Hope and Despair: Diverse Voices of Hope from Urban African American Adolescent Gang Members

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 50-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith J. Morris, ◽  
Judith Fry-McComish,
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gang Members ◽  
African American Adolescent ◽  
Specific Support ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Suicide Plan ◽  
Urban African American Adolescent

The Center for Disease Control (2010) found that 9.8% of African American adolescents reported having a suicide plan compared to 10.9% of all youth surveyed. Hope emerged as a caring construct in a study of african american adolescent gang members and may be a factor in the prevention of depression and suicide. Before age 12, adolescents were hopeful about their future, but shortly after their thirteenth birthday, they expressed feelings of hopelessness and despair. Interventions for promoting health and well-being in African American gang members include nonjudgmental listening, forming age-specific support groups, and offering strategies for achieving life goals.

scholarly journals The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 506-506
Author(s):  
Rodlescia Sneed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Older Prisoners ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

Sexual Victimization and Family Violence Among Urban African American Adolescent Women

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1319-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie C. Kennedy ◽  
Deborah Bybee ◽  
Shanti J. Kulkarni ◽  
Gretchen Archer
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Family Violence ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
African American Adolescent ◽  
Adolescent Women ◽  
Urban African American Adolescent

scholarly journals Evaluation of African American Adolescent Health Status With Gender Comparison

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Health Status ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Healthy People ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
African American Adolescent ◽  
Healthy People 2010

The goals of Healthy People 2010 are to increase the quality of life and life expectancy, and eliminate health disparities. There is no clear picture, however, if these goals are being addressed by African American adolescents. This study was conducted to evaluate health status of African American adolescents aged 13-19 in Florida’s Big Bend Region. Healthy People 2010 objectives were consulted for the evaluation. Responses from a convenience sample of 35 participants (63% female, 34% male) who completed a survey comprised of questions based on Likert scale are summarized here. The results show that the African American adolescents are engaging in some physical activity; however, only about half of them reported maintaining a healthy body weight. The majority of the adolescents reported avoiding smoking, but fewer adolescents reported avoiding drinking alcohol. Only a small percentage of the adolescents reported that their friends carried a gun or knife to school within the last 30 days; the percentage increased when the adolescents were asked if their friends got into a fist fight within the last 30 days. The adolescents sampled in this study have only achieved the Healthy People 2010 objectives in one of the health concern areas examined herein. It is also important to note that there are substantial gender-based disparities. In order to meet all Healthy People 2010 objectives, health education and promotion must be increased. Future research should explore different aspects of health status of adolescents in general, and further examine gender disparities and contributing factors.

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