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Articles 31 - 58 of 58

Full-Text Articles in Social Work

Psychological Distress, Drug Use, Sexual Risks And Medication Adherence Among Young Hiv-Positive Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exposure To Community Violence Matters, Dexter R. Voisin Feb 2016

Psychological Distress, Drug Use, Sexual Risks And Medication Adherence Among Young Hiv-Positive Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exposure To Community Violence Matters, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

In the USA, Black males are disproportionately affected by community violence and HIV. The aim of this study was to assess whether exposures to community violence are related to psychological distress, drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and medication adherence among a sample of HIV-positive young Black men who had sex with men (YBMSM). Data are from 98 YBMSM ages 18–29 years recruited from Chicago who completed measures on demographics, exposures to community violence, psychological distress, drug use, condomless anal intercourse, and medication adherence. Rates of exposure to community violence were high and youth reported victimization and witnessing numerous types of …


Assessing The Deployment Of Home Visiting: Learning From A State-Wide Survey Of Home Visiting Programs, Robert L. Fischer, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Nina Lalich, Paul Bakaki, Siran Koroukian-Hajinazarian Nov 2015

Assessing The Deployment Of Home Visiting: Learning From A State-Wide Survey Of Home Visiting Programs, Robert L. Fischer, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Nina Lalich, Paul Bakaki, Siran Koroukian-Hajinazarian

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: Large-scale planning for health and human services programming is required to inform effective public policy as well as deliver services to meet community needs. The present study demonstrates the value of collecting data directly from deliverers of home visiting programs across a state. This study was conducted in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which requires states to conduct a needs assessment of home visiting programs for pregnant women and young children to receive federal funding. In this paper, we provide a descriptive analysis of a needs assessment of home visiting programs in Ohio. Methods: All …


Understanding Student Evaluations : A Black Faculty Perspective., Armon R. Perry, Sherri L. Wallace, Sharon E. Moore, Gwendolyn D. Perry-Burney Nov 2015

Understanding Student Evaluations : A Black Faculty Perspective., Armon R. Perry, Sherri L. Wallace, Sharon E. Moore, Gwendolyn D. Perry-Burney

Faculty Scholarship

Student evaluations of faculty teaching are critical components to the evaluation of faculty performance. These evaluations are used to determine teaching effectiveness and they influence tenure and promotion decisions. Although they are designed as objective assessments of teaching performance, extraneous factors, including the instructors’ race, can affect the composition and educational atmosphere at colleges and universities. In this reflection, we briefly review some literature on the use and utility of student evaluations and present narratives from social work faculty in which students’ evaluation contained perceived racial bias.


The Black Church : Responding To The Drug-Related Mass Incarceration Of Young Black Males : "If You Had Been Here My Brother Would Not Have Died!", Sharon E. Moore, A. Christson Adedoyin, Michael A. Robinson, Daniel A. Boamah Oct 2015

The Black Church : Responding To The Drug-Related Mass Incarceration Of Young Black Males : "If You Had Been Here My Brother Would Not Have Died!", Sharon E. Moore, A. Christson Adedoyin, Michael A. Robinson, Daniel A. Boamah

Faculty Scholarship

The mass incarceration of young Black males for drug-related offences is a social issue that has broad implications. Some scholars have described this as a new form of racism that needs to be addressed through the concerted effort of various institutions, including the Black Church. In this paper the authors will elucidate the past and current roles of the Black Church, discuss the utilization of the social work Theory of Empowerment and Black Church theology to address the disproportionality of drug-related mass incarceration of young Black males, focus on initiatives undertaken by the Black Church to address this issue and …


Community Violence Exposure And Sexual Behaviors In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Young Adults: The Effects Of Race/Ethnicity And Gender, Dexter R. Voisin, David B. Miller Jan 2015

Community Violence Exposure And Sexual Behaviors In A Nationally Representative Sample Of Young Adults: The Effects Of Race/Ethnicity And Gender, Dexter R. Voisin, David B. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

This study examined whether exposure to community violence was related to sexual risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of young adults and if there were gender or racial/ethnic differences in these relationships. The analytic sample for this study was drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and was composed of 7,726 unmarried, heterosexual African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic/Latino young adults aged 18 to 27 years old. Approximately 12% of participants reported some community violence exposures, with men and African Americans reporting the highest rates of such exposures. Regression analyses controlling for age, gender, parental education, and family …


A Synthesis Of 20 Years Of Research On Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men In Western Countries, Dexter R. Voisin Jan 2015

A Synthesis Of 20 Years Of Research On Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men In Western Countries, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men’s unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social–ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were …


Enhancing Child Care For Children With Special Needs Through Technical Assistance, Cyleste C. Collins, Robert L. Fischer, Nina Lalich Dec 2014

Enhancing Child Care For Children With Special Needs Through Technical Assistance, Cyleste C. Collins, Robert L. Fischer, Nina Lalich

Faculty Scholarship

Children with special needs often require additional supports in child care settings. The provision of technical assistance (TA) and consultation to child care teachers is an established method for addressing this need. This study expands on existing research by bringing the perspective of different adults (parents, technical assistance consultants, teachers, and child care center directors) together to better understand the experiences of all parties involved in TA cases for children between the ages of three and five. The concerns most frequently leading to the consultation were social-emotional-behavioral (50.5%), developmental (32.3%), medical (28.3%), and environmental risk (14%), and one quarter of …


A Content Analysis Of Backpage.Com Advertisements In Louisville, Kentucky, Theresa C. Hayden Sep 2014

A Content Analysis Of Backpage.Com Advertisements In Louisville, Kentucky, Theresa C. Hayden

Faculty Scholarship

Backpage.com and Craigslist are replacing the street corner as a crime source for buying and selling of sex. “To reduce commercial sexual exploitation and enforce existing trafficking laws, communities must first recognize the extent of the problem within their local area (Janson, Mann, Marro, & Matvey, 2013, 99). In a population density study conducted in 15 major U. S. cities, it was found that males over 18 years of age who buy sex online ranged from 0.6% in San Francisco to 21.4% in Houston (Roe-Sepoqitz, Hickle, Gallagher, Smith, & Hedberg, 2013). Researchers in the Greater Cincinnati area found a high …


Correlates Of Gang Involvement And Health-Related Factors Among African American Females With A Detention History, Dexter R. Voisin May 2014

Correlates Of Gang Involvement And Health-Related Factors Among African American Females With A Detention History, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Prior studies have assessed relationships between gang membership and health-related factors. However, the existing literature has largely failed to consider how individual and broader social contextual factors might be related to such gang involvement among African American females. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify empirically driven correlates of gang involvement and then better understand the relationship between gang membership and health-related behaviors for African American females, after controlling for covariates of gang involvement. Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of detained African American adolescents females, between the ages of 13-17, currently incarcerated in …


Dynamic Social Support Networks Of Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With New Hiv Infection, Dexter R. Voisin Apr 2014

Dynamic Social Support Networks Of Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With New Hiv Infection, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Rising rates of HIV infection among younger black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in the USA have generated a public health emergency. Living with HIV requires deep and persistent social support often available only from close confidants. Enlisting endogenous support network members into the care of HIV-infected YBMSM may help shape sustainable supportive environments, leading to long-term improvements in mental and HIV-specific health outcomes. The present study examined trends in support network change over time after new HIV diagnoses among 14 YBMSM. Participants completed a social network survey that utilized sociograms to record support confidants (SCs) preceding HIV …


Testing Pathways Linking Exposure To Community Violence And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin Dec 2013

Testing Pathways Linking Exposure To Community Violence And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Exposure to community violence and HIV sexual risks are two major public health concerns among youth. This study tests various pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors among African American adolescents. Using a sample of 563 (61 % females) African American youth attending high school we examined whether problematic psychological symptoms, low school engagement, and/or negative perceptions of peer norms about safer sex functioned as pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors. Major findings indicated that, for boys, the relationship between exposure to community violence and sexual début and sexual risk behaviors were linked by aggression. …


Brief Research Report: Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Hiv Status Among African American Women In Washington, Dc, Dexter R. Voisin Sep 2013

Brief Research Report: Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Hiv Status Among African American Women In Washington, Dc, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: African American women living in Washington, DC have one of the highest Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence rates in the US. However, this population has been understudied, especially as it relates to factors associated with HIV status. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined sociodemographic factors that were associated with having a negative or positive HIV status among a sample of 115 African American women between the ages of 24 and 44 years. We assessed such factors as age, education, sexual orientation, household income, sources of income, number of children, length of residency tenure in Washington, DC, and level of HIV-prevention …


Project Ngage: Network Supported Hiv Care Engagement For Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Persons, Dexter R. Voisin Aug 2013

Project Ngage: Network Supported Hiv Care Engagement For Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Persons, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Young Black men who have sex with men and transgender persons (YBMSMT) aged 13-29 carry the nation's highest burden of new HIV infections. Studies indicate that YBMSMT have poor retention in care, which is associated with reduced medication adherence and increased virologic failure. Objective: Project nGage is a randomized controlled (RCT) trial evaluating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief, dyadic intervention designed to promote adherence to HIV primary care in safety-net clinics. Network visualization is used to identify and engage a support confidant (SC) from participants' social networks. A social work interventionist then meets with the SC …


A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Drug Use And Unsafe Sex Among Young African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin Jun 2013

A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Drug Use And Unsafe Sex Among Young African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study prospectively examined associations among multiple theoretically informed risk (e.g., depression, sexual sensation seeking, and risky peers norms) and protective factors (e.g., social support, STI knowledge, and refusal to have sex self efficacy) on unsafe sex among 715 African American adolescent females aged 15-21 who participated in an STI/HIV prevention intervention. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess associations between baseline characteristics and sexual risk over a 12-month follow-up period. Overall risk in this population was high: at baseline, nearly a third of women reported sex under the influence of alcohol or substances; ≥ 2 partners for vaginal …


A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Sexual Sensation Seeking And Sti-Related Risk Factors Among African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin Mar 2013

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Sexual Sensation Seeking And Sti-Related Risk Factors Among African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Sexual sensation seeking has been correlated with STI-related risk factors in numerous cross sectional studies. However, no current studies have examined whether sexual sensation seeking is longitudinally related to a broad spectrum of STI-related factors such as consistent condom use, number of sexual partners, frequency of partner sexual communication, self-efficacy to refuse sex, and fear of condom negotiation. We explored these relationships over a 12-month period among a sample of 715 African American females attending three STI clinics in Georgia that were recruited into a larger randomized clinic intervention study. Utilizing A-CASI technology to assess all self-reported measures and employing …


Exposure To Verbal Parental Aggression And Sexual Activity Among Low Income African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin Feb 2013

Exposure To Verbal Parental Aggression And Sexual Activity Among Low Income African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

The study examined whether witnessing verbal parental aggression (VPA) was related to sexual activity among mostly low income African American youth, and whether psychological symptoms mediated this relationship. Five hundred and sixty-three African American high school adolescents (ages 13-19) completed self-administered questionnaires, which assessed demographics, psychological problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms), witnessing VPA, and sexual activity. Participants who witnessed high versus no VPA were 2 times more likely to report sexual activity. This relationship was mediated by aggression for males and females, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for females only. Youth service providers should be …


Community Violence Exposure And Adolescent Delinquency: Examining A Spectrum Of Promotive Factors, Dexter R. Voisin Feb 2013

Community Violence Exposure And Adolescent Delinquency: Examining A Spectrum Of Promotive Factors, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study examined whether promotive factors (future expectations, family warmth, school attachment, and neighborhood cohesion) moderated relationships between community violence exposure and youth delinquency. Analyses were conducted using N = 2,980 sixth to eighth graders (Mage = 12.48; 41.1% males) from a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse sample. After controlling for demographic factors, delinquency was positively associated with community violence exposure and inversely associated with each of the promotive factors. When interaction effects between all promotive factors and community violence exposure were examined simultaneously, only future expectations moderated the relationship between community violence exposure and delinquency. Specifically, community violence exposure …


Sexual Sensation Seeking, Drug Use And Risky Sex Among Detained Youth, Dexter R. Voisin Dec 2012

Sexual Sensation Seeking, Drug Use And Risky Sex Among Detained Youth, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Sexual sensation seeking has been correlated with drug use and risky sex in a number of populations. However, these relationships have had limited examination among adolescents, and to date, have not been explored among detained youth, a group with some of the highest rates of illicit drug use and STIs. To better understand these relationships we utilized A-CASI to collect data on sociodemographics, sexual sensation seeking, drug use and risky sexual behaviors among a sample of 550 detained youth. A series of multivariable regression models controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and risky peer networks indicated that sexual sensation …


The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Infections Among Low-Income Detained African American Adolescent Females, Dexter R. Voisin Oct 2012

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Infections Among Low-Income Detained African American Adolescent Females, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study explored the relationship between ethnic identity and Chlamydia and Gonorrhea infections among detained African American female adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 123 African American female adolescents within eight detention facilities in Georgia. Using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing technology, data were collected on demographics, ethnic identity, laboratory-confirmed Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and other known correlates for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as socioeconomic status, parental monitoring, and risky sexual behaviors. Rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing yielded incidence rates of 22.6% and 4.3%, respectively. Findings indicated that, controlling for STI correlates, participants who indicated high ethnic identity were 4.3 …


Secondary Traumatic Stress And Supervisors : The Forgotten Victims., Crystal Collins-Camargo Apr 2012

Secondary Traumatic Stress And Supervisors : The Forgotten Victims., Crystal Collins-Camargo

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.


Correlates Of Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Knowledge Among African American Girls, Dexter R. Voisin Mar 2012

Correlates Of Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Knowledge Among African American Girls, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: To identify significant factors that distinguish African American girls who have high sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention knowledge from those lacking such knowledge. Methods: We recruited a sample of 715 African American girls from three public health clinics in downtown Atlanta. Using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (A-CASI) technology, we assessed for age, self-mastery, employment status, attendance at sex education classes, socioeconomic status, and STI prevention knowledge. Results: Slightly more than one-third of the girls did not know that females are more susceptible to STI infections than males; and that having an STI increases the risk of contracting HIV. Almost half …


Toward A Conceptual Model Linking Community Violence Exposure To Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents: Directions For Research, Dexter R. Voisin Apr 2011

Toward A Conceptual Model Linking Community Violence Exposure To Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents: Directions For Research, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: To present a conceptual framework which accounts for the relationship between community violence exposures (CVEs) and youth HIV risk behaviors. Methods: This article provides an overview of existing research on the links between CVE and HIV risk for youth and offers a conceptual framework for clarifying how CVE might contribute to HIV sexual risk behaviors. Results: Increasing empirical findings substantiate that the links between CVE and HIV risk behaviors among youth are mediated by psychological problem behaviors, low school success rates, and negative peer influences. Conclusions: Researchers have identified the behaviors that place teens at risk for becoming infected …


Mechanisms Linking Violence Exposure And School Engagement Among African American Adolescents: Examining The Roles Of Psychological Problem Behaviors And Gender, Dexter R. Voisin Jan 2011

Mechanisms Linking Violence Exposure And School Engagement Among African American Adolescents: Examining The Roles Of Psychological Problem Behaviors And Gender, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study examines whether the relationship between violence exposure and school engagement is mediated by psychological problem behaviors and whether such relationships are gendered. Five hundred and sixty-three high school African American adolescents (ages 13-19 years) completed questionnaires that assessed two types of violence exposure (community violence and marital conflict), psychological problem behaviors (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, anxiety, withdrawal, and aggressive behaviors), and school engagement (i.e., student-teacher connectedness and grade point average [GPA] obtained from school records). For male adolescents, psychological problem behaviors collectively mediated the relationship between community violence exposure and student-teacher connectedness. For female adolescents, both community …


Community Violence And Health Risk Factors Among Adolescents On Chicago's Southside: Does Gender Matter?, Dexter R. Voisin Jan 2010

Community Violence And Health Risk Factors Among Adolescents On Chicago's Southside: Does Gender Matter?, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

We assessed community violence, school engagement, negative peer influences, mental health problems, and human immunodeficiency virus risk among 563 black adolescents. Boys reported higher rates of community violence exposures and gang involvement, while girls reported higher mental health distress. In the presence of multiple risk factors, negative peer norms were the strongest correlate of human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviors.


Scaling Up, Lourdes Hernández-Cordero, Susan P. Sturm, Kathleen Klink, Allan J. Formicola Jan 2010

Scaling Up, Lourdes Hernández-Cordero, Susan P. Sturm, Kathleen Klink, Allan J. Formicola

Faculty Scholarship

Moments of crisis require big, bold ideas. In this chapter we will zoom out of our close examination of the Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative experience to propose ways to scale up the things that worked for us in order to make them applicable at a national level. With this chapter we honor the intent of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in its support of learning laboratories across the nation. Our goal is to contribute to the collective dialogue on how to improve the health care system. Specifically, we propose that making a healthier nation and reducing health care costs …


Low School Engagement And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth: Examining The Influences Of Gender, Peer Norms, And Gang Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin Jul 2009

Low School Engagement And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth: Examining The Influences Of Gender, Peer Norms, And Gang Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This research examined whether negative peer influences (i.e., norms favoring risky sex and drug use and gang involvement) mediated the relationship between school engagement (i.e., grade point averages [GPAs] obtained from school records and student-teacher connectedness) and sexual behaviors (i.e., sexual début, sex without condoms, group sex, and sex while using drugs) among African American high school adolescents, and whether these relationships varied by gender. Five hundred sixty-three high school adolescents (ages 13 to 19) completed self-administered questionnaires that assessed school engagement markers, peer influences, sexual début, and risky sex. Major findings for boys indicate that GPA was negatively associated …


Pathways To Drug And Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Detained Adolescents, Dexter R. Voisin Sep 2008

Pathways To Drug And Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Detained Adolescents, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

This study recruited 559 youths from detention centers (mean age was 15.4 years; 50.1% of detainees were girls) to investigate pathways that link witnessing community violence in the 12 months before detainment to drug and sexual risk behaviors in the two months preceding detainment. Through the use of audio-computer-assisted technology, data were collected on demographics, family factors, peer influences, religiosity, witnessing community violence, and drug and sexual risk behaviors. When controlling for demographics and family variables, the authors found positive associations between witnessing community violence and drug and sexual risk behaviors. Witnessing community violence was directly linked to sexual risk …


Serving The Homeless: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Homeless Shelter Services, Robert L. Fischer Dec 2001

Serving The Homeless: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Homeless Shelter Services, Robert L. Fischer

Faculty Scholarship

The effects of homeless assistance services at the local level are tremendously difficult to ascertain. In this study, a four-month sample of homeless persons served by a local homeless shelter and case management program were contacted nine to eleven months after receiving services. The findings suggest that the program had some initial success in assisting the homeless clients to locate housing within the first year after leaving the shelter. However, the housing costs paid by these formerly homeless were quite high, with nearly three-quarters of them spending forty percent or more of their income on housing.