Corliss Outley

The Home They Live In: Inner City Children's Views on the Influence of Parenting Strategies on Their Leisure Behavior

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how parenting strategies affect African-American childrens leisure experiences in socially isolated urban neighborhoods. From the perspective of children, we describe strategies used by their parents and families to combat constraints imposed by poverty and the physical risks in their neighborhood. Over a two-year period, 43 children were interviewed about their leisure experiences within the context of their family and neighborhood. Four themes regarding parenting strategies emerged from a qualitative analysis of the data: utilization of kinship networks, serving as arrangers of leisure activities, isolation and confinement, and chaperonage. These parenting strategies allowed some children to participate in mainstream leisure activities, despite risks present in their neighborhood. On the other hand, parental restrictions on childrens social interactions with peers and others perceived to be undesirable curtailed the range of leisure for some children. These findings are discussed in terms of (a) constraints to childrens leisure and, (b) the programmatic implications for the planning of childrens leisure in inner city neighborhoods.

Minnesota Tobacco-Free Park Policies: Attitudes of the General Public and Park Officials

A growing number of cities and counties in Minnesota have adopted policies or ordinances that restrict tobacco in outdoor locations. Current policies banning or limiting tobacco use on park and recreation grounds exist in at least 70 communities around Minnesota. However, little is known about the support for such policies. The goal of this project was to learn more about the level of support for tobacco-free park policies in Minnesota. A mail survey was sent to 2,400 randomly selected adult Minnesota residents, and a phone survey was administered to 257 park and recreation directors. Of the 2,400 surveys mailed, 1,501 (68%) were returned. Among the general public, 70% favored tobacco-free park policies. Reasons cited for supporting such policies include to reduce litter (71%), to reduce youth opportunities to smoke (65%), to avoid second-hand smoke (64%), and to establish positive role models for youth (63%). Park and recreation directors also support such policies (75%). Recreation directors in cities without a policy expressed a high level of concern over enforcement issues (91%), but few problems were reported (26%) in communities with a tobacco-free park policy. Broad support for tobacco-free park policies exists among the public at large and among park and recreation directors who work in tobacco-free parks. Fears of policy difficulties among park and recreation directors who work in parks without a tobacco-free policy are much greater than actual problems experienced in Minnesota tobacco-free park areas.

Conducting research with communities of color

This article presents the major challenges facing those who want to address the issues of race and ethnicity through research with communities of color; general methodological recommendations appropriate to many communities of color; and, specific research method recommendations for African American, American Indian, and Hispanic American communities.This article presents the major challenges facing those who want to address the issues of race and ethnicity through research with communities of color; general methodological recommendations appropriate to many communities of color; and, specific research method recommendations for African American, American Indian, and Hispanic American communities.

Elementary School Personnel's Perceptions on Childhood Obesity: Pervasiveness and Facilitating Factors

BACKGROUND Researchers in numerous disciplines have investigated the effects of the school environment on childhood obesity (CHO), one of the greatest current health concerns in the United States. There is a gap in current empirical evidence, however, on school personnels perspectives of this issue. This study examined school personnels perceptions of obesity as a problem among school-aged children and their views on factors contributing to obesity. METHODS Thirty-one semistructured interviews were conducted with elementary school personnel (teachers, administrators, and support staff) from 5 rural schools with a predominantly Hispanic (58.18%) and Black (30.24%) student population. The constant comparison method was used to identify emergent themes. RESULTS All but one participant considered obesity to be a problem among elementary children. Factors facilitating obesity most frequently cited by school personnel were home environment, poor nutrition, child control of dietary choices, child inactivity, and entertainment electronics. CONCLUSIONS Child control of dietary choices in both home and school environments was identified as a major contributor to obesity. Further exploration of this control is warranted to understand the complexity of this dynamic and its potential link to CHO.

Older African American women: an examination of the intersections of an adult play group and life satisfaction.

Abstract Despite the scholarly increase in examining American women, very few researchers have paid close attention to African American women and their perceptions of life satisfaction. This study explored eight older African American womens social world within a card playing group and its influence on their life satisfaction. This study was a qualitative design that utilized semi-structured interviews and participants observations. Three major themes emerged. The players experienced a sense of safe discourse when participating with the group. The playing group experienced independence from multiple roles. Finally, the playing group provided a coping mechanism for dealing with everyday stress and increased opportunities for socialization and strengthening of personal ties.

Just Spaces: Urban Recreation Centers as Sites for Social Justice Youth Development

Abstract Using a social justice youth development (SJYD) framework, this paper explored how urban recreation centers function as “just spaces” for youth and their communities. Utilizing evidence from a photovoice project, a method in which photographs were taken to visually depict the performance of hope, this article examined the experiences of a single case, Sara. Drawing upon Saras experiences, we examined the importance of recreational spaces in facilitating critical components of SJYD. Findings suggest centers, such as the YMCA, become important islands of hope for marginalized youth and it is imperative leisure scholars and policymakers recognize this critical link. Additional research is needed to understand how these spaces assist youth in responding to larger political and economic forces in their communities.

Utilization of an Interorganizational Network Analysis to Evaluate the Development of Community Capacity Among a Community–Academic Partnership

Background: Following a community health assessment the Brazos Valley Health Partnership (BVHP) organized to address fragmentation of services and local health needs. This regional partnership employs the fundamental principles of community-based participatory research, fostering an equitable partnership with the aim of building community capacity to address local health issues.Objectives: This article describes changes in relationships as a result of capacity building efforts in a community-academic partnership. Growth in network structure among organizations is hypothesized to be indicative of less fragmentation of services for residents and increased capacity of the BVHP to collectively address local health issues.Methods: Each of the participant organizations responded to a series of questions regarding its relationships with other organizations. Each organization was asked about information sharing, joint planning, resource sharing, and formal agreements with other organizations. The network survey has been administered 3 times between 2004 and 2009.Results: Network density increased for sharing information and jointly planning events. Growth in the complexity of relationships was reported for sharing tangible resources and formal agreements. The average number of ties between organizations as well as the strength of relationships increased.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the community capacity building efforts within these communities have contributed to beneficial changes in interorganizational relationships. Results from this analysis are useful for understanding how a community partnership’s efforts to address access to care can strengthen a community’s capacity for future action. Increased collaboration also leads to new assets, resources, and the transfer of knowledge and skills.

What about Health Educators? Nutrition Education for Allied Health Professionals: A Review of the Literature

Abstract Background: Health educators are critical members of the health care team who may be called upon to provide nutrition education. However, are health educators prepared for this task? What have scholars concluded regarding this pertinent topic? Purpose: This study has three purposes: (1) to determine the definition of and criteria for nutrition education among allied health professionals, (2) to identify commonalities across health professions for nutrition education definitions and training requirements, and (3) to determine if there are criteria for nutrition education and training for health educators. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature. Results: Twenty-three articles addressed how researchers conceptualize nutrition and their rationale for nutritions inclusion into the respective allied health disciplines curriculum. None of the studies examined nutrition education or the advocacy of nutrition for pre-professional or professional health educators. Discussion: Scholarly literature is currently silent on the topics of nutrition education provided by health educators, the ability of health educators to deliver nutrition education, and the advocacy of nutrition by the health education profession. Translation to Health Education Practice: This study represents the first step towards addressing the limitations associated with the role of nutrition educator and identifying possible changes needed for the health education profession.

Exploring Ethnic Variation in Preadolescent Aggressive Girls' Social, Psychological, and Academic Functioning.

The authors examined whether the adjustment patterns of socially and overtly aggressive preadolescent girls, ages 9 to 11 years, from rural communities differed by ethnicity. Students were administered a series of questionnaires to assess the degree to which girls engaged in various forms of aggression and to assess aggressive girls’ social, psychological, and academic functioning. Four clusters of girls—nonaggressive, socially aggressive, and moderate and high mixed aggressive—were identified with cluster analysis based on cross-gendered peer nominations of social and overt aggression. Results indicated that ethnic variation exists in aggressive and nonaggressive girls’ attitudes toward school and satisfaction with their friendships, but no ethnic differences were found in aggressive girls’ social adjustment. Socially aggressive and nonaggressive African American girls endorsed greater feelings of disengagement from school than socially aggressive and nonaggressive European American girls. No ethnic differences were found in aggressive girls’ endorsement of internalizing symptoms. However, both nonaggressive and socially aggressive African American girls reported greater dissatisfaction with their interpersonal relationships than nonaggressive and socially aggressive European American girls.

Black Spaces/White Spaces: Black Lives, Leisure, and Life Politics

ABSTRACT Racial neutrality does not exist within digital and virtual spaces. Our racialized identities are imported into these spaces, as are the ideologies of our respective societies. This reality begs the question, how do Black people situate themselves in digital White leisure spaces, especially when these spaces maintain and replicate off-line spaces of racial discrimination and overt racism? This article presents a background on Black Internet users and highlights how Black people have used digital spaces to counter and disrupt messages that perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes and social inequalities. Examples are offered to support this claim. This article underlines how behaviors of Black people in digital spaces can demonstrate the presence of Black leisure and highlight the realities of Black life. Finally, critical technocultural discourse analysis will be introduced as a technique for advancing this discussion within the context of race and leisure.