Validation of the Abbreviated Socio‑Political Control Scale for Youth (SPCS‑Y) Among Urban Girls of Color

This study tested and validated the factor structure of the abbreviated Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) among a sample of urban girls of color. Participants include (N = 830) urban girls of color from a northeastern United States community. Confirmatory Factor analyses (CFA) were conducted using AMOS Structural Equation Modeling Software. Cluster groups were created using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA) and tested using Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with conceptually related variables. CFA results supported the two-factor structure of the abbreviated SPCS-Y among the sample. Following the creation of cluster groups, MANCOVA analyses revealed significant heterogeneity among cluster groups of participants on neighborhood sense of community, social support, ethnic identity, and lower levels of drug use. Findings support the factor structure of the SPCS-Y and its use to measure empowerment among girls of color. Results contribute significantly to the field of social work and encourages the importance of promoting strengths-based approaches among girls of color. Implications for social work practice with girls of color are conveyed in light of the need for reliable measurement tools for practitioners

Social exclusion among urban ethnic minority youth in the Northeast United States: A reflective view on community supportive structures

Social exclusion occurs as a combination of challenges (e.g., unemployment, high poverty, family conflict) that limits life opportunities. Social exclusion has been researched within European contexts, among middle-class families, and from quantitative perspectives. However, research on the topic among urban ethnic minority youth and using qualitative methodologies has remained elusive in the U.S. Although collaborative efforts between governmental institutions and community-based coalitions have helped develop intervention efforts to decrease social exclusion among youth in low-income urban areas, it continues to develop within families, communities, and societies. Therefore, this research explored experiences of social exclusion among low-income minority youth in an urban community in the Northeast U.S. Data were collected from nine focus groups (N = 58). The goal was to explore how urban ethnic minority youth understood social exclusion and the community resources they used to navigate its challenges. Findings included economic and societal exclusion in the form of economic deprivation and lack of appropriate safety nets. Although youth expressed a lack of community connection in the form of community exclusion, they applied a reflective view on how inequality shaped their lives, while discussing pathways towards social inclusion. This reflection was emphasized by the importance of developing bridging and bonding relationships (mentoring)

The American Dream eludes many urban youth of color. And they think it's their own fault.

Segregation is not a thing of the past for young people of color in the US; many attend under-resourced and segregated school districts. Despite these disadvantages, America's leaders tell young people of color that they can achieve the "American Dream" via hard work and determination. In new research, David T. Lardier Jr., Kathryn G. Herr, Veronica R. Barrios, Pauline Garcia-Reid ..

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Understanding the Effect of Structural Violence on the Educational Identities of Hispanic Adolescents: A Call for Social Justice

School social workers are in a position to positively influence the educational experiences of those students placed most at risk by current school practices, and data indicate that Hispanics are particularly vulnerable in this regard. An examination of trends and educational outcomes are provided as evidence of the educational challenges encountered by many impoverished Hispanic youths. The theory of structural violence is then introduced as a way of conceptualizing the current educational climate experienced by many low-income Hispanic adolescents. Although it is used in this article to explore the experiences of Hispanic youths, it is important to recognize that structural violence is not limited to this population or stage of development. Recommendations for school social work practice, education, and research are provided to assist social workers in developing a more comprehensive response to educational inequality. Such efforts may begin to address the educational needs of Hispanic adolescents and hold promise for the development of strategies that could foster the educational success of all students

Pathways to school engagement among Latino youth in an urban middle school context: The influence of social support, sense of ethnic pride, and perception of discrimination

Far too many young people are reared in communities where opportunities are limited and crime and violence are pervasive. These risk indicators often interfere with healthy development and contribute to academic difficulties. This study examined the impact of exposure to neighborhood and school violence on the school engagement process of Latino adolescents and further assessed the modifying effects of social support, sense of ethnic pride, and the perception of discrimination. A total of 226 Latino youth from an urban middle school in Northern, New Jersey participated in the study. Data were gathered in the Fall of 2002 using the Student Success Profile (SSP) and the Measures of Ethnic Related Threat and Ethnic Identity questionnaires. Findings from the path analysis indicate that despite living in an at-risk community, the adolescents\u27 perception of lower negative risk taking behaviors by their peers and the perception of contained neighborhood dangerousness were predictive of positive school engagement. Social supports provided by friends, parents, and teachers and the importance of religion were also found to predict positive school engagement. Findings suggest that social work practitioners working in the school domain, can aid teachers, parents, and students in identifying and enhancing potential social support networks by incorporating an ecological framework that targets peer groups, school personnel, and family and community members in promoting school engagement. It is incumbent upon academicians, researchers, social work practitioners, and educators who work in the area of children and family services, to develop long lasting solutions that could serve to increase opportunities for school and future success

Examining Social Capital as a Mechanism for Improving School Engagement Among Low Income Hispanic Girls

Hispanic females are a rapidly growing population and are now considered the largest group of ethnic minority girls in the United States. Yet research to guide their educational needs remains sparse. Addressing this concern, this investigation incorporated a strengths-based approach for examining school engagement among Hispanic middle school girls. A path model predicting school engagement was tested that included a neighborhood environment variable (e.g., neighborhood dangerousness) and variables to assess social capital (e.g., teacher support, friend support, and parent support). The hypothesized model was found to fit data from the sample and showed the positive and direct effects of teacher support, friend support, and parent support on school engagement, and further demonstrated that the perceived absence of neighborhood dangerousness was positively and directly associated with engagement in school. Implications for school-based interventions for Latina youth are discussed

An Ecological Approach to Experiential Learning in An Inner-City Context

In-depth, qualitative interviewing was employed to describe processes and competencies experienced by family science interns, who practiced in a high-risk ecological context. Twenty interns from a 3-year period were recruited. All had interned on the same federally funded, HIV/substance abuse prevention grant in the same focal city. Within this sample, it was determined that experiential learning-vis-à-vis the internship-facilitated both intrapersonal processes and ecological competencies for family science interns, who may otherwise have lacked this knowledge when assuming professional roles. Implications for policy and practice are discussed

Validation of the Brief Sense of Community Scale Among Youth of Color from An Underserved Urban Community

Neighborhood sense of community (SOC) is a key construct in the community psychology literature. While the research on neighborhood SOC has progressed significantly, there is a need to further validate the Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) among youth. A critical area of scholarship, therefore, is to examine the factor structure of the BSCS among a cohort of adolescents, particularly from the United States. This study tested the factor structure of the BSCS among a sample of urban youth of color (N = 383) using SPSS AMOS, a structural equation modeling software. After testing the factor structure, we examined the relationships between each of the BSCS subscales and conceptually related variables (e.g., psychological empowerment, relational power, and school importance). Results from this study confirm the first- and second-order factor structure of the BSCS among youth. BSCS and its underlying subscales were both correlated with one another and correlated with the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment, relational power, and school importance. Our findings have critical implications for the field of community psychology and the development and use of the BSCS among adolescents