Objective: To examine the association between childhood ADHD and lifestyle risk factors (physical inactivity and high fast-food consumption) from adolescence to early adulthood. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used secondary data from Wave I to III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) in a national…

Objective: To identify the young adults' perception of their weight and examine the associations between young adults' weight perception and physical activities. Participants: A total of 4,882 participants' responses were derived from the Add Health, Wave III. Method: Chi-square tests were used to examine the weight perception and multinomial…

This study examines the independent, relative, and additive associations between both parent and peer role models and longitudinal patterns of smoking across adolescence and early adulthood. An analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 10,166) reveals at least four distinct trajectories of smoking…

Teenage mothers are known to be at an elevated risk for poor socioeconomic outcomes in adulthood. However, little is known about the socioeconomic outcomes of mothers who bear multiple children during the teenage years (repeat teenage mothers) compared to one-time teenage mothers. This study examines socioeconomic outcomes in the mid- to late-20s…

Educational attainment is associated with voting and political trust, but less is known about whether voting and political trust are associated with subsequently higher educational attainment. In a sample of voting-age two-year college students in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (n= 1212), this study identified three…

Background: Understanding the relationship between the perceived body weight, body mass index (BMI), and weight management-related behaviors is critical to preventing obesity in young adults. Purpose: To explore the relationship between perceived body weight and weight management-related behaviors and to assess the mediating effects of BMI between…

Although there have been calls to expand mentoring as way to redress the growing problem of economic immobility in the United States, no study to date has directly examined whether mentoring and economic mobility are related. Using multiple waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and employing a propensity score…

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-34 years old. Limited research has documented extant heterogeneities in suicide across the life course and among diverse sociodemographic groups. There is also limited research on the influences of mental health utilization on suicidal trajectories across the life course. This study…

It is well established that successful transitions into adulthood vary greatly by numerous factors (e.g., race, gender); yet, understanding of ways that disability-related factors shape transitions into adulthood are less clear. While individuals with disabilities, generally, often fall short of their non-disabled peers in achieving many early…

Wealth ownership is a critical component of economic well-being, and wealth in early adulthood provides important clues about the trajectories along which individuals move throughout their lives. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we find an association between growing up rural and adult wealth that…

Students with chronic medical conditions often experience barriers to academic progress, including impact of disease and treatment, increased school absence, and altered expectations of teachers and parents. School belonging is an important element of academic success and can be promoted by positive relationships, structure, and support in the…

The present study examines links between civic engagement (voting, volunteering, and activism) during late adolescence and early adulthood, and socioeconomic status and mental and physical health in adulthood. Using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a propensity score matching…

Military service is a life course pathway that defines the transition to adulthood for approximately three to five percent of young adult men and one percent of women. Though few young adults pursue this pathway, the military provides a unique look at the benefits and costs of selecting a highly regimented, segregated, and potentially dangerous…

This study explores the influence of parental warmth during adolescence on financial experiences and well-being across the transition to adulthood. Given the poorer financial outcomes and more complicated parental relationships reported by sexual minorities compared to their sexual majority counterparts, the present study examined the moderating…

Background: We examined the longitudinal trajectory of substance use (binge drinking, marijuana use, and cocaine use) in relation to self-esteem from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods: Generalized estimating equation models were fit using SAS to investigate changes in the relation between self-esteem and each substance use (binge drinking,…