- Browse by Author
Browsing by Author "Barnes-Najor, Jessica"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Collective ethnic-racial identity and health outcomes among African American youth: Examination of promotive and protective effects(American Psychological Association, 2019-07) Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Beutlich, Marcy R.; Fisher, Sycarah; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of ScienceOBJECTIVES: Racial discrimination is associated with numerous negative health outcomes, including increased risk for depression and anxiety symptoms and substance use. Positive affect toward of one's ethnic or racial group (i.e., ethnic-racial identity affirmation) has been shown to buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination on health outcomes. The extent to which one believes his or her group is valued by others (i.e., positive collective ethnic-racial identity) has also been proposed to be protective. However, to date a limited body of research has examined the moderating effect of collective ethnic-racial identity on health, and among available studies, findings are mixed. METHOD: African American youth (N = 612; 58.2% female, M grade = 8) completed measures on experiences of discrimination, mood symptoms, substance use, ethnic-racial identity affirmation, and collective ethnic-racial identity (assessed using the Collective Self-Esteem Scale). RESULTS: Controlling for demographic variables and affirmation, a significant main effect was found for collective ethnic-racial identity, such that believing that others viewed your group positively was associated with better health outcomes among African American youth. However, collective ethnic-racial identity was not found to buffer the effects of discrimination on health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of examining collective ethnic-racial identity and the promotive effect it can have on health outcomes for African Americans. More research is needed to better understand if there are health outcomes in which collective ethnic-racial identity may also mitigate risk as a consequence of racial discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).Item Dieting and Substance Use Among White and Black Adolescent Girls(Elsevier, 2021) Rowe, Alia T.; Khazvand, Shirin; Wu, Wei; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Psychology, School of ScienceObjective: Previous research has found an increasing co-occurrence of dieting and substance use behavior among adolescent girls. However, to date few studies have examined the temporal ordering of these behaviors. Further, limited research has been conducted to explore whether the pathways are similar among both White and Black girls. Method: For the current study 1580 girls (grade 6-11; 78.2% White; 21.8% Black) provided data on their dieting behavior and substance use. A cross-lagged panel design was used to examine the concurrent and prospective relationship between dieting behavior and substance use across one year, then by race. Results: Among the full sample of girls, there was a significant concurrent relationship. Additionally, dieting behavior predicted substance use one year later, but the inverse relationship was not found. For the stratified analysis, dieting behavior and substance use were not correlated among Black girls at either time point, however concurrent relationships were found for White girls. For the prospective pathways non-significant effects were found for both groups. Discussion: These findings provide support for a temporal relationship between dieting behavior and substance use, such that the former predicts risk for the latter. However, when examined by race, some pathways of the full sample were found for White girls, whereas Black girls did not report an association between study variables. Thus, future studies should consider the impact of race within risk pathways.Item Differential typologies of current substance use among Black and White high-school adolescents: A latent class analysis(Elsevier, 2020-07) Banks, Devin E.; Bello, Mariel S.; Crichlow, Queenisha; Leventhal, Adam M.; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Zapolski, Tamika C.B.; Psychology, School of ScienceBlack and White adolescents demonstrate different prototypical profiles (i.e., typologies) of substance use, with Blacks demonstrating lower risk for concurrent use of two or more substances. Despite knowledge of these differences, typologies of adolescent substance use identified by person-centered methods, such as latent class analysis, have not characterized profiles by racial group. The current study examined typologies of substance use among Black and White youth separately using person-centered methods to identify common patterns of substance use among subjects. Data were drawn from a 5-year parent study examining adolescent health outcomes. The current study examined high-school aged White (n = 7271, 45.4% male) and Black youth (n = 1301, 40.1% male) who reported past-30-day frequency of cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, inhalant, and other drug use. Latent class analysis was used to examine substance use typologies among each group adjusting for grade and sex. Black and White youth demonstrated different typologies such that four typologies emerged among Blacks: Non-Use (87.8%), Alcohol and Marijuana Use (6.3%), Alcohol, Marijuana, and Cigarette Use (3.8%), and Frequent Polysubstance Use (2.0%). Conversely, five typologies emerged among Whites: Non-Use (73.4%), Predominant Alcohol Use (13.9%), Alcohol, Marijuana, and Cigarette Use (9.4%), Moderate Polysubstance Use (1.6%), and Frequent Polysubstance Use (1.7%). Findings suggest that Black and White youth engage in similar rates of concurrent substance use. Given that Black youth face greater risk for adverse consequences from substance use, prevention efforts are needed to prevent related health disparities related to concurrent substance use.Item Examining the Protective Effect of Ethnic Identity on Drug Attitudes and Use Among a Diverse Youth Population(Springer, 2017-08) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Fisher, Sycarah; Banks, Devin E.; Hensel, Devon J.; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Department of Psychology, School of ScienceEthnic identity is an important buffer against drug use among minority youth. However, limited work has examined pathways through which ethnic identity mitigates risk. School-aged youth (N = 34,708; 52 % female) of diverse backgrounds (i.e., African American (n = 5333), Asian (n = 392), Hispanic (n = 662), Multiracial (n = 2129), Native American (n = 474), and White (n = 25718) in grades 4–12 provided data on ethnic identity, drug attitudes, and drug use. After controlling for gender and grade, higher ethnic identity was associated with lower past month drug use for African American, Hispanic, and Multiracial youth. Conversely, high ethnic identity was associated with increased risk for White youth. An indirect pathway between ethnic identity, drug attitudes, and drug use was also found for African American, Hispanic, and Asian youth. Among White youth the path model was also significant, but in the opposite direction. These findings confirm the importance of ethnic identity for most minority youth. Further research is needed to better understand the association between ethnic identity and drug use for Multiracial and Hispanic youth, best ways to facilitate healthy ethnic identity development for minority youth, and how to moderate the risk of identity development for White youth.Item Pathway of protection: Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and substance use among multiracial youth(Elsevier, 2017-09) Fisher, Sycarah; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Sheehan, Chelsea; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of ScienceFifty percent of adolescents have tried an illicit drug and 70% have tried alcohol by the end of high school, with even higher rates among multiracial youth. Ethnic identity is a protective factor against substance use for minority groups. However, little is known about the mechanisms that facilitate its protective effects, and even less is known about this relationship for multiracial youth. The purpose of the present study was to examine the protective effect of ethnic identity on substance use and to determine whether this relationship operated indirectly through self-esteem, a strong predictor of substance use for among adolescent populations. Participants included 468 multiracial youth in grades six through 12 (53% female). The results found that ethnic identity was indeed related to substance use, partially through changes in self-esteem. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding and development of models of risk and protection for an understudied population.Item Peer victimization and substance use: Understanding the indirect effect of depressive symptomatology across gender(Elsevier, 2018-09) Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Rowe, Alia T.; Fisher, Sycarah; Hensel, Devon J.; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of ScienceOBJECTIVE: Peer victimization in school is common, with emerging literature suggesting that it may also increase risk for substance abuse. Yet, little is known about the underlying mechanisms within this risk pathway. The objective of this study is to use a prospective 3-wave design to examine the mediating role of depressive symptomatology on the relationship between peer victimization and substance use, as well as examine if the pathway varies based on gender. METHOD: 801 youth between 6th and 12th grade completed surveys across three years, which included measures on school peer victimization, depression symptomatology and substance use. Models tested the mediational pathway between victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Models were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Controlling for grade and the effect of each variable across waves, a significant indirect effect of peer victimization on substance use through depressive symptoms was found for females, with a non-significant indirect effect for males. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that female youth who are victimized by peers engage in substance use behaviors, at least in part, due to increases in depressive symptoms. Given its effect on depression, female victims may therefore benefit from coping skills training that targets emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in order to combat increased risk for substance use behaviors as a coping response to their victimization. Further research is warranted to better understand the risk pathway for male youth who also experience peer victimization.Item Peer Victimization, Mood Symptoms, and Alcohol Use: Examining Effects Among Diverse High School Youth(Springer Verlag, 2019-05) Rowe, Alia T.; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Hensel, Devon J.; Fisher, Sycarah; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of SciencePeer victimization is associated with alcohol use among adolescents. However, few studies have examined the mediating role of depression and anxiety, or differences by race. The current study examined the prospective relationship of peer victimization, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and alcohol use across two timeframes: 9th to 11th grade and 10th to 12th grade among African American and White youth. 2,202 high school youth (57.6% female) who identified as either African American (n=342, 15.2%) or White (n=1860, 82.6%) provided data on study variables. Path analysis among the overall sample indicated that anxiety symptoms was a significant mediator for both timeframes, with depressive symptoms mediating the pathway during the 10th to 12th grade timeframe. The findings were most consistent among White youth, with no significant indirect effects observed for African American youth. Thus, addressing depressive and anxiety symptoms may be effective targets to decrease alcohol use risk as a result of peer victimization among White youth. However, further research is needed to better understand risk models for peer victimization exposure on substance use outcomes among racial/ethnic minority youth.Item Person-Environment Fit, Substance Use Attitudes, and Early Adolescent Substance Use(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Fisher, Sycarah; Zapolski, Tamika; Al-Uqdah, Shareefah; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Arsenault, Chelsea; Barnes-Najor, Jessica; Psychology, School of ScienceBACKGROUND: Adolescent substance use is a national health concern. While the literature is clear on the prevalence of substance use during the adolescent developmental period, a dearth of literature is available on the developmental contexts, particularly the influence of school factors, in which substance use occurs. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the intermediary role of substance use attitudes on the relationship between school racial composition and alcohol and marijuana use in a sample of sixth to eighth graders. METHODS: The sample consisted of 4228 middle school students (89% White; 53% female) in the Midwest. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted on the relationship between school racial composition, substance use attitudes, and substance use, with race as the moderator. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant relationship between the percentage of White or Black students in a school and alcohol or marijuana use and that this relationship was mediated by substance use attitudes. These relationships did not differ significantly by student race. Conclusions/Importance: Preliminary findings indicate the importance of considering school racial composition as a systems level risk or promotive factor for attitudes toward substance use as well as substance use outcomes.