title: Gratitude is associated with greater levels of protective factors and lower levels of risks in African American adolescents.
abstract: The literature suggests gratitude is associated with positive youth development. The current study examined the relationship between gratitude and protective/risk factors among African American youth. Adolescents (N = 389; 50.4% males) ages 12-14 completed measures of gratitude (moral affect and life-orientation), protective factors (e.g., academic and activity engagement, family relationship), and high-risk behaviors (e.g., sexual attitudes and behaviors, drug/alcohol use). Results indicated greater moral affect gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with greater academic interest, better academic performance, and more extra-curricular activity engagement. Greater moral affect and life-orientation gratitude both significantly correlated with positive family relationship. Greater life-orientation gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with abstinence from sexual intimacy, sexual intercourse, likelihood of engaging in sex during primary school, and abstinence from drug/alcohol use. The findings suggest that moral affect gratitude may enhance protective factors while life-orientation gratitude may buffer against high-risk behaviors among African American youth.
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University, Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA. mmindy@nova.edu
authors.forename: Mindy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kibler
authors.forename: Kaye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014481:United States
keywords: Adolescents; Gratitude; Protective factors; Sexual behaviors