Pathways to Early Violent Death: The Voices of Serious Violent Youth Offenders

Quantitative studies have uncovered factors associated with early violent death among youth offenders detained in the juvenile justice system, but little is known about the contextual factors associated with pathways to early violent death among youths detained in adult jails.We interviewed young Black male serious violent youth offenders detained in an adult jail to understand their experience of violence. Their narratives reveal how the code of the street, informal rules that govern interpersonal violence among poor inner-city Black male youths, increases the likelihood of violent victimization.Youth offenders detained in adult jails have the lowest rate of service provision among all jail populations. We have addressed how services for youth offenders can be improved to reduce the pathways to early violent death.

“I carry my gun anywhere I go, I mean if I got to crush [kill or injure] someone, then I will. I don’t care. It’s either him or me.”—Ice, aged 17 years

On any given day in the United States 7600 youths younger than 18 years are detained in adult jails.1,2 Youths of color are overrepresented among this group.3 Although they represent only 17% of the total youth population, 62% of youths prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system are Black, and they are 9 times more likely than are White youths to receive an adult prison sentence.4 Serious minority male offenders are more likely to be transferred to adult court and confined to more restrictive settings.5 Research on serious violent youth offenders who were adjudicated in an adult criminal court suggests that they are at greater risk for violent injury and early violent death than are youths processed in juvenile court.6–11 Youths placed in adult jails and prisons are also at greater risk to be sexually and physically assaulted. They are the easiest prey for violent victimization and sexual abuse and so are the hardest hit,12,13 and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are approximately 34% more likely than are youths adjudicated in the juvenile justice system to be rearrested for a violent crime.14Although studies have documented early violent death among youth offenders detained in adult jail,6 a critical omission in this research is contextual information on why the rate of violence and homicide is so high among this population.6,10,11,15–18 Their “voices” are missing.18 Although there is a wealth of quantitative data on risk factors for early violent death among youth offenders,6 we know little about the meaning of violence in their lives and how violence shapes their social worlds. We have addressed this gap in the literature.To explore pathways to early violent death among serious violent youth offenders, we drew on the narratives of Black male adolescents transferred to adult court. We explored how these youth offenders negotiated the social context of inner-city violence while they were on the “outside.” We asked questions regarding “disrespect” as well as the following questions: Did they carry firearms? In what situations would they use a firearm? What role does violence play in their lives? How do drugs, alcohol, and violence fit into the social context of their lives and the communities where they reside? Were they chronically exposed to violence? Have they ever been violently victimized? How do they negotiate violence in the context of jail?     

Impact of Garden-Based Youth Nutrition Intervention Programs: A Review

Garden-based nutrition-education programs for youth are gaining in popularity and are viewed by many as a promising strategy for increasing preferences and improving dietary intake of fruits and vegetables. This review examines the scientific literature on garden-based youth nutrition intervention programs and the impact on nutrition-related outcomes. Studies published between 1990 and 2007 were identified through a library search of databases and an examination of reference lists of relevant publications. Studies were included if they involved children and adolescents in the United States and examined the impact of garden-based nutrition education on fruit and/or vegetable intake, willingness to taste fruits and vegetables, preferences for fruits and vegetables, or other nutrition-related outcomes. Only articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English were included in the review. Eleven studies were reviewed. Five studies took place on school grounds and were integrated into the school curriculum, three studies were conducted as part of an afterschool program, and three studies were conducted within the community. Studies included youth ranging in age from 5 to 15 years. Findings from this review suggest that garden-based nutrition intervention programs may have the potential to promote increased fruit and vegetable intake among youth and increased willingness to taste fruits and vegetables among younger children; however, empirical evidence in this area is relatively scant. Therefore, there is a need for well-designed, evidenced-based, peer-reviewed studies to determine program effectiveness and impact. Suggestions for future research directions, including intervention planning, study design, evaluation, and sustainability are provided.     

Hydration,Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in Age and Weight-Restricted Youth American Football Players

There is a paucity of research examining hydration and nutrition behaviors in youth American football players. A potentially unique risk factor are league restrictions based on weight (WR) or age (AR). The purpose of this study was to examine hydration status between WR and AR leagues. The secondary purpose was to describe eating patterns in players. An observational cohort design with 63 youth football players (10 ± 1 yrs, 148.2 ± 9.4 cm, 44.9 ± 15.3 kg) was utilized. Independent variables were league (AR (n = 36); WR (n = 27)) and activity type (practice (PX = 8); game (GM = 3)). Dependent variables were hydration status (urine osmolality; percent change in body mass (%BM)), eating attitudes (Children’s Eating Attitude Test (ChEAT-26)) and self-reported frequency of meals. On average, players arrived activity mildly hypohydrated (830 ± 296 mOsm/kg) and %BM was minimal (−0.1 ± 0.7%) during events. Players consumed 2 ± 1 meals and 1 ± 1 snack before events. The ChEAT-26 survey reported 21.6% (n = 8) of players were at risk for abnormal eating attitudes. Among these players, eating binges, vomiting, excessive exercise and drastic weight loss were reported. Youth American football players arrived activity mildly hypohydrated and consumed enough fluid during activity to maintain euhydration. Abnormal eating attitudes and the use of unhealthy weight loss methods were reported by some youth American football players.     

Impact of an Exercise Intervention on Physical Activity During Pregnancy: The Behaviors Affecting Baby and You Study

Objectives. We examined the impact of a prenatal exercise intervention on physical activity in 260 women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus.Methods. We randomized participants in the Behaviors Affecting Baby and You (BABY) Study, which took place from 2007 to 2012, to either a 12-week individually tailored, motivationally matched exercise intervention (n = 132) or to a comparison health and wellness intervention (n = 128). We assessed physical activity with the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire. We used linear mixed models to evaluate the impact of the interventions on change in physical activity according to intensity and type, total walking, and sedentary behavior.Results. Compared with the health and wellness arm, the exercise arm had significantly greater increases in sports or exercise activity (0.3 vs 5.3 metabolic equivalent of task [MET] hours/week; P < .001), and smaller declines in total activity (–42.7 vs –2.1 MET hours/week; P = .02) and activities of moderate to vigorous intensity (–30.6 vs −10.6 MET hours/week; P = .05), and was more likely to achieve recommended guidelines for physical activity (odds ratio = 2.12; 95% confidence interval = 1.45, 3.10).Conclusions. These findings extend the previous literature by demonstrating the benefits of a clinically feasible exercise intervention in an ethnically and socio-economically diverse population. Given the increased risk of adverse maternal health outcomes in ethnic minority groups, these findings may have important implications for reducing health disparities.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all women who are free from medical or obstetric complications engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week.1 Physical activity during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk for excess gestational weight gain,2–4 and a reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)5 and preeclampsia.6 Despite the benefits of physical activity, pregnant women are less likely to meet physical activity recommendations than nonpregnant women of childbearing age.7,8 Furthermore, physical activity levels decline throughout pregnancy, even in women who were active before pregnancy.9,10 Physical activity levels are even lower in Hispanic women; Hispanic women are 40% less likely to meet recommended levels of physical activity than are non-Hispanic White women.11 These numbers are concerning because of the excess risk of adverse maternal outcomes, such as GDM, in Hispanic women.12 Thus, it is important to develop culturally adapted interventions that can engage pregnant women in more active lifestyles.The impact of exercise interventions during pregnancy has been conflicting. Several interventions have been successful at attenuating the decrease in physical activity levels over the course of pregnancy13–15; however, most studies have observed no impact.16–20 In addition, the majority of the successful interventions to date have been conducted in predominantly White non-Hispanic study populations or have used intensive interventions that may not be feasible in clinical practice.21Individually tailored, motivationally matched interventions have been shown to be cost-effective approaches to increasing physical activity in nonpregnant women in community settings.22,23 These interventions are also readily translatable to clinical practice. However, whether these programs are effective at increasing physical activity during pregnancy is unknown. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of an individually tailored, motivationally matched exercise intervention on physical activity levels in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women at high risk for GDM.     

The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Distracted Driving Knowledge,Attitudes, and Behaviors Among College Students

Journal of Community Health - Distracted driving indiscriminately kills nearly 3500 people each year with young adults having greater risks associated with this phenomenon. Prevention programs...     

护理干预对2型糖尿病患者自护行为的影响

目的探讨护理干预对2型糖尿病患者自护行为的影响，帮助患者建立长期性良好的自护行为，以提高患者的生活质量。方法随机抽取2006年7月-2008年1月在我院门诊就诊和住院确诊的2型糖尿病患者在监测与控制血糖、饮食控制、规律运动、遵医服药、足部护理、高低血糖预防与处理等自护行为进行健康教育和指导，并进行干预前和干预后6个月评价。结果患者对糖尿病相关知识掌握率明显提高（P〈0．01），其自护行为明显改善（P〈0．01），血糖异常率明显下降（P〈0．01）。结论对2型糖尿病患者自护行为进行护理干预，可提高患者的自我保健意识，建立长期性良好的白护行为，以提高患者的生活质量。     

The Clustering of Risk Behaviors Among Caribbean Youth

Objective: To examine the relationships among risk behaviors for Caribbean youth; and to determine the correlations between initiation of sexual activity and other risk behaviors. Methods: The associations between cigarette smoking, alcohol and marijuana use, early initiation of sexual intercourse, involvement in violence and delinquency were examined using odds ratios on data from the Caribbean Youth Health Survey (n = 15,695). Survival analysis was then used to determine the association between initiation of sexual activity and the risk behaviors. Findings: There were statistically significant relationships between all pairs of risk behaviors for both male and female adolescents. Even though more males than females had engaged in each of the behaviors, the strengths of association were higher for females. From survival analysis, initiation of sexual activity was associated with gang involvement and weapon carrying among young adolescents and even more risk behaviors among the older adolescents. Conclusion: Health compromising behaviors cluster among Caribbean youth with associations being stronger for females. Initiating sexual activity was a predictor of other risk behaviors with the likelihood increasing among older adolescents and females.     

Spatial Analysis of the Impact of a School-Level Youth Violence Prevention Program on Violent Crime Incidents in the Community

Prevention Science - This study investigated the effect of a school-based violence prevention program on community rates of violence for youth aged 10 to 18 in three urban communities with high...     

The Effect of State-Level Sex Education Policies on Youth Sexual Behaviors

Two types of sex education are generally offered in the U.S. abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education. There is no clear scientific consensus over which approach minimizes the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for youth. While there have been many studies of specific programs in clinical or quasi-experimental settings, there are very few evaluations of how state-level sex education policies affect the youth population. We estimate the impact of various state-level sex education policies on youth sexual activity and contraceptive use using data from four waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from 39 states. We found that states that require sexuality (sex and/or HIV/STD) education and contraceptive content or states that mandate education but leave the actual content up to local districts have lower rates of sexually active youth and higher rates of contraception use when youth are sexually active. States that require sexuality education and require abstinence content increase the rate at which youth are sexually active, and youth in those states are less likely to use hormonal birth control if they are sexually active. In conclusion, we found that state policies regarding sex and HIV/STD education had statistically significant effects that are meaningful in magnitude from a public health perspective.

     

24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors Among Youth

PurposeThe Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (≥60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, ≤2 hours of recreational screen time per day, and 9–11 hours of sleep per night for 5–13 years old) are associated with better physical health, but less is known about how these behaviors are related to mental health. This study examined the association of meeting these guideline recommendations with internalizing and externalizing behaviors among youth.MethodsA large and broadly representative cross-sectional sample of 9- to 11-year-old U.S. youth (N = 11,875) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study was analyzed. Internalizing and externalizing behaviors were measured using the Child Behaviour Checklist. Associations were examined using negative binomial regression adjusted for several confounders.ResultsCompared to meeting none of the recommendations, meeting recommendations for screen time and sleep but not physical activity was associated with a lower prevalence ratio of total, internalizing, and externalizing behaviors. Meeting two or all three recommendations was more strongly associated with these outcomes than meeting one recommendation or none. The prevalence ratio of the group meeting all three recommendations was .77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: .68–.86) for total problem scores, .78 (95% CI: .68–.89) for internalizing problem scores, and .79 (95% CI: .68–.91) for externalizing problem scores.ConclusionsMeeting the 24-hour movement guidelines was associated with a lower risk of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in youth. These associations were mainly explained by meeting the screen time and sleep duration recommendations.     

Influence of Permissive Parenting on Youth Farm Risk Behaviors

Farm youth continue to experience high rates of injuries and premature deaths as a result of agricultural activities. Increased parental permissiveness is positively associated with many different types of high-risk behaviors in youth. This study explored whether permissive parenting (fathering and mothering) predicts youth unsafe behaviors on the farm. Data were analyzed for 67 youth and their parents. Families were recruited from a statewide farm publication, through youth organizations (i.e., FFA [Future Farmers of America]), local newspapers, farmer referrals, and through the Cooperative Extension Network. Hierarchical multiple regression was completed. Results revealed that fathers and mothers who practiced lax-inconsistent disciplining were more likely to have youth who indulged in unsafe farm behaviors. Key hypotheses confirmed that permissive parenting (lax-inconsistent disciplining) by parents continued to predict youth unsafe farm behaviors, even after youth age, youth gender, youth personality factor of risk-taking, and father’s unsafe behaviors (a measure associated with modeling) were all taken into account. A key implication is that parents may play an important role in influencing youth farm safety behaviors. Parents (especially fathers) need to devote time to discuss farm safety with their youth. Farm safety interventions need to involve parents as well as address and respect the culture and values of families. Interventions need to focus not only on safe farm practices, but also promote positive parenting practices, including increased parent-youth communication about safety, consistent disciplining strategies, and increased monitoring and modeling of safe farm behaviors by parents.     

The Influence of Peer versus Adult Communication on AIDS-Protective Behaviors among Ghanaian Youth

Who most influences youth's AIDS-protective behaviors: peers, adults, or a combination of both? This paper explores interpersonal communication about reproductive health information among Ghanaian youth, and the association of this communication with different types of reported AIDS-preventive behaviors. Contacts of peer educators in Ghana were surveyed at three sites during April 1998. Respondents age 11 to 26 years were included in this analysis (N=490). Youth who talked with both peers and adults (n=90) were 2.08 times more likely (95% CI: 1.23, 3.51) to report having done anything to protect themselves from AIDS than those who talked to no one (n=202), while those who talked with peers only (n=150) were 1.71 times more likely (95% CI: 1.10, 2.64) to have done something to protect themselves from AIDS. Youth who talked with adults only were not significantly more likely to protect themselves from AIDS than those who spoke with no one (n=42). Sexually active youth were more than twice as likely to talk to peers as adults. Specific AIDS-protective behaviors reported by youth differed substantially depending on whether their contact source was peers or adults. Understanding the interelationship between peer and adult influence allows program managers to design increasingly effective programs.     

2型糖尿病先证者发病年龄对遗传表型影响的研究

目的探讨2型糖尿病（DM）先证者发病年龄对糖耐量正常一级亲属的胰岛素抵抗（IR）表型及胰岛β细胞功能的影响。方法选择186个2型DM核心家系中186例2型DM先证者和489例糖耐量正常的一级亲属。根据先证者发病年龄的四分位数，分别选取最低四分位数发病年龄的先证者（发病年龄〈42岁）的一级亲属127例（为一级亲属1组）和最高四分位数发病年龄的先证者（发病年龄〉55岁）的一级亲属118例（为一级亲属2组）进行研究。应用HOMA—IR，△I30／△G30（包括△I30.△G30^-1．HOMA—IR^-1）分别评估胰岛素敏感性和胰岛β细胞功能。结果一级亲属1组的腰臀围比、收缩压、甘油三酯、HOMA-IR均高于一级亲属2组，△I30/△G30△I30.△G30^-．HOMA-IR^-1均低于一级亲属2组，差别有统计学意义（P〈0．05或0．01）。结论早发2型DM先证者的糖耐量正常一级亲属可能具有更明显的IR表型特点和β细胞功能降低。     

护理干预对儿童糖尿病患者的影响

目的：讨论护理干预对儿童糖尿病患者的影响。方法：选择2012年3月-2013年5月本院收治的I型糖尿病患儿共60例,按随机数字表法分为两组,观察组采用护理干预手段,对照组采用常规护理。比较两组治疗前后的空腹血糖、餐后2h血糖、抑郁得分和焦虑得分及糖化血红蛋白,以评价护理干预的效果。结果：观察组治疗后的空腹血糖为（5.25±0.51）mmol/L、餐后2 h血糖为（7.16±0.77）mmol/L、抑郁得分为（13.2±3.8）分、焦虑得分为（7.2±1.8）分、糖化血红蛋白为（7.59±1.46）%,与对照组比较差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论：护理干预可以有效提高糖尿病儿童患者的治疗效果,并促进心理健康发展。