751 - A Vote of Confidence: Associations between Adolescent Extracurricular Engagement and Belief in Voting

Publication Number: 751.3966

Rebecca Tsevat, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Anoushka Sinha, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States

Background: In light of historically low voter turnout among young adults, confidence in the voting process among adolescents is of vital importance, given that civic engagement has been associated with health status in adults. Involvement in extracurricular activities has also been shown to have many health benefits for adolescents. However, less is known about how extracurricular engagement might be associated with aspects of civic engagement in this population.

Objective: To understand the association between involvement in clubs and organizations outside of school and belief in voting among adolescents.

Design/Methods: We analyzed the adolescent population file of the 2021-2023 California Health Interview Survey, a web- and telephone-based survey of a representative sample of adolescents in the state. Participants between the ages of 12 and 17 years reported on their involvement in clubs and organizations outside of school other than sports (e.g. YMCA or Boys and Girls Club) in the past year, their belief that “the way people vote gives them a chance to influence how things are run in their community and California” (hereafter referred to as belief in voting), and sociodemographic characteristics. A design-corrected F test was used to evaluate differences between those who did and did not express belief in voting. Weighted logistic regression tested whether involvement in clubs and organizations was associated with belief in voting, adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, family income, and general health status.

Results: The unweighted sample included 3,122 adolescents. Less than one-third (30.01%) reported involvement in clubs and organizations outside of school, and 68.31% somewhat or strongly agreed that the way people vote gives them a chance to influence their community. Participants who were involved in clubs and organizations were significantly more likely to express belief in voting than those who were not involved (72.93% vs. 66.58%, p=0.01). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, involvement in clubs and organizations remained positively associated with belief in voting (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.01-1.62).

Conclusion(s): Participation in clubs and organizations has many health benefits throughout adolescence, and this study suggests that civic engagement may be an additional unexamined dividend. Pediatricians might consider promoting involvement in extracurricular activities to increase their patients’ sense of agency and trust in the democratic process as they approach the cusp of voting age, as policies determined by elections have the potential to influence health outcomes for generations.

Table 1
Sample Characteristics

Table 2
Logistic Regression