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Dissertation Information for Ellisa L. Liasko Jones - McKyer

NAME:
- Ellisa L. Liasko Jones - McKyer

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Health Sciences

SCHOOL:
- Indiana University (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- Mohammad R. Torabi

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Ginette Delandshere
- Millecent Flemming-Moran
- Kathleen R. Gilbert

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Relationships among developmental assets, age and smoking behaviors among youth

Abstract: Indiana youth smoking rates are high with indications of approximately 23% prevalence. Cigarette smoking has functioned as a "gateway" drug, increasing the likelihood of other drug use among youth. Hence, prevention of youth tobacco use remains a critical public health issue. Recent efforts in youth prevention have focused on "Developmental Assets" (DA) among targeted youth, and have found that higher presence of developmental assets are linked to lower levels of tobacco and other drug use, and other markers of positive youth development. While the presence of these assets is related to positive youth development, more specific understanding of the relationships has not been established. The present study sought to clarify relationships among Developmental Assets, age, and youth smoking behaviors by examining specific aspects of the relationships among these factors.

A secondary data analysis was performed, utilizing aggregate data from 31 state-wide communities (N = 26,535 participants). The "Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors" (Search Institutes, 1996) questionnaire was used for data collection. The 156-item self-contained survey is designed to collect information on participant demographics, environmental demographics, the presence and absence of 40 developmental, thriving indicators, and risk behaviors of the youth. Results from Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) revealed that all discriminant function models tested were significant ( p < .01) and that DAs were able to differentiate youth by Smoking Status. Use of External Developmental Assets (EDAs) yielded 81.6% correct classification, similar to the use of Internal Developmental Assets (IDAs) (81.8%). Combining all assets improved classification to 83.4%. Logistic Regression (LR) was also performed with all the DAs as predictor variables and Smoking Status as the outcome. All regression models were found to be significant. Asset importance was measured by ranking odds ratios obtained through LR. Results indicate that assets function differently by age; some assets are more important than others according to age. External Assets tend to be more important for protecting youth from smoking at younger ages, while Internal Assets play a larger role for older youth. In sum, DAs' relationships with Smoking Status were clarified, and will enable improved program development by targeting of appropriate assets at the appropriate ages.

MPACT Scores for Ellisa L. Liasko Jones - McKyer

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2010-10-14 12:47:25

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