Kevin Fitzpatrick | University of Arkansas (original) (raw)

Papers by Kevin Fitzpatrick

A sex-stratified multiple regression on Jordanian adolescents’ life satisfaction using different elements of school climate

Heliyon, 2022

Background School climate is one of several important factors influencing adolescent well-being a... more Background School climate is one of several important factors influencing adolescent well-being and life satisfaction. Although a growing number of studies investigate the role of school climate, they often apply a global scale and only a few of them measure any specific elements. Likewise, most studies are focused on well-being and not life satisfaction. Aim The purpose of this study is to investigate how different elements of school climate (teacher responsiveness, disruptive behavior, positive mutual bonds, classroom atmosphere, growth) are related to life satisfaction among a sample of Jordanian high school students. Methods Using a self-administered and online questionnaire, the sample consists of adolescents from public schools located in northern Jordan (N = 2141, aged 13–18 years). Results Jordanian high school students’ levels of life satisfaction were higher for girls [t(2139) = -8.2, p < .001]. Disruptive behavior correlated negatively with classroom atmosphere (r = -0.50; p < .001 among girls and r = -0.45; p < .001 for boys); teacher responsiveness was positively correlated with growth (r = 0.49; p < .001 for girls and r = 0.61; p < .001 for boys). However, the role of disruptive behavior was different for girls (negative) compared to boys (positive), although these correlations were weak. In multiple regression analyses, teacher responsiveness (β = 0.22; p < .001) and positive mutual bonds (β = 0.19; p < .001) were largest contributors to life satisfaction beyond self-assessed socioeconomic status (β = 0.27; p < .001). Age (β = -0.08; p < .01) and growth (β = 0.27; p < .001) were significant only for boys. Conclusions These results demonstrate the importance of examining different elements of school climate in an effort to better understand adolescents’ life satisfaction. Certain gender differences may highlight differences in social needs across different classroom settings which require further investigation.

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, Oct 4, 2020

This research examines the intersection of social vulnerability, risk, and their impact on indivi... more This research examines the intersection of social vulnerability, risk, and their impact on individual food insecurity odds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data come from a national, poststratification weighted sample of U.S. adults (n = 10,368). Logistic regression analysis confirms what we hypothesizedsocially vulnerable, fearful, persons in poorer health, and those with higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms have higher food insecurity odds. Findings underscore the importance of redesigning food systems in the U.S. during health crises like the current one; alternative strategies to meet increased food needs in the face of a pandemic are discussed.

Journal of Adolescent Health, Jun 1, 2002

Social Science & Medicine, Sep 1, 2001

Previous research has consistently found a significant relationship between socioeconomic inequal... more Previous research has consistently found a significant relationship between socioeconomic inequalities and health status; individuals with lower income, education, and occupational prestige have and report more health problems. Interestingly, this relationship has not been consistent across the life cycle; health differences among adolescents across socioeconomic groups are not as clearly defined. Using data (n = 1039) on adolescents from Southern Hungary, we examine the role of socioeconomic differences in predicting psychosocial health. We argue that this investigation is of particular importance in a postcommunist system where the general perception of SES is undergoing significant transformation. Findings show that 'classical' SES indicators (manual/nonmanual occupational status) were not significant predictors of psychosocial health among this sample of Hungarian adolescents. While parents' employment status as 'objective' SES indicator had only limited effects, SES self-assessment, as a subjective SES variable, proved to be the strongest predictor of adolescents' psychosocial health. We discuss the implications of these findings for the broader SES-health literature with specific attention paid to the impact these relationships may have for adolescent and young adult development in a post-communist country like Hungary.

Poverty, Food Insecurity, and Health among Youth

Food Security, Nov 4, 2020

Homelessness continues to challenge service providers in the United States where 600,000+ individ... more Homelessness continues to challenge service providers in the United States where 600,000+ individuals are without their own place to stay on any given night. With significant barriers preventing access to food, homeless persons remain at risk for experiencing long-term food insecurity. As such, the primary intent of this paper was to examine specific hypotheses that explored the impact of both risks/stressors and resources on the reported food insecurity among homeless adults. Using a stratified quota sample, data were collected from homeless adults residing in two counties in Northwest Arkansas. One hundred and sixty-eight face-to-face interviews were conducted with homeless persons living in sheltered and unsheltered environments. We found a strong positive association with persons who had been arrested and reported food insecurity; anxiety symptoms and physical health symptoms were both positively related to food insecurity. Additionally, there were significant resources (access to medical services, and community connectedness) that were negatively related to food insecurity among homeless adults. Findings are discussed in the context of how important it is for service providers to have a clear picture of the health and wellbeing of their clientele, particularly as they work towards minimizing service disruption and maximizing client access to sustainable food sources.

The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Caregiver Burden and Depression: Sociological Variations on a Gerontological Theme

Sociological Perspectives, Jun 1, 1995

This article uses a psychosocial resources model to examine the distress process for a sample of ... more This article uses a psychosocial resources model to examine the distress process for a sample of 110 primary caregivers of geriatric outpatients. Two versions of the psychosocial resources model are tested—the mediation/deterioration and buffering model. For both models, we assess the role of social support and internal locus of control (mastery) in reducing the negative impact that life stressors have on caregiver burden and depressive symptomatology. Fifty-one percent of the sample are at the threshold for possible depression, indicative of the challenging circumstances of caregiving. One important finding is that caregiver burden and depression have significantly different correlates. Specifically, burden is primarily a function of chronic stressors (ADL) while depression is basically the result of acute stressors (caregiver life events). In addition, this psychosocial resources approach finds no support for the buffering model of caregiver depression.

Sociological Quarterly, Sep 1, 2001

A Weberian lifestyles approach is employed to examine differences in quality of life among the ho... more A Weberian lifestyles approach is employed to examine differences in quality of life among the homeless. Using a systematic random sample of 161 homeless people in a mid-sized, Southern metropolitan area, the study focuses on the impact of life chances and social choices on aspects of quality of life in this severely challenged population. Regression results show that a number of life chance and social choice variables affect general and domain-specific well-being. While chances and choices both contribute to these aspects of quality of life, there is only modest evidence of a mediating effect. With the exception of depressive symptoms, life chances appear to play a more important role in quality of life differences than life choices. The specific life chance and choice factors influencing aspects of quality of life vary with each separate well-being outcome. The implications of these findings for general sociology and homeless social policy are explored. Homelessness by its very nature deprives individuals of an essential human experience-the possession and maintenance of home space. In this sense, it is a master status directly affecting lifestyle and quality of life. Individuals without homes experience severely limited basic needs such as privacy, possession and control of personal space, and safe, defensible spaces (Fitzpatrick and LaGory 2000). Despite the pervasive nature of these limitations, sociological research denotes great variety in the homeless experience and lifestyle (Snow and Anderson 1993). During the first half of the twentieth century, the folk schema of "hobos, tramps, and bums" differentiated homeless people in the United States. Each subgroup displayed distinct lifestyles accompanied by differences in quality of life: the "hobo" was a migratory worker; "tramps" were migratory nonworkers; and "bums" were nonmigratory nonworkers (Anderson 1923

European journal of public health, Mar 28, 2007

Background: While socioeconomic differences in health, morbidity, and disability are highest amon... more Background: While socioeconomic differences in health, morbidity, and disability are highest among middle-aged persons, there is a certain level of 'equalization' during adolescence and young adulthood. Despite this equalization, however, there still are differences in psychosocial variables or health-related behaviours, often very subtle and sometimes difficult to measure. Methods: Using data (n ¼ 1114) on high school students (aged between 14 and 21 years) from the Southern Plain Region, Hungary, the present study looks at the role of multiple SES indicators (objective and subjective; occupation and education; family structure) in adolescents' psychosocial health (self-perceived health, psychosomatic, and depressive symptomatology) and health behaviour (substance use and sports activity). Results: Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analyses, findings suggest the following: (i) SES self-assessment proved to be a significant predictor of adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviours; (ii) family structure (that is, living in a non-intact family) also significantly influenced adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviours; (iii) parents' employment status and schooling had a limited influence on their children's health outcomes; (iv) in a word, SES gradients in adolescents' psychosocial health and health behaviour were inconsistent and sometimes irregular (that is, inverse). The subjective SES measurement plays an important role (positive association), whereas certain types of parents' inactive status (in terms of labour market, that is, unemployment or retirement) seem to act in a predictable way (negative association). Conclusions: Our results indicate that despite certain level of equalization during adolescence, some important relationships between SES variables and health outcomes may occur.

International journal of adolescence and youth, 2021

Social support from family, friends, and others enhances the quality of life and acts as an impor... more Social support from family, friends, and others enhances the quality of life and acts as an important protective mechanism against mental health problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social support is related to mental health outcomes among Jordanian adolescents. Data were collected in 2020 from public and private schools in Irbid governorate, Jordan. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit students from 8th-12th grades (N = 2741; ages 13-18 years). The study finds social support is related to higher levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem. The negative association between social support and depressive symptoms is also significant. Our findings underscore the importance of the role of social support, especially support from family. This support is important to adolescents' mental health and underscores the importance of policymakers giving greater attention to the family dynamic and its impact on student well-being.

Appetite, Dec 1, 2019

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Journal of School Health, 2007

BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of bullying among a s... more BACKGROUND: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of bullying among a sample of African American adolescents and the risk factors associated with odds that a student engages in bullying behavior. METHODS: Using a self-report school-based survey, 1542 African American adolescents from a single school district (grades 5-12) living in a midsized, Southern metropolitan region, were asked questions regarding bullying behavior and risk behaviors. A response rate of nearly 80% was obtained. RESULTS: Our results indicate that bullying behavior was higher among this group of African American adolescents than reported for other general student populations (8-12%). In addition, age, family violence, negative peer relationships, and behavioral risks all contributed to increased odds of students reporting bullying behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of intervention at an early age. Whether the intervention is in a formal or nonformal setting, specialists along with teachers, parents, and siblings need to begin a multipronged approach (data collection, training/education of school personnel, curriculum development, etc) to address the causes and consequences of bullying among adolescents.

Social Capital and Suicide Ideation among the Homeless

Social Assets and Health among the Homeless: A Test of the Social Capital Thesis

Public Health Nutrition, Sep 30, 2019

Objective: Food insecurity is not randomly dispersed throughout the population; rather, there are... more Objective: Food insecurity is not randomly dispersed throughout the population; rather, there are a number of risk and protective factors shaping both the prevalence and severity of food insecurity across households and sociodemographic populations. The present study examines some of these factors and the role that race and ethnicity among adolescent individuals in northwest Arkansas might play, paying specific attention to a subgroup of Pacific Islanders: the Marshallese. Design: The study uses cross-sectional survey data collected from a self-administered questionnaire of 10th-12th grade students. Setting: A city in northwest Arkansas, USA. Participants: The number of enrolled students in the selected high school at the time of the survey was 2148. Ten classrooms (116 students) were unable to participate at the time of the survey, making 2032 students eligible to be surveyed. Approximately 22 % refused to participate and 105 students were absent from school, yielding a response rate of approximately 78 % (n 1493). Results: Marshallese students had a higher prevalence of food insecurity than all other racial and ethnic groups in the study. After controlling for other sociodemographic, risk and protective factors, their odds of food insecurity remained significantly higher than both non-Hispanic White and Hispanic or Latinx students. Conclusions: Adolescent food insecurity among Marshallese students must be made sense of in relation to structural-level determinants that shape the distribution of vital resources such as food across racial, ethnic and foreign-born lines.

Risk of disordered eating in emerging adulthood: media, body and weight-related correlates among Hungarian female university students

Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, Mar 1, 2022

Relationships Among Depression, Online Self-Disclosure, Social Media Addiction, and Other Psychological Variables Among Hungarian University Students

Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease

In the digital age, besides the well-known contributors to depression, more research is needed on... more In the digital age, besides the well-known contributors to depression, more research is needed on certain activities of social media, such as online self-disclosure. Using an online survey, we examine the associations of depression with social media addiction, online self-disclosure, loneliness, and life satisfaction among a sample of Hungarian university students (N = 301, aged between 18 and 30 years). There were no sex differences in depression scores. Findings showed the following: a) lonely students; b) those less satisfied with their lives; c) those sharing negative information; and d) those that engage in deep self-disclosure are more likely to report depressive symptomatology. Although social media addiction was a correlate of depression in bivariate analyses, it became nonsignificant when online self-disclosure and other psychological variables were introduced to the model. A more careful accounting of these relationships is needed to more wisely use social media when discl...

Quality of Life for the Homeless: Do Time and Place Matter

A Tale of Two Cities: Health-Compromising Behaviors Between Hungarian and American Youth

Sociological Studies of Children and Youth

... The 24% who did not participate consisted primarily of youth whose parents refused to allow t... more ... The 24% who did not participate consisted primarily of youth whose parents refused to allow them to participate (15%), and those ... This sample consists of 1,242 middle and high school students from seven schools in Szeged, southern Hungary where data collection was based ...