142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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301979
Adolescent Exposure to Community Violence and their Health Related Quality of Life

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Sunday, November 16, 2014

Karolina Dossantos, Undergraduate Student , College of Nursing, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Maria DiDiego, undergraduate student , College of Nursing, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Melissa Behmer, Undergraduate student , College of Nursing, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Sarah Kelly, PhD, RN , College of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Background: Community violence is an escalating public health problem. In 2010, among youth aged 15 to 24, there were more than 26,000 nonfatal gunshot injuries and more than 650,000 youth were treated in emergency rooms for assaults injuries. For some youth, violence is part of life.  Either way, the impact on their health is serious; with proximal and distal effects on the individual, the family, and the community. While health and behavioral healthcare are needed by these youth, they typically lack the resources or adult guidance to effectively respond to their health issues. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explore the influence of exposure to community violence on youths health related quality of life.

Method: A descriptive study will be conducted to obtain information about the effects of exposure to community violence on youths health related quality of life. A purposeful sample of youth will be recruited for this research study. The sample will be from a Charter School in Perth Amboy, NJ. In addition to basic demographic information, the subjects will complete one survey related to their exposure to community violence and one survey related to health related quality of life .

Results: The study is ongoing

Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, we hope to provide evidence supporting the need for increase public health education. Further the evidence can be used in the development of a school based interventional program focused on lessening the effects of exposure to community violence on at risk youth.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Describe youths' exposure to community violence and discuss the effects of violence on youths' health related quality of life.

Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am working with Dr. Kelly, who has extensive research experience with vulnerable youth and their experiences with exposure to community violence.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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