Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114504

Roy F. Oman, PhD¹, Sara K. Vesely, PhD², Cheryl Blalock Aspy, PhD³, Eleni Tolma, MPH PhD⁴, Sharon Rodine, MEd⁵, Janene D. Fluhr, MS⁶, and LaDonna Marshall⁵. (1) Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 26901, Rm. 369, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, 405-271-2017 x46752, Roy-Oman@ouhsc.edu, (2) Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, PO Box 26901, CHB, Room 309, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, (3) Family & Preventive Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 900 NE 10th St. - FMC 2209, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, (4) Department of Health Pormotion Sciences, Univeristy of Oklahoma, P.O.Box 26901, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, (5) HEART of OKC Project, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, 420 N.W. 13th St., #101, Oklahoma City, OK 73103, (6) College of Public Health, Health Promotion Sciences Department, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, P O Box 26901, CHB-369, Oklahoma City, OK 73190

Youth development programs, which are based on the belief that assets can help prevent youth from engaging in harmful behaviors, are one promising approach to preventing participation in youth sexual and related risk behaviors. However, to date there is little hard scientific evidence to suggest that youth assets are causally related to a reduction in teen sexual and related risk behaviors. The Youth Asset Study (YAS), a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is currently underway to test the youth asset/risk behavior relationship. The YAS uses a developmental age group approach and a longitudinal study design to assess relationships among youth assets and community factors and the strength of these relationships to teen pregnancy, sexual behavior, related risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol and drug use, violence), and positive behaviors as well. Baseline data were collected from randomly-selected households in which youth (Mean age= 14.3 + 1.6 years; 53% female; 39% white, 28% Hispanic, 24% black, 4% Native American) and their parents (N=1,120 youth/parent pairs) resided. The purpose of the proposed session is to report on the individual and cumulative associations between assets and youth: 1) sexual behavior (abstract # 114146), 2) weapon carrying (abstract # 112217), 3) fighting (abstract # 111910), 4) tobacco use (abstract # 114085), and 5) attendance at religious services (abstract # 111171). The presentations will provide session attendees with an understanding of youth assets and their potential role in improving behavior as well as strategies for developing asset-based youth development programs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Develop prevention programs involving multiple assets that have positive effects on decreasing youth participation in risk behaviors.
• Understand associations between youth assets and positive youth behavior.

Keywords: Child Health Promotion, Risk Behavior

Related Web page: w3.ouhsc.edu/hps/YAS.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation