Objectives: This study explores whether the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among US college students. Participants: College students (n = 489) enrolled at a Mid-Atlantic university. Methods: A mixed methods design was utilized for data collection and analysis through an electronic survey and semi-structured…

Tele-assessment of autism in early childhood has increased. However, it is unclear how autism screening tools (M-CHAT-R, DCI) function as part of tele-assessment and relate to a commonly used tele-assessment instrument, the TAP. 361 families from a clinically referred sample of children (mean age: 27.63 months, sd = 4.86 months) completed the…

Objective: Although research has identified interpersonal, intrapersonal, and achievement-related factors that precipitate suicide attempts (SAs), how these factors vary by race/ethnicity is unknown. We examined racial/ethnic differences in SA precipitants in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of young adults (YAs) with a SA history. Method:…

Objective: To explore the patterns and predictors of body mass index (BMI) change among undergraduate students from Ontario (Canada). Participants: 68 undergraduate students were followed longitudinally for 3 years with anthropometric data collected bi-annually. Methods: BMI measurements were plotted to generate individual BMI trajectory curves,…

Background: Health literacy (HL) and health numeracy (HN), the ability to interpret and act on quantitative health information, are important for hypertension self-management such as limiting sodium intake. We examined associations of HL, HN, and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet accordance. Participants: Among 1,073 hypertensive…

Intersectionality refers to the simultaneous and interacting effects of multiple group categorization on individuals with minoritized status, often leading to being perceived in a manner inconsistent with the additive contributions of those categories. For Black women, a number of findings have contributed to the idea that Black women have a…

Students in the foster care system tend to have lower educational outcomes than their peers, including more frequent disciplinary events. However, few studies have explored how transitions into and out of foster care placements are associated with educational outcomes. Using longitudinal data from four California school districts, this study…

Bullying victimization is a very common, complex, and potentially damaging form of violence among children and adolescents. Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior, which involves a real or perceived social power imbalance. One in 10 public schools reports at least one case of serious violent crime, such as aggressive bullying,…

Background: Engineering requires new solutions to improve undergraduate performance outcomes, including course grades and continued enrollment in engineering pathways. Belonging and engineering role identity have long been associated with successful outcomes in engineering, including academic success, retention, and well-being. Purpose: We measure…

Parental stress is a well-documented phenomenon. The relationships between parental stress, parent-child dynamics, and child outcomes are complex and bidirectional. Although this intricate interaction is well recognized, we specifically examined the impact of child-related variables on parental stress. Although many child factors can contribute to…

Cyberbullying is a significant problem throughout the United States. In response to cyberbullying, youth may choose to engage in or avoid help-seeking behaviors, and their individual characteristics such as age, gender, frequency of victimization, and race and ethnicity may influence those decisions. School-level variables, including antibullying…

While research suggests that social emotional competencies (SECs) influence students' disciplinary outcomes, less is known of their potential to explain racial disparities or grade level differences in those outcomes. This study used survey and administrative data from 30,494 students in grades 3-12 to examine the degree to which SECs were related…

Food insecurity has broad detrimental impacts on college students, including failing grades, depression, and social disconnection. Social disconnection is concerning as students often use various support resources to manage food insecurity. Racial disparities in food insecurity are well documented in the literature. The purpose of the current…

Background: Few studies have attempted to define clusters of chronic disease predictors with additional focus on racial/ethnic differences. The purpose of this study was to highlight differences in predictors of chronic diseases among American high school students by identifying subgroups using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods: The chronic…

Objective, Participants, & Methods: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges of university students, staff, and faculty alike. We used linear mixed models to examine demographic predictors of, and change over time in, self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms of a cohort of university students and staff/faculty…