Communities in Action
Communities in Action

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Linking Health and Education for African American Students' Success
Linking Health and Education for African American Students' Success

Author: Nadine M. Finigan-Carr

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2017-03-16

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13: 1498767079

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The linkages between a student’s health and a student’s ability to learn have been well established. Children who are sick stay home; and, children at home cannot learn if they are not in school leading to increased dropout rates among other educational outcomes. However, an understanding of this concept is just the beginning of understanding how education and public health are inextricably linked. In light of this, Linking Health and Education for African American Students’ Success examines health disparities and education inequities simultaneously and moves beyond a basic understanding of health and education in K-12 school programs. The structural inequalities which lead to reduced academic attainment mirror the social determinants of health. Education is one of the most powerful determinants of health, and disparities in educational achievement as a result of structural inequalities closely track disparities in health. These disparities lead to both sub-standard healthcare and reduced academic attainment among children from underserved minorities in the United States, especially African Americans. This book discusses how this may result in children with poorer mental health outcomes; higher school dropout rates; increased risks of arrests and incarceration; higher rates of chronic diseases and mortality; and overall diminished opportunities for success, while providing suggestions as to how to address these issues. This results in an insightful read for researchers, academics and practitioners in the fields of healthcare and education.

Working with Youth in High-Risk Environments
Working with Youth in High-Risk Environments

Author: Carol E. Marcus

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 1996-07

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 0788129724

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Focuses on programs which help youth in high-risk neighborhoods learn to say "no" to drugs. Covers 18 grants and the programs that were created with those grants. Includes characteristics of youths (juvenile delinquents, athletes of low socioeconomic status), offers insight into how to develop model programs for youth (lack of data, lack of effective mgmt. techniques), problems faced in implementing demonstration grant programs (lack of resources, resistance to training), and reports on successful programs (retreats, awareness training).

Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults
Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2015-01-27

Total Pages: 431

ISBN-13: 0309309980

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Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Family Environment and Adolescent Hopelessness in Low-income, Urban African American Families
Family Environment and Adolescent Hopelessness in Low-income, Urban African American Families

Author: Joshua Charles Wimberly

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 87

ISBN-13:

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Literature on the subject of adolescent development in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods has detailed negative consequences for mental health outcomes. These neighborhoods not only affect adolescents, but can increase stress and strain on families. Urban, African American families who reside in high-risk, low-income neighborhoods are not immune from the potential hazards of economic stress, strained familial relationships, social disorganization, and other negative consequences which impact optimal family functioning. Utilizing HLM techniques, this study examined the relationship between dimensions of the family environment and adolescent feelings of hopelessness. In general, a more supportive family environment resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness. However, higher conflict in families also resulted in lower scores of adolescent hopelessness, indicating a need to further explore the nature of conflict in families who reside in high-risk neighborhoods. Directions for future research and implications for social work practice are outlined.

Young, Gifted, and Black
Young, Gifted, and Black

Author: Theresa Perry

Publisher: Beacon Press

Published: 2012-09-11

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 0807095346

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“An important and powerful book” that radically reframes the debates swirling around the academic achievement of African-American students (Boston Review) “The solutions offered by each essay are creative, inspirational, and good old common sense." —Los Angeles Times In 3 separate but allied essays, African-American scholars Theresa Perry, Claude Steele, and Asa Hilliard examine the alleged ‘achievement gap’ between Black and white students. Each author addresses how the unique social and cultural position Black students occupy—in a society which often devalues and stereotypes African-American identity—fundamentally shapes students’ experience of school and sets up unique obstacles. Young, Gifted and Black provides an understanding of how these forces work, opening the door to practical, powerful methods for promoting high achievement at all levels. In the first piece, Theresa Perry argues that the dilemmas African-American students face are rooted in the experience of race and ethnicity in America, making the task of achievement distinctive and difficult. Claude Steele follows up with stunningly clear empirical psychological evidence that when Black students believe they are being judged as members of a stereotyped group—rather than as individuals—they do worse on tests. Finally, Asa Hilliard argues against a variety of false theories and misguided views of African-American achievement, sharing examples of real schools, programs, and teachers around the country that allow African-American students to achieve at high levels. Now more than ever, Young, Gifted and Black is an eye-opening work that has the power to not only change how we talk and think about African-American student achievement but how we view the African-American experience as a whole.