Poster Presentation
Thursday, 20 July 2006
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Thursday, 20 July 2006
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Effects of Cumulative Trauma on Perceptions of Health, Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Urban African American Youth
Rhonda L. Conner-Warren, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, Doctoral Candidate, Wayne State University College of Nursing, Detroit, MI, USA
| Learning Objective #1: The learner will be able to define Cumulative Trauma load. |
| Learning Objective #2: The learner will be able to describe some of the effects of cumulative trauma. |
Purpose: Urban African American (AA) youths are experiencing violence and trauma at an alarming rate. There is a void in the research literature, in describing the impact of multiple, significant traumatic events and situations occurring repeatedly and over time. This phenomenon is termed Cumulative Trauma. Research has shown that experiencing high rates of trauma/violence can impact the physical and mental health of these youths. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between cumulative trauma experience and urban AA adolescents’ perception of health, blood pressure and heart rate.
Research Questions:
(1) What is the relationship between cumulative trauma dose and urban African American adolescents’ perception of health, blood pressure and heart rate?
(2) Does social support serve as a protective factor in the relationship between cumulative trauma dose and urban African American adolescents’ perception of health, blood pressure and heart rate?
Methods:
Sample: Participants were approximately 200 urban AA youths aged 11 to 16 years attending public schools in a large metropolitan community. Parental consents and youth assent forms were obtained.
Design: This correlational study is a secondary analysis of data collected from a parent study. The purpose of the parent study was to explore the effects of cumulative trauma on adolescents’ mental and physical health as well as interpersonal, cognitive, behavioral, and academic functioning in two populations (African American and Iraqi adolescents).
Procedure: The adolescents sampled attended one of two data collection days. Data were collected using the Cumulative Trauma Scale--Adolescent Version, Child Health and Illness Profile-Adolescent Edition, Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, and blood pressure and heart rate measurements.
Results: Data analysis is currently underway. The knowledge generated from this study may improve nursing practice with adolescents in populations that experience significant levels of trauma.
Rhonda Conner-Warren was supported by IMSD Grant GM 58905-07
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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)