Community Involvement and Reduced Risk Behavior Engagement Among African American Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Empowerment Beliefs. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cooper, Shauna M.; White Johnson, Rhonda; Brown Griffin, Charity; Metzger, Isha; Avery, Melanie; Eaddy, Heather; Shephard, Constance; Guthrie, Barbara
• Is Part Of: Journal of black psychology. Volume 41:Number 5(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 415
• Page End: 437
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: community involvement -- empowerment -- risk behavior -- African American -- adolescent; African Americans -- Psychology -- Periodicals; 155.8496
• DOI: 10.1177/0095798414536225
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0095-7984

Abstract

Studies have indicated disproportionate health risks among African American adolescents. Given these estimates, research has focused on the prevention of health risk behaviors among this population. Using a strengths-based approach, the current study explored associations between community involvement and African American youths' health risk behaviors. Additionally, this investigation examined youths' empowerment beliefs as a mediator of this association. Participants in this study were 1, 452 African American youth ( M = 14.41; SD = 1.14; 59% female) residing in a large Midwestern city. Results indicated that community involvement was not directly associated with adolescent health risk behaviors. However, empowerment beliefs mediated the association between community youth involvement and adolescent sexual risk behaviors. Findings suggest the importance of identifying mechanisms that better illuminate the link between community involvement and African American adolescents' health risk behaviors.