Black Families Research Articles

Gaps, Successes, and Opportunities Related to Social Drivers of Health from the Perspectives of Black Preterm Infant Caregivers: A Qualitative Study.

To identify Black preterm infant caregiver experiences and institutional priorities regarding screening and addressing social drivers of health (SDH). In the Centering Black Preterm Infant Caregiver Priorities study, Black female researchers conducted semistructured interviews in 2024 with Black caregivers of preterm infants born in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Transcripts were coded using a book generated from an interview guide, and the resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes were generated and refined through discussion. Twenty sociodemographically diverse caregivers participated. Five themes were identified: (1) financial insecurity and inadequate access to resources for everyday social needs contribute negatively to caregiver and child health and well-being; (2) a trusted provider who takes a personal approach to screening and addressing SDH is needed in medical settings; (3) inequitably distributed, fragmented, and disorganized medical and social support systems in the transition to home period are burdensome and a source of stress; (4) community-based organizations centering Black families holistically address SDH and promote social well-being and connectedness; and (5) state and federal legislation, policies, and programs are critical opportunities to address SDH. SDH are a significant source of stress for caregivers after preterm birth, and there are opportunities across state and federal legislative policies, community-based organizations, medical systems, and connections across the systems to address them.

An Intergenerational Exploration of Discipline, Attachment, and Black Mother–Daughter Relationships Across the Lifespan

Discipline is a significant predictor of parent–child attachment and relationship quality across the lifespan. Yet, much of the research on Black families’ disciplinary strategies uses a deficit and myopic lens that focuses on punitive punishment styles (e.g., spanking or taking away privileges). In the current exploratory qualitative study, we used an intergenerational narrative lens and thematic analysis to explore semi-structured interview data from 31 Black mothers (25–60 years, Mage = 46) in the United States around their mothers’ disciplinary practices during their childhood. We explored the connections that Black adult daughters made between their childhood disciplinary practices and their current disciplinary practices with their children, as well as their current relationships with their mothers. Adult daughters varied widely in their retrospective accounts of their mothers’ disciplinary strategies, which we categorized into three themes: (a) punitive, (b) logical, and (c) natural. We also identified three themes around how their mothers’ practices informed their current disciplinary practices with their own children: namely, (d) continuity, (e) mix, and (f) shift. Finally, we identified three themes around the current nature of their mother–daughter relationships: (g) strained, (h) progressing, and (i) healthy. The results highlighted the personal and cultural factors that informed Black women’s disciplinary strategies across two generations of mothers and revealed that when adult daughters shifted away from what they experienced during childhood—it was often towards less punitive strategies. Our exploratory findings also pointed to patterns regarding the extent to which Black adult daughters felt connected, validated, and supported by their mothers. The findings lend insight into Black mother–daughter relationship dynamics, particularly around the importance of communication patterns and emotional connection in the culture of discipline within families.

Outcomes of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training Program for Eritrean and Ethiopian parents of autistic children in the United States.

Autism intervention research has not adequately addressed the needs of Black autistic children and their families, particularly those who are also immigrants to the United States. The World Health Organization designed Caregiver Skills Training (CST), a parent-mediated intervention intended to improve child social communication and behavior, to fill in the global gap of services for caregivers of young children with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. While CST has been implemented in Ethiopia, it has not been evaluated for Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families in the United States. This single-arm pilot study of CST investigated pre- and post-intervention changes in parent and child outcomes within a sample of 25 mothers of autistic children (ages 2-9 years) in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia. Eritrean and Ethiopian facilitators delivered CST remotely to five parent groups. We used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and found statistically significant improvements in parents' knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, depression, and empowerment, as well as child communication, sociability, and sensory/cognitive awareness. There were no statistically significant changes in parents' anxiety, stress, and coping, nor some subscales of the empowerment and child outcome measures. We conclude CST is a promising intervention for Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families in the United States. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm study findings.Lay abstractAutism intervention research has often not included Black autistic children and families, including those who are also immigrants to the United States. The World Health Organization designed Caregiver Skills Training (CST) because there are not enough services for caregivers of young children with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. CST is an intervention in which parents receive information on how to support their own and their children's needs in nine group and three individual sessions. While CST has been adapted and piloted in Ethiopia, it has not been evaluated for Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families in the United States. In this study, five groups with a total of 25 mothers of autistic children (ages 2-9 years) all received CST from Eritrean and Ethiopian facilitators on Zoom. The participants completed surveys about themselves and their autistic children before and after they completed CST. We found that parents' knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, depression, and empowerment, as well as their children's communication, sociability, and sensory/cognitive awareness improved after they completed CST. We did not find changes in some areas we measured, such as parents' anxiety, stress, and coping. We believe that CST might be a promising intervention for Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families in the United States. We recommend that more research should be done to confirm what we found in this study.

Anti‐Racist Assessment in Religious Studies and Biblical Studies Classes

ABSTRACTThe persistent achievement gap between Black and white students in U.S. higher education demands the attention of anti‐racist educators. This essay advances two interconnected arguments. First, I argue that the achievement gap represents yet another manifestation of the denial of opportunities for Black families to build and transfer intergenerational wealth in the U.S. Second, I contend that the predominance of Eurocentric, secular methodologies in religious studies and biblical studies classrooms perpetuates anti‐Blackness, thereby disadvantaging Black students and deepening the achievement gap. These threads converge in the realm of student assessment, where I argue that U.S. grading systems inadequately capture the knowledge and skills Black students acquire, perpetuating the perception that they are underperforming academically and materially depriving them of the benefits of college degrees.

Black and Latinx Parents’ Perspectives as Critical Leverage for Equity in Schools: Examining Parent-School Partnerships, Literacy Education, and Curriculum in a Freedom Schools Program

Abstract In response to racial and cultural inequities that persist in areas of curricula and school-family partnerships, this study examines how parents’ perspectives (including primary caregivers) on their children’s experiences in one Freedom Schools program in a mid-sized urban city informs the ways traditional curriculum and pedagogy might be more fully centered on Black and Latinx families and their communities. Through analysis of parent interview data using theories of culturally relevant teaching and critical literacy, the following themes highlight significant aspects anchoring their children’s experiences: (1) Families feeling valued through the Freedom Schools approach, (2) Parents’ awareness, appreciation, and excitement around their children’s literacy experiences, and (3) Community-centered experiential learning. Implications focus on parent-school relationships, literacy education, and curriculum and pedagogy in traditional school spaces. Implications include parent-school relationship terms that are on shared, reciprocal ground and that begin with valuing families’ life experiences and histories. Additionally, centering culturally relevant literature to cultivate critical literacy must become a priority if youth are to engage in meaningful reading experiences that transcend school-home boundaries. Finally, parent perspectives could act as critical leverage for shifting traditional school curricula, an aim that continues to require more force and momentum in the movement toward equity- and justice-centered schools in urban communities.

WhiteOut: an examination of Whiteness in US special education textbooks

ABSTRACT This study critically examines how special education textbook authors engage with Whiteness in their discussions of citizenship, class, and families. Drawing on definitions of Whiteness as a hegemonic system that perpetuates White privilege and racial inequities, the paper introduces the concept of ‘WhiteOut’ – a discursive strategy that evades direct engagement with Whiteness while maintaining its normative power. Through content and discourse analysis, the study reveals how textbook narratives often obscure the role of Whiteness, presenting race as either irrelevant or uniformly impactful across racial groups. This erasure sustains Eurocentric perspectives and marginalises the lived experiences of Black and Brown students and families. This paper critiques the limitations of existing textbook studies that focus on multicultural representation without interrogating the ideological implications of Whiteness. By addressing this gap, the study underscores the need for a more critical examination of how Whiteness shapes educational discourse and reinforces systemic inequities in special education. Implications for practice are provided.

The Garretts of Columbia: A Black South Carolina Family from Slavery to the Dawn of Integration

The Garretts of Columbia: A Black South Carolina Family from Slavery to the Dawn of Integration

Glaring Gaps: a Research Agenda Focused on the Intersection of Black Maternal Health and Toxic Stress.

In 2020, Black women in the U.S.A. had a maternal mortality rate three times higher than White women. Structural racism in health care and toxic stress contributes to this disparity. Black women face inequities in maternal health care, with higher rates of mental health conditions and unequal access to treatment. Creating a research agenda that outlines key steps and gaps in research that need to be addressed toward improving Black maternal health outcomes and promoting birthing equity. The Alliance of Community Health Plans convened stakeholders to create a patient-centered research agenda on mitigating the impact of toxic stress on Black maternal health outcomes. This involved a literature review, key informant interviews, and a research forum with experts and community leaders. The key themes include (1) understanding mechanisms of toxic stress and maternal mental health and identifying gaps and effective interventions; (2) engaging Black families with lived experience and investing in their communities; and (3) equipping the maternal and mental health workforce and promoting the delivery of "culturally humble" and holistic care. The research agenda emphasizes involving families and community professionals for actionable solutions to enhance Black maternal health outcomes, highlighting the importance of community-based approaches, diverse funding, and culturally sensitive mental health screenings.

Prevalence and Impact of Traumatic Life Events among Black and White Family Members of ICU Patients.

Lifetime trauma is common and may affect interactions with the healthcare system. To measure the prevalence of lifetime trauma and its association with family-clinician interpersonal outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU). Cross-sectional study conducted in nine ICUs in one urban and one suburban-rural health system. Participants were Black or White surrogate decision-makers for mechanically ventilated patients. Independent variables were the number of lifetime traumatic events measured using the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R), and secondarily and separately, discrimination-related traumatic stress symptoms. The primary outcome was family-reported conflict with ICU clinicians about treatment decisions. Secondary outcomes were family-reported quality of clinician communication and therapeutic alliance. Among 141 family members (median age 52.7 years [IQR 41.9, 62.0]; female n=100, 70.9%; White n=85, 60.3%; Black n=56, 39.7%), the median number of lifetime traumatic events was 6.0 (IQR 4.0, 9.0). Lifetime trauma was significantly but non-linearly associated with family-clinician conflict (OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.09,1.90 for LSC-R values 0-7.5; OR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.02 for LSC-R values 7.5-16; p=0.03). Discrimination-related stress symptoms were also associated with conflict (OR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.07; p=0.03). Interactions between the independent variables and family member race were not significant, suggesting the effects of lifetime trauma and discrimination-related traumatic stress on family-clinician conflict were similar for Black and White caregivers. Lifetime trauma is common among families of critically ill patients and is associated with negative experiences of critical care. Trauma-informed care may reduce family-clinician conflict and improve other measures of family experience.

A qualitative analysis of a culturally adapted PCIT training for black and latine clinicians: creating communities for providers of autistic youth.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a widely known evidenced-based treatment (EBT) that has been used with Latine, Black, and neurodiverse children to improve the parent-child relationship and reduce challenging behaviors. Although considerable efforts have been made to disseminate PCIT to the wider community, fewer strides have been made to reach Black and Latine families in underserved communities-especially for families with neurodiverse children. One method to bridge the service gap for Black and Latine families is to train Black and Latine clinicians who primarily serve Black and Latine communities. Thus, the current pilot utilized a qualitative design and the Ecological Validity Model to examine the clinical and cultural impact of a culturally infused PCIT training pilot, the Creating Communities Initiative, for Black and Latine mental health providers (N = 8)., Black and Latine clinicians highlighted several beneficial cultural adaptations (e.g., racially-ethnically matched community) and barriers (e.g., low caseloads) to training completion and competency development. Overall, the results of the culturally infused PCIT training pilot provide a useful template for future dissemination efforts of PCIT to culturally diverse providers and families.

Things Hold

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, the feature-length debut of filmmaker Raven Jackson, is a formally rigorous and era-spanning mosaic of abiding kinship, gentle romance, quotidian habitation, and earthly splendor among a Black family in rural Mississippi. Across Jackson’s body of work to date, the writer-director’s slantwise approach to cinematic storytelling entails impenetrable silences and jarring, time-curving cuts, a style that she sees as a direct outgrowth of her experimentation as a poet. On the occasion of the ongoing international release of All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt following its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Matthew Eng speaks with Jackson about the collaborations, inspirations, and investments that form her multidisciplinary practice, placing it squarely in the realm of the erotic, as first reclaimed and elucidated by Audre Lorde. Jackson’s intuition as an artist ultimately proves just as integral as the diligence and deliberateness of her evidently exquisite craft.

Exploring barriers and facilitators for Black families seeking to privately adopt Black infants

Exploring barriers and facilitators for Black families seeking to privately adopt Black infants

Attendance patterns in well-child visits across diverse pediatric populations, Midwestern United States.

Attendance patterns in well-child visits across diverse pediatric populations, Midwestern United States.

Community Accountability Boards: A Macro Intervention to Address the Disproportionate Surveillance and Separation of Black Children and Families by Child Welfare

Due to systemic racism, Black children and families are disproportionately represented in child welfare at an alarming rate and suffer disparate outcomes as compared with their white counterparts at every decision point. This conceptual paper explores the issues through the lens of critical race theory and provides an overview of various efforts at the service and policy levels that have yet to yield sustained improvements. Informed by empowerment theory, community engagement, and antiracism organizing principles, Community Accountability Boards are proposed as a macro-level intervention to contribute a solution for the issue of disproportionality, which has implications for both the impacted communities and the social workers employed in child welfare systems. As such, the implications for practice and recommendations for future evaluation are provided.

Mandated Reporting and Child Welfare Surveillance: Protection or Subordination

With increasing attention to racism embedded in child protective services (CPS) in the United States, mandated reporting laws remain entrenched in historically racist systems and policies. The potential biases of mandated reporters coupled with their failure to consider the sociopolitical and socioeconomic contexts of Black families continue to shape decisions to report and investigate families for possible child abuse and neglect. Black parents avoid interacting with people compelled to report out of an abundance of caution, the threat of professional penalties, or inattention to biases. Employing mixed methods, this phenomenological study design elicited the lived experiences of Black mothers impacted by CPS in the United States. Participants completed a qualitative, voice-recorded electronic survey about the impact of surveillance related to child neglect. Deductive analyses resulted in identified themes related to the impact of mandated reporting.

Communities Leading Change: Using Implementation Science to Improve Physical Activity and Nutrition Among Racially Minoritized Communities in Kansas City.

Kansas City, Missouri (United States) is the fifth most economically and racially segregated city in the United States. Black and Latino individuals in Kansas City die up to 18 years earlier than non-Hispanic White individuals. The historical divestment has led to communities on Kansas City's east side having deleterious environments for physical activity and lack of access to healthy food. As a result, these residents, primarily Black and Latino community members, are disproportionately burdened by chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The purpose of this project is to reduce health disparities in chronic disease by increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and increasing participation in family healthy weight programs for Black and Latino families in Kansas City. This implementation and research protocol describes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded collaborative agreement "Communities Leading Change" to improve long-term health among Black and Latino families in Kansas City. In the short term, we will improve policies, plans, and community design that increases access to physical activity, improve access to fruit and vegetables, and increase support for an evidence-based family healthy weight program. This initiative may inform future practice, policy, and research by providing an example of a long-term funded project that is community-driven and uses partnerships to create policy, systems, and environmental change.

“Nobody Ever Sat Me Down to Talk About That Kind of Stuff”: A Thematic Analysis of Heterosexual Black Men’s Genital Hygiene Messages

ABSTRACT Men’s genital hygiene and grooming practices are rarely discussed despite their importance for men’s overall health. The purpose of this reflective thematic analysis is to understand the messages Black men received about genital hygiene using the theory of socialization. In 2022, n = 8 heterosexual Black men ages 24–43 participated in semi-structured interviews as a part of the Generation Genital (Gen2) Messages Study. Grounded in the culture-centered approach’s epistemological commitment to centering marginalized voices, this study integrates sexual socialization theory as an analytical framework to examine how sociohistorical and sociocultural constructs of masculinity shape heterosexual Black men’s grooming and hygiene practices. Results of the thematic analysis revealed eight themes related to Please provide missing details for Barkley, 2023 reference list entry.Black men’s grooming and hygiene messages, which were then classified using sexual socialization theory (i.e. familial socialization, peer socialization, cultural socialization, and self-exploration). Our study’s findings highlighted how differing levels of socialization enable and constrain messaging related to grooming and hygiene. Further, the results emphasize men’s desire for more health communication regarding grooming and hygiene to maintain their health and protect their partners from illnesses. However, Black men in our study may have experienced hesitations about engaging in grooming, as it may compromise their already precarious standing within the culture of hegemonic masculinity. Finally, this study offered recommendations for parents, community organizers, and practitioners to help Black men and families engage in conversations about male hygiene and grooming practices.

0302 Household Chaos in Diverse Families: Does It Influence Family Sleep or Circadian Alignment?

Abstract Introduction A series of studies document associations between high levels of household chaos and less optimal sleep for infants and parents; although most of these studies have included well-resourced, predominantly white samples. An objective of the Sleep and Health in the Home (SHH) study is to examine associations between household chaos and family circadian/sleep patterns in Latine and Black families. Methods Thirty-seven mothers and their infants, M(SD) = 4.90(.70) months of age, were enrolled in an observational study focused on sleep and health in the home. All enrolled mothers self-identified as Black, Latine, or both (n = 17, 19, 1, respectively). Mothers completed the Confusion, Hubbub and Order Scale (CHAOS) and a 24-hour recall diary for seven days. Sleep estimates for child and mother bedtime, morning rise time, nighttime sleep duration, and night wakings were estimated from averaging diary data across 7 nights. Additionally, alignment between infant-parent bedtime and morning risetime were calculated to explore family circadian alignment. Considered covariates included breastfeeding status, sleep location, and maternal race/ethnicity. Results Household chaos was not significantly associated with parent or infant sleep (all p >.05), nor with alignment between infant and maternal bed or morning rise times. However, mother bedtimes, r(34) =-.73, p <.001, and child bedtimes, r(34) = -.44, p =.005, were correlates of sleep duration; wherein, earlier bedtimes for mothers and infants were associated with more sleep for mothers. Additionally, mothers who were more closely aligned with their infant’s bedtime, r(34) = -.70, p <.001, and morning rise times, r(34) =.38, p =.01, reported more sleep. Conclusion Unlike previous studies in minimally diverse samples, household chaos was ultimately not associated with maternal or infant sleep. Rather, earlier bedtimes and more tightly aligned maternal-infant circadian patterns were associated with greater sleep duration for mothers. Study findings highlight the role of early and aligned sleep schedules and can inform future interventions aimed at promoting infant and maternal sleep in Black and Latine families. Support (if any) Indiana CTSI and NIH NCATS UL1TR002529

0393 Pilot Testing of a Culturally Adapted Bedtime Routine Questionnaire Among Black Families with Young Children

Abstract Introduction Black children in the United States disproportionately experience sleep health disparities compared to Whites. Yet, existing pediatric sleep measures are largely developed and tested among White populations. We aimed to pilot test a new culturally tailored questionnaire, the Bedtime Routine Questionnaire for Black families with Young Children. Methods To develop the bedtime routine questionnaire, we apply the social-ecological framework of sleep to consider contextual factors in the home, via human-centered design empathy interviews with parents, developed from our previous qualitative study. We utilized three bedtime routine measures: The Parent-Child Sleep Interaction Scale (12items; sleep reinforcement, sleep conflict and sleep dependence constructs), Bedtime Routines Questionnaire (26 items; bedtime behaviors and routine environment, adaptive and maladaptive behavior constructs) and Child Routines Inventory Scale (21items; daily living and discipline routine constructs) tailored and adapted for Black families. Survey items were further selected and modified after formative research. A total of 75 items were finalized that captured 16 constructs (59 items from the 3 scales aforementioned, 6 additional questions on maladaptive behavior, sleep timing and independent sleep, 2 questions about family structure, and 9 new items about knowledge about child sleep were added. Next, we pilot test the new measure with 29 Black parents. To study measurement reliability, Chronbach’s alphas for all aforementioned subscales were examined. Construct validity was examined by assessing the association between subscales and sleep outcomes. Results A sample of 29 Black parents (25 mothers and 4 fathers) completed the questionnaire. Parents self-identified as African American (52%), Jamaican (14%), and Haitian (10%). Children were 5 years old on average. The adapted new Bedtime Routine measure had adequate reliability for 8 subscales. Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency across all measures was above acceptable level ranging from 0.69 to 0.86. Conclusion Our findings suggest a new measure is a promising tool that can be used for future sleep epidemiology research to understand underlining mechanisms between bedtime contextual and sleep health outcomes in Black families. A survey tailored with Black families, that captures the contextual factors in the home around sleep, is likely to better reflect participant behaviors. Support (if any) Funding: K01HL169419-01

1030 Acceptability of Infant Behavioral Sleep Intervention by Black Mothers of Infants

Abstract Introduction Infant Behavioral Sleep Intervention (BSI) is highly effective with demonstrated benefits to infant and family sleep and functioning. However, a survey study suggested lower acceptability of extinction-based approaches by Black mothers of infants. Factors contributing to lower acceptability have not yet been identified. One objective of the Sleep Guidance in Black Families with Infant Children (SLUMBER) study was to examine acceptability of infant BSI in Black families and identify factors impacting acceptability. Methods Black mothers (n=20; 60% with a college degree) with an infant birth-9 months (M=4.2 months; 70% male) recruited through social media participated in semi-structured virtual interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed with NVivo software using a grounded theory thematic descriptive approach. Results Acceptability of extinction-based infant BSI varied, with 45% (n=9) of mothers highly supportive, 25% (n=5) with moderate/mixed support, and 30% (n=6) not supportive. Most mothers (n=11, 55%) perceived infant BSI as well-aligned with their cultural and/or personal values. Of those mothers who were not supportive, 33% (n=2) were fundamentally against BSI, whereas 67% (n=4) felt it was acceptable but not a good fit for them personally. The most common facilitator was perceived benefit of infants learning to self-soothe, which almost all (n=18; 90%) noted as a desired goal, followed by benefits to infant and/or parental sleep (n=5; 25%). Common identified barriers included fear that the baby would feel abandoned (n=16; 80%), difficulty tolerating their infant crying (n=13; 65%), and the possibility that crying could indicate a problem (n=8; 40%). For those mothers reporting mixed acceptability, facilitating factors for engaging in infant BSI included: potential benefits to the infant’s current and future sleep; older infant age; assurance that the infant was not hungry; and option to check and provide comfort during the process. Conclusion Infant BSI is broadly acceptable to most Black mothers of infants, although concerns for negative impacts on the infant and parental tolerance of crying were identified as potential barriers. Study findings have implications for developing culturally appropriate infant BSI interventions for Black families. Support (if any) Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital through Grant Number R49CE003074 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.