Community-based interventions.
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Community Health Planning↗
Biomedical subjects
Kenneth R McLeroy
Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth R McLeroy.
Reliability and validity of the youth asset survey (YAS).
PURPOSE: To describe the construction of a survey that was developed to measure youth assets. The paper details the ten youth developmental assets measures within the survey, including the psychometric properties of those measures derived from factor analysis and reliability testing. METHODS: Three studies were conducted, including a study of 1,350 randomly selected youth (mean age = 15.4 years; 52% female; 47% white, 22% black, 19% Hispanic, 10% Native American), using in-person interviews, to develop an asset instrument tool. Factor analysis was performed on a correlation matrix, using principal axis factoring, and varimax rotation. The criteria were set to extract eight factors. RESULTS: The eight factors extracted represented six developmental assets as originally defined, including Family Communication, Peer Role Models, Future Aspirations, Responsible Choices, Community Involvement, and Non-Parental Role Models. One asset (Constructive Use of Time) was split into two specific assets: groups/sports and religious time. Two assets did not form factors (Good Health Practices [exercise/nutrition] and Cultural Respect) and were defined as one-item assets. All factor loading scores were.40 or higher and all Cronbach alphas were.60 or higher. CONCLUSIONS: Factor analyses suggest that the constructs are reliable measures of youth developmental assets. The psychometrically sound asset measures presented here will provide scientists with valid and reliable instruments to assess and compare the prevalence of youth assets across populations and to investigate potential relationships between youth assets and other outcomes, such as youth risk behaviors.
Adolescent↗
An adolescent age group approach to examining youth risk behaviors.
PURPOSE: To investigate relationships among youth risk behaviors and demographic factors using an adolescent age group approach. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data from a randomly selected population. Risk behaviors were compared within specific demographic factors and by adolescent age groups. SETTING: Racially diverse, inner-city neighborhoods in two midwestern cities. SUBJECTS: Teenagers (n = 1350) and parents (n = 1350) of the teenagers. MEASURES: Truancy; arrested/picked up by police; weapon carrying; fighting; sexual intercourse; tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; demographic factors; and family structure. RESULTS: Youth mean age was 15.4 (+/- 1.7) years and 52% were female; racial/ethnic characteristics were 47% White, 22% Black, 19% Hispanic, and 10% Native American. Parents' mean age was 42.2 (+/- 8.4) years and 81% were female. chi 2 analyses indicated numerous significant (p < .05) youth risk behavior differences within the demographic factors and that many of the differences varied by adolescent age group. For example, risk behavior differences within racial/ethnic groups were most profound in the middle and older age groups, whereas risk behavior differences within parent income, education levels, and family structure were most apparent in the younger age groups. Of the demographic factors, family structure was most frequently associated with the risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The results generally suggest that the relationships among risk behaviors and demographic factors vary within the adolescent age groups included in this study. The results will be useful for developing age-appropriate prevention programs for youth who fit the profile for these risk behaviors. The study protocol also includes specific sampling methods that may be useful for future studies that intend to collect data from difficult-to-reach populations.
Adolescent↗