Measuring Character Strengths and Promoting Positive Youth Development in Zambia: Initial Findings from the GROW Hopes for Life Study

IF 1.7 4区心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL Child & Youth Care Forum Pub Date : 2024-08-01 DOI:10.1007/s10566-024-09814-8

Jonathan M. Tirrell, Mutale Sampa, Kit Wootten, Sion Kim Harris, Robert E. McGrath, Mataanana Mulavu, Ntazana Sindano, Lameck Kasanga, Oliver Mweemba, Dana McDaniel Seale, J. Paul Seale, Wilbroad Mutale

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Abstract

Background

The Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW) Free and Strong programs take a strengths-based, positive youth development (PYD) approach to promoting thriving. Through both prevention (GROW Strong) and intervention (GROW Free) exercises, these programs aim to build character and emotional resilience while also lowering unhealthy alcohol use.

Objective

To meaningfully assess the impact of the GROW programs on health and PYD, ecologically and psychometrically valid measures of character strengths were needed, with a focus on the strengths of hope, forgiveness, spirituality, prudence, and self-control (self-regulation) promoted by GROW.

Method

We tested a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of these five key constructs using two samples: a school-based youth sample enrolled in GROW Strong (n = 460; M_age = 15.04 years, SD_age = 1.21; 53.0% female); and a community-based adult sample enrolled in GROW Free (n = 457; M_age = 20.60 years, SD_age = 1.88; 49.7% female); both enrolled using a waitlist-control design.

Results

Measures demonstrated strong invariance across specific subgroups present in the data sets, with differences emerging across ages, urban/rural locations, and baseline study conditions.

Conclusions

To meaningfully document PYD programs and character development in the majority world, measurement models must be theory-predicated, robust, and empirically validated for the specific context. The results provide evidence for such a measure that will be useful in future intervention studies promoting character strengths to address unhealthy alcohol use in Zambia.

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在赞比亚衡量品格优势和促进青少年积极发展：GROW 生活希望研究的初步结果

背景 "全球抗逆力口头研讨会"（GROW）的 "自由 "计划和 "坚强 "计划采用基于优势的积极青少年发展（PYD）方法来促进青少年的茁壮成长。为了有意义地评估全球抗逆力口语训练营项目对健康和PYD的影响，我们需要对性格优势进行生态学和心理测量学上有效的测量，重点关注全球抗逆力口语训练营所倡导的希望、宽恕、灵性、谨慎和自我控制（自我调节）等优势。方法我们使用两个样本对这五个关键结构进行了一系列探索性和确认性因素分析测试：参加 GROW Strong 的学校青少年样本（n = 460；年龄 = 15.04 岁，平均年龄 = 1.21 岁；53.0% 为女性）；以及参加 GROW Free 的社区成人样本（n = 457 人；平均年龄 = 20.60 岁，平均年龄 = 1.88 岁；49.7% 为女性）。结论要有意义地记录大多数人的PYD项目和性格发展，测量模型必须具有理论前提、稳健性，并针对具体情况进行经验验证。研究结果为这样一种测量方法提供了证据，它将在未来的干预研究中发挥作用，促进品格优势，以解决赞比亚的不健康饮酒问题。

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来源期刊

Child & Youth Care Forum PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-

CiteScore

3.60

自引率

5.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： Child & Youth Care Forum is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary publication that welcomes submissions – original empirical research papers and theoretical reviews as well as invited commentaries – on children, youth, and families. Contributions to Child & Youth Care Forum are submitted by researchers, practitioners, and clinicians across the interrelated disciplines of child psychology, early childhood, education, medical anthropology, pediatrics, pediatric psychology, psychiatry, public policy, school/educational psychology, social work, and sociology as well as government agencies and corporate and nonprofit organizations that seek to advance current knowledge and practice. Child & Youth Care Forum publishes scientifically rigorous, empirical papers and theoretical reviews that have implications for child and adolescent mental health, psychosocial development, assessment, interventions, and services broadly defined. For example, papers may address issues of child and adolescent typical and/or atypical development through effective youth care assessment and intervention practices. In addition, papers may address strategies for helping youth overcome difficulties (e.g., mental health problems) or overcome adversity (e.g., traumatic stress, community violence) as well as all children actualize their potential (e.g., positive psychology goals). Assessment papers that advance knowledge as well as methodological papers with implications for child and youth research and care are also encouraged.