Caucasian American Children Research Articles

Evaluating the contribution of differences in lean mass compartments for resting energy expenditure in African American and Caucasian American children.

Resting energy expenditure (REE), adjusted for total lean mass (LM), is lower in African American (AA) than Caucasian American (CA) children. Some adult studies suggest that AA-CA differences in lean mass compartments explain this REE difference. Similar data are limited in children. To evaluate differences in compartment-specific lean mass between AA and CA children and examine the individual contributions of high-metabolic rate-at-rest trunk lean mass (TrLM) and low-metabolic-rate-at-rest appendicular lean mass (AppLM) for AA-CA differences in REE. We studied a convenience sample of 594 AA (n=281) and CA (n=313) children. REE was measured by using indirect calorimetry; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition. ANCOVAs were performed to examine AA-CA differences in TrLM, AppLM and REE. After accounting for age, sex, height, pubertal development, bone mass and adiposity, REE was evaluated adjusting for total LM (model A) and separately adjusting for TrLM and AppLM (model B). African American children had greater adjusted AppLM (17.8±0.2 [SE] vs. 16.0±0.2kg, p<0.001) and lower TrLM (17.2±0.2 vs. 17.7±0.2kg, p=0.022) than CA children. REE adjusted for total LM was 77±16kcal/d lower in AA than CA (p<0.001). However, after accounting separately for AppLM and TrLM, the discrepancy in REE between the groups declined to 28±19kcal/d (p=0.14). In the adjusted model, both TrLM (p<0.001) and AppLM (p<0.027) were independently associated with REE. In children, AA-CA differences in REE appear mostly attributable to differences in body composition. Lower REE in AA children is likely due to lower TrLM and greater AppLM.

Cultural differences in the imitation and transmission of inefficient actions

Across two studies, we explored cultural differences in children’s imitation and transmission of inefficient actions. Chinese American and Caucasian American preschoolers (N=115) viewed either one or three models using two inefficient tools to perform two different tasks. In the video, when the model(s) performed the task, only the inefficient tool was available; thus, their choice to use that tool could be considered rational. Next, children were invited to complete the task with either the inefficient tool or an efficient alternative. Whereas the two cultural groups imitated a single model at similar rates, Chinese American children imitated significantly more than Caucasian American children after viewing a consensus. Similar results were found when exploring differences in information transmission. The Chinese American children were significantly more likely than their Caucasian American peers to instruct using an inefficient tool when they had initially viewed a consensus demonstrate it. We discuss these findings with respect to differences in children’s use of social versus task-specific cues for learning and teaching.

The role of consensus and culture in children’s imitation of inefficient actions

A significant body of work has demonstrated children’s imitative abilities when learning novel actions. Although some research has examined the role of cultural background in children’s imitation of inefficient actions, to our knowledge no research has explored how culture and conformity interact when engaging in imitation. In Study 1, 87 Caucasian American and Chinese American preschoolers were presented with either one model or three models performing an inefficient action. Whereas there were no cultural differences in imitation in the Single Model condition, Chinese Americans were significantly more likely to copy the model’s preference for an inefficient tool in the Consensus condition. Children’s tool choice was associated with their justification for their choice as well as their memory for the model’s action. Study 2 explored the impact of immigration status on the cultural differences in children’s tool choice by including 16 first-generation Caucasian American children. When comparing the findings with the rates from Study 1, both groups of Caucasian American preschoolers imitated at rates significantly lower than the Chinese American preschoolers. We suggest that the tool choices of Caucasian American children relate to a tendency to engage in a perceptually driven mode of learning, whereas the choices of the Chinese American children reflect a greater likelihood to use a socially driven mode.

Young Children’s Deference to a Consensus Varies by Culture and Judgment Setting

Abstract Three- and 4-year-old Asian-American and Caucasian-American children were asked to judge which of a set of three lines was the longest, both independently and in the face of an inaccurate consensus among informants. Half of the children made their judgments privately; the other half made their judgments with the experimenter present. In the private setting, children were mostly resistant to the incorrect testimony from the consensus. By contrast, in the public setting, children were more deferential, less willing to explicitly judge the consensus members as incorrect, and more likely to misremember the consensus as having made accurate line judgments. Confirming earlier findings, deference to the consensus was greater among Asian-American children. First-generation Asian-American children were especially deferential in the public setting.

Preschoolers (sometimes) defer to the majority in making simple perceptual judgments.

Three- and 4-year-old children were asked to judge which of a set of 3 lines was the longest, both independently and in the face of an inaccurate consensus among adult informants. Children were invariably accurate when making independent judgments but sometimes deferred to the inaccurate consensus. Nevertheless, the deference displayed by both age groups proved to be circumscribed. When asked to solve a practical problem--selecting the longest strip to build an adequate bridge--both groups relied on their own perceptual judgment, regardless of whether they had deferred to the inaccurate consensus. Confirming earlier meta-analytic findings with adults, the rate of deference was greater among Asian American children as compared with Caucasian American children.

Sociodemographic Differences in Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Headache

The authors investigated the sociodemographic differences in receiving a headache diagnosis for pediatric health care visits using 2 nationally representative databases--the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. For those visits involving a headache diagnosis, the authors explored 2 possible disparities in care--being diagnosed by a neurologist and being prescribed an evidence-based medication. A headache diagnosis was less common during visits for private insurance patients versus Medicaid patients. In addition, while a headache diagnosis was equally likely for visits by Caucasian American children versus African American children and children of other races, visits for the latter 2 groups were less likely to involve a headache diagnosis from a neurologist. Finally, only 37% of the headache visits involved a prescription of an evidence-based medication. The authors conclude that some sociodemographic disparities exist in pediatric headache care across the United States.

Appearance idealization, body esteem, causal attributions, and ethnic variations in the development of obesity stereotypes

We explored the hypotheses that adolescents have more negative obesity stereotypes than children and that age differences in obesity stereotypes are mediated by weight attributions, body esteem, and appearance idealization. Hispanic- and Caucasian-American children completed measures of appearance idealization, body esteem, and attributions about the causes of obesity. Participants later made generalizations from and attributions to “target” children, whose pictures varied by weight, gender, and ethnicity. Despite modest variations by participant ethnicity, age-related increases in obesity biases were (a) found across both stereotyping measures, (b) evident for both Hispanic and Caucasian targets, and (c) most pronounced for female targets. Although the association between age and obesity biases was partially mediated by appearance idealization and body esteem, these variables did not entirely explain the observed age-related increases in biases. Discussion focuses on the psychosocial atmosphere of adolescence, a “thin is in/fat is out” heuristic, and the development of implicit and explicit processing systems.

Comparing Judgements of Social, Behavioural, Emotional and School Adjustment Functioning for Korean, Korean American and Caucasian American Children

Social, emotional, behavioural and school adjustment functioning among Korean, Korean American and Caucasian American children was examined with the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Self-Report of Personality (SRP) and the Parent Rating Scale (PRS). One hundred and twenty Korean, Korean-American and Caucasian-American children, ages 8 to 11, and their parents participated in this study. Generally, the Korean children were perceived as behaving in a more controlled, less self-reliant and internalizing manner than were the American children. The Korean American children were rated to have more adjustment difficulties. The notion of Korean family collectivism versus western individualism and the inherent conflict in these cultural values was used to discuss the results. Practitioners should be aware that ratings with the BASC PRS and SRP scales of Korean and Korean American children can be influenced by culture to a significant degree. Also it appears that the BASC SRP and PRS are sensitive to conflict created in children and families caught between cultures, particularly related to demands for rapid Americanization.

Children's Health-Related Locus of Control Beliefs: Ethnicity, Gender, and Family Income

Health-related locus of control (HLC) beliefs are important predictors of health behaviors, but few studies have focused on children, and rarely have ethnicity, gender, or income been considered. Caucasian American, Latino American, and African American children (N = 167) completed the children's Multidimensional HLC scales, measuring internal, powerful others, and chance beliefs. Latino American and African American children endorsed stronger chance beliefs than Caucasian American children; Caucasian American children showed a trend toward less belief in powerful others compared to African American children. Patterns for boys and girls were similar. For children from higher income families, African American children scored higher than Caucasian American or Latino American children on belief in powerful others and chance; there were no ethnic group differences at lower income levels. Results suggest ethnicity and family income levels may be more important than gender as determinants of children's HLC beliefs.

Children and adolescents in community health centers: Does the ethnicity or the language of the therapist matter?

In order to test the influence of therapist's ethnicity and language on the course of treatment for children and adolescents, this study investigated the effect of language and ethnic therapist–client match on the mental health treatment of thousands of Asian-American, Mexican-American, African-American, and Caucasian-American children and adolescents in the Los Angeles County Mental Health System. Conclusive support for the cultural responsiveness hypothesis for children was not found, but some validity for the hypothesis among adolescents was found. Ethnic match was a significant predictor of Mexican and Asian adolescent dropout after one session and total number of sessions, as well as African adolescent dropout after one session. When language match was added to the model for Mexican adolescents, language match was a significant predictor of dropout after one session and total number of sessions, whereas ethnic match was no longer a significant predictor. However, when language match was added to the model for Asian adolescents, language match was not a significant predictor of dropout after one session or total number of sessions, whereas ethnic match remained a significant predictor for both variables. Implications of these findings are discussed.