The goals of this study are two: (a) to further study the relationship between predictors and successful transition to adulthood for physically challenged youth, and (b) to examine the mediating role of class, culture and their concomitant schemes and health care behavior in this transition to adulthood. When a series of predictors (family-related, psychosocially-related or related to the characteristics of the adolescent's disability) are used to predict markers for successful transition into adulthood such as decisional control, independent living skills (e.g., ability to use money and engage in simple cooking), and coping style, differing patterns emerge for Latin American and European American subjects in some aspects of the proposed model. Class is also implicated as a potential their variable because of its close association with ethnicity. Adolescents who are physically challenged (an array of disabilities are included to incorporate the variable of challenge characteristics), (16-21 years of age) and their parents of guardians will complete surveys and interviews about the aforementioned variables as well as, in the case of individuals who are not European American, ethnic identity, homogeneity or neighborhood, length of time in the United States, class markers (education, occupation, income, possessions, etc.), which are presumed to influence the means that health care and other services are viewed and utilized. The view of health care services and resource utilization (including AFDC, WIC, etc.) Are seen as influencing the ultimate aspirations and functional abilities (including independent living skills, social, motor, and cognitive abilities) that an adolescent will achieve. Interviews will take place in a hospital clinic where the adolescent seeks medical care; when necessary, interviews of other family members will take place via telephone conversations. It is expected that the possible role of culture and class will be explored by careful examination of the ways by which these variables mediate the family, psychosocial and challenge characteristics - transition to adulthood link.
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