title: Protective Effects of Adolescent-Adult Connection on Male Youth in Urban Environments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Positive adult connection has been linked with protective effects among U.S. adolescents. Less is known about the impact of adult connection across multiple health domains for youth in low-resource urban environments. We examined the associations between adult connection and school performance, substance use, and violence exposure among youth in low-resource neighborhoods.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited a population-based random sample of 283 male adolescents in Philadelphia. Age-adjusted logistic regression tested whether positive adult connection promoted school performance and protected against substance use and violence exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Youth with a positive adult connection had significantly higher odds of good school performance (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; p < .05), and lower odds of alcohol use (OR, .4; p < .05), violence involvement (OR, .3-.4; p < .05), and violence witnessing (OR, .3; p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Promoting adult connection may help safeguard youth in urban contexts. Youth-serving professionals should consider assessing adult connection as part of a strengths-based approach to health promotion for youth in low-resource neighborhoods.
authors.affiliation: Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: culyba@email.chop.edu.
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Culyba
authors.affiliation: Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Joel A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fein
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Branas
authors.affiliation: Biobehavioral Health Sciences Department, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Therese S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wiebe
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000517:prevention & control; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D015143:Philadelphia; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent; Family relations; Health promotion; Positive youth development; Schools; Urban health; Violence