Recent and Intended Drug Trafficking Among Male and Female Urban African-American Early Adolescents

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1044-1049
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Li ◽  
Susan Feigelman
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Drug Trafficking ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
High Risk Behaviors ◽  
Convenience Sample

Objective. To investigate associations between recent and intended involvement in drug trafficking and perceptions of the social environment among high-risk urban African-American youths. Methods. A multicomponent risk assessment survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 351 African-American youths 9 through 15 years of age residing in low-income communities. Both univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed to examine the association of youths' perceived social environment with recent and intended involvement in drug trafficking. Results. Drug selling or delivering in the previous 6 months was reported by 6% of the youths; 12% expected to engage in these activities in the next 6 months. There was a strong association between drug trafficking and other high-risk behaviors, including drug use. Among both genders, perceptions that neighbors, friends, or family members were involved in drug trafficking were correlated with recent or intended drug trafficking. For boys, personal economic needs had a strong association with drug trafficking. For girls, personal feelings were more important correlates of intended involvement. Conclusions. Efforts aimed at both drug-trafficking prevention and intervention need to be community-based and multifaceted. Programs should address the youths' perceived social environments and consider gender differences regarding correlates of drug-trafficking involvement.

Drug Use, Drug Trafficking, and Weapon Carrying Among Low-Income, African-American, Early Adolescent Boys

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1065-1072
Author(s):  
Maureen M. Black ◽  
Izabel B. Ricardo
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Drug Trafficking ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Weapon Carrying ◽  
Risk Practices ◽  
Drug Involvement ◽  
Drug Activities

Objective. To examine relationships involving three extremely high-risk behaviors (drug use, drug trafficking, and weapon carrying) among low-income, urban, African-American early adolescent boys using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Method. The quantitative phase included 192 African-American boys from 9 through 15 years of age recruited from recreation centers located in low-income communities. Youth completed a survey addressing personal risk practices; intentions to engage in risk practices; risk taking among family, friends and community; and values toward risk practices. They also completed standardized assessments of sensation seeking, perceived peer pressure, and parent-child communication. All questionnaires were self-administered through MacIntosh computers programmed to present questions aurally and visually. The qualitative phase included 12 African-American youth from low-income, urban families. The youth participated in 60- to 90-minute interviews regarding drug activities and violence. Results. Most boys (73%) were not involved in either drug activities or weapon carrying. Boys who were involved in drug activities or weapon carrying were often involved in other high-risk activities (cigarette and alcohol use, school failure and expulsion) and had low rates of adaptive communication with their parents. The boys reported high rates of drug involvement by their family, friends, and community. However, psychological and interpersonal factors were better predictors of individual risk activities than community or family variables. Personal values regarding economics predicted drug trafficking. More than 56% of the boys who reported past involvement in drug activities did not anticipate future involvement. Conclusions. Multilevel strategies are necessary to prevent involvement in drug activities and weapon carrying. Intervention programs should begin early and should promote communication between parents and children, adaptive behavior in school, and avoidance of cigarette and alcohol use. Community-level interventions are needed to alter the myth that drug involvement and weapon carrying are normative and to promote images that are less materialistic and more supportive of education and future-oriented activities.

The "Hustle": Socioeconomic Deprivation, Urban Drug Trafficking, and Low-Income, African-American Male Gender Identity

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1050-1054
Author(s):  
Tony Larry Whitehead ◽  
James Peterson ◽  
Linda Kaljee
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Males ◽  
Drug Trafficking ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Support ◽  
Power Base ◽  
Considerable Morbidity ◽  
Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Objective. Drug trafficking seems to be both prevalent and associated with considerable morbidity and mortality among inner-city African-American males. Survey data has indicated the possible importance of economic need in the rapid emergence of drug trafficking in this population. In the present study, an historical-cultural approach is used to examine this economic relationship further and to explore the role that drug trafficking plays in a society that has permitted its successful and rapid growth. Methodology. Data were obtained from interviews of approximately 600 African-Americans residing in inner-city neighborhoods in Washington, DC and Baltimore during nine drug- and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related studies conducted over 4 years. Results and conclusions. From the perspective of the study participants, the need to provide economic support for one's family as well as to achieve some sense of status, respect, and reputation among one's peers are two core constructs of masculine identity in the United States. The historical and worsening inequities in access to economic resources and power by African-American males are viewed as significantly reducing the opportunity for economic success through more social or legal enterprises. Pursuit of nonmainstream activities (such as drug trafficking) is perceived as offering an opportunity for economic advancement and for establishing a power base for individuals who have been denied access to mainstream opportunities.

scholarly journals African American Children’s Diminished Returns of Subjective Family Socioeconomic Status on Fun Seeking

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Golnoush Akhlaghipour ◽  
Shanika Boyce ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra H. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Reward Sensitivity ◽  
Behavioral Approach ◽  
High Risk Behaviors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fun Seeking ◽  
Family Ses

Background: Reward sensitivity (fun-seeking) is a risk factor for a wide range of high-risk behaviors. While high socioeconomic status (SES) is known to reduce reward sensitivity and associated high-risk behaviors, less is known about the differential effects of SES on reward sensitivity. It is plausible to expect weaker protective effects of family SES on reward sensitivity in racial minorities, a pattern called Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs). Aim: We compared Caucasian and African American (AA) children for the effects of subjective family SES on children’s fun-seeking. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of 7061 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was subjective family SES. The main outcome was children’s fun-seeking measured by the behavioral approach system (BAS) and behavioral avoidance system (BIS). Age, gender, marital status, and household size were the covariates. Results: In the overall sample, high subjective family SES was associated with lower levels of fun-seeking. We also found a statistically significant interaction between race and subjective family SES on children’s fun-seeking in the overall sample, suggesting that high subjective family SES is associated with a weaker effect on reducing fun-seeking among AA than Caucasian children. In race-stratified models, high subjective family SES was protective against fun-seeking of Caucasian but not AA children. Conclusion: Subjective family SES reduces the fun-seeking for Caucasian but not AA children.

scholarly journals Social cognitions, distress, and leadership self-efficacy: Associations with aggression for high-risk minority youth

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 759-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen S. Leff ◽  
Courtney N. Baker ◽  
Tracy E. Waasdorp ◽  
Nicole A. Vaughn ◽  
Katherine B. Bevans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Information Processing ◽  
Urban Youth ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Ethnic Minority Youth ◽  
Youth Aggression

AbstractUrban ethnic minority youth are often exposed to high levels of aggression and violence. As such, many aggression intervention programs that have been designed with suburban nonethnic minority youth have been used or slightly adapted in order to try and meet the needs of high-risk urban youth. The current study contributes to the literature base by examining how well a range of social–cognitive, emotional distress and victimization, and prosocial factors are related to youth aggression in a sample of urban youth. This study utilized data gathered from 109 9- to 15-year-old youth (36.7% male; 84.4% African American) and their parents or caregivers. A series of hierarchical multiple regressions were fit predicting youth aggression from social–cognitive variables, victimization and distress, and prosocial variables, controlling for youth gender and age. Each set of variables explained a significant and unique amount of the variance in youth aggressive behavior. The full model including all predictors accounted for 41% of the variance in aggression. Models suggest that youth with stronger beliefs supportive of violence, youth who experience more overt victimization, and youth who experience greater distress in overtly aggressive situations are likely to be more aggressive. In contrast, youth with higher self-esteem and youth who endorse greater leadership efficacy are likely to be less aggressive. Contrary to hypotheses, hostile attributional bias and knowledge of social information processing, experience of relational victimization, distress in relationally aggressive situations, and community engagement were not associated with aggression. Our study is one of the first to address these important questions for low-income, predominately ethnic minority urban youth, and it has clear implications for adapting aggression prevention programs to be culturally sensitive for urban African American youth.

scholarly journals Lymphedema Signs, Symptoms, and Diagnosis in Women Who Are in Minority and Low-Income Groups and Have Survived Breast Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 487-499
Author(s):  
Ann Marie Flores ◽  
Jason Nelson ◽  
Lee Sowles ◽  
Rebecca G Stephenson ◽  
Kathryn Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Abstract Background Breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) is a well-known side effect of cancer and its treatment with wide-ranging prevalence estimates. Objective This study describes associations between breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) signs, symptoms, and diagnosis for women who were African American, white, or had a low income and survived breast cancer. Design This is a cross-sectional, observational study that used a computer-assisted telephone interview. Methods Women who had survived breast cancer were queried on the presence of 5 lymphedema signs and symptoms (edema in the breast, axilla, arm, and/or hand; tissue fibrosis; pitting; hemosiderin staining; heaviness) and whether they had a diagnosis of BCRL. Relationships between signs/symptoms and diagnosis for each group were evaluated with kappa and chi-square statistics. Results The study sample included 528 women who had survived breast cancer (266 white and 262 African American), with 514 reporting complete data on household income; 45% of the latter reported an annual household income of ≤$20,000. Women who were African American or had a low income were nearly twice as likely as women who were white to have any of 8 signs/symptoms of BCRL. Regardless of race and income, >50% of women with all BCRL signs and symptoms reported that they were not diagnosed with BCRL. Limitations The main limitations of our study are the lack of medical chart data and longitudinal design. Conclusions Women who were African American or had a low income and had survived breast cancer had a greater burden of BCRL signs and symptoms than women who were white. The lack of a strong association between BCRL signs, symptoms, and diagnosis suggests that BCRL may be underdiagnosed. These findings suggest that more rigorous screening and detection of BCRL—especially for women who are African American or have a low income—may be warranted. Cancer rehabilitation programs may be able to fill this gap.

Social Environment and Vulnerability of Low Birth Weight Children: A Social-Epidemiological Perspective

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 943-953
Author(s):  
Peggy J. MCGauhey ◽  
Barbara Starfield ◽  
Cheryl Alexander ◽  
Margaret E. Ensminger
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Normal Birth Weight ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Normal Birth ◽  
Low Birth Weight Children

This study examined the impact of low birth weight on children's health and assessed the influence of the social environment on various aspects of health in low birth weight and normal birth weight children. Data on 8661 children aged 2 through 11 from the 1981 Child Health Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey provided strong evidence for two major conclusions: (1) Low birth weight children in high-risk social environments are at increased for poor health outcomes compared with comparable normal birth weight children. This vulnerability was found across all age groups, suggesting that the effects of low birth weight are long-lasting. The poor health outcomes for low birth weight children in high-risk social environments were found for all seven aspects of child health status studied: excessive bed days, restricted-activity days, and school-loss days; school failure, low school-ranking, behavior problems, and maternal perception of child health status as fair/ poor. (2) The mechanism of risk was complex and differed by birth weight group. Whereas certain combinations of individual risk factors protected normal birth weight children from several adverse outcomes, none for low birth weight children were identified. However, low birth weight children in low-or moderate-risk social environments were not at greater risk for poor outcomes compared with comparable normal birth weight children. This study underscores the importance of a healthy social environment for children who are already at high risk for poor health outcomes by virtue of being low birth weight.

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