abstract: Collective self-esteem is defined as the aspect of identity that relates to how one evaluates the value or worth of the social group to which they belong (Luttanen and Croker, 1992). For African American youth, little research has been conducted to understand how they assess the value or worth they place on their ethnic social grouping as opposed to their racial identity (Hecht, Jackson, & Ribeau, 2003). Moreover, African American scholars for decades have theorized about the importance of applying African centered frameworks to ground community solutions for these youth. Drawing from both the African centered and collective self-esteem literature, the purpose of the present study is to develop a measure of collective self-esteem derived from an African framework to examine its relationship with African American youths’ ethnic identity perceptions. The first phase of the study consisted of a content analysis to generate a pool of items derived from Bantu philosophical text. The second phase consisted of cognitive interviewing to understand the mental processing of African American youth answering the developed items. In the final phase, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the factor structure of the tested items. A single factor was identified, which was strongly correlated with African American youth perceptions of ethnic belonging further supporting that self-perceptions amongst African American youth is associated with how they positively or negatively perceive their ethnic identity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Social Work 2019

Abstract Fatal coronary heart disease among African Americans is associated with a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Research has indicated that CVD risk factor knowledge and the prevalence of ideal CVH both persist at suboptimal levels. However, few researchers have investigated the relationship between culturally-tailored community-based heart health sessions, short-term knowledge acquisition of CVD risk factors, and the awareness of the American Heart Association's (AHA's) CVH construct. The purpose of this cross-sectional, secondary analysis study was to examine the interplay between these variables in an urban African American sample. Guided by social cognitive theory, the study analyzed de-identified data (data sets of demographic characteristics and Heart Disease Facts Questionnaire) from participant responses collected at multiple community sites to assist in the planning of future health programs. Multiple community sites were randomized into an intervention (n = 50) or comparison group (n = 57). Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze data. Knowledge was higher for intervention group participants (β =.44, p = .001) and tended to be higher for those with more education (β = .20, p = .06) and those with less income (β = -.22, p = .07). Notably, most participants (73%) reported awareness of the AHA construct, CVH. The results support culturally-tailored interventions as a useful strategy for CVD risk reduction. The implication for social change is that initiatives at the community-level may positively impact CVH in minority/ethnic communities and subsequently impact CVD disparities.