Positive Youth Development in Students Aged 12–18 in Belize: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Acculturation, Multiculturalism, and Positive Youth Development

Abstract

The positive youth development (PYD) tool was designed to measure productive behaviors that lead to thriving youth development. This tool has been validated among early adolescents in the US, but it had not been used to understand PYD in adolescents from the Caribbean who may have different factors for PYD. Therefore, we aimed to study the feasibility of using this tool to estimate PYD in adolescents from Belize. A total of 3,224 adolescent students from Belize completed this questionnaire. The findings support that the PYD framework in Belize may be closely related to values, self-efficacy, and relationships. This information can be used to inform programs and policies that promote PYD in early adolescents in Belize.

Authors

• Esther Nolton, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

• Marvin Powell, George Mason University