Grant Details
Grant Number: |
5R29CA073641-05 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Kaplan, Celia |
Organization: |
Univ Of California At San Francisco |
Project Title: |
Health Behaviors Among Latino Youth-Longitudinal Study |
Fiscal Year: |
2000 |
Abstract
DESCRIPTION: It is well known that cancer is related to lifestyle
behaviors such as diet, smoking, physical activity, alcohol
consumption, and sexual behavior. These health-related behaviors, and
the values and beliefs that influence them, are acquired during
childhood and adolescence (Jessor et al., 1990) and are heavily
influenced by sociocultural, familial, and individual factors. Few
studies have examined the development of these lifestyle behaviors among
ethnic minority youth, particularly Latinos. This study seeks to
understand the processes of initiation and development of cancer-related
health-compromising and health-enhancing behaviors among Latino
adolescents. Several factors underscore the need for research among this
ethnic population: a) the rapid growth of the Latino population in the
U.S.; b) the convergence of their cancer morbidity and mortality rates
with those of the majority population; c) the increase of cancer risk
factors in this group; and d) the lack of research assessing the
determinants of health behaviors in this group. This study will conduct
a prospective longitudinal survey of Latino adolescents to assess the
cultural, personal, and contextual factors associated with the
development of health-compromising and health-enhancing behaviors. The
investigators will initially survey 450 males and 450 females (aged
12-13) randomly selected from schools in three predominantly Latino
communities in Los Angeles County. In addition, they will interview
mothers or designated female guardians of the adolescents to gather
information regarding family environment, parenting styles, and parents'
knowledge, attitudes and practices.
Adolescents and mothers or guardians will be interviewed at baseline.
Adolescents will then be followed-up at 18 and 36 months to assess the
initiation, maintenance and cessation of health-compromising and health-
enhancing behaviors. Using this information, this study will address the
following specific aims: 1) assess the development and sequencing of
health-compromising and health-enhancing behaviors among Latino
adolescents; 2)explore the clustering of health-related behaviors wrong
Latino adolescents; 3) understand the environmental and individual
factors that affect the development of health-related behaviors among
Latino adolescents; and 4) based on the information gathered from the
parental survey, investigate the direct influence of family
circumstances in the development of health-related behaviors among
Latino youth.
Publications
None