Adolescent Achievement: Relative Contributions Of Social Emotional Learning, Self-Efficacy And Microsystem Supports

The purpose of the current study was to examine the roles of select intrapersonal and microsystem factors in high school adolescents’ academic achievement. The selected combination of factors was hypothesized to be unique in their ability to explain greater proportions of variance in academic achievement in adolescents. A specific model through an ecological framework was proposed. Participants included 379 high school students (176 males, 193 females) from a midwestern, suburban high school that enrolls approximately 1,500 students. A variety of variables emerged as significant predictors of academic achievement, with social emotional learning, selfefficacy, socio-economic status, parental involvement, peer support, and teacher support all explaining significant proportions of variance in achievement, and some to stronger degrees than others. This lends support to the notion that learning is shaped by a myriad ecological factors. These findings are discussed with regard to their usefulness in understanding ways in which to target each of the investigated variables to ultimately increase academic achievement in adolescents

Factors Influencing The Receipt Of Diabetic Retinopathy Screening In A High-Risk Population

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is among the leading causes of vision loss in the US, yet an estimated 50% of patients with diabetes do not receive recommended annual screening eye exams for reasons that are incompletely understood. Patients with diabetes and low socioeconomic status or who are racial/ethnic minorities are at increased risk for vision loss. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 patients with diabetes at a federally qualified community health center and a primary care clinic in New Haven, CT regarding factors influencing their use of screening exams. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed line by line to identify themes. The themes were organized in a theoretical framework of factors influencing receipt of screening. Participants identified as black (16), white (5), Hispanic (5), Asian (1), and other/no answer (3). Twenty-eight had health insurance. Twenty-four had received an eye exam within in the past year, but one-third of participants reported they did not receive eye exam yearly. 415 comments were coded at 22 nodes under 7 broader themes and two overarching categories of individual factors and institutional/structural factors. Themes included vision status, competing concerns, emotional context, resource availability, in-clinic experience, cues to action, and knowledge about diabetes. Among the patients who had not received an eye exam within the past year, the cost of an exam, lack of insurance coverage, and lack of prompting by a health provider were among the reported reasons for not pursuing eye screenings. Many patients lack knowledge about diabetic retinopathy and the utility of preventative eye care. New strategies for engaging high-risk populations are necessary