Abstract
In recent years, the problem and risk behaviors of American Indian adolescents have received considerable attention. For instance, American Indian youths have been reported to exhibit higher levels of serious problems such as depression and suicide, substance use, and school leaving (U.S. Congress, 1990). Blum, Harmon, Harris, Bergeisen, and Resnick (1992) reported that for the majority of the psychological and physical problems of concern during adolescence, American Indian youths showed higher levels than a comparison group of white youths. At the same time, these authors also noted “As is true for most teenagers throughout the United States, the majority of American Indian youths are not faced with significant health risks” (p. 1643). One area of research that has been prominent in exploring interrelationships among adolescents has been Problem-Behavior Theory (PBT); however, the relevance of PBT has not been examined to date with American Indian adolescents. Moreover, the positive aspects of adolescent behavior in general have received little systematic attention.
Using Problem-Behavior Theory as a framework, the latent structure of problem and positive behaviors was examined within a sample of 1,894 American Indian adolescents. Support was found for a two-factor second-order structure in which problem behaviors (antisocial behavior, alcohol use, drug use, and risky sexual behavior) and positive behaviors (school success, cultural activities, competencies, and community-mindedness) represented two relatively uncorrelated aspects of behavior. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that the positive behaviors construct contributed significant incremental construct validity in the statistical prediction of psychosocial outcomes, over and above the problem behaviors. In addition, the fit of the structure was examined across gender and the four participating communities. The importance of the inclusion of positive behaviors is discussed from the standpoint of both prevention/promotion activities and the communities’ perceptions. Further recommendations are made for deeper understandings of community concerns and strengths in conducting preventive/promotive research efforts.
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Mitchell, C.M., Beals, J. (2002). The Structure of Problem and Positive Behavior among American Indian Adolescents: Gender and Community Differences. In: Revenson, T.A., et al. Ecological Research to Promote Social Change. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0565-5_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0565-5_12
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