Quality After School Care for Adolescents in Low Socioeconomic Neighborhoods and the Effects it has on Exposure and Involvement to Drug Use
Start Date
April 2020
End Date
April 2020
Major Field of Study
Psychology
Second Major
Business Administration
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Veronica Fruiht, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
A child’s mind is like a sponge, soaking up huge amounts of information from the environment that surrounds them. Children absorb information both effortlessly and unconsciously. Programs such as after school care, can introduce a structured environment to children at a young age.. Early participation in a quality after school care program can help prevent learning disabilities, develop healthy habits, and improve social skills. (Mann, Reynolds, Robertson & Temple, 2001). Youth living in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods may have limited access to quality care programs increasing the unmet demand for after school care programs (After School Alliance, 2014). The goal of the present study is to explore the relationships among neighborhood disadvantages, quality after school care, and the likely exposure to drug use at an early age. Results are expected to find that college students who lived in low socioeconomic neighborhoods as a child and attended a quality after school care program are less likely to be involved in early drug use. The quality of the after school care program may have an effect on the child’s early exposure to drug use. Those who didn’t live in low SES neighborhoods or attend a quality after school care program throughout their years in elementary, may be less likely to have had early exposure to drugs but may possibly use them in the present. 35 college students will be asked to fill out a variety of scales. I will be using both the AUDIT and MCQ scales to understand a participant’s current drug use and dependency on the drugs they may currently use. A survey consisting of the The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT),is a 10-item screening instrument designed to screen for a range of drinking problems (Saunders, Aasland, Babor, Fuente, & Grant, 1993). The Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ) is used to measure the severity of the craving of marjiuana and measures four constructs characterizing marijuana craving, this includes compulsivity, emotionality, expectancy and purposefulness. (Heishman, Singleton, & Liguori, 2001).
Quality After School Care for Adolescents in Low Socioeconomic Neighborhoods and the Effects it has on Exposure and Involvement to Drug Use
A child’s mind is like a sponge, soaking up huge amounts of information from the environment that surrounds them. Children absorb information both effortlessly and unconsciously. Programs such as after school care, can introduce a structured environment to children at a young age.. Early participation in a quality after school care program can help prevent learning disabilities, develop healthy habits, and improve social skills. (Mann, Reynolds, Robertson & Temple, 2001). Youth living in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods may have limited access to quality care programs increasing the unmet demand for after school care programs (After School Alliance, 2014). The goal of the present study is to explore the relationships among neighborhood disadvantages, quality after school care, and the likely exposure to drug use at an early age. Results are expected to find that college students who lived in low socioeconomic neighborhoods as a child and attended a quality after school care program are less likely to be involved in early drug use. The quality of the after school care program may have an effect on the child’s early exposure to drug use. Those who didn’t live in low SES neighborhoods or attend a quality after school care program throughout their years in elementary, may be less likely to have had early exposure to drugs but may possibly use them in the present. 35 college students will be asked to fill out a variety of scales. I will be using both the AUDIT and MCQ scales to understand a participant’s current drug use and dependency on the drugs they may currently use. A survey consisting of the The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT),is a 10-item screening instrument designed to screen for a range of drinking problems (Saunders, Aasland, Babor, Fuente, & Grant, 1993). The Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ) is used to measure the severity of the craving of marjiuana and measures four constructs characterizing marijuana craving, this includes compulsivity, emotionality, expectancy and purposefulness. (Heishman, Singleton, & Liguori, 2001).
Comments
This presentation was accepted for the Scholarly and Creative Works Conference at Dominican University of California. The Conference was canceled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic