Journal of School Health
Volume 87, Issue 2, 2017, Pages 121-132

How Schools Can Promote Healthy Development for Newly Arrived Immigrant and Refugee Adolescents: Research Priorities (Article)

McNeely C.A.* , Morland L. , Doty S.B. , Meschke L.L. , Awad S. , Husain A. , Nashwan A.
  • a Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Suite 390, Knoxville, TN 37919, United States
  • b Innovation, Policy and Research, Bank Street College of Education, 610 West 112th Street, New York, NY 10025, United States
  • c Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • d Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1914 Andy Holt Avenue, Suite 390, Knoxville, TN 37919, United States
  • e Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1212 Wallingford Road, Knoxville, TN 32923, United States
  • f Department of Social Work, Howard University, 601 Howard Place, NW, Washington, DC 20059, United States
  • g Yarmouk University, Shafiq Irshidat St, Irbid, 21163, Jordan

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The US education system must find creative and effective ways to foster the healthy development of the approximately 2 million newly arrived immigrant and refugee adolescents, many of whom contend with language barriers, limited prior education, trauma, and discrimination. We identify research priorities for promoting the school success of these youth. METHODS: The study used the 4-phase priority-setting method of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative. In the final stage, 132 researchers, service providers, educators, and policymakers based in the United States were asked to rate the importance of 36 research options. RESULTS: The highest priority research options (range 1 to 5) were: evaluating newcomer programs (mean = 4.44, SD = 0.55), identifying how family and community stressors affect newly arrived immigrant and refugee adolescents' functioning in school (mean = 4.40, SD = 0.56), identifying teachers' major stressors in working with this population (mean = 4.36, SD = 0.72), and identifying how to engage immigrant and refugee families in their children's education (mean = 4.35, SD = 0.62). CONCLUSION: These research priorities emphasize the generation of practical knowledge that could translate to immediate, tangible benefits for schools. Funders, schools, and researchers can use these research priorities to guide research for the highest benefit of schools and the newly arrived immigrant and refugee adolescents they serve. © 2017, American School Health Association

Author Keywords

immigrants Adolescent health Refugees School success Refugee youth Immigrant youth

Index Keywords

education teacher immigrant scientist refugee health promotion human adolescent development Refugees Schools research priority adolescent health family study United States Humans Adolescent juvenile school child health nutrition human experiment research Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85010387165&doi=10.1111%2fjosh.12477&partnerID=40&md5=ab6d357b080843458ebb59114143fb4a
DOI: 10.1111/josh.12477
ISSN: 00224391
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English