Resiliency factors protecting against teenage alcohol use and smoking: influences of religion, religious involvement and values, and ethnicity in the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study

Twin Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
AC Heath ◽  
PAF Madden ◽  
JD Grant ◽  
TL McLaughlin ◽  
AA Todorov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Religious Values ◽  
High Heritability ◽  
The Difference

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of ethnicity (African American vs European/other ancestry), family religious affiliation, religious involvement, and religious values, to risk of alcohol and cigarette use in adolescent girls; and to estimate genetic and shared environmental effects on religious involvement and values. Telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of female like-sex twin pairs, aged 13–20 (n = 1687 pairs, including 220 minority pairs), as well as with one or both parents of twins aged 11–20 (n = 2111 families). These data, together with one-year follow-up twin questionnaire data, and two-year follow-up parent interview data, were used to compare ethnic differences. Proportional hazards regression models and genetic variance component models were fitted to the data. Despite higher levels of exposure to family, school and neighborhood environmental adversities, African American adolescents were less likely to become teenage drinkers or smokers. They showed greater religious involvement (frequency of attendance at religious services) and stronger religious values (eg belief in relying upon their religious beliefs to guide day-to-day living). Controlling for religious affiliation, involvement and values removed the ethnic difference in alcohol use, but had no effect on the difference in rates of smoking. Religious involvement and values exhibited high heritability in African Americans, but only modest heritability in EOAs. The strong protective effect of adolescent religious involvement and values, and its contribution to lower rates of African American alcohol use, was confirmed. We speculate about the possible association between high heritability of African American religious behavior and an accelerated maturation of religious values during adolescence.

scholarly journals Impact of Transcendental Meditation on Left Ventricular Mass in African American Adolescents

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernon A. Barnes ◽  
Gaston K. Kapuku ◽  
Frank A. Treiber
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Left Ventricular Mass ◽  
Ventricular Remodeling ◽  
Transcendental Meditation ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Ventricular Mass ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Before And After

Background. An early sign of ventricular remodeling is increased left ventricular mass (LVM) which over time may lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, the strongest predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, other than advancing age.Methods. 62 (30 TM; 32 CTL) African American adolescents (age16.2±1.3years) with high normal systolic BP were randomly assigned to either 4-month Transcendental Meditation (TM) or health education control groups. The echocardiographic-derived measure of LVM index (LVMI = LVM/ht2.7) was measured before and after the 4-month TM study and at 4-month followup. 2D-guided M-mode echocardiography using a Hewlett Packard 5500 echosonograph was used to determine LVMI.Results. The TM group exhibited a greater decrease in LVMI at 4-month followup compared to the CTL group (−2.6 versus +0.3 gm/ht2.7,P<0.04). The TM group exhibited a lesser increase in BMI at 4-month follow-up compared to the CTL group (0.2±1.6versus1.1±1.4,P<0.03).Conclusion. These findings indicate that among a group of prehypertensive African American adolescents, 4 months of TM compared to heath education resulted in a significant decrease in LVMI, and these changes were maintained at 4-month follow-up.

Racial Discrimination and Trajectories of Problematic Alcohol Use Among African American Emerging Adults: The Role of Organizational Religious Involvement

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110516
Author(s):  
Danielle R. Busby ◽  
Meredith O. Hope ◽  
Daniel B. Lee ◽  
Justin E. Heinze ◽  
Marc A. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Problematic Alcohol ◽  
Stable Class ◽  
Problematic Alcohol Use

Racial discrimination jeopardizes a wide range of health behaviors for African Americans. Numerous studies demonstrate significant negative associations between racial discrimination and problematic alcohol use among African Americans. Culturally specific contexts (e.g., organized religious involvement) often function protectively against racial discrimination’s adverse effects for many African Americans. Yet organized religious involvement may affect the degree to which racial discrimination increases problematic alcohol use resulting in various alcohol use trajectories. These links remain understudied in emerging adulthood marked by when individuals transition from adolescence to early adult roles and responsibilities. We use data from 496 African American emerging adults from the Flint Adolescent Study (FAS) to (a) identify multiple and distinct alcohol use trajectories and (b) examine organizational religious involvement’s protective role. Three trajectory classes were identified: the high/stable, (20.76% of sample; n = 103); moderate/stable, (39.52% of sample; n = 196); and low/rising, (39.72% of the sample; n = 197). After controlling for sex, educational attainment, and general stress, the interaction between racial discrimination and organized religious involvement did not influence the likelihood of classifying into the moderate/stable class or the low/rising class, compared with the high/stable class. These results suggest organized religious involvement counteracts, but does not buffer racial discrimination’s effects on problematic alcohol use. Findings emphasize the critical need for culturally sensitive prevention efforts incorporating organized religious involvement for African American emerging adults exposed to racial discrimination. These prevention efforts may lessen the role of racial discrimination on health disparities related to alcohol use.

Abstract P287: Sex Differences in Stroke Incidence: The REGARDS Study

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia J Howard ◽  
Suzanne E Judd ◽  
Abraham J Letter ◽  
Dawn O Kleindorfer ◽  
Leslie A McClure ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
National Data ◽  
Stroke Incidence ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Regards Study

Background: There are strikingly few national data available to describe sex differences in age-specific stroke incidence. Methods: REGARDS is a national, population-based, longitudinal study of black and white participants aged > 45 years old, with oversampling of blacks and residents of the stroke belt. Between 2003 and 2007, 30,239 participants were enrolled and examined; follow-up is every 6 months by telephone for self- or proxy-reported stroke, with retrieval and adjudication of medical records by physicians. This analysis included 27,756 participants with follow up data who had no physician-diagnosed stroke at baseline. Stroke incidence rates were calculated as the number of stroke events divided by the person-years at risk with 95% confidence limits. Proportional hazards models were used to assess the race-specific association of sex with stroke risk by age strata (<65, 65–74, and 75+) after adjustment for socioeconomic factors, and Framingham stroke risk factors. Results: There were 613 incident strokes events over 135,551 person-years of follow-up. Stroke incidence rates increased with age (from 237/100,000 to 1003/100,000), and were higher in men than women in both blacks and whites (left panel of figure). After multivariable adjustment, men had higher risk than women at younger ages (<75) but for the 65–75 age group, the difference is larger for blacks than whites (right panel of figure). Discussion: These national data confirm the patterns in male/female stroke risk observed in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, with smaller sex differences at older ages, and for men, larger excess risk in whites than blacks.

African-American Adolescents Residing in High-risk Urban Environments Do Use Condoms: Correlates and Predictors of Condom Use Among Adolescents in Public Housing Developments

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. DiClemente ◽  
Mark Lodico ◽  
Olga A. Grinstead ◽  
Gary Harper ◽  
Richard L. Rickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Consistent Condom ◽  
Consistent Condom Use ◽  
Housing Developments

Objective. African-American adolescents living in high-risk inner-city environments have been disproportionately affected by the epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases. Understanding the factors that influence the use of condoms by adolescents is critical for developing effective behavioral interventions. The present study examined the demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of condom use among African-American adolescents residing in public housing developements in an HIV epicenter (San Francisco) and prospectively evaluated the stability of these significant cross-sectional variables to predict consistent condom use. Design. A prospective study. Setting. Two public housing developments in San Francisco. Participants. African-American adolescents and young adults between 12 and 21 years of age were recruited though street outreach and completed a theoretically derived research interview assessing HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. After a 6-month period, adolescents completed a follow-up interview similar to the baseline measure. Among adolescents reporting sexual activity in the 6 months before completing the baseline interview (n = 116), logistic regression analysis evaluated the influence of demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors on consistent condom use. Results. Adolescents who had high assertive self-efficacy to demand condom use (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 11), perceived peer norms as supporting condom use (OR, 4.2), had greater impulse control (OR, 3.7), were male (OR, 4.7), and were younger (OR, 2.9) were more likely to report consistent condom use. Frequency of sexual intercourse was inversely related to condom use; adolescents with higher numbers of sexual episodes were less likely to use condoms consistently. Prospective analyses identified the baseline level of condom use as the best predictor of condom use at the 6-month followup Adolescents who were consistent condom users at baseline were 7.4 times as likely to be consistent condom users during the follow-up period. Of those adolescents changing their frequency of condom use during the follow-up interval, significantly more engaged in risky behavior; 33.3% changed from consistent to inconsistent condom use, whereas 20.6% changed from inconsistent to consistent use (OR, 1.6). Conclusions. The findings suggest that HIV prevention programs need to be implemented early, before high-risk behaviors are established and may be more difficult to modify.

The Moderating Effects of Culture on Peer Deviance and Alcohol Use among High-Risk African-American Adolescents

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashir Nasim ◽  
Faye Z. Belgrave ◽  
Robert J. Jagers ◽  
Karen D. Wilson ◽  
Kristal Owens
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Heavy Alcohol ◽  
Cultural Variables

African-American adolescents have lower rates of alcohol consumption than White youth. However, African-American youth suffer disproportionately more adverse social, mental, and physical health outcomes related to alcohol use. Affiliating with negative peers is a risk factor for alcohol initiation and consumption. Cultural variables have shown moderating effects against other risk factors for African-American youth and therefore were the focus of this study. Specifically, we tested whether three culturally-relevant variables, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and ethnic identity were promotive or protective for alcohol initiation and use within the context of negative peer affiliations. The sample consisted of 114 at-risk African-American adolescents whose ages ranged from 13 to 20. Participants were administered a questionnaire with measures of alcohol initiation and use, peer risk behaviors, ethnic identity, Africentric beliefs, religiosity, and demographic items. Peer risk behaviors accounted for significant percentages of the variance in age of alcohol initiation, lifetime use, and current and heavy alcohol use after adjusting for age and gender. Cultural variables showed both promotive and protective effects. Africentric beliefs were promotive of delayed alcohol initiation, whereas both Africentrism and religiosity moderated peer risk behaviors effect on alcohol initiation. Africentric beliefs were also inversely related to lifetime alcohol use revealing a promotive effect. Moreover, there were significant protective effects of ethnic identity and religiosity on heavy alcohol consumption. One implication of these findings is that prevention programs that infuse cultural values and practices such as Africentrism, ethnic identity, and religiosity may delay alcohol initiation and reduce use especially for youth with high risk peers.

Drug Attitudes, Racial Identity, and Alcohol Use among African American Adolescents

2000 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 402-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Burlew ◽  
DeKimberlen Neely ◽  
Candace Johnson ◽  
T. Camille Hucks ◽  
Bruce Purnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
African American Adolescents

Religious affiliation, religious involvement, and alcohol use in Korea.

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong Y. Park ◽  
George P. Danko ◽  
Steven Y. C. Wong ◽  
Abraham J. Weatherspoon ◽  
Ronald C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Religious Involvement

3. Self-Reported Abstinence and STD Acquisition Among African–American Adolescents Across 24-Months Follow-Up

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. S12-S12
Author(s):  
Jessica Sales ◽  
Ralph DiClemente ◽  
Jennifer Brown ◽  
Teaniese Latham ◽  
Eve Rose
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Adolescents

The Protective Role of Religious Involvement in African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents’ Experiences of Racial Discrimination

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheretta T. Butler-Barnes ◽  
Pamela P. Martin ◽  
Nikeea Copeland-Linder ◽  
Eleanor K. Seaton ◽  
Niki Matusko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Racial Discrimination ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Black Adolescents ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Psychological Outcomes ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Caribbean Black

For many Black adolescents, racial discrimination increases the risk of developing adverse psychological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationships among religious involvement, racial discrimination, and psychological outcomes among a nationally representative sample of African American adolescents and Caribbean Black adolescents from the National Survey of American Life. Multiple regression models were used to determine the interactive effects of religious involvement and racial discrimination experiences on Black adolescents’ psychological outcomes. Findings indicate that religious involvement was a protective factor for Caribbean Black adolescents but not African American youth. The implications of these findings underscore the varied roles of religious involvement for African American and Caribbean Black adolescents.

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