Background: Public health literature is replete with evidence on individual and interpersonal indicators of modern contraceptive use. There is, however, limited knowledge regarding healthcare system indicators of modern contraceptive use. This study assessed how the healthcare system influences use of modern contraceptive among women in Ghana, Kenya, and two large population states in Nigeria. Methods: This study used data from Phase 1 of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020. The analytical sample was limited to women with a need for contraception, defined as women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) who wish to delay or limit childbirth. Therefore, this analysis consisted of 1066, 1285, and 1955 women from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya respectively. Indicators of healthcare assessed include user-fees, visit by health worker, type of health facility, multiple perinatal services, adolescent reproductive healthcare, density of healthcare workers, and regularity of contraceptive services. All analyses were conducted with SAS (9.4), with statistical significance set at p < 5%. Results: The prevalence of modern contraceptive was 22.7, 33.2, and 68.9% in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya respectively. The odds of modern contraceptive use were higher among Nigerian women who lived within areas that provide adolescent reproductive healthcare (OR = 2.05; 95% C.I. = 1.05-3.99) and Kenyan women residing in locales with polyclinic or hospitals (OR = 1.91; 1.27-2.88). Also, the odds of contraceptive use were higher among Kenyan women who lived in areas with user-fee for contraceptive services (OR = 1.40; 1.07-1.85), but lower among Ghanaian women residing in such areas (OR = 0.46; 0.23-0.92). Lastly, the odds of modern contraceptive use were higher among women visited by a health-worker visit among women in Ghana (OR = 1.63; 1.11-2.42) and Nigeria (OR = 2.97; 1.56-5.67) than those without a visit. Conclusion: This study found an association between country-specific indicators of healthcare and modern contraceptive use. Evidence from this study can inform policy makers, health workers, and healthcare organizations on specific healthcare factors to target in meeting the need for contraception in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The current study draws upon ecodevelopmental theory to identify protective and risk factors that may influence emotional distress during adolescence. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the relationship among family obligations, school connectedness and emotional distress of 4,198 (51% female) middle and high school students who were primarily (59%) European American. The overall model explained 21.1% of the variance in student emotional distress. A significant interaction effect was found indicating that school connectedness moderated the relationship between family obligations and emotional distress. Specifically, for students with low to moderate levels of family obligations, a stronger sense of school connectedness was associated with lower emotional distress. The buffering effect of school connectedness was weakened as the level of family obligations increased and completely disappeared for students who experienced high levels of family obligations. The creation of a program that takes a holistic approach, in order to curtail the levels of highly emotionally distressed adolescents, must continue to address the ever changing demands that adolescents encounter and prepare youth to deal with functioning within multiple contexts and do so while maintaining emotional well-being.

Background: Bullying is associated with negative health outcomes such as depression. Most studies target non-Latinxs, though they often experience higher rates of bullying and depression. This review examines the inclusion of Latinxs in studies of bullying and depression and factors unique to them. Methods: Databases were searched for articles related to bullying and depression. Two reviewers found 957 publications and identified 17 for inclusion. Results: All 17 studies demonstrated a relationship between bullying and depression. Nine examined variables unique to Latinxs. Conclusions: Studies that included variables unique to Latinxs found a stronger relationship between bullying and depression. Inclusive measures and design are key to understanding and reducing the consequences of bullying in this population.

Culturally grounded after-school programs (ASPs) aim to promote health and well-being among Indigenous youth. Native Spirit is a 10-session ASP that focuses on local cultural values and activities facilitated by local cultural practitioners. This pilot study used a single group, pretest-posttest design (N = 18) with Indigenous adolescents in grades 7-12 and conducted participant interviews (N = 11) to assess the impact of the program on cultural identity, self-esteem, and resilience. There were immediate post-program increases in mean strength in cultural identity (p = 0.002), resilience (p = 0.161), and self-esteem (p = 0.268). Themes related to benefits of program participation included curiosity and commitment to cultural identity, increases in self-esteem, and ability to build resilience. This study provides new insights on the relationship between cultural engagement and adolescent health.

Human papillomavirus vaccine is highly acceptable among college women, particularly among Hispanic women. Efforts to vaccinate should include time of college enrollment. Such efforts are critical for the large scale prevention of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions and ultimately for preventable cervical cancer mortality.

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Literature emphasizes the need to engage Latino/as in research. However, exactly how to accomplish the engagement while maintaining scientific rigor is a challenge that investigators face. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating the implementation of a crossover design embedded within a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. The goal of the study was to disseminate priority health education, which aligned with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines, to Latinas 18 to 65 years of age living in Pima County, Arizona. The use of CBPR was to ensure engagement and increase ownership of the study by the Latina community. To this end, the article discusses the integration of CBPR throughout the crossover study to reach the outcomes of increased knowledge in health education related to sexually transmitted infections and depression that promoted informed health care decisions and increased screening.

The model presented by the ISF is difficult to achieve, but we offer concrete solutions to community members and scientists to move toward that ideal.