Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, Family Characteristics, and Health Behaviors

Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, Family Characteristics, and Health Behaviors PDF Author: Alisha D. Howarter
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Research shows that socioeconomic status (SES) can impact adolescent use of alcohol and smoking. These relationships may be mediated by stress, psychosocial reserves, and negative emotions. I explored these relationships using the Reserve Capacity Model (RCM) as a theoretical foundation. The RCM suggests that individuals of low social status experience stress and must tap into tangible, intrapersonal, and interpersonal resources, often leaving these reserves depleted. Low reserves, in turn, predict the experience of negative emotions which can result in poor health outcomes. The RCM was later revised to integrate cultural constructs that can serve as stressors and resources (e.g., familism, which prioritizes the role of the family as a supportive network). The purpose of this study was to test the RCM using culturally relevant variables as mediators of relationships between SES, alcohol use, and smoking in a sample of Hispanic American adolescents. I predicted that low SES would positively predict stress (e.g., perceived discrimination and acculturative stress). Stress, then, would be negatively related to reserve capacity (i.e., familism, family cohesion, and fatalism), which, in turn, would negatively predict symptoms of depression. Then, depressive symptoms would be positively related to alcohol use and smoking. A sample of 1,386 Hispanic American adolescents completed self-report measures of these constructs across three school years. Counter to my hypotheses, baseline SES was unrelated to smoking and alcohol use at year three (controlling for baseline levels). Mediation hypotheses were partially supported. Results showed baseline SES predicted increased levels of perceived discrimination at year two, which, in turn, was significantly related to decreased familism and family cohesion also at year two. Family cohesion was significantly related to symptoms of depression at year two, which, in turn, predicted increased use of alcohol and smoking behaviors at year three. Findings suggest that low SES is associated with perceived discrimination, which negatively affects family functioning. In turn, challenges in the family seem to affect distress symptoms, which, in turn, predict alcohol use and smoking. Results imply that interventions designed to address adolescent perceptions of discrimination, or family cohesion, may positively impact rates of smoking and alcohol use among adolescents.

Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, Family Characteristics, and Health Behaviors

Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, Family Characteristics, and Health Behaviors PDF Author: Alisha D. Howarter
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Get Book Here

Book Description
Research shows that socioeconomic status (SES) can impact adolescent use of alcohol and smoking. These relationships may be mediated by stress, psychosocial reserves, and negative emotions. I explored these relationships using the Reserve Capacity Model (RCM) as a theoretical foundation. The RCM suggests that individuals of low social status experience stress and must tap into tangible, intrapersonal, and interpersonal resources, often leaving these reserves depleted. Low reserves, in turn, predict the experience of negative emotions which can result in poor health outcomes. The RCM was later revised to integrate cultural constructs that can serve as stressors and resources (e.g., familism, which prioritizes the role of the family as a supportive network). The purpose of this study was to test the RCM using culturally relevant variables as mediators of relationships between SES, alcohol use, and smoking in a sample of Hispanic American adolescents. I predicted that low SES would positively predict stress (e.g., perceived discrimination and acculturative stress). Stress, then, would be negatively related to reserve capacity (i.e., familism, family cohesion, and fatalism), which, in turn, would negatively predict symptoms of depression. Then, depressive symptoms would be positively related to alcohol use and smoking. A sample of 1,386 Hispanic American adolescents completed self-report measures of these constructs across three school years. Counter to my hypotheses, baseline SES was unrelated to smoking and alcohol use at year three (controlling for baseline levels). Mediation hypotheses were partially supported. Results showed baseline SES predicted increased levels of perceived discrimination at year two, which, in turn, was significantly related to decreased familism and family cohesion also at year two. Family cohesion was significantly related to symptoms of depression at year two, which, in turn, predicted increased use of alcohol and smoking behaviors at year three. Findings suggest that low SES is associated with perceived discrimination, which negatively affects family functioning. In turn, challenges in the family seem to affect distress symptoms, which, in turn, predict alcohol use and smoking. Results imply that interventions designed to address adolescent perceptions of discrimination, or family cohesion, may positively impact rates of smoking and alcohol use among adolescents.

Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth

Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309166608
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Children's health has clearly improved over the past several decades. Significant and positive gains have been made in lowering rates of infant mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases and accidental causes, improved access to health care, and reduction in the effects of environmental contaminants such as lead. Yet major questions still remain about how to assess the status of children's health, what factors should be monitored, and the appropriate measurement tools that should be used. Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth: Assessing and Improving Child Health provides a detailed examination of the information about children's health that is needed to help policy makers and program providers at the federal, state, and local levels. In order to improve children's health-and, thus, the health of future generations-it is critical to have data that can be used to assess both current conditions and possible future threats to children's health. This compelling book describes what is known about the health of children and what is needed to expand the knowledge. By strategically improving the health of children, we ensure healthier future generations to come.

Parenting Matters

Parenting Matters PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309388570
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 525

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Book Description
Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309092116
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 753

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Book Description
In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment

Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309101964
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.

The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century

The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309133181
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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Book Description
The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.

Hispanics and the Future of America

Hispanics and the Future of America PDF 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.

Cultural Considerations in Changing Health Attitudes

Cultural Considerations in Changing Health Attitudes PDF Author: Paul Bertau Cornely
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description


Mental Health

Mental Health PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : African Americans
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description


Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309165865
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.