Biomedical subjects

K I Maton

Publications and source records attributed to K I Maton.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Life-style and substance use among male African-American urban adolescents: a cluster analytic approach.

Cluster analyzed four variables: school attendance, employment, church attendance, and delinquency, to develop life-style profiles. Data from 218 African-American urban adolescents were used in the study. Five meaningful clusters were retained and subjected to criterion validity analyses using measures of spirituality, participation in a voluntary organization, self-esteem, and friend's substance use. The five clusters were then compared on cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drug use. The results suggest that a life-style that includes an adaptive compensatory behavior component may be more adaptive than a life-style that does not include compensatory behavior. For example, youths who left high school before graduation but were involved in church reported less alcohol and substance use than youths who left school and were not involved in any meaningful instrumental activity. Implications for intervention and future research on high-risk behaviors are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Meaningful involvement in instrumental activity and well-being: studies of older adolescents and at risk urban teen-agers.

Meaningful involvement in instrumental activity, social support, and well-being were assessed in two studies. The first study focused on older adolescents enrolled in college (mean age, 18.8; N = 152), and the second on urban black male, and pregnant female, teen-agers (mean age, 17.1; N = 92), half of whom (N = 46) were school dropouts. In both studies, regression analyses indicated that meaningful instrumental activity was positively related to life satisfaction, independent of social support from friends and from parents. In addition, meaningful instrumental activity was positively related to self-esteem to a greater extent (a) for male than for female college students (Study 1); and (b) for school-attending than for school-dropout urban black males (Study 2). In Study 2, higher mean levels of meaningful instrumental activity were reported (a) by school-attending than by school-dropout urban adolescents; and (b) by black male teens than by pregnant female teens. The implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Factors affecting the birth and death of mutual-help groups: the role of national affiliation, professional involvement, and member focal problem.

Examined the predictive relationship of three variables to the birth and death of mutual-help groups for a statewide New Jersey sample of 3,152 groups over a 2-year period. The three variables studied were group affiliation with a national mutual-help organization, local professional involvement in group activities, and group members' type of focal problem. Log-linear logit analysis revealed that the best-fitting model included Affiliation Status x Professional Involvement, and Affiliation Status x Focal Problem interactions. Among unaffiliated groups, professional involvement was related to lower group mortality, while among affiliated groups it was related to higher group mortality. Unaffiliated behavior control groups had higher odds for mortality and for birth than either unaffiliated life stress groups or unaffiliated medical groups. Among main effect findings, unaffiliated groups had consistently higher odds for birth than affiliated groups. The implications for research and action are discussed.

Humans↗

PubMed1989

Towards an ecological understanding of mutual-help groups: the social ecology of "fit".

Adopted an ecological framework to view mutual-help groups, and illustrated its usefulness by examining aspects of the social ecology of "fit" among 163 members of Compassionate Friends (bereaved parents; CF), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Overeaters Anonymous (OA) groups. Concerning person-group fit, personal Spirituality was positively related to (a) Providing Support, and to (b) Group Satisfaction for members of a group whose helping ecology emphasized "reliance on a higher power" (OA). (Contrary to prediction, the relationship with Group Satisfaction was also manifest for members of MS). Furthermore, OA members reported higher levels of Spirituality than CF members. Concerning helping mechanism-focal problem fit, Friendship Development was positively related to Group Satisfaction only for individuals with a focal problem characterized by high levels of social network disruption (MS). In addition, Time in Group was inversely related to Depression for members of life stress (CF) and medical disorder (MS) groups, but not for members of a "behavioral control" type group (OA). The implications of the ecological perspective for future research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1988

Social support, organizational characteristics, psychological well-being, and group appraisal in three self-help group populations.

This study examined the relationship of three social support and three organizational variables to two well-being and two group appraisal variables among 144 members of Compassionate Friends, Multiple Sclerosis, and Overeaters Anonymous self-help groups. An anonymous questionnaire was the major research instrument. Receiving social support was not significantly related to depression or anxiety but was positively related to perceived group benefits and group satisfaction. Providing social support and friendship were each positively related to one well-being and one group appraisal variable. Bidirectional supporters (i.e., individuals high on both receiving and providing support) reported more favorable well-being and group appraisal than Receivers, Providers, and Low Supporters. At the group level of analysis (n = 15 groups), groups with higher levels of role differentiation, greater order and organization, and in which leaders were perceived as more capable contained members who reported more positive well-being and group appraisal. The implications for future research and professional consultation to self-help groups are discussed.

Consumer Behavior↗

PubMed1988

Systemic organizational support for self-help groups.

A framework for analyzing relationships between self-help groups and systemic organizational support is presented and two affiliation hypotheses tested. Self-help group birthrates in New Jersey over an 18-month period exceeded death rates. Affiliated groups greatly outnumbered independent groups but the birthrate for the latter was higher. Death rates for different types of groups were similar, except for Alcoholics Anonymous groups, which had a higher survival rate.

Birth Rate↗