Social Support and Parental Nurturance among Asian Indian Families in the US: Mediating Role of Parenting Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Asian Indians in the United States are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups, yet empirical research on this population remains extremely scarce. This might be partly due to the “model minority” assumption that implies research on this population is not needed. This study is one of the first studies to examine the effects of social support on parental nurturance of children in a sample of Asian Indian parents and investigate the mediating role of parenting self-efficacy in this relationship pathway. We used newly available data from the Survey of Asian American Families and conducted analyses in the Asian Indian sub-sample (N = 211). The regression models controlled for a rich array of parent and child characteristics and family socioeconomic status. We found that parental nurturance was positively associated with family support but not with support from partner or friends. Parenting self-efficacy played a significant mediating role in the relationship between family support and parental nurturance. These findings have important implications for social work practice and policy interventions that address the needs of the growing ethnic minority population of Asian Indians in the US.