Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Do youth development programs matter? An examination of transitions and well-being among military youth
Journal Name
Journal of Child and Family Studies
Journal Volume
25
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
1765-1776
DOI
10.1007/s10826-016-0361-5
Summary
Well-being is of paramount concern during adolescence, particularly for military youth who experience unique stressors associated with military lifestyle. This study examined the relationship between risk factors (e.g., parental deployment), participation in Army sponsored extracurricular programs, and youth well-being in a sample of 11 to 14 year-olds. Results suggested that supportive social relationships were related to improved well-being. Although several risk factors were related to decreased well-being, participation in extracurricular activities buffered the negative impact of these risk factors.
Key Findings
Youth who felt a stronger sense of support in their social relationships reported fewer depressive symptoms and greater self-efficacy.
Parental rank, living further than 30 minutes from the military installation, and frequently moving schools was associated with more depressive symptoms, greater anxiety, and less self-efficacy.
Participation in U.S. Army Child, Youth, and School Services programs and activities buffered the negative impact of parental deployment and having multiple military parents on well-being.
Implications for Program Leaders
Expand extracurricular programming for youth to provide them with healthier and more supportive social relationships
Offer workshops for families about how to facilitate positive relationships during adolescence
Provide education for youth about healthy relationship skills, such as communication and conflict resolution
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage training for extracurricular program staff about how to facilitate positive relationships among youth
Support the development of programming that teaches youth important relationship skills
Continue to provide support for extracurricular programs and activities for youth
Methods
Youth at four U.S. Army garrisons in the United States and Europe voluntarily completed questionnaires. No recruitment information was provided.
Youth answered questions about their relationships, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy. Background information about youth were also collected.
Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between youths’ lifestyles and home environments, extracurricular participation, and well-being.
Participants
The sample included 749 youth between 11 and 14 years, with an average age of 12 years (SD = 1.08). Just over half of participants were male (51%). No race/ethnicity data were provided.
Within the sample, 71% of youth had a parent who was enlisted, 8% had two parents on Active Duty, and 18% had a parent who was currently deployed.
Almost half (44%) of participants lived outside the continental United States, and 9% lived more than 30 minutes from a military installation. About 65% switched schools at least twice in the past five years.
Limitations
This was a cross-sectional study, which means the causal link between risk factors, extracurricular participation, and well-being cannot be established.
Because researchers only measured youth participation in Army sponsored extracurricular programs or activities, youths’ involvement in other programs or activities were not captured in statistical analyses.
Only youth between the ages of 11 and 14 years were included in this study, which limits the ability to generalize to younger and older youth.
Avenues for Future Research
Use a longitudinal design to determine whether risk factors and extracurricular participation directly impact youth well-being
Measure participation in both military and non-military sponsored extracurricular programs
Include a wider range of ages to measure whether these associations remain the same for younger and/or older youth
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The current correlational study examines the association between internal and external military family contextual factors (e.g., parental rank, having multiple military parents, school changes, living more than 30 minutes from a military installation, parental deployment, relationship provisions) and military youth well-being outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-efficacy) in a sample of children of active duty military members (i.e., military youth). Data from 749 military youth, ages 11_14, were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The model explained a reasonable amount of the variation in the outcomes of interest (r-square statistics for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-efficacy were .151, .018, and .086, respectively). Results indicated that military youth who reported more social provisions experienced fewer depressive symptoms and more self-efficacy. Youth who reported certain military risk factors (i.e., parental rank; living farther from the military installation; multiple school changes) were associated with decreased well-being (i.e., more depressive symptoms and anxiety and less self-efficacy). However, findings suggest that participation in military programs may serve a moderating or buffering factor for these youth.
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