Somali, Latino, and Hmong Youth Perceptions of School Connectedness

Overview

Journal Health Equity

Specialty Health Services

Date 2022 Oct 3

PMID 36186611

Authors

April K Wilhelm

Martha Bigelow

Mikow Hang

Luis E Ortega

Shannon Pergament

Michele L Allen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: School connectedness positively influences adolescent health outcomes and is a key social determinant of health, yet, contributors to school connectedness for youth from immigrant communities remain poorly defined.

Methods: This community-based participatory research study uses thematic analysis to identify contributors to Somali, Latino, and Hmong (SLH) adolescents' school connectedness. We conducted nine focus groups with 71 SLH male and female adolescents, the majority aged 13-18 years, in a United States Midwestern metropolitan area.

Results: SLH students described contributors to their school connectedness that fit within three broad themes: (1) SLH students desire to be known and supported by their teachers as individuals, (2) specific teacher instructional approaches reinforce or undermine SLH student-school connections, and (3) transparency and fairness in school disciplinary practices are especially important for promoting Latino student-school connectedness.

Conclusion: SLH youth perspectives offer ways for educators to foster increased school connectedness to improve academic and health outcomes among increasingly diverse student populations.

Citing Articles

School Connectedness and Adolescent E-cigarette Susceptibility in an Urban Sample of Middle and High School Students.

Wilhelm A, Evans M, Xiong Z, Ortega L, Vock D, Maruyama G Prev Sci. 2024; 25(5):724-733.

PMID: 38244166 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-024-01643-4.

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