317798
Lending a Helping Hand: Relationship between Cumulative Neighborhood Promotive Factors and Adolescents' Contribution to their Community and Pro-Social Related Hoped-for Possible Selves
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Carissa Schmidt, MPH,
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Contributing to one’s community and having positive hoped for possible selves are important for healthy development among youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cumulative neighborhood promotive factors and adolescents’ contribution to their community and pro-social related hoped-for possible selves. A sample of 196 7th grade students (60% female; 45% African American) from a Midwestern school completed measures assessing neighborhood safety, neighborhood resources, neighborhood collective efficacy, contribution to community, and hoped for possible selves. Neighborhood safety, resources, and collective efficacy measures were used to create a composite neighborhood promotive factor index. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test both relationships. Results showed a significant relationship between cumulative neighborhood promotive factors and adolescents’ contribution to their community (b = .12, SE = .04, p < .01) and a significant relationship between cumulative neighborhood promotive factors and adolescents’ pro-social related hoped for possible selves (b = .05, SE = .02, p < .01). These findings suggest that neighborhood promotive factors may promote helping behavior and pro-social ideals among youth.
Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Discuss how positive neighborhood characteristics relate to pro-social behavior and ideals.
Describe how community contribution and pro-social related hoped-for possible selves promote positive development among youth.
Keyword(s): Children and Adolescents, Youth
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have taken several courses on youth development and adolescent health which have provided me with the theoretical background necessary to research adolescent health-related outcomes. Furthermore, I am mentored by esteemed researchers in the field of adolescent health and adolescent resilience.
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.
