Ignacio D. Acevedo-Polakovich

Comparing Television Use and Reading in Children With ADHD and Non-Referred Children Across Two Age Groups

There has been abundant speculation, but very little research, concerning the role of television in the lives of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study compared the use of television and other media in samples of children with ADHD and nonreferred children. Children with ADHD were reported to watch more television, a difference partially accounted for by demographic and environmental characteristics. Children with ADHD were also reported to enjoy television more and have greater involvement in television-related activities, and to enjoy reading less and be less involved in reading-related activities. However, there were no diagnostic group differences in reports of weekly reading, and weekly reading was unrelated to television viewing in children with ADHD. Results suggest a complex relation between television viewing and ADHD not recognized in previous research and popular commentary, and suggest that research on children with ADHDs television use should consider environmental and developmental contexts.

Service Accessibility for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth

Although Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning (LGBTQ) youth experience alarming rates of behavioral and social problems, service use among these youth is disproportionately low. It is likely that decreased service accessibility plays a causal role in service underutilization among LGBTQ youth. To expand the existing research on service accessibility issues in this population, a modified Delphi approach was used to gather expert consensus opinion from experienced youth service providers. Data revealed four broad levels of service accessibility barriers (i.e., societal, provider-related, youth-related, and resource-related) and five categories of strategies to increase service accessibility for LGBTQ youth (provider-focused, society-focused, youth-focused, school-focused, and resource-focused). Implications of current findings for future research into service access issues among LGBTQ youth are discussed, as are applications of current findings for the creation of service structures that facilitate service access among these youth.

Views on Sex and Sex Education Among Gang-Involved Latino Youth in the United States

Although gang-involved Latino youth in the United States are uniquely at risk of adverse consequences from sexual behavior, little research is available that can guide those who wish to develop interventions to reduce sexual risk among these youth. To facilitate the development of effective interventions, we identified cultural and contextual factors that influence sexual behavior and sex education among gang-involved Latino youth in one U.S. community. By analyzing transcripts from interviews and focus groups with three different groups of key stakeholders—gang-experienced Latino youth, the parents of gang-experienced Latino youth, and the personnel of a program providing comprehensive human services for gang-involved Latino youth—we identified three domains to be considered in developing sexual risk-reduction interventions for gang-involved U.S. Latino youth. The focus of our discussion is on the implications of these findings for future development or adaptation of interventions.

When context matters: Adaptation for high-risk U.S. Latina/o Subgroups

When membership in specific U.S. Latina/o subgroups is associated with differences in constructs related to an intervention’s targets or key components, adaptation must respond to Latina/o cultural constructs and to subgroup contextual factors. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of delivering an intervention to reduce sexually risky behavior in U.S. Latina/o youth adapted in response to the contexts faced by gang-involved Latina/o youth. Our secondary goal was to examine the effectiveness and satisfaction outcomes associated with the adapted intervention. Results suggest that the adapted version can be faithfully implemented, and that—compared the standard intervention—the adaptation has comparable effectiveness and higher participant satisfaction. We discuss the future development and evaluation of the intervention, and the usefulness of cultural adaptation in response to the needs of high-risk Latina/o subgroups. Cuando la pertenencia a grupos específicos de latinos en los Estados Unidos de America (E.U.A) se asocia con diferencias en constructos relacionados a los objetivos o componentes clave de una intervención, la adaptación debe responder a constructos culturales latinoamericanos y a factores contextuales a nivel subgrupo. En esta investigación, examinamos la factibilidad de proporcionar una intervención para reducir el comportamiento sexual riesgoso en adolescentes latinos de E.U.A. adaptada en respuesta a los contextos encarados por los jóvenes involucrados con pandillas. Nuestra meta secundaria fue examinar los resultados de efectividad y satisfacción asociados con la intervención adaptada. Los resultados sugieren que la versión adaptada puede ser fielmente implementada, y que—comparada con la intervención estándar—la adaptación tiene una efectividad comparable y mayor satisfacción de los participantes. Discutimos el futuro desarrollo y evaluación de la intervención, y la utilidad de la adaptación cultural en respuesta a las necesidades de grupos latinos con alto riesgo.

Youth health outcomes from the Connect-to-Protect coalitions to prevent adolescent HIV infections

ABSTRACT We assessed the relationships among HIV-related social and behavioral outcomes resulting from an adolescent-focused HIV structural change initiative in eight urban sites operating Connect-to-Protect coalitions. Over a 4-year period, annual cross-sectional panels of adolescents (N = 2248) completed an audio-computer-assisted interview, providing data on satisfaction with their communities as adolescent-supportive environments, internalized HIV stigma, lifetime HIV-testing, lifetime sexual risk-taking and number of sexual partners in the prior year. We used structural equation modeling to estimate hypothesized links between time since coalition mobilization to our social and behavioral outcomes. Over the 4 years, adolescents perceived their communities to become more supportive (p < .05). Positive perceptions of community support were associated with lower lifetime HIV sexual risk (p < .05). The effect of time on risk behavior was mediated by perceptions of community support. Stigma was unchanged over time. Stigma had damaging effects on risk behavior, effects which were also mediated by perceptions of community support. Special efforts are needed to address the deleterious effect of HIV stigma on high-risk urban adolescents.

The Youth Diversity Acceptance Scale: Development and Validity

ABSTRACT To facilitate rigorous research on community programs to promote positive intergroup relations among youth, 2 studies were conducted to establish the psychometric properties of the Youth Diversity Acceptance Scale (YoDA). In Study 1, a unifactorial structure was identified for the YoDA using data provided by 126 high school youth involved in a community program to improve intergroup relations. Moreover, hypothesized correlations between YoDA scores and intergroup closeness, awareness of discrimination, distress over discrimination, and knowledge of bias were also found. In Study 2, a single-factor confirmatory factor analysis was run on data provided by 112 high school youth who participated in the same program. Although the analysis provided limited support for the single-factor solution, a subsequent exploratory factor analysis indicated that the single-factor solution was appropriate for the data. Overall, these studies provide initial evidence for the internal structure and convergent validity of the YoDA, supporting its use in research to examine the effects of community programs on the promotion of intergroup acceptance.

Fatherhood among gang-involved U.S. Latino youth: Qualitative inquiry into key stakeholders’ perspectives.

Most crimes committed by adolescents in the United States are linked to gang activity, which is disproportionally present in Latina/o communities. Although most gang-involved teenage fathers wish that their children would not join gangs, their parenting tends to foster gang involvement in their children. An improved understanding of fatherhood among gang-involved U.S. Latino youth can inform the development of parenting- and fatherhood-focused interventions. To foster such understanding, we conducted interviews and focus groups with purposive samples of young gang-involved Latino fathers, parents of gang-involved Latino youth, and individuals who provide services or supports to gang-involved youth. Guided by Marshall and Rossman’s (1995) broad qualitative approach, we analyzed transcripts of these interviews and discussions, extracting 24 themes, which we organized into 7 categories and three higher order content groupings. We discuss the manner in which these findings describe the experience of fatherhood among gang-involved Latino youth, and point to influences on their parenting- and fatherhood-related attitudes and behavior. We discuss, also, the implications of our findings for the development of parenting- and fatherhood-focused interventions for gang-involved teenage Latino fathers. La mayoría de los crímenes cometidos por adolescentes en los EE. UU. están vinculados al pandillerismo, el cual desproporcionalmente aflige a las comunidades Latinas. Aun cuando la mayoría de los padres adolescentes involucrados en el pandillerismo desean que sus hijas/os no se afilien a las pandillas, su crianza de las/os hijas/os tiende a fomentar el involucramiento de estos en pandillas. Una mejor comprensión de la paternidad entre los jóvenes latinos estadounidenses involucrados en pandillas puede informar el desarrollo de intervenciones centradas en la crianza de los hijos y la paternidad. Nuestro análisis de datos cualitativos proporcionados por muestras intencionales de padres latinos jóvenes involucrados en pandillas, los padres y madres de estos, y de personas que brindan servicios y apoyo a jóvenes involucrados en pandillas resultó en tres agrupaciones de contenido que organizan siete categorías y los 24 temas que las conforman. Nuestra discusión se centra en las implicaciones de los resultados actuales para el desarrollo de intervenciones centradas en la crianza de los hijos y la paternidad para padres adolescentes latinos involucrados en pandillas.

Expert Consensus on Facilitating the Coming-Out Process in Sexual Minority Clients: A Delphi Study

Abstract This article presents the results of a Delphi study conducted to generate expert consensus about the best techniques for working with clients in the coming-out process. The initial expert interview phase (N = 19) generated a list of suggestions, including two therapist prerequisites, 11 suggestions for creating a welcoming environment, 15 areas of assessment, seven areas of psychoeducation, and 46 other specific techniques. During a second phase, the perceived helpfulness of these suggestions was rated by experts. The most highly rated techniques generally focused on guiding clients towards making their own coming-out decisions (e.g., “Allow the client to make his or her own decisions about how out to be, and to whom”), expressing a gay-positive attitude (e.g., “Discuss sexual minority identity as normal”), and helping clients prepare for coming-out disclosures (“Help the client to create a safety plan to address the possible negative outcomes of disclosure”).

Acting Bicultural Versus Feeling Bicultural: Cultural Adaptation and School-Related Attitudes Among U.S. Latina/o Youth

This study examines whether incorporating a multidimensional perspective to the study of the relation between cultural adaptation and academic attitudes among Latinas/os in the United States can clarify this relation. Hypotheses about the relation between cultural adaptation and academic attitudes were examined using data provided by U.S. Latina/o high school students. Findings suggest that enculturation and acculturation moderate each other’s effects on academic attitudes and that this moderation effect varies across cultural adaptation dimensions.