Historically, sexual and gender minority populations may have faced multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their utilization of preventive healthcare is low. However, sociocultural changes in attitudes and policies affecting sexual and gender minority populations signal their broader societal acceptance. We examined the prevalence of…

Despite the broader academic gains experienced by Hispanic students, who represent the largest minority group in the United States, they remain the least educated of all major ethnic groups, and our understanding of their academic needs and strengths remains woefully inadequate. Therefore, this study examined the risk (e.g., sexual risk taking)…

Addictive disorders are a public health crisis that affects our society by draining our workforce, health care, judicial, education, and law enforcement, resources. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to social influence--for better and for worse--and addiction. Through social media, today's youth experience a whole new way of communicating.…

Sexual and reproductive health indicators for young people in the USA have improved in recent decades, but teenage pregnancies remain high, and large differences between Whites and non-Whites persist in teenage births, abortions, and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections. Prior research shows that young people are receptive to…

Objectives: To assess hookah use among youth for prevalence, associations, and changes over time. Methods: Data from the 2008 and 2010 New Jersey Youth Tobacco Survey were analyzed to examine hookah smoking by gender, race/ethnicity, and grade level. Results: Prevalence of hookah use increased significantly among black and Hispanic students.…

Understanding the behaviors and attitudes of at-risk populations is fundamental to controlling the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The problem of nonresponse among these populations, however, plagues survey research designed to address these issues. Previous work undertaken to map out the dynamics of nonresponse--both noncontacts and…