title: Promoting "Healthy Futures" to Reduce Risk Behaviors in Urban Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: There is increasing evidence of the interconnection between educational and health outcomes. Unfortunately wide disparities exist by both socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity in educational and vocational success. This study sought to promote urban youths' career readiness as a way to reduce involvement in risk behaviors. Two hundred primarily African-American youth (ages 14-21) were recruited from a pediatric primary care clinic. Youth randomized to the intervention received three motivational interviewing sessions focused around expectations and planning for the future. Baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments included measures of career readiness and risk behavior involvement (i.e., physical fighting, alcohol and marijuana use). At 6-months, youth randomized to the intervention condition showed increased confidence in their ability to perform the behaviors needed to reach their college/career goals. Additionally, youth randomized to the intervention arm showed decreased fighting behavior (adjusted rate ratio: .27) and marijuana use (adjusted rate ratio: .61). Assisting urban youth in thinking and planning about their future holds promise as a way to reduce their involvement in risk behaviors. This study also demonstrated that motivational interviewing could be used to promote positive behaviors (i.e., career readiness).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 200 North Broadway, Room 2063, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA, slj@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindstrom Johnson
authors.forename: Vanya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Tina L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D002321:Career Choice; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult