Protective Effects of Adolescent-Adult Connection on Male Youth in Urban Environments.

PURPOSE: Positive adult connection has been linked with protective effects among U.S. adolescents. Less is known about the impact of adult connection across multiple health domains for youth in low-resource urban environments. We examined the associations between adult connection and school performance, substance use, and violence exposure among youth in low-resource neighborhoods.

METHODS: We recruited a population-based random sample of 283 male adolescents in Philadelphia. Age-adjusted logistic regression tested whether positive adult connection promoted school performance and protected against substance use and violence exposure.

RESULTS: Youth with a positive adult connection had significantly higher odds of good school performance (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; p < .05), and lower odds of alcohol use (OR, .4; p < .05), violence involvement (OR, .3-.4; p < .05), and violence witnessing (OR, .3; p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Promoting adult connection may help safeguard youth in urban contexts. Youth-serving professionals should consider assessing adult connection as part of a strengths-based approach to health promotion for youth in low-resource neighborhoods.