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Objective: Health-protective behavior (HPB) adherence (wearing protective face masks, social distancing, and increased handwashing) plays a critical role in reducing infectious disease transmission; yet factors underlying HPB adherence are not well understood. Most research focuses on individual factors--beliefs about susceptibility, severity, and HPB efficacy; however, understanding parent and child HPB adherence may require a family conceptualization. This study evaluated whether family relations (cohesion, conflict, and chaos), as well as parent-child conflict regarding pandemic-specific circumstances (e.g., social distancing prohibitions about spending time with friends) account for parent and child HPB adherence, over and above parents' individual concerns about COVID-19 risks. Method: This study utilized data reported by parents in 204 families with children (Mage =4.2; 45% girls) collected on 16 occasions between May 2020 through April 2021. The impact of within-person (WP) and between-person (BP) effects of each family-level factor on parent and child HPB adherence was evaluated in a series of two-level multilevel models. Results: Over the course of the study, parent HPB adherence was generally stable and child HPB adherence declined early on but then leveled off. Results showed the protective effect of family cohesion for both parent and child HPB adherence at the WP and BP level. In addition, periods of higher COVID-19-related conflict corresponded to increases in parent and child HPB adherence. Conclusions: Intervention efforts should be directed at promoting family cohesion in order to promote sustained parent and child HPB adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Depressive symptoms during adolescence are positively associated with peer-related beliefs, perceptions, and experiences that are known risk factors for substance misuse. These same risk factors are targeted by many universal substance misuse prevention programs. This study examined whether a multicomponent universal substance misuse intervention for middle schoolers reduced the associations between depressive symptoms, these risk factors, and substance misuse. Methods The study used data from a place-randomized trial of the Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience model for delivery of evidence-based substance misuse programs for middle schoolers. Three-level within-person regression models were applied to four waves of survey, and social network data from 636 adolescents followed from sixth through ninth grades. Results When adolescents in control school districts had more symptoms of depression, they believed more strongly that substance use had social benefits, perceived higher levels of substance misuse among their peers and friends, and had more friends who misused substances, although they were not more likely to use substances themselves. Many of the positive associations of depressive symptoms with peer-related risk factors were significantly weaker or not present among adolescents in intervention school districts. Conclusions The Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience interventions reduced the positive associations of adolescent symptoms of depression with peer-related risk factors for substance misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for prevention of children's exposure to family aggression is clear, yet studies have not examined effects of family based programs on both partner and parent-child aggression. This study examined moderated effects of an 8-session psychoeducational program for couples on partner psychological aggression and parent-child physical aggression when the child was 3 years old. A community sample of 169 expectant couples was randomized to intervention and control conditions. Significant program effects indicated reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers and reduced parent-child physical aggression by mothers for couples with frequent preprogram partner psychological aggression and reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers for couples with severe preprogram partner physical aggression. Efforts to prevent children's exposure to family aggression may most benefit couples exhibiting preprogram relationship risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for prevention of children's exposure to family aggression is clear, yet studies have not examined effects of family based programs on both partner and parent-child aggression. This study examined moderated effects of an 8-session psychoeducational program for couples on partner psychological aggression and parent-child physical aggression when the child was 3 years old. A community sample of 169 expectant couples was randomized to intervention and control conditions. Significant program effects indicated reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers and reduced parent-child physical aggression by mothers for couples with frequent preprogram partner psychological aggression and reduced partner psychological aggression by fathers for couples with severe preprogram partner physical aggression. Efforts to prevent children's exposure to family aggression may most benefit couples exhibiting preprogram relationship risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: We test the hypothesis that an evidence-based preventive intervention will change adolescent friendship networks to reduce the potential for peer influence toward antisocial behavior. Altering adolescents' friendship networks in this way is a promising avenue for achieving setting-level prevention benefits such as expanding the reach and durability of program effects. Methods: Beginning in 2002, the Promoting School-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) randomized control trial assigned two entire sixth-grade cohorts of 14 rural and small town school districts in Iowa and Pennsylvania to receive the intervention and of 14 to control. A family-based intervention was offered in sixth grade and a school-based intervention was provided in seventh grade. More than 11,000 respondents provided five waves of data on friendship networks, attitudes, and behavior in sixth through ninth grade. Antisocial influence potential was measured by the association between network centrality and problem behavior for each of 256 networks (time, grade cohort, and school specific). Results: The intervention had a beneficial impact on antisocial influence potential of adolescents' friendship networks, with p < .05 for both of the primary composite measures. Conclusions: Current evidence-based preventive interventions can alter adolescents' friendship networks in ways that reduce the potential for peer influence toward antisocial behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: A growing body of research documents the significance of siblings and sibling relationships for development, mental health, and behavioral risk across childhood and adolescence. Nonetheless, few well-designed efforts have been undertaken to promote positive and reduce negative youth outcomes by enhancing sibling relationships. Methods: Based on a theoretical model of sibling influences, we conducted a randomized trial of Siblings Are Special (SIBS), a group-format afterschool program for fifth graders with a younger sibling in second through fourth grades, which entailed 12 weekly afterschool sessions and three Family Nights. We tested program efficacy with a pre- and post-test design with 174 families randomly assigned to condition. In home visits at both time points, we collected data via parent questionnaires, child interviews, and observer-rated videotaped interactions and teachers rated children’s behavior at school. Results: The program enhanced positive sibling relationships, appropriate strategies for parenting siblings, and child self-control, social competence, and academic performance; program exposure was also associated with reduced maternal depression and child internalizing problems. Results were robust across the sample, not qualified by sibling gender, age, family demographics, or baseline risk. No effects were found for sibling conflict, collusion, or child externalizing problems; we will examine follow-up data to determine if short-term impacts lead to reduced negative behaviors over time. Conclusions: The breadth of the SIBS program’s impact is consistent with research suggesting that siblings are an important influence on development and adjustment and supports our argument that a sibling focus should be incorporated into youth and family-oriented prevention programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current study examined developmental changes in the relative influence of risk and protective factors (RPFs) across individual, family, peer, school, and community domains on adolescent alcohol use. Using longitudinal data from two independent samples, multivariate cross-lagged models were used to estimate the unique influence of each RPF on subsequent changes in recent alcohol use between early to late adolescence. The results supported the hypothesis that the influence of Individual Risk would increase during this developmental period. However, less consistent evidence was found concerning developmental changes among the other domains. Whereas the influence arising from Family Protection diminished during adolescence, the influence of Family Risk, School Protection, and Community Protection did not vary. The influence of Peer Risk showed a nonlinear pattern across adolescence, peaking during the middle adolescent years. The results of this study support a developmental approach to adolescent alcohol use and emphasize the need for prevention strategies that account for these developmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To prepare public systems to implement evidence-based prevention programs for adolescents, it is necessary to have accurate estimates of programs'' resource consumption. When evidence-based programs are implemented through a specialized prevention delivery system, additional costs may be incurred during cultivation of the delivery infrastructure. Currently, there is limited research on the resource consumption of such delivery systems and programs. In this article, we describe the resource consumption of implementing the PROSPER (PROmoting School–Community–University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience) delivery system for a period of 5 years in one state, and how the financial and economic costs of its implementation affect local communities as well as the Cooperative Extension and University systems. Methods: We used a six-step framework for conducting cost analysis, using a Cost–Procedure–Process–Outcome Analysis model (Yates, Analyzing costs, procedures, processes, and outcomes in human services: An introduction, 1996; Yates, 2009). This method entails defining the delivery System; bounding cost parameters; identifying, quantifying, and valuing systemic resource Consumption, and conducting sensitivity analysis of the cost estimates. Results: Our analyses estimated both the financial and economic costs of the PROSPER delivery system. Evaluation of PROSPER illustrated how costs vary over time depending on the primacy of certain activities (e.g., team development, facilitator training, program implementation). Additionally, this work describes how the PROSPER model cultivates a complex resource infrastructure and provides preliminary evidence of systemic efficiencies. Conclusions: This work highlights the need to study the costs of diffusion across time and broadens definitions of what is essential for successful implementation. In particular, cost analyses offer innovative methodologies for analyzing the resource needs of prevention systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces new longitudinal network data from the “Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience” or “PROSPER” peers project. In 28 communities, grade-level sociometric friendship nominations were collected from two cohorts of middle school students as they moved from 6th, to 9th grade. As an illustration and description of these longitudinal network data, this paper describes the school popularity structure, changes in popularity position, and suggests linkages between popularity trajectory and substance use. In the cross-section, we find that the network is consistent with a hierarchical social organization, but exhibits considerable relational change in both particular friends and position at the individual level. We find that both the base level of popularity and the variability of popularity trajectories effect substance use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Research on the implications of varying measurement strategies for estimating levels and correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) has been limited. This study explored measurement and correlates of IPV using a community sample of 168 couples who were expecting their first child. In line with prior research, couple agreement regarding the presence of violence was low, and maximum reported estimates revealed substantial IPV perpetrated by both expectant mothers and fathers. Different types of IPV scores predicted unique variance in mental health problems and couple relationship distress among both the whole sample and the subsamples who perpetrated any violence. Discussion focuses on the methodological and substantive implications of these findings for the study of IPV during the transition to parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To compare the relative influence of risk and protective factors across several domains on adolescent substance use in a large sample of youth. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in Pennsylvania (N = 91,778). Generalized linear mixed models were estimated for each grade level to examine associations among indices of three risk factors (individual, peer, and family) and three protective factors (family, school, and community) and both recent and lifetime substance use. Results: The risk factors were stronger predictors of substance use outcomes compared with the protective factors, regardless of grade level or substance use type. In particular, the individual and peer risk factors were strongly related to lifetime and recent use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Among the protective factors, the strongest associations with substance use were found in the community domain. Several age-related differences in the associations were also found, suggesting that family and community factors were more salient among younger adolescents whereas peer and school factors were stronger among older adolescents. Conclusions: These findings provide support for the social development model (SDM), which proposes that adolescent substance use is associated with factors across multiple spheres of influence. Age-related differences in these associations suggest that effective interventions to reduce adolescent substance use may need to emphasize different domains of risk and protective factors at different stages of adolescent development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: To facilitate research on adolescent risk and protection regarding behavior problems, and to facilitate community decision-making regarding resource allocation for intervention programs, by creating a reduced set of coherent aggregate indices of adolescent risk and protection. Methods: We examined the 31 risk and protective factor scales in the Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTC-YS). Data came from two waves of the CTC-YS administered to sixth through 12th graders in Pennsylvania (2001 n = 43,842; 2003 n =101,988). Factor analysis and calculation of internal reliability were used to create aggregate indices of risk/protective factor domains. Correlations of aggregate indices with each other and with problem behaviors (antisocial behavior, substance use) were examined. Results: Theory and empirical results led to the creation of seven coherent indices: Community Cohesion, Family Cohesion, Family Risk, School Support for Prosocial Activities, Antisocial Peer Domain, Attitudes toward Risky Behavior, Risky Behavioral Tendencies. Four scales were not included in the aggregate index (Religiosity, Academic Performance, Personal Transitions and Mobility, and Early Initiation of Drug Use and Antisocial Behavior). The indices were related to each other and to adolescent problem behaviors (antisocial behavior and substance use) in expected ways. Results were consistent across waves of data. Conclusions: The construction of theoretically meaningful and empirically defensible aggregate measures of adolescent risk and protective factors is possible, although analyses of other data sets and further discussion are warranted. The use of aggregate indices by researchers and communities is recommended as a way to facilitate research and decision-making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]