The Determinants of Health: Neighborhood Characteristics, Obesity and the Mental Health of African-American Adolescent Girls

The present study examined the relationship among neighborhood characteristics, obesity, and the mental health outcomes of a nationally representative sample of African-American adolescent girls between the ages of 12 - 17. Using data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, four questions were extracted to measure neighborhood amenities, neighborhood detractors, body mass index, and experience of depression. Ordinal regressions were calculated to estimate the relationships between all variables. The results indicated that over 25% of African- American girls, ages 12 - 14 were overweight and obese with fewer 15 - 17-year-old girls falling within these categories. African-American girls had access to fewer amenities in their communities while at the same time being exposed to more detracting elements within their neighborhoods. Finally over 25% of parents or caregivers reported that girls ages 12 - 17 expressed being depressed in the last 12 months and depression was found to be related to obesity. Overall, African-American adolescent girls tended to live in communities with fewer resources and were at greater risk for being overweight and obese and having poorer mental health outcomes than their white peers. They were also the least likely to receive mental health services. In addition, access to neighborhood amenities had been shown to lead to better health outcomes. Given the positive relationship between neighborhood amenities, access to quality healthcare and health outcomes, local, state, and federal governments should continue to advocate for the provision of resources to communities with a substantial number of detracting elements so as to reduce the health disparities within the community. In addition, psychologists and other health providers should continue to advocate for mental health services for African-American girls who are the least likely to receive them

Addressing Gender-Based Violence Using Evidence-Based Practices During COVID-19: The Case of Puerto Rico

As gender-based violence (GBV) surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) called for member states, civil, and other stakeholders to consider the specific needs of women and girls in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Psychology provides scientific knowledge to help answer this call. Despite existing global guidance and psychological research to mitigate GBV, COVID-19 presents new challenges for consideration. This article summarizes existing GBV guidance/research and COVID-19 considerations, uses an illustrative case study to describe Puerto Rico’s application of GBV guidance/research during COVID-19, and provides preliminary policy and practice recommendations

Kindergarten teacher perceptions of kindergarten readiness: The importance of social–emotional skills

Using the National Center for Early Development and Learning’s Transition Practices Survey (1996), Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, and Cox (2000) addressed teachers’ judgments of children’s problems at Kindergarten entry. Since then, many changes have occurred in both early childhood education and Kindergarten. For example, pre-Kindergarten has been expanded by private, local, state, and federal agencies to serve the needs of all children and Kindergarten teachers are expected to deliver a more rigorous academic curriculum. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify current Kindergarten teachers’ judgments about children’s Kindergarten readiness and learning-related behaviors at school entry. Findings from Kindergarten teachers (N=531) indicated that teachers placed a high value on social–emotional skills and viewed many children as not having the requisite skills for successful Kindergarten entry. Further, they believed a large number of children were experiencing significant struggles that could hinder their classroom work. Implications for these findings are discussed as is the need for future research on strategies to enhance young children’s behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional skills prior to and during the transition to Kindergarten.First author draf

State reform and respect for the rights of the disabled people: A reflection on the Olmstead decision the case of New York state

Individuals with serious mental illness are often forced to live in institutional settings which limit their freedom and rights to become fully integrated into the community. The Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) decision ruled that states must provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to live in the most integrated settings based on their needs. Since that time several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of individuals with disabilities against states for failing to comply with the Olmstead decision. New York State is one such state. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lawsuit which was brought against the state of New York by the Department of Justice on behalf of several individuals with severe mental illness who lived in “adult homes.” The lawsuit was filed against New York State in 2013 for failing to fulfill the promise of the Olmstead decision by not providing these individuals access to housing that would allow them to be fully integrated into communities so as to live productive lives. A brief discussion is provided as to how the case was finally settled and the changes New York State made to ensure that the Olmstead decision would be fully implemented in the future

The rising gap between rich and poor: A look at the persistence of educational disparities in the United States and why we should worry

In 2001 the no child left behind act was signed into law with the promise to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their white and more affluent peers. Ribbons were cut, ceremonies were held, as America set off on a new path to ensure that all children would have the tools necessary to achieve the American Dream. Children who in the past only had access to low-quality schools would now be able to attend high-quality schools and acquire the skills necessary to become productive citizens and obtain jobs that would catapult them into the middle class. They would have a “choice.” The choice to attend a failing school, usually deemed “public” or the choice to attend a “charter school” the new option, which would provide them with a high-quality education. Fast forward and after fourteen years of living with the law the idea of obtaining a good public education has continued to decline while the notion of attending a high-quality charter school has continued to be popular in spite of the evidence. The purpose of this paper is to address how neoliberal policies have simultaneously led to the growth of charter schools and the persistence of educational disparities and to examine what is in store for the majority of Americans in the near future if public education destroyed

Gun violence and the voices of youth on community safety in the time of COVID-19 in East Harlem, NY: a youth participatory action research cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The USA has failed to codify the protection of children from gun violence (GV) as a human right. This study employs a youth participatory action research methodology, within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to investigate the relationships between GV exposure, self-identified gender and perceptions of children’s rights and safety. Methods An anonymous survey based on UNICEF USA’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative interactive survey tool targeting adolescents was modified by East Harlem, New York high school student co-researchers in collaboration with near-peer graduate students. The 61-question survey was administered at an East Harlem high school. Analysis consisted of univariate, bivariate and logistic regression using SPSS®. Results A total of 153 students completed the survey: 48.4% self-identified as male and 45.8% as female. Thirty-five percent reported witnessing GV. Most (79.1%) were aware of child rights regardless of gender or GV exposure but there were differences in perceptions of safety. Fifteen percent of females reported never feeling safe at school compared to 3% of males (p = 0.01). Females were 2.2 times as likely as males to report transportation waiting areas as never safe (p = 0.008). Almost a third of females reported never feeling safe from sexual harassment in public, compared to 10% of males (p = 0.004). In multivariable logistic regression adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity and grade level, students who witnessed GV were 4.6 times more likely to report never feeling safe from violence (95% CI 1.7–12.4). Thirty percent of students who witnessed GV reported not attending school because of safety concerns. Students who witnessed GV had 2.2 times the odds of carrying a weapon to school (95% CI 1.1–4.5). These patterns continued for other perceptions of safety. Conclusions The students in this study affirmed their rights to participate and express their views on matters that may affect them, as articulated in the UNCRC. The study revealed differences in perceptions of safety by self-identified gender and identified gun violence as a major contributor of youth’s perception of lack of safety. The study evinces the efficacy of employing YPAR methodology to identify and answer youth concerns of community safety and prioritize honoring child rights