Barbara J. McMorris

This manuscript describes the (1) development of the “DiscoverU” afterschool mentoring program and (2) formative evaluation of its feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact on adolescents' physical activity (PA), interpersonal skills, and social connectedness. We used a convergent mixed‐methods design with quantitative data from adolescents ( n = 32) and qualitative data from adolescents ( n = 14), mentors ( n = 14), facilitators ( n = 3), and school staff ( n = 3). We assessed pre–post changes physical activity, mindful eating, and social‐emotional skills with paired Wilcoxon tests and used content analysis to identify themes. DiscoverU was highly acceptable and demonstrated initial impacts on PA days/week, peer cooperation, and social connection. Qualitative data indicated adolescents' experience with mentors was important to these outcomes. However, feasibility was limited by inconsistent attendance with 44%–52% of adolescents receiving the intended dose. DiscoverU's novel use of mentoring to integrate physical and mental health promotion was well‐liked by all involved parties. Strategies to enhance consistent adolescent attendance are needed to increase program feasibility.

The Latine population is projected to increase across the U.S. for various reasons. These include factors such as the encouragement of Latine individuals to migrate north due to climate change (Ber...

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a significant global public health challenge. Despite progress in addressing the pandemic, people living with HIV continue to report challenges in accessing HIV testing, care, and treatment services. Telehealth presents a promising solution to some of these barriers. However, its potential remains unrealized, particularly in low- and middle-income settings, partly due to insufficient supporting evidence. Our mixed methods study investigated patient perceptions and predictors of intention to use telehealth for follow-up HIV care in Uganda. Quantitative data were collected from 266 participants using a questionnaire, followed by one-on-one interviews with 12 people living with HIV. Quantitative analysis involved Chi-square tests, t-tests, and binary logistic regression, while qualitative data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Our findings show that the intention to use telehealth was significantly associated with effort expectancy (aOR 1.26, CI 1.13–1.41), facilitating conditions (aOR 1.44, CI 1.19–1.73), estimated monthly income (aOR 2.94, CI 1.05–8.23; aOR 7.29, CI 1.12–47.49), and antiretroviral medication adherence (aOR 1.93, CI 1.12–3.33). Qualitative insights underscore the importance of digital literacy and availability of support services to enhance the utilization of telehealth. While performance expectation and stigma score did not significantly predict intention to use telehealth, participants perceived telehealth to be beneficial in combating stigma and improving access to HIV care services. To optimize the utilization of telehealth, we recommend measures aimed at addressing economic disparities and enhancing digital literacy among people living with HIV. Future research should explore the effectiveness of economic empowerment programs in promoting telehealth use and investigate the impact of telehealth on HIV care models, stigma reduction, and linkage and retention in HIV care.

Regular attendance is integral for students’ academic success; it also affects adolescents’ physical and mental health. Very few studies consider (a) differences between partial- and full-day absences regarding chronic absenteeism (CA; missing school ≥15 days in an academic year); or (b) roles of school nurses in addressing student absenteeism. This study describes school nurses’ perceptions of factors related to CA and differences between partial- and full-day absences by analyzing qualitative data from six focus groups with 21 Midwestern school nurses. Four themes emerged: Absenteeism at the intersection of family and health ; Absenteeism at the intersection of family and school ; Absenteeism at the intersection of family and ecological systems ; and School nurse roles in supporting chronically absent students . Findings highlight the importance of school nurses by describing their role in identifying students who are at risk for CA, allowing for effective assessment and intervention with students before patterns of CA become habitual.

Via a school-based survey, we used a developmental assets framework to investigate associations of internal and social characteristics and weight-based bullying with sport and physical activity (PA) among female adolescents with high weight status (n = 4,468; M _age = 14.9 years, SD _age = 1.3; body mass index ≥ 95th percentile). Participants reported ≥60 min of PA on approximately 3.0 days (SD = 2.1) in the previous week. Over one-third played organized team sports, averaging 3.5 days (SD = 1.5) per week. Weight-based bullying was common (46%) and unassociated with lower sport and PA. Results from t-tests and chi-squared tests demonstrated that adolescents who played sport (vs. those who did not) had higher internal developmental assets, better perceived health, and stronger perceptions of caring from parents, friends, and other community adults. Similarly, adolescents engaging in more PA reported higher developmental assets. In regression models adjusted for all variables and demographic characteristics, higher internal developmental assets, better perceived health, and stronger perceptions of caring from adults in the community were positively and significantly associated with increased odds of sport participation and higher PA. Findings suggest female adolescents with high weight status have internal and social assets related to their participation in PA and sport, despite experiencing weight-based bullying. Adults (e.g., coaches, parents, and healthcare professionals) should help female adolescents with high weight status participate in sport and PA and build developmental assets. Adults should also recognize the frequent weight-based bullying youth encounter and strive to mitigate it in sport and PA contexts.