Javier F. Boyas

Gamification for Behavior Change: Lessons from Developing a Social, Multiuser, Web-Tablet Based Prevention Game for Youths

Interest is growing in gamification, the use of game techniques and mechanics to engage and motivate. Future predictions suggest that this interest will continue to grow especially in the use of games to change individual behavior. However, applying gamification concepts and principles is challenging. Despite the growing interest, few gamification efforts have documented the challenges associated with the game development and application process. This article illustrates how gamification concepts and principles were applied to the development of an online, multiuser, substance abuse, and relationship violence prevention game for youths. We discuss challenges encountered during the efforts to develop and test a prototype version of the game and then present concrete and practical strategies for addressing these challenges. This article provides guidance for other researchers and practitioners who may want to gamify human service processes and use gamification techniques within a behavior change framework.

We Fall Down: The African American Experience of Coping With the Homicide of a Loved One

Rates of homicide among African Americans are much higher than those of other racial or ethnic groups. Research has demonstrated that homicide can be psychologically debilitating for surviving family members. Yet, exploring the experiences of homicide victims’ surviving loved ones has received little attention. This study examined the coping strategies of African American survivors of homicide. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 8 African American family members (ages 18-82) of homicide victims. Survivors were recruited from the Massachusetts Office of Victim Services and from homicide survivor support, school, and community groups throughout the New England area. Interviews were conducted using open-ended questions derived from coping, support network, grief, and bereavement literatures. Results indicate that the primary coping strategies utilized by African American survivors of homicide victims are spiritual coping and meaning making, maintaining a connection to the deceased, collective coping and caring for others, and concealment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Correlates of Health Literacy among Latinos in Arkansas

Although research on acculturation and its effects on Latino health continue to grow, there is a dearth of knowledge on how acculturation levels shape health literacy. Health literacy is an important aspect of health to consider with the Latino population because a number of studies have found that this group has the lowest levels of health literacy in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine how acculturation and sociodemographic characteristics contribute to the health literacy of Latinos adults. Cross-sectional data was collected from a nonprobability sample of 123 Latinos living in various Arkansas communities. Multiple regression results suggest that Latinos who were more acculturated and were educated beyond high school were significantly more likely to have increased levels of health literacy. Findings also show that age, gender, income, and citizenship status were not significant predictors of health literacy. Implications and future research are discussed.

Voices of Latino parents and teens: Tailored strategies for parent–child communication related to sex

Parent–child communication around sex-related topics is relevant to the promotion of health. But there is little research on the perspectives that Latino parents and teens have regarding talking about sex. The aim of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the perspectives of first-generation Latino parents and their adolescents on the effects their personal experiences and culture have on conversations about sex-related topics. Four primary themes emerged and were reflected consistently in the five groups studied. The themes were culture, personal experiences, gender differences, and changes in beliefs and attitudes. Woven together, these themes paint a dynamic yet logical picture of the ways in which the participants’ culture and experiences shape their beliefs and practices. Our findings suggest that immigration, level of acculturation, and gender and family roles shape communication about sex-related topics and therefore should be considered when developing teen pregnancy prevention programs.

Unsocial Capital and Self-Rated Health: Contrasts Between Latinos and Non-Hispanic Whites

A considerable body of literature has established a link between social capital and health. Although this research area has grown, very little of it has focused on the Latino population. Additionally, very few studies have examined whether investing resources in social capital should supersede investing in resources that create traditional forms of capital. Through structural equation modeling, this investigation focused on establishing a contextual investigation of social capital and health as it pertains to Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites. Utilizing nationally representative data from the 2000 Community Benchmark Survey, results show that although facets of social capital were significant for both groups, they were not as strong in promoting better health as other characteristics. In fact, only social trust was significantly associated with better health.

Correlates of Depression among Chinese Immigrant Elders in Arizona: The Role of Acculturative Stress and Social Support

Using the stress and coping framework, we examined the association between acculturative stress, social support, and depression among Chinese immigrant elders living in Arizona. This cross-sectional study used a snowball sample of 120 respondents. Multiple regression results suggest that English language proficiency, health status, and gender were significant correlates of depression. Findings justify creating intervention programs that target Chinese immigrant elders who are less proficient in English, female, and in poor health. Future research and implications are discussed.

Implementing and evaluating a rural community-based sexual abstinence program: challenges and solutions

Informing both program evaluation and practice research, this paper describes lessons learned during the planning, implementation, and pilot phases of an abstinence education program based in a rural community in a southern state in the USA. Although a number of challenges can emerge in successfully implementing and evaluating such a program in a school and community setting, few publications have focused on bringing these challenges to light and highlighting strategies that were used to overcome them. This paper fills this knowledge gap by describing a community-based abstinence education evaluation project, outlining the challenges in implementing and evaluating the pilot phase of the project, and presenting strategies to address these challenges.

The Influence of Parental, Peer, and School Factors on Marijuana Use Among Native American Adolescents

ABSTRACT Marijuana use among Native American (NA) adolescents continues to be an ongoing concern and is often cited as the most critical health issue facing this population. Despite this recognition, few studies have examined the roles played by parental monitoring and school relationships among NA youth. This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2010 National Survey in Drug Use and Health to examine the combined influence of parental, peer, and school indicators on marijuana use among NA adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old (N = 287). The results of structural equation modeling suggest that peer factors and parental monitoring were significantly associated with marijuana use. In fact, the peer network was the most influential predictor. However, a significant relationship was not found between school relationships and marijuana use. Given the insignificance of school relationships, further research should examine the influence of peer interactions on marijuana use and the development of family-based prevention and intervention programs.

Racial and Ethnic Determinants of Interracial and Ethnic Trust

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to discern which individual factors are associated with interracial/ethnic trust among a national probability sample of African Americans, Latinos, and non-Hispanic whites. Using national data from the 2000 Community Benchmark Survey, the multiple regression results indicate that, even after controlling for education and income, African Americans and Latinos reported significantly lower levels of interracial/ethnic trust than did non-Hispanic whites. Additionally, separate regression equations indicate that predictors associated with interracial/ethnic trust varied by racial and ethnic group. Implications and future research are discussed.

Examining the Association Between Race, Ethnicity, and Health Status: Do Assets Matter?

The current study employs data from the 2004 Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) study to examine the degree to which observed differences in self-reported health status between African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and non-Hispanic Whites in the United States can be attributed to differences in various indicators of socioeconomic status. Results of the multinomial logistic regression techniques suggest that socioeconomic indicators had varying significant effects in predicting self-reported health status among all racial and ethnic groups. Among African Americans, homeownership, income, and age played a significant role. Among Asian Americans, only income and age significantly predicted health status. Among Latinos, income, having a checking account, and age significantly shaped health status, while education, age, and homeownership significantly predicted health status among non-Hispanic Whites.