Browsing by Author "Agbanu, H.L.K."
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Item Adolescent suicidal behaviors, self rated health and multiple health risk behaviors: Exploring new perspectives in suicide prevention research(Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology, 2010) Nkansah-Amankra, S.; Diedhiou, A.; Walker, A.D.; Agbanu, H.L.K.; Clark, H.We sought to evaluate the extent to which self-rating of health, gender, and the co-occurrence of other health risk behaviors were related to suicidal behaviors among adolescents. Cross-sectional survey data of Colorado middle and high school students aged 12 to 18 years were analyzed using logistic regression. Main outcome variables were suicide ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempt. Predictors included self-rated health, self-reported health behaviors, perception of body image, expression of sadness and hopelessness self-reported sexual abuse self-reported access to lethal weapon and expression of school safety concerns. Adjusted results showed respondents with poor health rating had significantly higher odds of suicidal ideation (OR: 2. 22), suicidal planning (OR: 1. 35), and suicide attempt (OR: 2.23), Reporting of hopelessness was the most consistent predictor of suicidal behaviors with odds ratios ranging from 5.57 (for suicidal ideation) to 17.40 (for suicidal attempt).Factors associated with different adolescents’ suicidal behaviors were different for boys and girls. Findings suggest the need to consider gender differences as regards self-assessment of health in order to improve the effectiveness of suicide interventions among adolescents.Item Correlates of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students in Colorado: Analysis and Implications of School-based HIV/AIDS Programs(Maternal and Child Health Journal, 2010) Nkansah-Amankra, S.; Diedhiou, A.; Curtis, H.; Agbanu, H.L.K.Objectives of this study arc to examine correlates of antecedent sexual risk exposures associated with HIV/AIDS infection among adolescents participating in the 2005 Colorado Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (CYBRS), and to determine gender differences associated with these exposures since previous studies have produced mixed findings. Variables assessing these relationships were drawn from CYBRS, 2005. We used y to assess bivariate relationships and multinomial logistic regression to evaluate associations among dependent variables (sexual risk behaviors, age at first sex, and number of sexual partners in the past 3 months) and independent variables (in-school H1V/A1DS education, use of illegal substances, physically forced sex, and alcohol use). We found no significant effect of having received in-school HIV/AIDS education on all outcome measures. Compared with females, males were more likely to initiate sex at a relatively younger age, report unprotected sex with multiple partners, and drink alcohol before sexual intercourse. Among females, using 2 illegal substances increased the odds of early sexual debut by 12 times, while using ≥3 substances increased the same odds to 44-fold. Likewise, binge drinking was also asso¬ciated with higher odds of having multiple partners. Hispanic ethnicity and physically forced sex variables were consistently associated with high risk sexual behaviors, early sexual initiation, and increased number of sexual partners. Efforts to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic among adolescents may need to focus on targeted interventions aimed at addressing gender- and racial/ethnic-specific risk exposures among this population group, including risk behaviors linked with lifetime physically forced sex. The need to re-examine the role of in-school HIV prevention programs to build adequate competencies among students, parents and community leaders to reduce risk associated with HIV/AIDS infection among youth is emphasized.Item The Death Penalty: An African Perspective(Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology (GJRT), 2012-12-04) Agbanu, H.L.K.Global debates about whether the death penalty should be abolished or not typically revolve around three main questions: (1) what are the legitimate purpose of punishment (the purposes argument), (2) whether any acts are so heinous that their perpetrators truly deserve to die (the desert argument), and (3) whether the fact that a community continues to use capital punishment is generally expressive of virtuous, or vicious, character traits among . its citizenry (the character argument). This article contends that because the different concerns of these three arguments are not always fully appreciated, abolitionists and retentionists often talk past one another. To illustrate this, we explore the implications of each type of argument in the context of indigenous African morality, showing how each argument takes on new meanings with different degrees of explanatory force. While we do not propose a specific resolution to the global death .penalty debate, we do reach conclusions about how participants in this global conversation ought to proceed.Item Evaluating correlates of adolescent physical activity duration towards National Health Objectives: Analysis of the Colorado Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, 2005(Journal of Public Health, 2011-06) Nkansah-Amankra, S.; Diedhiou, A.; Agbanu, H.L.K.; Toma-Drane, M.; Dhawan, A.Background While numerous studies have examined the relationships among correlates of physical activity (PA), less attention has been given to identifying the correlates of low PA duration. The main objective of the current study was to examine correlates of low PA duration, team sports participation and smoking behaviors among adolescents. Methods Data from the 2005 Colorado Youth Behavioral Risk Survey were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. We evaluated associations between two measures of low PA duration, assessed as per Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) objectives and 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) for Americans, and smoking behaviors, participation in the physical education (PE) and team sports, controlling for age, gender and other behavioral characteristics. Results Forty percent and 70, respectively, of adolescents did not meet the 2008 PAG and HP2010 objectives. After adjustment, smoking remained associated with failure to meet the 2008 PAG. However, no significant relationship was found with low PA duration as per the HP2010 objectives. The risk of low PA was higher among girls for both outcome measures. Likewise, adolescents who reported no participation in team sports presented a 7-fold higher risk of low PA as per the 2008 PAG and 51 higher risk of low PA as per the HP2010 objectives compared with the group with team sports participation. Conclusions Regular participation in school PE and team sports may represent an important avenue for increasing PA duration and reducing smoking behaviors among adolescents. © 2011 The Author.Item Evaluating correlates of Adolescent physical activity duration towards national health Objectives:Analysis of Colorado Youth Risk Behavioral Survey(Journal of School Health, 2010) Nkansah-Amankra, S.; Diedhiou, H.; Agbanu, H.L.K.; Toma-Drane, M.; Dhawan, A.Item A longitudinal Evaluation of Religiosity and Psychosocial Determinants of Suicidal Behaviors among a Population-Based Sample in the United States(Journal of Affective Disorders, 2012) Nkansah-Amankra, S.; Diedhiou, A.; Agbanu, S.K.; Agbanu, H.L.K.; Opoku-Adomako, N.S.; Twumasi-Ankrah, P.