effective if the experiential implications of weight differences are taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

More problems and less support: Early adolescent adjustment forecasts changes in perceived support from parents.

This study examines longitudinal associations between adolescent adjustment and perceived parental support across the middle-school years (ages 11 to 13) in a diverse sample of 197 girls and 116 boys. Growth curve models revealed associations between the slope of change in perceptions of support in relationships with mothers and fathers and the slope of change in adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms such that declining support accompanied increasing problems. After controlling for this correlated change, there was still evidence of child-problem effects on changes in relationship support (i.e., initial levels of adolescent externalizing symptoms predicted subsequent changes in perceived parental support), but there was no evidence of parent-support effects on changes in adjustment (i.e., initial levels of relationship support did not predict changes in adolescent externalizing symptoms). Declines in perceived parental support were steeper at high-initial levels of adolescent externalizing than at average or low levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective reciprocal relations between physical activity and depression in female adolescents.

Objective: Although an inverse correlation between physical activity and depression among adolescents has been found in research, this relation has seldom been examined prospectively. Thus, we tested whether physical activity reduces risk for future escalations in depression and whether depression decreases likelihood of future change in physical activity. Method: Data from a longitudinal study involving annual assessments of 496 adolescent girls (mean age = 13 years, SD = 0.73) followed over a 6-year period were analyzed to address these questions. Results: Using analyses that controlled for several covariates, we found that physical activity significantly reduced risk for future increases in depressive symptoms and risk for onset of major–minor depression. Further, depressive symptoms and major–minor depression significantly reduced future physical activity. However, predictive effects were modest for both. Conclusions: Results support a bidirectional relation between exercise and depression and imply that interventions that increase physical activity may reduce risk for depression among this high-risk population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic and shared environmental influences on adolescent BMI: interactions with race and sex

The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on variation in adolescent body mass index (BMI) and to determine whether the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors on variation in BMI are similar across racial groups and sexes. Data for the present study come from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add Health), a large, nationally representative study of adolescent health and health-related behaviors. The Add Health sample contains a subset of sibling pairs that differs in levels of genetic relatedness, making it well suited for behavioral genetics analyses. The present study examines whether genetic and environmental influences on adolescent BMI are the same for males and females and for Black and White adolescents. Results indicate that genetic factors contribute substantially to individual differences in adolescent BMI, explaining between 45 and 85% of the variance in BMI. Furthermore, based on an analysis of opposite-sex sibling pairs, the genes that influence variation in adolescent BMI are similar for males and females. However, the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on variation in BMI differs for males and females and for Blacks and Whites. Although parameter estimates could be constrained to be equal for Black and White males, they could not be constrained to be equal for Black and White females. Moreover, the best-fitting model for Black females was an ADE model, for White females it was an ACE model, and for males it was an AE model. Thus, shared environmental influences are significant for White female adolescents, but not for Black females or males. Likewise, nonadditive genetic influences are indicated for Black females, but not for White females or males. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Loneliness predicts reduced physical activity: Cross-sectional & longitudinal analyses.

Objective: To determine cross-sectional and prospective associations between loneliness and physical activity, and to evaluate the roles of social control and emotion regulation as mediators of these associations. Design: A population-based sample of 229 White, Black, and Hispanic men and women, age 50 to 68 years at study onset, were tested annually for each of 3 years. Main Outcome Measures: Physical activity probability, and changes in physical activity probability over a 3-year period. Results: Replicating and extending prior cross-sectional research, loneliness was associated with a significantly reduced odds of physical activity (OR = 0.65 per SD of loneliness) net of sociodemographic variables (age, gender, ethnicity, education, income), psychosocial variables (depressive symptoms, perceived stress, hostility, social support), and self-rated health. This association was mediated by hedonic emotion regulation, but not by social control as indexed by measures of social network size, marital status, contact with close ties, group membership, or religious group affiliation. Longitudinal analyses revealed that loneliness predicted diminished odds of physical activity in the next two years (OR = 0.61), and greater likelihood of transitioning from physical activity to inactivity (OR = 1.58). Conclusion: Loneliness among middle and older age adults is an independent risk factor for physical inactivity and increases the likelihood that physical activity will be discontinued over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individuation, peers, and adolescent alcohol use: A latent growth analysis.

The study used latent growth modeling to investigate longitudinal relationships between individuation, peer alcohol use, and adolescent alcohol use among African American, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic White adolescents (N=6,048) from 7th, 8th, and 9th grades over a 3-year period. Initial levels of peer alcohol use were significantly related to changes in adolescents' alcohol use, whereas initial adolescent alcohol use also significantly related to changes in peers' alcohol use, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Higher levels of intergenerational individuation were related to smaller increases in adolescent alcohol use and higher levels of separation were related to larger increases in youth drinking. The findings were similar across ethnic groups. Implications for development of prevention and intervention programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eating pathology among adolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The authors investigated prospectively assessed eating pathology (body image dissatisfaction and bulimia nervosa symptoms) among an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder--combined type (ADHD--C; n=93), ADHD--inattentive type (ADHD--I; n=47), and a comparison group (n=88). The sample, initially ages 6-12 years, participated in a 5-year longitudinal study (92% retention rate). After statistical control of relevant covariates, girls with ADHD--C at baseline showed more eating pathology at follow-up than did comparison girls; girls with ADHD--I were intermediate between these two groups. Baseline impulsivity symptoms, as opposed to hyperactivity and inattention, best predicted adolescent eating pathology. With statistical control of ADHD, baseline peer rejection and parent- child relationship problems also predicted adolescent eating pathology. The association between punitive parenting in childhood and pathological eating behaviors in adolescence was stronger for girls with ADHD than for comparison girls. Results are discussed in terms of the expansion of longitudinal research on ADHD to include female-relevant domains of impairment, such as eating pathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Black and White girls' racial preferences in media and peer choices and the role of socialization for Black girls.

This exploratory research compared Black and White girls' racial preferences as exhibited through their media (music and television) and peer choices. The sample included 140 8-and 9-year-old Black and White girls of various socioeconomic levels. Findings suggested that both Black and White girls have more Black music preferences than White or no-race music preferences. Also, both Black and White girls made more White television program choices than Black or no-race choices. In their peer selections, all girls preferred same-race peers. Black mothers who engaged in racial socialization practices had girls who were more likely to prefer Black music and television to the other categories. Further, Black mothers who promoted more cultural distance and mothers who were poor had girls with more same-race peer preferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Persuasive communications to change actions: An analysis of behavioral and cognitive impact in HIV prevention.

This meta-analysis examined the validity of various theoretical assumptions about cognitive and behavioral change following a communication recommending condom use. The synthesis comprised 82 treatment and 29 control groups included in 46 longitudinal reports with measures of perceived severity and susceptibility, attitudes and expectancies, norms, perceptions of control, intentions, knowledge, behavioral skills, or condom use. Results indicated that across the sample of studies, communications taught recipients about facts related to HIV and also induced favorable attitudes and expectancies, greater control perceptions, and stronger intentions to use condoms in the future. Moreover, messages that presented attitudinal information and modeled behavioral skills led to increased condom use. Results are discussed in the context of theories of human behavior and change and in reference to HIV-prevention interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trajectories of perceived support in mother–adolescent relationships: The poor (quality) get poorer.

The authors examined decreases across the early adolescent years in child reports of perceived support from mothers to determine whether the rate of decline differed as a function of the initial amount of perceived negativity in the mother–child relationship. Participants included a diverse sample of 197 girls and 116 boys who were in the 1st year of middle school (6th grade, ages 11 to 13 years) at the beginning of the study. Separate growth curve models revealed associations between the rate of change in child-reported perceived support and the initial level of both child-reported perceived negativity and mother-reported perceived negativity. Over-time declines in child-reported perceived support were larger for adolescents whose initial levels of perceived negativity were greater. The findings are consistent with the claim that mothers and children with the worst relationships at the outset of adolescence experience the greatest deterioration in relations across the early adolescent years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body mass index in young adults: Associations with parental body size and education in the CARDIA Study

OBJECTIVES: Associations of parental education, parental body size, and offspring's education with body mass index and 7-year change in body mass index were examined among participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. METHODS: CARDIA is a study of coronary artery disease risk factors in 5115 Black and White persons aged 18 to 30 at baseline. Analyses of covariance were carried out with body mass index and change in body mass index as the dependent variables, and with parental education, parental body size, and participant education as the major independent variables. RESULTS: Father's body size was positively associated with participant's baseline body mass index among Black men, White men, and White women. Mother's body size was positively associated with baseline body mass index among all race-sex groups, and with change in body mass index among White women. Father's education was inversely associated with baseline body mass index among Black men and White women, and with change among White women. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education may influence body mass index and changes in young adulthood, especially among White women. Such associations may be both genetic and environmental and may be important for obesity prevention efforts.     

Monthly measures of salivary testosterone predict sexual activity in adolescent males

Strong relationships between one-time serum testosterone (T) measures and sexual activity have been demonstrated in cross-sectional analyses of adolescent males. However, a subsequent longitudinal study of a separate adolescent sample, using semiannual plasma measures, failed to replicate cross-sectional findings. The present study reexamined the relationship between T and sexual activity using more frequently collected measures of salivary T and behavior. Saliva samples and weekly behavior checklists were collected over a 2-year period from the same panel sample of males on which semiannual analyses were based. Saliva samples representing measures approximately every fourth week of study participation were selected for T assay. The association between these monthly salivary T measures and weekly reports of incidents of sexual activity was assessed with repeated measures analyses. Higher levels of salivary T were significantly associated with an increasing hazard of coital initiation, and with more frequent coital and noncoital activity. Within-individual change analyses demonstrated that increases in salivary T were associated with increased sexual activity. Comparisons of models that varied specimen type, schedule of T measurement, and type of behavioral report indicated that all three factors contribute to the varying magnitude of hormone/behavior relationships that are demonstrated. These findings are consistent with a biosocial model of adolescent sexual development that pubertal changes in T are a causal factor in the timing of sexual initiation and the frequency of activity during adolescence.     

The North Carolina Breast Cancer Screening Program: foundations and design of a model for reaching older, minority, rural women

Breast cancer screening programs do not reach all women at the same rate. Screening mammography use varies according to sociodemographic characteristics; mammography utilization is highest among women in their fifties but then decreases with age. In North Carolina, breast cancer is a particular burden for Black and lower-income women. Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage disease, and their rate of breast cancer mortality is higher than it is for White women even though the incidence in White women is greater. Older, Black, and low-income women are less likely to obtain screening by mammography and clinical breast examination. The Black-White gap is even more pronounced among rural women, in part because they are more likely to be poor. The North Carolina Breast Cancer Screening Program (NC-BCSP) was established to increase the rate of regular mammography screening by an absolute 20% in 3 years among older Black women ages 50 and older in five rural counties in the eastern part of the state. In this paper, we describe the genesis of this comprehensive community intervention model, highlighting the behavioral science constructs, health education principles, and theories of behavioral and organizational change that form its conceptual foundation. NC-BCSP's theoretical foundations include the social ecological perspective, the PRECEDE model of health promotion, the Health Belief Model of individual change, and the "stages of change" transtheoretical model. We also review the experiences and lessons learned from two previous outreach initiatives in North Carolina that provided valuable "lessons" in the development of the NC-BCSP intervention model. In the second half of the paper, we describe the actual NC-BCSP interventions, activities, and evaluation tools, citing specific examples of how the underlying theories are implemented. NC-BCSP's goal goes beyond individual behavior change to raise low mammography screening rates among Black women in rural North Carolina. Its ultimate objective is to create linkages across agencies, and between agencies and communities, that will endure after the research project ends.     

Can the Theory of Planned Behavior Predict the Maintenance of Physical Activity?

This study tested the ability of the theory of planned behavior to predict actual participation in physical activity and explored the development of activity habits in a 12-week longitudinal study. People enrolling in a gymnasium (N = 94) completed standard theory of planned behavior measures at baseline and follow-up; behavior was monitored objectively in the intervening period. The data were analyzed by using both standard and repeatable events survival analysis. Results showed that (a) perceived behavioral control was significantly predictive of intentions and actual behavior, (b) stable exercise habits developed in the first 5 weeks of the study, and (c) successful prior performance enhanced perceptions of behavioral control. The implications for developing theory-based interventions that promote the maintenance of health behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Further validation of the Problem Inventory for Adolescent Girls: Comparing Caucasian and Black delinquents and nondelinquents.

Administered a roleplaying measure of problem-solving skills—the problem inventory for adolescent girls (PIAG) developed by L. R. Gaffney and the 2nd author (see record 1982-05934-001)—to 59 White and 59 Black female delinquent and nondelinquent 15–17 yr olds. Independent ratings of problem-solving on the PIAG significantly differentiated between adjudicated delinquents and nondelinquents and between Ss reporting high and low levels of delinquent acts but not between White and Black Ss. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress and coping among gay men: Age and ethnic differences.

Previous studies suggest that perceived stigmatization of sexual minority status, ethnicity, and age are associated with negative mental health outcomes, and other studies suggest that coping styles may influence these outcomes. However, no studies have examined these relationships among gay men of varying ethnicities and age groups. Three hundred eighty-three Black and White, younger, middle-aged, and older adult gay men completed measures of perceived stigmatization, coping style, and mental health outcomes. Black older adult gay men reported significantly higher levels of perceived ageism than the older White group, significantly higher levels of perceived racism than the younger Black group, significantly higher levels of homonegativity than the younger Black and the White groups, and were more likely to use disengaged coping styles than White gay men. However, Black older adult gay men did not experience significantly higher levels of negative mental health outcomes. Results suggest that further research should examine how older Black gay men, who perceive higher levels of stigma while reporting greater use of less effective coping styles, do not appear to be experiencing more negative mental health outcomes as a result. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Locus of control, sex role orientation, and self-concept in Black and White third- and sixth-grade male and female leaders in a rural community.

Examined locus of control among 43 Black boys, 36 White boys, 35 Black girls, and 47 White girls from the 3rd and 6th grades. Ss had been selected as class leaders by their peers. Ss completed the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, the Who Should Test, and the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire. White female leaders were more internally controlled than were Black leaders and attributed good outcomes to personal attributes more often than did Black leaders. White female leaders were also more willing to accept responsibility for bad outcomes than were Black female leaders. Self-concept data and sex-role orientation data were not helpful in interpreting the findings but did serve to suggest several avenues for future research in the area of locus of control. Results do not support the findings of other researchers who found that girls attributed their success to luck or to luck and effort while boys attributed their success to effort. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reciprocal relation between parent-child distance and pubertal maturation.

Previous research on adolescents and their parents has indicated that pubertal maturation, independent of chronological age, is associated with increased distance in the parent–child relationship, but the cross-sectional nature of these studies leaves open questions concerning the direction of effects. Using short-term longitudinal data, this study examines the reciprocal relation between parent–child distance and pubertal maturation in a sample of 157 male and female firstborn adolescents and their parents. Twice over a 1-year period, independent raters assessed each youngster's pubertal status, and parents and adolescents independently completed questionnaire measures of autonomy, conflict, and closeness in the parent–child relationship. Regression analyses indicate that puberty increases adolescent autonomy and parent–child conflict and diminishes parent–child closeness. Analyses also indicate that parent–child distance may, in turn, accelerate pubertal maturation among girls. Both proximal and distal explanations for the relation between parent–child distance and pubertal maturation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)