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There is scant research on how Asian American adolescents' resiliency relates to mental well-being in adulthood. The objective of this study was to determine the prospective associations between resiliency factors (individual, family, and school community) in adolescence and mental health outcomes in adulthood, among a national sample of Asian Americans. We analyzed data from 1020 Asian American adolescents who were followed for 14 years in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Of the resiliency factors, individual self-esteem (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.54, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.37-0.79) and family connectedness (AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.93) in adolescence were found to be protective against adult mental health outcomes in logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic factors and baseline mental health. Our study identified individual and family resiliency factors which can be leveraged to help Asian American adolescents and families in cultivating better mental health.

Background and objectivesThe relationship between food insecurity and alcohol use disorder remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the association between food insecurity risk and alcohol use disorder in a nationally representative sample of young adults.MethodsCross-sectional nationally representative data of 14,786 US young adults aged 24-32 years old from Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed to assess a single-item measure of food insecurity risk and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5) alcohol use disorder.ResultsAmong young adults, 12% were found to be at risk for food insecurity. Young adults with food insecurity risk had greater odds of moderate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.58) and severe (AOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.34-2.07) threshold alcohol use disorder than food-secure young adults, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, receipt of public assistance, household size, and smoking. Food insecurity risk was also associated with a 23% higher (95% CI: 11%-37%) number of problematic alcohol use behaviors (e.g., risky behaviors, continued alcohol use despite emotional or physical health problems).Discussion and conclusionsFood insecurity risk is associated with problematic patterns of alcohol use. Health care providers should screen for food insecurity and problematic alcohol use in young adults and provide referrals for further resources and treatment when appropriate.Scientific significanceThis nationally representative study of US young adults is the first to find an association between food insecurity risk and alcohol use disorder using DSM-5 criteria.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to determine the association between food insecurity, sexual risk behaviors, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and substance use in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults.MethodsCross-sectional nationally representative data of U.S. young adults aged 24-32 years from Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted with food insecurity as the independent variable and self-reported STIs, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use as the dependent variables, adjusting for covariates and stratifying by sex.ResultsOf the 14,786 young adults in the sample, 14% of young women and 9% of young men were food insecure. Food-insecure young women had greater odds of any STI, HIV, chlamydia, exchanging sex for money, and multiple concurrent sex partners in the past 12 months compared to young women reporting food security, adjusting for covariates. Food insecurity was associated with higher odds of any STI, chlamydia, and exchanging sex for money among young men who identify as gay or bisexual, but not in the general population of young men. Food insecurity was associated with greater odds of marijuana use, methamphetamine use, and nonmedical use of prescription opioids, sedatives, and stimulants in both young men and women.ConclusionsFood insecurity is associated with risk behaviors and self-reported STIs, including HIV, in young adulthood. Health care providers should screen for food insecurity in young adults and provide referrals when appropriate.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between eating disorders or disordered eating behaviors and sexual risk in young women.MethodWe used prospective cohort data of young women ages 18-26 years from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 5,899). Exposures of interest (at 18-26 years) included a self-reported eating disorder diagnosis or disordered eating behaviors including fasting/skipping meals, vomiting, diet pills, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight and binge eating. Sexual risk outcomes at 7-year follow-up included the number of new sexual partners, condom use, and sexually transmitted infections.ResultsHaving either an eating disorder or reporting any disordered eating behavior was associated with a greater number of new sexual partners (B = 1.09, 95% CI [0.18, 2.00]) and lower odds of condom use (odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI [0.53, 0.94] among a subsample of sexually active, unmarried women).DiscussionYoung women with eating disorders or who engage in disordered eating behaviors are at higher risk for multiple new sexual partners and unprotected sex. Clinicians caring for young adults with eating disorders may consider screening for sexual risk behaviors.

LGBTQ + young people of color manage societal marginalization related to their LGBTQ + and racial/ethnic identities, which can shape health challenges. Despite their elevated need for responsive health services, cultural competence among service providers has largely focused on race/ethnicity, rather than LGBTQ + status, resulting in a lack of inclusive care. To understand how to better serve marginalized young adults through elevating their diverse voices, we employ an intersectional lens of emerging adulthood to qualitatively explore the health service experience narratives of 41 LGBTQ + Latino/a emerging adults between 18 and 25. First, most participants stressed that being perceived as young constrained their patient-provider interactions and limited their health care autonomy. Secondly, participants encountered a continuum of service providers that ranged across prejudice, ignorance, and acceptance tied to the young person's LGBTQ + and intersecting identities. Finally, participants outlined what they preferred when it came to health care services. This study has important implications for how health service providers may establish inclusive health care that promotes marginalized emerging adults' autonomy and wellbeing.

Non‐human animals have long been embedded in society and are well‐documented as integrated into people's lives and families. However, researchers and practitioners inconsistently incorporate companion animals into theoretical conceptualizations of family, despite growing empirical evidence of the substantive impact of companion animals in people's lives. To more accurately capture people's lived realities of companion animals as family members, we advance a model of ecoexpansive kinship, which validates expansive family forms and functions across multiple levels of social ecological influence. To illustrate our model's applicability, we explore key definitions and outline major theoretical foundations and applications of companion animal research. We then demonstrate both the theoretical significance and empirical reality of where companion animal kinship fits into family dynamics. An ecoexpansive kinship approach can promote more conceptual, cohesive theorization of how to holistically model kinship to be inclusive of companion animals that can be applied across research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo determine if previously reported risk factors for the development of unhealthy weight control behaviors differ by sex and weight status using a nationally representative longitudinal sample of adolescents followed through young adulthood.MethodsWe used nationally representative longitudinal cohort data collected from baseline (11-18 years old, 1994-1995, Wave I) and seven-year follow-up (18-24 years old, 2001-2002, Wave III) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We examined potential risk factors (adverse childhood events and adolescent family, school, body image, and mental health factors) for the development of unhealthy weight control behaviors including vomiting, fasting/skipping meals, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight at seven-year follow-up in young adulthood.ResultsOf the 14,322 included subjects, 11% reported unhealthy weight control behavior at follow-up in young adulthood, with the highest proportion (23.7%) among overweight/obese females and the lowest proportion (3.7%) among underweight/normal weight males. All adolescent family factors were significantly associated with unhealthy weight control behaviors in underweight/normal weight females, whereas none were significantly associated in overweight/obese males. Similar trends were noted for adverse childhood events, and adolescent school and community factors. Adolescent self-perception of being overweight was associated with young adult unhealthy weight control behaviors among all subgroups.ConclusionsRisk factors for unhealthy weight control behaviors may differ based on sex and weight status. Screening, prevention, and treatment interventions for unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescents and young adults may need to be tailored based on sex and weight status.

BackgroundClinical and community samples indicate that eating disorders (EDs) and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) may co-occur among adolescents and young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of EDs and DEBs among young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese using a nationally representative sample and to characterize differences in prevalence by sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.DesignCross-sectional nationally representative data collected from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).ParticipantsYoung adults ages 18-24 years old.Main measuresED diagnosis and DEBs (self-reported binge eating or unhealthy weight control behaviors including vomiting, fasting/skipping meals, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight). Covariates: age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, weight status, and education.Key resultsOf the 14,322 young adults in the sample, 48.6% were at a weight status classified as overweight or obese. Compared to young adults at a weight status classified as underweight or normal weight, those at a weight status classified as overweight or obese reported a higher rate of DEBs (29.3 vs 15.8% in females, 15.4 vs 7.5% in males). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that odds of engaging in DEBs were 2.32 (95% confidence interval 2.05-2.61) times higher for females compared to males; 1.66 (1.23-2.24) times higher for Asian/Pacific Islander compared to White; 1.62 (1.16-2.26) times higher for homosexual or bisexual compared to heterosexual; 1.26 (1.09-1.44) times higher for high school or less versus more than high school education; and 2.45 (2.16-2.79) times higher for obesity compared to normal weight, adjusting for all covariates.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of DEBs particularly in young adults at a weight status classified as overweight or obese underscores the need for screening, referrals, and tailored interventions for DEBs in this population.

ObjectiveTo determine if unhealthy weight control behaviors or binge-eating behaviors among young adults with overweight/obesity are associated with body mass index (BMI) change and cardiometabolic risk at 7-year follow-up.MethodsWe used longitudinal cohort data from 5,552 young adults with overweight/obesity at baseline (18-24 years) with 7-year follow-up (24-32 years) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Baseline predictors were: (a) unhealthy weight control behaviors such as vomiting, fasting, skipping meals, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight; or (b) binge-eating behaviors. Participants reporting either unhealthy weight control behaviors or binge-eating behaviors were considered to engage in any disordered eating behavior (DEB). Outcomes at 7-year follow-up were BMI change, incident diabetes, incident hypertension, and incident hyperlipidemia.ResultsYoung adults with overweight/obesity reporting unhealthy weight control behaviors at baseline had higher BMI and weight at 7-year follow-up than those without unhealthy weight control behaviors. In regression models adjusting for baseline BMI, race/ethnicity, age, and education, unhealthy weight control behaviors were associated with greater change in BMI in both sexes and binge-eating behavior at baseline was associated with greater odds of incident hyperlipidemia (odds ratio 1.90, 95% CI 1.29-2.79) at 7-year follow-up in males.ConclusionsThe higher risk for increased BMI (in both males and females) and incident hyperlipidemia (in males) over time in young adults with overweight/obesity who engage in DEBs underscores the need to screen for DEBs in this population and provide referrals and tailored interventions as appropriate.

Objective: Free clinics provide free or reduced fee healthcare to individuals who lack access to primary care and are socio-economically disadvantaged in the USA. Free clinic patients may have health education needs, but experience barriers to attending health education programmes. In an attempt to reach out to free clinic patients who might not otherwise attend health education classes, this project examined the efficacy of student-led health education classes conducted in the waiting room prior to a patient's appointment with a provider. Design: The classes had two areas of focus: women's health and health information. Health educators and Spanish interpreters were graduate and undergraduate students. Setting: This study was conducted in the waiting room of a free clinic in the Intermountain West region of the USA. Method: The health education classes were held 22 times in total from late August to early December 2014. Results: While the survey-based assessment of the programme did not show a difference in levels of health consciousness, health information seeking and health attitudes, the programme potentially increased interest in attending the health education classes. Conclusion: There were some challenges associated with the implementation of a health education class in the waiting room setting, particularly in regards to environments, evaluation and interpretation services. Future projects are needed to address challenges associated with conducting a health education class in a waiting room setting. In addition, a variety of health topics, evidence-based evaluation and interpreter services are key for future success.

This study utilized a concurrent, triangulation mixed method design to explore pandemic mental health dynamics in the context of technology usage. We surveyed 406 adults from predominantly rural regions in the US (n = 118 LGBTQ+-identifying) (Step 1), and completed follow-up in-depth interviews with n = 43 LGBTQ + people from the original sample (Step 2). Our integrated findings highlight how LGBTQ + people’s heightened mental health concerns were related to downstream processes and patterns of heavily relying on certain technologies, smartphones in particular, during the pandemic. Service providers and policymakers can utilize the findings to tailor effective LGBTQ + programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a queer historical framework, this study examines the legacy of Matthew Shepard while centering the perspectives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two–Spirit, and other people of expansive genders or sexualities (LGBTQ+). In particular, this study highlights the varied responses of LGBTQ+ people during and after his murder, and how queer young adults living and working in Wyoming today have been shaped by Shepard's legacy. Drawing on evidence from archival and interview data (n = 23 interviews), we argue that the social process of collective memory endemic to Matthew Shepard has largely been one of erasure—not erasure of the incident itself, but erasure of historical and contemporary queer activism, community, and resistance in the region. For many young people, Matthew Shepard's legacy is that of a cautionary tale. His name is invoked by allies and anti‐LGBTQ+ people alike to deter LGBTQ+ visibility, thereby constructing and reifying a heteronormative imagining of rural America. This study illustrates the value and importance of expanding queer history to represent rural queer voices in diverse, nuanced, and accurate ways. We also make a call for Sociologists to examine how they, too, may be perpetuating rural queer erasure within their scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging, evidence has also suggested that some people experienced benefits amidst the structural changes associated with the U.S. pandemic response. However, no studies highlighting such benefits have elucidated LGBTQ+ people's experiences, a group facing unique adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Through a qualitative thematic analysis of 43 interviews with LGBTQ+ people, the present study has addressed this empirical gap. We found that participants' lives "slowed down" during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this "extra time" allowed for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community-based benefits, such as an enhanced worklife balance, mental and physical health improvements, and stronger relationships with friends, family, and community members. Through the study findings, we have highlighted the problematic nature of pre-pandemic structural conditions and the fruitful possibilities associated with a humane-centered way of living. Our study informs policy development to better support LGBTQ+ people striving for the elusive work-life balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]