Child strengths and placement stability among racial/ethnic minority youth in the child welfare system.

While all children deserve a stable living environment, national data illustrate that many states struggle to achieve placement stability for youth in the child welfare system as a significant number of children in foster care continue to experience multiple placements while in state custody. Prior research has not considered the impact of youth protective factors or strengths on the frequency of placement changes that youth experience while in the child welfare system. This study examined the association between strengths measured at multiple levels (i.

Do school resources influence the relationship between adolescent financial background and their school perceptions?

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) influences students' school perceptions and affects their performance, engagement, and personal beliefs. This study examined the effects of school population SES and school resources on the association between student SES and student perceptions.

Methods: School liking, classmate social relationships, family affluence, and experience of hunger were assessed in a nationally representative sample of 12,642 students (grades 5-10) in the 2009-2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study.

Weight, Weight Perceptions, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among a National Sample of US Girls.

Objective: To examine associations between 3 weight indices (weight status, perceived weight, and weight status perception accuracy) and heath-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods: Data are for girls in the 2009 Health Behaviors in School-Age Children survey, a nationally representative sample of students in Grades 5 to 10 during the 2009/2010 school year (n = 5018). Controlling for sociodemographics, multivariate linear regressions examined associations between self-reported weight status (underweight/normal/overweight/obese), perceived weight (how children categorize their weight), weight status perception accuracy (underestimate/accurate perception/overestimate), and dimensions of HRQOL, including physical, emotional, social, and school functioning.

Weight perceptions, misperceptions, and dating violence victimization among U.S. adolescents.

Dating violence is a major public health issue among youth. Overweight/obese adolescents experience peer victimization and discrimination and may be at increased risk of dating violence victimization. Furthermore, given the stigma associated with overweight/obesity, perceptions and misperceptions of overweight may be more important than actual weight status for dating violence victimization.