Abstract

Layered protection: A socio-ecological analysis of maternal support, paternal support, and athletic participation on the mental health of black boys exposed to community violence

Naomi Whitaker, MPH¹, Rabiatu Barrie, PhD² and Marie-Claude Jipguep, PhD³
(1)University of Maryland, College Park, MD, (2)College Park, MD, (3)Howard University, Washington D.C., DC

APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo

Black boys are disproportionately exposed to community violence, a chronic stressor linked to poor mental health outcomes (Bottiani et al., 2021; Smith Lee & Robinson, 2019; Wilson & Rosenthal, 2003; Miliauskas et al., 2021). While organized sports are often viewed as protective, limited research explores whether athletic participation supports the mental health of Black boys navigating community violence exposure (Murthy, 2023;Panza et al., 2020). Given the strong socialization of Black boys into sports and the centrality of both family and school environments during adolescence, this study examined whether these key contexts offer layered protection for mental health outcomes. Grounded in the Socio-Ecological Model, which emphasizes the interconnected nature of interpersonal and organizational levels of influence, we explored whether maternal attachment, paternal attachment (interpersonal) and school-based athletic participation (organizational) predicted reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among 374 Black high school boys exposed to community violence. Using a hierarchical regression analysis, we found maternal attachment consistently buffered against depression, anxiety, and stress. Paternal attachment showed significant effects for stress and depression, while athletic participation was found not to be a significant predictor. This study highlights the importance of maternal relationships and the need for further investigation into the role of fathers in mental health support. Athletic participation was found to be nonsignificant. This finding highlights the need to strengthen school-based athletic programs to be a trauma-informed and culturally responsive resource for Black boys, particularly those exposed to community violence. Implications for these findings and future research directions will be discussed.

Public health or related research Social and behavioral sciences