Table 1 Description of primary and secondary outcome measures
Outcome | Measure Description | Assessment Time Point | Data collection method and source |
|---|---|---|---|
Mentor Attitude | |||
aPrimary outcomes | |||
Cultural humility | Mean score of Empathic Feeling and Expression Subscale of the Ethnocultural Empathy Scale (α = .90; 15 items) [30]. Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree. Subscale has been previously used in youth mentoring [31] | Baseline & 4.5 months | Mentor survey |
Self-efficacy beliefs for providing ethnic/racial support | Mean score of self-efficacy beliefs for providing ethnic/racial support scale (α = .89 -.94; 6 items) [25]. Responses are on a 4-point Likert-type scale from 1 = not at all confident to 4 = very confident. Subscale demonstrated sensitivity to change in evaluations of mentor race/equity training [23, 25] | Baseline & 4.5 months | Mentor survey |
Self-efficacy beliefs for engaging in conversations about racial injustice | Created for current study. Mean score of self-efficacy beliefs for engaging in conversations about racial injustice (4 items) [32]. Responses are on a 4-point Likert-type scale from 1 = not at all confident to 4 = very confident | Baseline, 4.5 months & 12 months | Mentor survey |
Perceived knowledge | Mean score of adapted measure of Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge and Skills scale (α = .75; 13 items) [33]. Participants are asked to assess each skill on a scale from 1 = very limited to 4 = very good | Baseline, 4.5 months & 12 months | Mentor survey |
Colorblind racial attitudes | Mean score of Unawareness of Racial Privilege subscale of the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale ((CoBRAS) 7 items) indicated sensitivity to intervention in initial validation (α = .71-.83) [34]. Responses are on a 6-point Likert-type scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree. Higher scores reflect more unawareness. Subscale previously used in evaluation of mentor race/equity training [25] | Baseline & 4.5 months | Mentor survey |
Secondary outcomes | |||
Bias awareness | Mean score of adapted Bias Awareness Scale (4 items). Responses are on a 6-point Likert-type scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree. Initial scale validation with a sample of white, undergraduate students demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .81) and discriminant validity with measures of implicit and explicit prejudice [35] | Baseline & 4.5 months | Mentor survey |
Social justice interest | Mean score of adapted Social Justice Interest subscale of the Social Issues Questionnaire (α = .81; 6 items) [36]. Responses range from 1 = not at all important to 6 = very important. Subscale previously used in evaluation of mentor race/equity training [25] | Baseline & 4.5 months | Mentor survey |
Mentor-Youth Interactions and Relationship Quality | |||
Primary outcomes | |||
Mentor attunement | Mean score of Mentor Attunement Scale [37]. Mentor and youth scales have 7 and 15 items respectively. Response scales range from 1 = never to 5 = always. Validation of mentor scale had good internal consistency (α = .91) | 12 months | Mentor and youth surveys |
Mentoring activities on race and social justice | Created for current study. Mean score on a scale about the frequency with which mentors and youth engage in activities related to race and social justice (9 items) [32]. Response scale ranges from 1 = never to 5 = all the time | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Cultural clashes | Two items assessing the extent to which they experience challenges in bridging racial/ethnic differences with their mentee and with the mentee’s family [6]. Response scale is from 1 = not at all challenging to 4 = very challenging | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Ethnic/racial socialization in mentoring | Created for current study. Mean scores of Ethnic/Racial Socialization in Mentoring scale (6 items) [32]. Response scale ranges from 1 = never to 5 = all the time | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Mentor support for ethnic/racial identity | Mean score of the adapted Mentor Support for Ethnic/Racial Identity Scale (7 items) [13]. Scale used with adolescent girls of color (Mage = 11.75) demonstrated fair to good internal consistency (α = . 77 to .87). [13] | 12 months | Youth survey |
Mentor support for coping with discrimination | Created for current study. Mean score of the Mentor Support for Coping with Discrimination Scale (5 items) [32]. Response scale ranges from 1 = not at all true to 4 = very true | 12 months | Youth survey |
Youth-centered relationships | Mean score of the Youth Centeredness scale (5 items) [38]. Response scale ranges from 1 = not true at all to 4 = very true. Scale used with a racially/ethnically diverse sample of youth (M age = 11.15) demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = .70) [39] | 12 months | Youth survey |
Secondary outcomes | |||
Mentoring relationship duration | Duration of the youth-mentor relationship is calculated based on date of the first mentor-youth meeting and the date of the match’s closing or (for ongoing matches) the date the information was retrieved from BBBS records | 12 months | Agency case records |
Emotional closeness—Youth | 1 item asking how close does youth feel to their mentor. Response options range from 1 = not close at all to 10 = extremely close | 12 months | Youth survey |
Emotional closeness—Mentor | Mean score of the closeness subscale of the Match Characteristics Questionnaire (α = .83; 4 items) [40]. Responses range from 1 = never to 5 = always. Scale used in prior research with volunteer mentors [40] | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Relationship satisfaction | Mean score of the mentor’s satisfaction with the mentoring relationship subscale of the Investment Model Scale (5 items) [41]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. Research has used this scale with volunteer mentors (α = .85). [42] | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Authentic self | Mean score of the modified Level of Adolescent Voice Scale (8 items) [43]. Response scale ranges from 1 = really true for me to 4 = really not true for me | 12 months | Youth survey |
Advocacy | Mean score of the Advocacy subscale of the Mentoring Processes Scale (MPS): Mentor Version [44]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Support seeking | Mean score of the Support Seeking scale (α = .88; 4 items) [45]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree | 12 months | Mentor survey |
Strength of relationship | Mean score of the youth and mentors’ satisfaction in the relationship. Youth measure has 10 items (α = .79) and mentor measure has 14 items (α = .85). [46]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree/not at all true to 4 = strongly agree/completely true | 12 months | Agency case records, SOR |
Youth Outcomes | |||
Primary outcomes | |||
Openness to adult support | Mean score of the modified Interpersonal Trust Scale (5 items) [47]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. Scale has been used with Latinx adolescents (α = .73) and has been found to be correlated with mentoring [48] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Community connectedness | Mean score of the modified Community Connectedness Scale (5 items) [49]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. The scale has been used with adolescents (α = .72) [49] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Mattering | Mean score of the adapted Sense of Mattering Scale (5 items) [50]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. The scale had good internal consistency in samples of adolescents and emerging adults (α > .80) [51] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Ethnic/racial identity (ERI) | Mean scores of each of two subscales adapted from the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity -Teen (MIBI-T). The subscales are the private regard subscale (α = .76; 3 items) and public regard subscale (α = .77; 3 items [52]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. Scale was initially developed to examine ERI with an ethnically/racially diverse sample of sixth graders (Mage = 11.5) | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Ethnic identity (exploration & affirmation) | Mean scores of each of two subscales of the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS) [53]. The subscales assess exploration (α = .79-.89; 3 items) and affirmation (α = .70-.75; 3 items). Response scale ranges from 1 = does not describe me at all to 4 = describes me very well. Scale has been previously used in longitudinal research with Latino youth | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Coping efficacy with discrimination | Mean score of the modified Coping Efficacy with Discrimination Scale (α = .78-.91; 3 items) [19]. Response scale ranges from 0 = very badly to 3 = very well. Prior mentoring research has used this scale with low-income, Latinx adolescents (Mage = 15) [19] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Cultural mistrust | Mean score of the Cultural Mistrust Inventory for Adolescents, adapted from the cultural mistrust in interpersonal relationships subscale (11 items) [54]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. Scale demonstrated fair to excellent internal consistency in mentoring research with adolescent girls of color (α = . 78 to .91) [13] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Secondary outcome | |||
Academic performance | Mean of youth self-reported grades for 4 academic subjects: math, reading, social studies, science. A through F scale | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Risky behaviors | 3 subscales regarding risky behaviors youth have engaged in during the last 3 months: substance use (4 items adapted from Brown) [55], status offenses (e.g., skipping school; 3 items created for survey), school discipline (4 items adapted from Vandell) [56]. Mean scores are calculated for each subscale. Responses are on a 3 point scale: 0 = 0 times, 1 = 1 or 2 times, 2 = 3 or more times | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Bullying | Mean score on the frequency with which youth has engaged in bullying during the past month (5 items; adapted from Bosworth [57] and Dahlberg [58]). Responses are on a 3-point scale: 0 = 0 times, 1 = 1 or 2 times, 2 = 3 or more times | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Police & juvenile justice contact | Sum score on youth contact with the police and juvenile justice system (3 items; 0 = No, 1 = Yes; created by BBBS) | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Emotional regulation | Mean score on 4-item scale; responses range from 0 = not at all true to 3 = totally true (adapted from the Middle School Survey [59] | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Depressive symptoms | Mean score on 10-item scale; responses range from 0 = Never to 4 = Almost Always [60] | 12 months | Agency case records, YOS |
Loneliness | Mean score of the adapted Loneliness Questionnaire-Short Version (9 items) [61]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. The measure had excellent internal consistency in a sample of adolescents (α = . 92) [61] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Hopeful future expectations | Mean score of the modified abbreviated version of the Hopeful Future Expectations Scale (8 items) [62]. Response scale ranges from 1 = very low to 5 = very high. The original measure had acceptable internal consistency in samples of adolescents and young adults (α’s = .71 to 0.95) [63] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Critical reflection about societal inequality | Mean score of the Critical Reflection Subscale of the short Critical Consciousness Scale (3 items) [63]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. The measure had acceptable internal consistency in samples of adolescents (α’s > .70) [64] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Growth mindset | Mean score of the Revised Implicit Theories of Intelligence (Self-Theory Scale; 8 items) [64]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. The scale was developed to be used with children and teens, and has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency in research conducted with youth of color (α = . 75) [65] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |
Academic self-efficacy | Mean score of the Academic Self-Efficacy Subscale of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (5 items) [66]. Likert-type response scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree. Internal consistency was acceptable (α = .78) in a sample of adolescents [66] | Baseline and 12 months | Youth survey |