Author: Michelle Danit Lesar
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 86
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Book Description
Health and Behavior Among Latina Women and Their Children: Associations with Social Support, Perception of Safety, and Neighborhood Disorder By Michelle Danit Lesar Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology University of California, Berkeley Professor (Emeritus) Sherman L. Syme, Chair Social epidemiology focuses on the health effects of the social and physical environment and includes research on a broad range of topics, including social support and neighborhoods. The three chapters in this dissertation investigate social support, perception of neighborhood, and neighborhood physical disorder as they relate to maternal and child health. The study population consists of women and their children who are participants in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) project, a study on the health effects of pesticide and allergen exposure in the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region in California. The data used in this dissertation come from primarily immigrant Latinos, an important yet understudied population. In chapter one, I assessed the association between social support during pregnancy and the odds for cesarean delivery among Medi-Cal eligible Latinas living in the Salinas Valley. Although cesarean sections can be life-saving for women and infants in some situations, the proportion of births currently delivered via cesarean is unnecessarily high. The presence of a delivery companion is associated with lower cesarean frequency, and there is some evidence for an association between social support during pregnancy and reduced cesarean frequency. I analyzed data from 511 women who participated in the CHAMACOS project to test for an association between higher social support and lower odds for cesarean delivery. I measured social support via structural (marital status, number of close friends, church attendance, and living arrangement) and functional (Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire and perceived partner support) types of support, and controlled for body mass index, socioeconomic position, acculturation, and alcohol, cigarette, or drug use. I used multiple logistic regression models with robust standard errors to assess the relationship between social support variables and the natural log odds of cesarean delivery. I did not find statistical evidence for an association between social support and the odds for cesarean delivery, as all 95 percent confidence intervals included the null value. However, some point estimates were large enough to suggest an association might exist, albeit in the opposite direction of what I hypothesized. Although my findings did not suggest an association between social support during pregnancy and cesarean delivery, I believe future observational and intervention studies are needed to shed further light on the relationship between social support and cesarean delivery among Latinas. In chapter two, I explored maternal perception of neighborhood safety and its relationship to hours of television viewing among three-and-a-half-year-old Latino children from the CHAMACOS project. Due to its association with negative health outcomes (e.g., obesity), national guidelines support limiting children's time with entertainment media to no more than one to two hours per day. Parents who perceive their neighborhoods to be less safe may choose to keep their children entertained indoors with television, whereas parents who are less concerned about neighborhood safety may allow their children to play outdoors. I tested two hypotheses related to maternal perception of safety and children's television-viewing behavior: (1) children whose mothers perceive their current neighborhoods to be safer for outdoor play will watch less television than children of women who rate their current neighborhoods as less safe, and (2) there will be effect modification of the association in the first hypothesis by the child's sex, with the association being stronger for girls than boys. My study population consisted of 328 mother-child dyads. Television viewing was analyzed dichotomously based on national guidelines: two hours or less per day of television versus more than two hours per day. In addition to using overall daily television-viewing information, I also tested my hypotheses for weekend and weekday viewing. I assessed maternal perception of neighborhood safety for child outdoor play via a likert scale (ranging from "very safe" to "very unsafe"); I used the four-category variable in analyses when interaction was not present and a dichotomous version of the variable ("very safe" versus all other responses) when interaction was present. As in chapter one, I used multiple logistic regression models and robust standard errors to test my hypotheses. I controlled for the confounding effects of socioeconomic position; maternal body mass index, employment status, marital status, and depression; whether or not the child lives with one or more siblings; and time of year. I found that mothers who perceived their neighborhoods to be less safe were more likely to have sons who watched television more than two hours per day, both in general and on the weekends, than mothers who thought their neighborhoods were very safe. The proportion of daughters who watched television more than two hours per day on an average day or on a weekend day did not differ by maternal perception of neighborhood safety. Also, maternal perception of neighborhood safety was associated with weekday television viewing habits among children, but there was no trend and this association did not vary by sex. Finally, in chapter three I assessed whether or not neighborhoods with more symbols of physical disorder would have a higher proportion of five-year-old children spending more than two hours per day with entertainment media. As in chapter two, I explored the possibility of effect modification by sex. I analyzed data from 311 Latino children from the CHAMACOS project using a dichotomous variable for screen time: children who spent more than two hours per day watching television or videos or playing video or computer games versus children whose screen time was two hours or less per day. I used three outcome variables: overall (a weighted average of weekday and weekend) screen time, weekend screen time, and weekday screen time. To measure physical symbols of neighborhood disorder, I included objective information (via block-face observations) on cars, garbage and litter, cigarettes and cigars, graffiti, odors, the condition of residential buildings, yards and gardens, and "for rent" and "for sale" signs. I used a principal components analysis on a polychoric correlation matrix to create one summary variable from twelve original variables that categorized neighborhoods as "low", "somewhat low", "somewhat high", and "very high" with respect to physical disorder. I also used multiple logistic regression models with robust standard errors to test my hypotheses. The covariates I included in my final models were the child's sex and age, family income and home ownership, maternal body mass index, parental emotional problem, whether or not the child lives with a sibling, parent-rated child's health, the time of year of data collection, acculturation, and whether the neighborhood is urban, suburban, or rural. In the overall and weekend screen time analyses, I did not find statistical support for effect modification by sex nor did I find support for main effects. However, I did find evidence of interaction in the weekday screen time analyses; there was a main effect for girls, but not boys. For girls, the main effect appeared to be due solely to the odds ratio comparing the "somewhat high" and "very high" neighborhood disorder groups and was in the opposite direction of what I expected. I hypothesized that higher neighborhood physical disorder would be associated with more screen time, but it appears that neighborhoods with "somewhat high" physical disorder had a higher proportion of girls who spent more than two hours per weekday with entertainment media than did neighborhoods with "very high" physical disorder. As my findings appear to suggest a possible negative association for girls with respect to weekdays, and no other significant findings, I believe future research is needed to fully explore the potentially complex relationship between physical symbols of neighborhood disorder and screen time among five-year-old Latino children. This dissertation focused on two social epidemiologic research topics, social support and neighborhoods, using data from a primarily immigrant, Latina population. Although I did not find evidence to suggest that an association between social support during pregnancy and cesarean delivery exists, I believe there may be an association, perhaps only for certain subgroups of Latinas, and this needs to be further explored in future research endeavors. With respect to neighborhood, my findings from chapters two and three appear to be inconsistent, with the results from chapter two suggesting that mothers who perceived their neighborhoods to be less safe have three-and-a-half-year-old sons who watch more than two hours per day of television on average and on the weekends, and chapter three providing weak support for an association between higher neighborhood physical disorder and less weekday screen time among five-year-old girls. Thus, the nature of the association between neighborhood and screen time may be complex and vary according to the day of the week, gender, and age. Future research should be conducted to better understand these relationships, with attention paid to how children spend their indoor leisure time.
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309164818
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 502
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Book Description
Hispanics and the Future of America presents details of the complex story of a population that varies in many dimensions, including national origin, immigration status, and generation. The papers in this volume draw on a wide variety of data sources to describe the contours of this population, from the perspectives of history, demography, geography, education, family, employment, economic well-being, health, and political engagement. They provide a rich source of information for researchers, policy makers, and others who want to better understand the fast-growing and diverse population that we call "Hispanic." The current period is a critical one for getting a better understanding of how Hispanics are being shaped by the U.S. experience. This will, in turn, affect the United States and the contours of the Hispanic future remain uncertain. The uncertainties include such issues as whether Hispanics, especially immigrants, improve their educational attainment and fluency in English and thereby improve their economic position; whether growing numbers of foreign-born Hispanics become citizens and achieve empowerment at the ballot box and through elected office; whether impending health problems are successfully averted; and whether Hispanics' geographic dispersal accelerates their spatial and social integration. The papers in this volume provide invaluable information to explore these issues.
Author: Natasha J. Cabrera
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313382972
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 537
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Book Description
A team of expert academics and practitioners examines the life circumstances that impact Latino/a youth growing up in two cultures—their native culture and that of the United States. What effect does growing up in an ethnic minority and perhaps in an immigrant family have on development? That is the overarching question Latina and Latino Children's Mental Health sets out to answer. The work examines all of the myriad physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors that undermine or support healthy development in Latino American children, from biology to economics to public policy. The first volume of this two-volume set focuses on early-life experiences and the second on youth/adolescent issues, treating such topics as children's development of a sense of self, development of linguistic skills, peer relationships, sexual orientation, and physical development. The work analyzes familial relationships, often an important resource that helps young people build resilience despite the stresses of migration. And it looks at patterns of behavior, social status, and social-goal orientations that differentiate Latino/a children and adolescents from their African American and European American peers.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : African Americans
Languages : en
Pages : 28
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Book Description
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780313382963
Category : Hispanic American children
Languages : en
Pages : 286
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Book Description
From the publisher. What effect does growing up in an ethnic minority and perhaps in an immigrant family have on development? That is the overarching question Latina and Latino Children's Mental Health sets out to answer. The work examines all of the myriad physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors that undermine or support healthy development in Latino American children, from biology to economics to public policy. The first volume of this two-volume set focuses on early-life experiences and the second on youth/adolescent issues, treating such topics as children's development of a sense of self, development of linguistic skills, peer relationships, sexual orientation, and physical development. The work analyzes familial relationships, often an important resource that helps young people build resilience despite the stresses of migration. And it looks at patterns of behavior, social status, and social-goal orientations that differentiate Latino/a children and adolescents from their African American and European American peers.
Author: Sarah Curci
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Behavior disorders in children
Languages : en
Pages : 75
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Book Description
Latino children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than their non-Latino, White peers (Kids Count Data Center, 2017), yet limited work has aimed to understand neighborhood influences on pathways of mental health among Latino children. Substantial work documents the deleterious effects of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood on mental health outcomes throughout the lifespan (Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000). Parental and familial variables may explain neighborhood influences on children's mental health during the first few years of life (May, Azar, & Matthews, 2018). The current study evaluated the influence of three neighborhood indicators (concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, and the percentage of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino) on maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and child behavior problems at 3 and 4.5 years via mediation and moderated mediation models among a sample of 322 low-income, Mexican American mother-child dyads. Contrary to hypotheses and existing literature, concentrated disadvantage and residential instability were not predictive of maternal or child mental health outcomes. The percentage of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino emerged as a protective neighborhood factor for both mothers and children. The neighborhood ethnocultural context may be especially relevant to understanding pathways of mental health specific to Mexican American families. More research is needed to understand specific parental and familial mechanisms underlying this protective effect.
Author: Francisco A. Villarruel
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1452223149
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 481
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Book Description
Congratulations to Aida Hurtado and Karina Cervantez- winners of the 2009 Women of Color Psychologies Award! This award, given by the Association of Women in Psychology Association, is voted on by AWP members for contributions of new knowledge and importance to the advancement of the psychology of women of color. Offering broad coverage of all U.S. Latino groups, this volume synthesizes cutting-edge research and methodological advances and provides culturally sophisticated information that can be used by researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. The editors and contributing authors summarize theories and conceptual models that can further our understanding of the development and adaptation of U.S. Latino populations. In addition, they focus on the importance of cultural sensitivity and competence in research and intervention approaches and how to achieve it. Key Features • Highlights the normative development and strengths of U.S. Latino populations • Elaborates on the heterogeneity of Latinos in that it does not assume that all Latino populations, and the contexts of their development, are identical. • Emphasizes on cultural sensitivity and competence at all levels • Focuses on the importance of cultural identity amongst Latinos and its contribution to healthy developmental outcomes.
Author: Seth J. Schwartz
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190215216
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 489
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Book Description
The Oxford Handbook of Acculturation and Health brings together acculturation theory and methodology with work linking acculturative processes to overall health outcomes. The blending of these two streams of literature is critical to move advances in acculturation theory and research into practical application for researchers, practitioners, educators, and policy makers.
Author: Doratriz Equihua
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781124251714
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 172
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Book Description
Abstract: Research indicates that parental involvement in their children's education is beneficial to children, families, schools, and communities. Some research has suggested that Latinos may be less involved in their children's education, especially on school campuses, while other studies have found that Latinos are involved in their children's education in different, less traditional ways. This study investigated the relationships among mental health, family factors, and parental involvement in children's education among 43 Latina mothers of elementary school children. The findings suggested somewhat low involvement in their children's education but the most involvement occurred in home-related activities. These women showed little indication of stress and depression and these items were not significantly related to their involvement. Mothers' age and number of children were negatively related to some types of parental involvement while length of time in the United States was somewhat positively related to involvement in school-site activities. Implications for social work practice and future research are discussed.
Author: Alisha Coleman-Jensen
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781502453303
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 42
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Book Description
Most U.S. households have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living-they are food secure. But a minority of American households experience food insecurity at times during the year, meaning that their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. USDA's food and nutrition assistance programs increase food security by providing low-income households access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education. USDA also monitors the extent and severity of food insecurity in U.S. households through an annual, nationally representative survey sponsored by USDA's Economic Research Service. Reliable monitoring of food security contributes to the effective operation of the Federal programs as well as private food assistance programs and other government initiatives aimed at reducing food insecurity. This report presents statistics from the survey covering households' food security, food expenditures, and use of food and nutrition assistance programs in 2013.
