Is Participation in Organized Leisure-Time Activities Associated with School Performance in Adolescence?

BackgroundOrganized leisure-time activities (OLTA) have been identified as a context suitable for improvement of school performance. This study aimed to assess the associations between participation in OLTA and school engagement, school-related stress, academic achievement and whether these associations differ by specific pattern of OLTA participation, gender and age. Furthermore, it assessed whether OLTA participants are more likely to acquire support for schoolwork from outside the family.MethodsThe sample concerned 10,483 adolescents (49.2% boys) aged 11, 13 and 15 from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children data collection in 2014 in the Czech Republic. Logistic regressions adjusted for gender and age were used to analyse the associations between participation in OLTA and four education-related outcomes.ResultsParticipation in OLTA was associated with higher school engagement, lower levels of school-related stress and better academic achievement regardless of gender and age. The strongest associations were observed for adolescents involved in various types of OLTA concurrently, with odds ratios ranging from 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–1.54) for lower school-related stress to 1.97 (95% CI 1.73–2.25) for above-average academic achievement. OLTA participants were also more likely to have a non-familial person to help them with schoolwork, though this association was weaker in 15-year-olds.ConclusionYouth involvement in OLTA is linked to general better school performance and attachment to school. Adolescents participating in more activities at the same time have the best school performance.     

Effect of restrictions on smoking at home, at school, and in public places on teenage smoking: cross sectional study

ObjectiveTo determine the relation between extent of restrictions on smoking at home, at school, and in public places and smoking uptake and smoking prevalence among school students.DesignCross sectional survey with merged records of extent of restrictions on smoking in public places.SettingUnited States.Participants17 287 high school students.ResultsMore restrictive arrangements on smoking at home were associated with a greater likelihood of being in an earlier stage of smoking uptake (P<0.05) and a lower 30 day prevalence (odds ratio 0.79 (95% confidence interval 0.67 to 0.91), P<0.001). These findings applied even when parents were smokers. More pervasive restrictions on smoking in public places were associated with a higher probability of being in a earlier stage of smoking uptake (P<0.05) and lower 30 day prevalence (0.91 (0.83 to 0.99), P=0.03). School smoking bans were related to a greater likelihood of being in an earlier stage of smoking uptake (0.89 (0.85 to 0.99), P<0.05) and lower prevalence (0.86 (0.77 to 0.94), P<0.001) only when the ban was strongly enforced, as measured by instances when teenagers perceived that most or all students obeyed the rule.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that restrictions on smoking at home, more extensive bans on smoking in public places, and enforced bans on smoking at school may reduce teenage smoking.     

Sexual behaviour of adolescents in Nigeria: cross sectional survey of secondary school students

ObjectivesTo determine whether family structure (polygamous or monogamous) is associated with sexual activity among school students in Nigeria.DesignCross sectional school survey with a two stage, clustered sampling design.Participants4218 students aged 12-21 years attending 39 schools in Plateau state, Nigeria. Responses from 2705 students were included in the analysis.ResultsOverall 909 students (34%) reported ever having had sexual intercourse, and 1119 (41%) reported a polygamous family structure. Sexual activity was more common among students from polygamous families (42% of students) than monogamous families (28%) (χ²=64.23; P<0.0001). Variables independently associated with sexual activity were male sex (adjusted odds ratio 2.52 (95% confidence interval 2.05 to 3.12)), older age (1.62 (1.24 to 2.14)), lower sense of connectedness with parents (1.87 (1.48 to 2.38)), having a dead parent (1.59 (1.27 to 2.00)), family polygamy (1.58 (1.29 to 1.92)), lower sense of connectedness with school (1.25 (1.09 to 1.44)), and lower educational level of parents (1.14 (1.05 to 1.24)). Multistep logistic regression analysis showed that the effect of polygamy on sexual activity was reduced by 27% by whether students were married and 22% by a history of forced sex.ConclusionsSecondary school students in Nigeria from a polygamous family structure are more likely to have engaged in sexual activity than students from a monogamous family structure. This effect is partly explained by a higher likelihood of marriage during adolescence and forced sex. Students'' sense of connectedness to their parents and school, regardless of family structure, decreases the likelihood of sexual activity, and fostering this sense may help reduce risky sexual behaviour among Nigerian youth.

What is already known on this topic

In 2000 Nigeria developed a national health policy aimed at preventing behaviour among adolescents leading to sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), pregnancy, and dropout from schoolEffective interventions in Nigeria have been hampered by inadequate information on contextual factors associated with sexual behaviour of adolescentsIn Western countries adolescents'' sense of connectedness to their parents and to school is inversely associated with risky sexual behaviour, but these effects may differ in countries where polygamy is prevalent and where school attendance is low

What this paper adds

A polygamous family structure is associated with early sexual activity among adolescents, an effect partly explained by a higher likelihood of marriage and history of forced sexual intercourseA greater sense of connectedness to parents and school decreases the likelihood of sexual activity, regardless of family structure     

How plants make light work of growth

Entry to medical schools; Harry Grenville

Nuffleld Advanced Biology

Environmental politics and policy

Grants for school nature areas

Biology in TVEI/CPVE courses - new handbook

New AV catalogue     

Academic performance in Hawaii

Abstract

Differences among census tracts in academic performance are estimated and related by path analysis to social class, race, and school characteristics in the only American state without local autonomous school districts. Contrary to the Coleman Report, school has a significant effect and race does not, but social class is the major cause of census tract difference in academic performance. Without appropriate data on family resemblance, a genetic component in class structure cannot be delineated.     

Bullying behaviour and psychosocial health among school students in New South Wales,Australia: cross sectional survey

ObjectivesTo examine the prevalence of bullying behaviours in schoolchildren and the association of bullying with psychological and psychosomatic health.DesignCross sectional survey.SettingGovernment and non-government schools in New South Wales, Australia.Participants3918 schoolchildren attending year 6 (mean age 11.88 years), year 8 (13.96), and year 10 (15.97) classes from 115 schools.ResultsAlmost a quarter of students (23.7%) bullied other students, 12.7% were bullied, 21.5% were both bullied and bullied others on one or more occasions in the last term of school, and 42.4% were neither bullied nor bullied others. More boys than girls reported bullying others and being victims of bullying. Bullying behaviour was associated with increased psychosomatic symptoms. Bullies tended to be unhappy with school; students who were bullied tended to like school and to feel alone. Students who both bullied and were bullied had the greatest number of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms.ConclusionsBeing bullied seems to be widespread in schools in New South Wales and is associated with increased psychosomatic symptoms and poor mental health. Health practitioners evaluating students with common psychological and psychosomatic symptoms should consider bullying and the student’s school environment as potential causes.

Key messages

• Bullying behaviour occurs in schools worldwide and is likely to be associated with poor health in schoolchildren
• Research into bullying has been mainly focused on victims but there are other categories of bullying that deserve attention
• At least three out of five students experienced or participated in bullying in schools in New South Wales, Australia
• The psychosocial and psychosomatic health of the students varied according to their bullying status

     

Prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites among school children in africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionParasitic infections, especially intestinal protozoan parasites (IPPs) remain a significant public health issue in Africa, where many conditions favour the transmission and children are the primary victims. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out with the objective of assessing the prevalence of IPPs among school children in Africa.MethodsRelevant studies published between January 2000 and December 2020 were identified by systematic online search on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus databases without language restriction. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity of studies were assessed using Cochrane Q test and I² test, while publication bias was evaluated using Egger’s test.ResultsOf the 1,645 articles identified through our searches, 46 cross-sectional studies matched our inclusion criteria, reported data from 29,968 school children of Africa. The pooled prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites amongst African school children was 25.8% (95% CI: 21.2%-30.3%) with E. histolytica/ dispar (13.3%; 95% CI: 10.9%-15.9%) and Giardia spp. (12%; 95% CI: 9.8%-14.3%) were the most predominant pathogenic parasites amongst the study participants. While E. coli was the most common non-pathogenic protozoa (17.1%; 95% CI: 10.9%-23.2%).ConclusionsThis study revealed a relatively high prevalence of IPPs in school children, especially in northern and western Africa. Thus, poverty reduction, improvement of sanitation and hygiene and attention to preventive control measures will be the key to reducing protozoan parasite transmission.     

Thermodynamics of Hapten-Antibody Interaction

Abstract

Two schools of thought are currently prevalent regarding the thermodynamic mechanism(s) of hapten-antibody interaction(s). While one school is a proponent of the hapten-antibody reaction being driven predominantly by enthalpy, the second school rationalizes the mechanism as an enthalpy-entropy compensation, the magnitude of the latter being dependent on the temperature at which hapten-antibody interaction is carried out.     

Are seat belt restraints as effective in school age children as in adults? A prospective crash study

ObjectiveTo study effectiveness of seat belts for protecting school age children in road vehicle crashes.DesignCrash examinations by trained investigators.SettingTen Canadian university based crash investigation centres.Subjects470 children aged 4-14 years, with 168 selected for detailed analysis, and 1301 adults.ResultsOverall, 40% (189/470) of children were unbelted. Of the 335 children in cars driven by belted adults, 73 (22%) were unbelted. The odds of sustaining fatal or moderately severe injury (injury severity score ⩾4) for children in the front passenger seat was more than nine times higher for unbelted children than for belted ones (odds ratio 9.8 (95% confidence interval 2.4 to 39.4)) and for those in the rear left seat was more than two times higher for unbelted than for belted children (2.6 (1.1 to 5.9)). The protection afforded by seat belts compared favourably with the results for adults in the same seat positions (odds ratios for unbelted v belted adults of 2.4 and 2.7 for front and rear seat passengers respectively).ConclusionsSeat belts helped to protect school age children from injury in road vehicle crashes. However, 40% of children were unbelted. Despite standard seat belts being designed for adults, school age children were at least as well protected as adults.

What is already known on this topic

Although child restraints protect young children in road vehicle crashes, it is not known whether standard seat belts used by school age children work as wellSchool age children are often unbelted in cars

What this study adds

Data from detailed crash assessments indicate that seat belts protected children at least as well as adultsAdults were more likely than children to be belted, and 22% of children travelling with belted drivers were unbelted     

School start times matter,eveningness does not

ABSTRACT

Morningness–Eveningness (M–E) has been associated with school performance when school activities are arranged early in the morning. This study aims to evaluate this association in 224 adolescents of a secondary school in Montevideo, Uruguay, attending either morning or afternoon shifts. Students’ socio-demographic characteristics and performance indicators were similar across shifts, while afternoon-shift students exhibited later circadian preferences. After controlling for socio-demographic and other educational variables, eveningness was associated with lower grades only in morning-shift students. Our study suggests that eveningness influence on school performance is contingent on the temporal arrangement of scholar activities.     

Bullying,depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey

ObjectiveTo assess the relation between being bullied or being a bully at school, depression, and severe suicidal ideation.DesignA school based survey of health, health behaviour, and behaviour in school which included questions about bullying and the Beck depression inventory, which includes items asking about suicidal ideation.SettingSecondary schools in two regions of Finland.Participants16  410 adolescents aged 14-16.ResultsThere was an increased prevalence of depression and severe suicidal ideation among both those who were bullied and those who were bullies. Depression was equally likely to occur among those who were bullied and those who were bullies. It was most common among those students who were both bullied by others and who were also bullies themselves. When symptoms of depression were controlled for, suicidal ideation occurred most often among adolescents who were bullies.ConclusionAdolescents who are being bullied and those who are bullies are at an increased risk of depression and suicide. The need for psychiatric intervention should be considered not only for victims of bullying but also for bullies.

Key messages

• About 1 in 10 schoolchildren report being bullied weekly at school
• Adolescents who are bullied or who are bullies have an increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation
• Bullies are often as depressed as those who are bullied, and suicidal ideation is even more common among bullies
• Interventions aimed at reducing bullying in schools, as well as psychiatric assessment and treatment of bullies and those who are bullied, might also prevent depression and suicidal ideation

     

Associations between Food Outlets around Schools and BMI among Primary Students in England: A Cross-Classified Multi-Level Analysis

IntroductionResearchers and policy-makers are interested in the influence that food retailing around schools may have on child obesity risk. Most previous research comes from North America, uses data aggregated at the school-level and focuses on associations between fast food outlets and school obesity rates. This study examines associations between food retailing and BMI among a large sample of primary school students in Berkshire, England. By controlling for individual, school and home characteristics and stratifying results across the primary school years, we aimed to identify if the food environment around schools had an effect on BMI, independent of socio-economic variables.MethodsWe measured the densities of fast food outlets and food stores found within schoolchildren’s home and school environments using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data from local councils. We linked these data to measures from the 2010/11 National Child Measurement Programme and used a cross-classified multi-level approach to examine associations between food retailing and BMI z-scores. Analyses were stratified among Reception (aged 4-5) and Year 6 (aged 10-11) students to measure associations across the primary school years.ResultsOur multilevel model had three levels to account for individual (n = 16,956), home neighbourhood (n = 664) and school (n = 268) factors. After controlling for confounders, there were no significant associations between retailing near schools and student BMI, but significant positive associations between fast food outlets in home neighbourhood and BMI z-scores. Year 6 students living in areas with the highest density of fast food outlets had an average BMI z-score that was 0.12 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.20) higher than those living in areas with none.DiscussionWe found little evidence to suggest that food retailing around schools influences student BMI. There is some evidence to suggest that fast food outlet densities in a child’s home neighbourhood may have an effect on BMI, particularly among girls, but more research is needed to inform effective policies targeting the effects of the retail environment on child obesity.     

Classroom Education and the Development of Units of Verbal Thinking: Interpreting the Results of Comparative Experimental Studies of People Who Did or Did Not Attend School

Abstract

This article discusses the performance of adults who did and did not attend school in experiments involving the definition of concepts, the finding of word-pair similarities, classification, and language objectivation. Most of the differences described correspond to the differences between every day and scientific concepts identified by L.S. Vygotsky. The existing data are insufficient to determine whether all the qualitative differences listed by Vygotsky exist between units of verbal thinking in those who did and did not attend school. In some cases, the thinking of people who did not attend school exhibits features that, according to Vygotsky, should emerge only in school with the assimilation of scientific knowledge (language objectivation and the “super-empirical” connections between concepts).     

Difficulties with anonymous shortlisting of medical school applications and its effects on candidates with non-European names: prospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of anonymous shortlisting of applications for medical school and its effect on those with non-European names.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingLeeds school of medicine, United Kingdom.Subjects2047 applications for 1998 entry from the United Kingdom and the European Union.InterventionDeletion of all references to name and nationality from the application form.ResultsDeleting names was cumbersome as some were repeated up to 15 times. Anonymising application forms was ineffective as one admissions tutor was able to identify nearly 50% of candidates classed as being from an ethnic minority group. Although scores were lower for applicants with non-European names, anonymity did not improve scores. Applicants with non-European names who were identified as such by tutors were significantly less likely to drop marks in one particular non-academic area (the career insight component) than their European counterparts.ConclusionsThere was no evidence of benefit to candidates with non-European names of attempting to blind assessment. Anonymising application forms cannot be recommended.

Key messages

• It is cumbersome to anonymise the current Universities and Colleges Admissions Service form as a candidate''s name may appear up to 15 times
• Anonymised application forms may still be identified as being from candidates from ethnic minority groups
• More thorough anonymising of application forms, such as deletion of cultural activities, would edit out some personal attributes and may disadvantage these candidates
• Anonymous assessment of applications cannot be recommended

     

Assessment of environmental contamination with soil-transmitted helminths life stages at school compounds,households and open markets in Jimma Town,Ethiopia

BackgroundIt remains largely unknown where and how infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs; Ascaris, Trichuris, Necator and Ancylostoma) occur. We therefore aimed to identify possible sources of infection by assessing the environmental contamination in an STH-endemic area.MethodsWe first performed a series of laboratory experiments designed to optimize a soil straining-flotation method to detect and quantify Ascaris and Trichuris eggs in soil, and to validate the diagnostic performance of the optimized method when followed by microscopy and qPCR. In a second phase, we applied this method to assess the level of STH contamination in 399 environmental samples collected from 10 school compounds, 50 households and 9 open markets in Jimma Town (Ethiopia). Subsequently, we explored associations between the environmental contamination and both the corresponding STH epidemiology at the level of the schools and the household characteristics. Finally, we assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards STHs in school children.Principal findingsOur soil straining-flotation method has an analytical sensitivity of 50 eggs per 100 grams of soil and egg recovery rate of 36.0% (Ascaris) and 8.0% (Trichuris). The analysis of field samples with both microscopy and qPCR revealed the presence of 8 different helminth species of medical importance, including but not limited to the human STHs. There was a significant association between the environmental contamination and prevalence of any STH infections at the school level only. The KAP indicated a lack of knowledge and awareness of STHs.Conclusions/SignificanceOur optimized straining-flotation method has a moderate diagnostic performance and revealed that life stages of helminths are ubiquitous in the environment, which might be due to the poor sanitary facilities at both the schools and the households, and a poor level of KAP towards STHs. Further research is required to gain more insights into the contribution of these life stages to transmission.     

School racial segregation and long-term cardiovascular health among Black adults in the US: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) disproportionately affects Black adults in the United States. This is increasingly acknowledged to be due to inequitable distribution of health-promoting resources. One potential contributor is inequities in educational opportunities, although it is unclear what aspects of education are most salient. School racial segregation may affect cardiovascular health by increasing stress, constraining socioeconomic opportunities, and altering health behaviors. We investigated the association between school segregation and Black adults’ CVD risk.Methods and findingsWe leveraged a natural experiment created by quasi-random (i.e., arbitrary) timing of local court decisions since 1991 that released school districts from court-ordered desegregation. We used the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) (1991 to 2017), linked with district-level school segregation measures and desegregation court order status. The sample included 1,053 Black participants who ever resided in school districts that were under a court desegregation order in 1991. The exposure was mean school segregation during observed schooling years. Outcomes included several adult CVD risk factors and outcomes. We fitted standard ordinary least squares (OLS) multivariable linear regression models, then conducted instrumental variables (IV) analysis, using the proportion of schooling years spent in districts that had been released from court-ordered desegregation as an instrument. We adjusted for individual- and district-level preexposure confounders, birth year, and state fixed effects. In standard linear models, school segregation was associated with a lower probability of good self-rated health (−0.05 percentage points per SD of the segregation index; 95% CI: −0.08, −0.03; p < 0.001) and a higher probability of binge drinking (0.04 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.07; p = 0.04) and heart disease (0.01 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.15; p = 0.007). IV analyses also found that school segregation was associated with a lower probability of good self-rated health (−0.09 percentage points; 95% CI: −0.17, −0.02, p = 0.02) and a higher probability of binge drinking (0.17 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.30, p = 0.008). For IV estimates, only binge drinking was robust to adjustments for multiple hypothesis testing. Limitations included self-reported outcomes and potential residual confounding and exposure misclassification.ConclusionsSchool segregation exposure in childhood may have longstanding impacts on Black adults’ cardiovascular health. Future research should replicate these analyses in larger samples and explore potential mechanisms. Given the recent rise in school segregation, this study has implications for policies and programs to address racial inequities in CVD.

Min Hee Kim and colleagues investigate the association between exposure to school racial segregation in childhood and long-term cardiovascular health among Black adults in the United States.     

Plyometric training effects on physical fitness and muscle damage in high school baseball players

[Purpose]The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of plyometric training on physical fitness and muscle damage in high school baseball players.[Methods]The participants in the study included 21 high school baseball players who are healthy and well-training. The participants were randomly allocated to the plyometric training (n=11) and control (n=10) groups. The plyometric training was applied 3 times a week for a total of 8 weeks and the control group took part in only regular baseball skills training without plyometric training. For physical fitness, measures included maximal strength (left and right hand-grip strength), muscle endurance (sit-up), agility (side-step), power (standing long jump), and balance (left and right Rhomberg test). For muscle damage, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured.[Results]The results showed a significant interaction effect between time and groups in left hand-grip strength (P = 0.022), side-step (P = 0.004), and standing long jump (P < 0.001) after the 8-week plyometric training, with greater improvement in the plyometric training group than the control group. On the other hand, there was no significant interaction effect between time and groups in right hand-grip strength, situp, left and right Rhomberg test, CK level, and LDH level (P > 0.05).[Conclusion]In conclusion, 8-week plyometric training had a positive effect on improving physical fitness, such as maximal strength, agility, and power, in high school baseball players without causing additional muscle damage.     

Psychological distress,resettlement stress,and lower school engagement among Arabic-speaking refugee parents in Sydney,Australia: A cross-sectional cohort study

BackgroundSchools play a key role in supporting the well-being and resettlement of refugee children, and parental engagement with the school may be a critical factor in the process. Many resettlement countries have policies in place to support refugee parents’ engagement with their children’s school. However, the impact of these programs lacks systematic evaluation. This study first aimed to validate self-report measures of parental school engagement developed specifically for the refugee context, and second, to identify parent characteristics associated with school engagement, so as to help tailor support to families most in need.Methods and findingsThe report utilises 2016 baseline data of a cohort study of 233 Arabic-speaking parents (77% response rate) of 10- to 12-year-old schoolchildren from refugee backgrounds across 5 schools in Sydney, Australia. Most participants were born in Iraq (81%) or Syria (11%), and only 25% spoke English well to very well. Participants’ mean age was 40 years old, and 83% were female. Confirmatory factor analyses were run on provisional item sets identified from a literature review and separate qualitative study. The findings informed the development of 4 self-report tools assessing parent engagement with the school and school community, school belonging, and quality of the relationship with the schools’ bilingual cultural broker. Cronbach alpha and Pearson correlations with an established Teacher–Home Communication subscale demonstrated adequate reliability (α = 0.67 to 0.80) and construct and convergent validity of the measures (p < 0.01), respectively.Parent characteristics were entered into respective least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. The degree of parents’ psychological distress (as measured by the Kessler10 self-report instrument) and postmigration living difficulties (PLMDs) were each associated with lower school engagement and belonging, whereas less time lived in Australia, lower education levels, and an unemployed status were associated with higher ratings in relationship quality with the schools’ cultural broker. Study limitations include the cross-sectional design and the modest amount of variance (8% to 22%) accounted for by the regression models.ConclusionsThe study offers preliminary refugee-specific measures of parental school engagement. It is expected they will provide a resource for evaluating efforts to support the integration of refugee families into schools. The findings support the need for initiatives that identify and support parents with school-attending children from refugee backgrounds who are experiencing psychological distress or resettlement stressors. At the school level, the findings suggest that cultural brokers may be effective in targeting newly arrived families.

Jess Baker and co-workers study engagement of Arabic-speaking refugees with their children’s schools in Australia.     

Hyperactivity,concentration difficulties and impulsiveness improve during seven weeks’ treatment with valerian root and lemon balm extracts in primary school children

BackgroundValerian root and lemon balm extracts have previously shown efficacy and excellent tolerability in children < 12 years suffering from restlessness and insomnia. We now examined whether treatment with a fixed combination of both may also improve concentration, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.Methods169 primary school children suffering from hyperactivity and concentration difficulties but not meeting ADHD criteria were treated in an observational study by 27 office based pediatricians with a recommended daily dose of 640 mg valerian root extract WS® 1014 and 320 mg lemon balm extract WS® 1303 (Sandrin®), and evaluated by pediatricians and parents using standardized questionnaires at baseline, weeks 2 and 7.ResultsThe fraction of children having strong/very strong symptoms of poor ability to focus decreased from 75% to 14%, hyperactivity from 61% to 13%, and impulsiveness from 59% to 22%. Parent rated social behavior, sleep and symptom burden showed highly significant improvements. Only in two children mild transient adverse drug reactions were observed.ConclusionIn primary school children with restlessness, concentration difficulties and impulsiveness treatment with WS® 1014 and WS® 1303 (Sandrin®) provides a viable option in addition to counseling and education.     

Friends matter: Ethnic-racial identity and school adjustment among African American and Latino early adolescents

Abstract

The current study investigated the role of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) on early adolescents’ school adjustment, as moderated by their school friends’ aggregate ERI. The study drew data from a longitudinal socioemotional project in a Midwestern U.S. middle school. Surveys were administered twice over a 6-month interval with a sample of 161 African American and Latino sixth through eighth grade students. Results suggested a promotive role of ERI, as three dimensions (public regard, private regard, and resolution) were positively related to students’ school adjustment. Additional results demonstrated the importance of friend group aggregate ERI; participants with high resolution or private regard, or a friend group with high aggregate resolution or private regard, reported higher levels of school adjustment than those with low individual and friend group-levels of these ERI dimensions. The findings provide insights into the role of social contexts and friend group beliefs on adolescents’ ERI development and school experiences.