The United States has the highest teen birth rate of any developed country in the world. In the period 2005-2010, the fertility rate for the United States was 41 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, compared to 26 births in the United Kingdom, and 4 in Switzerland and The Netherlands. However, the teen birth rates in the United States vary considerably by race and ethnic group. National vital statistics data for 2009 report that the rate for Blacks is more than twice that of non-Hispanic Whites, and the rate for Latinas is almost three times as high. The difference within Latino groups is just as dramatic. The adolescent fertility rate per 1,000 for Cubans is 23.5, while for Puerto Ricans it is 61.67, and for Mexicans the rate is 78.7. Teen pregnancy and childbearing in the Mexican American population are issues of great concern because this ethnic group is the fastest growing population in the United States. The literature on teen childbearing among Latinos, and specifically among Mexican origin teens, tends to attribute the high rates to cultural differences. In this dissertation, I argue that the high rates of teen pregnancy cannot properly be attributed to "cultural" characteristics. Instead, I develop falsifiable hypotheses that are derived from theoretical frameworks which recognize the relationship between racial inequalities and teen fertility. I first test the social characteristics hypothesis to determine the effect that income and parents? education have on teen fertility. Second, I test if other characteristics such as religiosity, type of religion and views on teen pregnancy have an impact on predicting the odds of having a teen birth. Third, drawing on demographic literature, I ascertain whether educational experiences and aspirations to attend college are critical factors in predicting a teen birth. Last, I test if having a teen birth has the same impact for Mexican origin teens compared to Whites in terms of being able to obtain a college degree.

The main objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between parent-related, acculturation-related, and substance use-related variables found within individual, familial/parental, peer and school adolescent ecological domains, in a clinical sample (i.e. adolescents who met criteria for a Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV [DSM-IV] clinical diagnosis of substance abuse/dependence) of Hispanic adolescents from Miami, Florida. The sample for this study consisted of 94 adolescent-mother pairs. The adolescent sample was 65% male, and 35% female, with a mean age of 15 years. More than half of the adolescents were born in the United States (60%) and had resided in the U.S. for an average of 12 years; 80% of the caregivers (primarily mothers) were foreign-born and lived in the U.S. for an average of 21 years. Correlation and hierarchical regression were used to answer the research questions. The findings indicate that the hypothesized model and corresponding anticipated effect of the relationship between parental school and peer involvement on adolescents’ frequency of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use was not supported by the data. Parental “acculturation-related” variables did not explain any of the variance in adolescent substance use frequency in this sample. Mediation and moderation models were not supported either. However, some interesting relationships were found: The larger the acculturation gap, the lower the parental involvement in school tended to be (r = -.21, p < .05). Adolescents who experienced a greater acculturation gap with their parents (-.81, p >.01) had an earlier onset of marijuana (-.33, p < .01) and cocaine use (r = -.24, p .05), they also reported using marijuana more frequently than females (.21, p >.05).

Introduction: More than one-third of adults and 17% of children/adolescents in the US are overweight or obese contributing to significant morbidity and mortality, and healthcare costs. Studies have reported the persistence of adolescent obesity to adulthood, resulting in increased risk of chronic diseases such as asthma, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, and liver diseases. Little is known about obesity patterns in subethnic populations in the US with high prevalence of obesity or overweight reported in Hispanic youth (21.9%) compared to non-Hispanic blacks (19.5%) and non-Hispanic whites (14.7%). Several genetic, uterine, and nutritional factors, and unhealthy behaviors were identified as risk factors. Evidence is emerging about the possible role of generational status in influencing adolescent obesity. The purpose of this study is to assess the association of generation status with adolescent overweight or obesity in Hispanics in the US. Methods: Data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)were used to conduct this study. Only Hispanic adolescents aged 10 to 17 years were included as study population. Using the age-sex-race specific cut-off points, we defined adolescent as being overweight or obese if they were above 85th or 95th percentile cut off point values for BMI. Generation status of an adolescent was categorized into three groups: a) generation 1 for those who were not born in US or to US citizens abroad, and migrated to US as children, b) generation 2 are those born in US but have at least one parent who is foreign born, and c) generation 3 or higher adolescents are those born in US to native-born parents. Multivariable models were conducted to test the association of generation status with adolescent obesity in Hispanics, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 5,217 Hispanic adolescents were included in the study. Approximately 1,650 and 31.7% of adolescents reported being overweight or obese. Approximately 857, 2,216 and 2,144 of adolescents are 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanic youth. Comparing to 3rd generation adolescents, those belonging to 1st and 2ndgenerations were associated with increased odds of adolescent obesity in Hispanics OR1.48, 95% CI 1.177 – 1.867 and OR 1.405, 95% CI 1.227-1.610 for 1st and 2nd generation, respectively. Conclusion: Generational status is associated with increased relative odds of overweight or obesity in Hispanic adolescents. Aggregated estimates not accounting for nativity or county of origin of an adolescent contribute to significant heterogeneity or disparities in obesity prevalence or patterns, with implications for generation-specific interventions.

The purpose of this study was to determine relationships between acculturation level, generational status, and gender with acculturative stress. Acculturation level was determined by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II (ARSMA-II) and acculturative stress was determined by the Societal, Attitudinal, Familial and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale-Children's Version (SAFE-C). Subjects included 1268 Hispanic children ages 11-15. In order to validate the usefulness of the ARSMA-II with this sample, analyses were conducted between acculturation level and generational status. The Pearson product moment correlation (r=.44) and the ANOVA between the mean acculturation score and generational status were significant. However, the mean acculturation score from this study was considerably lower than the ARSMA-II score; therefore, new acculturation levels were developed to establish local adolescent norms for the ARSMA-II. All analyses involving acculturation levels were conducted using both the ARSMA-II and new acculturation levels because 300 subjects were reclassified with the new norms. Significant results were similar using both acculturation levels; however, there were more between group differences using the new acculturation levels. It was hypothesized that as acculturation level increased toward the Anglo culture, acculturative stress would decrease. The one-way ANOVA confirmed this relationship. It was also hypothesized that as generational status increased, acculturative stress would decrease. A one-way ANOVA also supported this hypothesis. In order to replicate previous findings on gender, a one-way ANOVA was conducted with acculturative stress and acculturation level. Results for both were non-significant. Overall findings indicate that generational status and acculturation level have a significant impact on acculturative stress in Hispanic children; however, gender does not seem to be a factor. Findings emphasize the importance of addressing cultural issues in the assessment, intervention, and treatment of acculturating Hispanic children. Furthermore, the ARSMA-II appears to be a useful instrument in assessing acculturation level in young adolescent Hispanics though new local adolescent norms for the ARSMA-II were developed from this study.

As the largest and fastest growing U.S. minority, the Hispanic market has become an increasingly significant contributor to the nation as a whole. More so than ever, marketers would greatly benefit from reaching out to this demographic, drawing inspiration from the all of the characteristics that make it unique. In seeking to increase the appeal of their products, advertising plans should be developed such that all efforts take advantage of an opportunity such as this without negatively affecting any serious conditions prevalent among the population. In the case of Latino adolescents who are more likely to consume certain products such as sports drinks, but suffer disproportionately from obesity, it is crucial that food and beverage manufacturers like Gatorade approach this target strategically. Gatorade’s strong dedication to improving athletic performance offers the chance to become a positive contributor to the health and well being of Hispanic teens. The analysis and recommendations herein seek to guide Gatorade in addressing Hispanics in light of recent trends and demographic shifts. The tactics considered include the promotion of the many healthy options among Gatorade’s existing product lines, as well as ways to develop new ones targeted at young Latino males. Drawing from current advertising reaching out to the leading sports drink consumers, ‘REPLAY The Series’ would be another method that could be tailored to reach a greater number of this ethnicity. Finally, in recognition of the many advancements in digital technologies such as location based services, and young Hispanics’ greater likelihood to make use of cell phone applications, a mobile component is recommended, focusing on bringing these teens together and facilitating physical activity. With marketing ideas built upon the role sports drinks could play in getting Hispanic adolescents active, Gatorade can continue its dedication to superior athletic performance with further potential to become a role model for the marketing industry as a whole / text