Children Of Mixed Ethnicity Research Articles

Disabilities in children receiving care and support in Wales and risk factors associated with being placed in care: A population-based data linkage study

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of functional impairments in children with disabilities receiving care and support in Wales between 2016 and 2022, and to investigate risk factors associated with being placed in care amongst these children. MethodThis study used Children Receiving Care and Support (CRCS) Census records held in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. We examined the proportion of children with specific impairments by their looked-after status, using bar charts and Upset plots. CRCS records were linked to demographic datasets to obtain information on area-level deprivation, and we conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to model risk factors associated with being placed in care for children with disabilities. ResultsOf 38,165 children receiving care and support, 10,075 (26%) had a disability, and 3,360 (33%) of these children were placed in care. Older children were less likely to be placed in care than infants (e.g. for age group 1‒4: OR 0.37 (95% CI 0.24‒0.56)). Children of mixed ethnicity were more likely to be placed in care compared to White children (2.17 (1.65‒2.85)). Child mental health problems were associated with being placed in care (1.82 (1.60‒2.07)) as were parental mental health problems (1.44 (1.29‒1.60)), parental substance/alcohol misuse (3.16 (2.81‒3.56)), parental learning disability (2.92 (2.51‒3.38)), and domestic abuse (1.48 (1.31‒1.66)). ConclusionsThis new evidence may assist in the planning and provision of appropriate ongoing care and support for these children and their families to help prevent entry into the care system.

Tracking changes in weight status in primary school children in Birmingham: an analysis of the National Child Measurement Programme – a retrospective cohort study

One-in-four 4–5 years and more than one-in-three 10–11 years have excess weight in England.AimTo identify characteristics associated with (1) having overweight, obesity and severe obesity at 11 years and (2)...

We are not ‘Mixed’, we are ‘All’: understanding the educational experiences of mixed ethnicity children to enhance learner agency

ABSTRACT From the moment a child is born, they create a self that it is influenced by their external world, this includes social and political factors. As the sense of self develops one cannot ignore the importance of interpersonal relatedness and social interactions. School experiences are therefore key. This paper addresses the experiences of mixed ethnicity children in primary school in the UK. It presents an initial discussion of how children's agency is both impacted and enhanced by their racialised position. Categories of race/ethnicity may be broad and abstract, and this creates an opportunity for representations to be characterised by their physical appearance. This then has a direct impact on how children see themselves represented in primary school both through the curriculum and in their teachers themselves. The notion of belonging is central to the discussion of children's agency and mixed ethnicity children form their sense of self through interactions with both their peers and their teachers. For mixed ethnicity children to be given the best opportunity to develop agency, three elements are needed: culturally aware teachers; a curriculum in which children see themselves represented; and an ethnically diverse teaching body that truly represents British society.

Vertex-wise multivariate genome-wide association study identifies 780 unique genetic loci associated with cortical morphology

Brain morphology has been shown to be highly heritable, yet only a small portion of the heritability is explained by the genetic variants discovered so far. Here we extended the Multivariate Omnibus Statistical Test (MOSTest) and applied it to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of vertex-wise structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cortical measures from N=35,657 participants in the UK Biobank. We identified 695 loci for cortical surface area and 539 for cortical thickness, in total 780 unique genetic loci associated with cortical morphology robustly replicated in 8,060 children of mixed ethnicity from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. This reflects more than 8-fold increase in genetic discovery at no cost to generalizability compared to the commonly used univariate GWAS methods applied to region of interest (ROI) data. Functional follow up including gene-based analyses implicated 10% of all protein-coding genes and pointed towards pathways involved in neurogenesis and cell differentiation. Power analysis indicated that applying the MOSTest to vertex-wise structural MRI data triples the effective sample size compared to conventional univariate GWAS approaches. The large boost in power obtained with the vertex-wise MOSTest together with pronounced replication rates and highlighted biologically meaningful pathways underscores the advantage of multivariate approaches in the context of highly distributed polygenic architecture of the human brain.

Is it (dis)Advantageous to Have Mixed Parentage? Exploring Education and Work Characteristics of Children of Interethnic Unions in Britain

Extant studies commonly claim that mixed ethnic children face difficulties inaffiliating with either of the parental ethnic group, which consequently negatively affectstheir identity development. However, the majority of the existing literature is based onclinical evidence of small highly self-selected samples of those seeking psychologicalassistance. This paper aims to investigate the socioeconomic outcomes of mixed ethnicchildren using the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study data (N=35,302) whichis a nationally representative 1% sample of the population in England and Wales. Wehypothesise that an interethnic union between one immigrant parent and one parent from amajority population could promote integration of an offspring. Here educational attainmentand employment status are used as indicators of socioeconomic integration. Logisticregression is employed to estimate the probabilities of having a degree qualification andbeing in employment of mixed ethnic individuals comparing to children of two ethnicminority parents and native children of two native white parents.Controlling for parental demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well asneighbourhood characteristics, the results suggest that having one native white parentbring children of immigrants closer to the characteristics of the majority population,signalling better integration of children with mixed parentage compared to theircounterparts whose both parents are from minority ethnic group.

ВОСПИТАТЕЛЬНАЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ В ПОЛИКУЛЬТУРНЫХ ДЕТСКИХ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЯХ РОССИИ И МИРА (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ДОШКОЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ)

The paper analyses the problems and difficulties that teachers have in their cultural-and-educational activities in mixed ethnic children groups in Russia and abroad. Publications concerning the discussed topic are analyzed; most common problems arising during cultural-and-educational activities in educational institutions for children while working with multicultural groups are outlined. It is highlighted that the foreign view on the multicultural educational approach does not concern only ethnic groups, but other small types of social groups. For the theoretical description of the phenomena such terms as “social competence” and “multiculturalism” are used. In Soviet and modern Russian pedagogical theory scientists operate such concepts as “multicultural approach”, “tolerance”, and “ethno-tolerance”. It is emphasized that the development of the socio-cultural competence of pre-school children should be based on their full-fledged mastery of the national characteristics of the host (in this case, Russian) national culture. To support theoretical conclusions, ,a survey, which helped to more accurately describe the problems that teachers face when organizing educational activities with multicultural children's groups, was conducted in the pre-school educational institution of Omsk. 116. The results of the analysis of the kindergarten educational activity practice, including the planning and implementation of the educational activity program of the pre-school educational institution 116 in Omsk, taking into account the work in multicultural groups, are given. In particular, the program “Traditions, rituals, and songs in the life of the Russian people living in Western Siberia” (compiled by A. N. Kon’shunova), adjusted in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard, is being implemented, and a museum exhibition of Russian folk culture has been created.

Language regrets: mixed-ethnic children’s lost opportunity for minority language acquisition in Japan

Abstract Mixed-ethnic children in Japan do not usually acquire the language of their non-Japanese parent. This study looks at their lost opportunity to acquire their minority parent’s language through a retrospective investigation of their language experiences from childhood to young adulthood. Transcripts of interviews with ten mixed-ethnic children (ages 18 to 23) were analyzed based on the constructive grounded theory approach (Charmaz 2014Constructing grounded theory, 2nd edn. London: Sage). Analysis of codes which emerged from the interviews revealed that family relations, parents’ reluctance to speak the minority language and the prioritization of English were some of the factors perceived by the mixed-ethnic children to have contributed to the non-transmission of the minority language. Many of the children described their lost opportunity to acquire the minority language as regretful. Questions posed by Japanese people about their identity and language reminded some participants of their mixed-ethnicity and inability to speak the minority language. These findings suggest that the non-transmission of the minority language has long-term implications on the social and emotional well-being of mixed-ethnic children in Japan.

Do Conduct Problem Pathways Differ for Black and Minority Ethnic Children in the UK? An Examination of Trajectories from Early Childhood to Adolescence

A substantial body of evidence has examined developmental pathways into and out of conduct problems. However, there is a dearth of research examining whether the same conduct problem pathways are evident in minority ethnic, as in white, populations. Drawing on the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a nationally representative longitudinal study of children born between 2000 and 2002, this study examines differences in group-based trajectories of conduct problems according to broad categories of ethnicity. Using pathways identified in a prior study (n = 17,206, 49% female, 18% ethnic minority), including persistently high (8%), childhood-limited (23%), adolescent-onset (13%), and low (56%), significant ethnic differences were found. As a result, trajectories of conduct problems were identified separately for Asian, black, mixed ethnicity, and white children. For Asian, black, and mixed ethnicity children, three trajectories were identified: persistently high, childhood-limited, and low, but not adolescent-onset. Although these pathways have similar labels, their patterns and shapes seem to differ among the three ethnic groups. For white children, the same four trajectory groups were identified as in the prior study. Risk factors also differed among the groups according to ethnicity, although a worse child-parent relationship was a significant predictor of the higher problem trajectories for all ethnic groups. Overall, the findings suggest that black and minority ethnic children may follow different developmental pathways of conduct problems than white children, particularly during adolescence, having implications for service use and early intervention.

Together and apart: relational experiences of place, identity and belonging in the lives of mixed-ethnicity families

ABSTRACT Intersectionality, as an ‘analytical sensibility’, demands attentiveness to the multiple aspects of identity that interlock to shape privilege and marginality in specific spatial contexts and moments. Notwithstanding their fluidity, intersectional analyses have retained a core focus on the individualized self. This paper articulates an intercorporeal approach to intersectionality, based on interviews with adult members of mixed-ethnicity (mixed-race) families. In public space, family members are exposed to stares, questions, judgements and racisms that metamorphose depending on who they are with. Alone, with a visibly different partner, with mixed-ethnicity children, or as a family unit, the strands of each family member’s multiple identities intersect with those of their loved ones. Each is interpellated – or feels interpellated – differently, in physical proximity to the other. Our empirical analysis sheds new light on the everyday lives of mixed-ethnicity families. Our theoretical pairing of intercorporeality and intersectionality presents an innovative extension to dominant interpretations of the latter. It highlights the analytical utility of adding an extra-individual lens to the intersectionality toolkit. While visibly different mixed-ethnicity families afford a potent example, our approach has broader resonance. An intercorporeal approach to intersectionality offers nuanced perspectives on place, identity and belonging. It is necessary because privilege and marginality are always lived, relationally.

중학생의 체육활동 참여가 다문화 수용성에 미치는 영향: 자아존중감의 매개효과를 중심으로

This study aims to explore the effects of physical activities on students’ multicultural acceptance and to examine the mediating effects of self-esteem on the relationship between the two variables. To achieve this, third wave data from the KCYPS carried out by the NYPI were analyzed. A total of 2,259 students, all in the third year of middle school, were included in this study. The findings of the study were as follow. First, middle school students’ participation in physical activities was positively correlated with self-esteem. Second, middle school students’ self-esteem was related to a high level of middle school students’ multicultural acceptance. Third, a variable of self-esteem played a role in mediating the effects between participation in physical activities and middle school students’ multicultural acceptance. Consequently, this study is expected to contribute to developing physical education curricula and creating policies that demonstrate an understanding of the needs of mixed-ethnicity children born from multicultural families in order to increase the levels of middle school students’ multicultural acceptance.

Современные этнические процессы у тувинцев юга Красноярского края

В статье рассматриваются современные этнические процессы у группы тувинцев, издавна проживающей на территории России, в Красноярском крае, на границе с Тувой, по реке Ус, которых называют «усинскими тувинцами». С начала 1990-х годов, в связи с упадком животноводства и массовой безработицей, они почти все переселились в два русских села, составив в них меньшинство. С этого времени среди тувинцев, особенно в детских возрастных группах развернулись особые этнические процессы, которые была призвана исследовать этнографическая экспедиция с участием автора в 2014 г. Среди усинских тувинцев был проведен массовой опрос населения по этнографической анкете. Использованы были также методы бесед с информаторами и экспертами, изучены доступные статистические материалы. Проанализированы материалы похозяйственных книг из архива местного сельсовета на разные периоды.Исследование выявило, что на русском языке вынуждены часто общаться даже те, для кого тувинский язык является родным. Наиболее ярко языковая ассимиляция проявляется в самой младшей возрастной группе. Все чаще детям даются русские имена. Все больше молодежи поет только на русском языке. В старшем поколении все знают несколько народных сказок, а среди детей и подростков таких намного меньшеУ населения присутствуют некоторые традиционные элементы в свадебном обряде, но более высокие показатели по соблюдению и знанию похоронного обряда. Встречается дуалистическая религиозная самоидентификация («буддизм-шаманизм», «православие-буддизм», «православие-шаманизм»), более трети усинских тувинцев считают себя неверующими.Постоянно национальную одежду носят в основном женщины преклонного возраста. Большая часть усинских тувинцев (64,5%) никогда не использует национальную одежду. Блюда национальной тувинской кухни встречаются в большинстве семей усинских тувинцев. Смешанных семей оказалось по всем населенным пунктам 31,7%, в межэтнические браки чаще вступают женщины. Значительное число смешанных браков ведет к появлению метисов. Исследование позволило сформулировать ряд предположений о нарастающих ассимиляционных тенденциях в области языка и др. Все это ставит под вопрос существование данной группы в будущем. Несмотря на то, что почти половина усинских тувинцев полагают, что сохранятся как этническая группа, тем не менее вторая половина их или затрудняются прогнозировать, или допускают исчезновение их, полную ассимиляцию.

Ethnic Minorities Are at Greater Risk for Childhood-Onset Type 2 Diabetes and Poorer Glycemic Control in England and Wales

PurposeEthnic minority children are at a greater risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, current prevalence of T2D among children and young people is unknown in England and Wales. In addition, little is known on glycemic control in pediatric T2D globally. MethodsUsing data from the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit for 2012–2013 with >98% coverage of diabetes cases, we estimated (1) the overall, gender- and ethnic-specific prevalence of T2D in children and young people <16 years and (2) whether ethnicity predicts glycemic control (measured by mean HbA1c) in children and young people <19 years. Ethnicity was self-identified and categorized into white, Asian, black, mixed, other, and “not stated.” Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate differences in glycemic control by ethnicity adjusting for socioeconomic status, age, diabetes duration, and gender. ResultsA total of 307 children and young people aged <16 years were identified with T2D in the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit for 2012–2013. Overall prevalence of T2D was 2.9/100,000. Females had a higher prevalence of T2D than males (4.3 vs. 1.5/100,000). The highest prevalence was found in Asian (12.2/100,000) followed by mixed ethnicity (4.4/100,000) females. Children of mixed ethnicity had significantly higher mean HbA1c compared with white children (9.7% [83 mmol/mol] vs. 7.8% [62 mmol/mol], p < .001, and adjusted mean difference of 4.2% [22.3 mmol/mol], 95% confidence interval = 3.1%–5.2% [10.9–33.7 mmol/mol]), but there were no significant differences between the other ethnic minority groups. ConclusionsChildren of all ethnic minorities particularly females have an increased prevalence of T2D. Those belonging to mixed ethnic backgrounds are at increased risk for poorer glycemic control.

Prevalence of Childhood Obesity among Young Multiethnic Children from a Health Maintenance Organization in Hawaii

Pacific Islander, Asian, and mixed-ethnicity children are not described in national nutrition and health surveys. Data on BMI values of 4608 5- to 8-year-old children available from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii electronic medical records in 2010 were analyzed for prevalence of overweight and obesity and for ethnic differences in BMI and risk for overweight and obesity, controlling for age, sex, neighborhood education level, and on a subset (n=2169) that further controlled for maternal education and maternal age. Kaiser Permanente data allow for reporting of multiple ethnicities. Data revealed that 33% of this child population was of mixed ethnic ancestry. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 32.6% (12.9% overweight and 19.7% obese). However, Samoan children and children of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and mixed ethnic ancestries had higher levels of overweight and obesity than whites or Asians. Higher neighborhood education level, higher maternal education level, and older maternal age were associated with decreased risk of overweight and obesity, except for children whose mothers were between 21 and 30 years old, who had a higher risk for obesity than those whose mothers were under 20 years of age (odds ratio=1.34). Populations of mixed ethnicities in the Pacific region deserve further study related to healthy body size and acculturation to environment and lifestyle.

Is it (Dis)Advantageous to Have Mixed Parentage? Exploring Education &amp; Work Characteristics of Children of Interethnic Unions in Britain

Extant studies commonly claim that mixed ethnic children face difficulties in affiliating with either of the parental ethnic group, which consequently negatively affects their identity development. However, the majority of the existing literature is based on clinical evidence of small highly self-selected samples of those seeking psychological assistance. This paper aims to investigate the socioeconomic outcomes of mixed ethnic children using the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study data (N=35,302) which is a nationally representative 1% sample of the population in England and Wales. We hypothesise that an interethnic union between one immigrant parent and one parent from a majority population could promote integration of an offspring. Here educational attainment and employment status are used as indicators of socioeconomic integration. Logistic regression is employed to estimate the probabilities of having a degree qualification and being in employment of mixed ethnic individuals comparing to children of two ethnic minority parents and native children of two native white parents.Controlling for parental demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as neighbourhood characteristics, the results suggest that having one native white parent bring children of immigrants closer to the characteristics of the majority population, signalling better integration of children with mixed parentage compared to their counterparts whose both parents are from minority ethnic group.

The social and economic circumstances of mixed ethnicity children in the UK: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study

The number of people with a ‘mixed’ ethnicity heritage is growing in contemporary Britain. Research in this area has largely focused on implications for cultural and racialized identities, and little is known about associated economic and social factors. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a representative panel survey of children born in 2000–2001, are used to examine the circumstances of mixed ethnicity children in comparison with their non-mixed and white counterparts. Findings suggest a cultural location between ‘white’ and minority identities, and socio-economic advantage in comparison with non-mixed counterparts. For example, households of non-mixed white children had poorer economic profiles than households of both mixed white and mixed Indian children. This effect is associated with the presence of a white parent, and the factors underlying it are examined. Although the statistical approach used bypasses a consideration of the dynamics of identity, it provides important evidence on stratification and inequality, and the factors driving this.

Book review: Laurel Kamada, Hybrid Identities and Adolescent Girls: Being Half in Japan. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2010

Book review: Laurel Kamada, Hybrid Identities and Adolescent Girls: Being Half in Japan. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2010

Book Review: Pathways to Permanence for Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnicity Children

Book Review: Pathways to Permanence for Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnicity Children

Health-related quality of life in a clinical sample of obese children and adolescents

BackgroundObesity affects ethnic minority groups disproportionately, especially in the pediatric population. However, little is known about the impact of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents from mixed-ethnic samples. The purpose of this study was to: 1) measure HRQoL in a mixed-ethnic clinical sample of obese children and adolescents, 2) compare HRQoL assessments in obese participants and healthy controls, and 3) compare HRQoL in obese children and adolescents according to their pubertal status.MethodsA clinical sample of children and adolescents with obesity (n = 96) and healthy children and adolescents attending local schools (n = 444) completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL; UK version 4). Age-appropriate versions were self-administered by children and adolescents aged 8-18 years, and interview administered to children aged 5-7 years. Multiple regression analyses controlling for age, gender, pubertal status, and ethnicity were used to compare the PedsQL scores of the two samples.ResultsThe clinical sample of obese children and adolescents had poorer HRQoL scores on all dimensions of the PedsQL compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.005). Subsequent analyses also demonstrated that in this sample of mixed-ethnic children and adolescents, prepubescent obese children achieved the poorest scores in the emotional functioning dimension.ConclusionsObesity significantly impacts on physical, emotional, social and school functioning of mixed-ethnic children and adolescents. Clinicians need to be aware of the significant impact of obesity on all aspects of functioning. More effort is required to target interventions to improve the quality of life of children with obesity.

Mixed ethnicity, identity and adoption: research, policy and practice

ABSTRACTMixed ethnicity children are over‐represented in the care system and constitute a significant group of those seeking adoption placements. Social workers are presented with a specific set of concerns in seeking to find adoption placements for mixed ethnicity children as they come from two or more cultural backgrounds. Practitioners face uncertain principles concerning how to respond to these issues, especially in light of social and political pressures, and within the realm of existing debates around ‘transracial’ adoption. There is a danger that among these uncertainties the individuality of the child will be lost as his or her identity needs become viewed narrowly. Social workers may seek to simplify and classify the identities of mixed ethnicity children in the adoption process through pressures that they feel to find ‘matched’ placements. This paper explores how theories concerning identity can provide some insight into the difficulties practitioners face and may help to inform social work practice in this area.

Private Cord Blood Banking: Experiences and Views of Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Physicians

Private cord blood banks are for-profit companies that facilitate storage of umbilical cord blood for personal or family use. Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation physicians are currently best situated to use cord blood therapeutically. We sought to describe the experiences and views of these physicians regarding private cord blood banking. We e-mailed a cross-sectional survey to pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation physicians in the United States and Canada; 93 of 152 potentially eligible physicians (93 of 130 confirmed survey recipients) from 57 centers responded. Questions addressed the number of transplants performed by using privately banked cord blood, willingness to use banked autologous cord blood in specific clinical settings, and recommendations to parents regarding private cord blood banking. Respondents reported having performed 9 autologous and 41 allogeneic transplants using privately banked cord blood. In 36 of 40 allogeneic cases for which data were available, the cord blood had been collected because of a known indication in the recipient. Few respondents would choose autologous cord blood over alternative stem cell sources for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in second remission. In contrast, 55% would choose autologous cord blood to treat high-risk neuroblastoma, or to treat severe aplastic anemia in the absence of an available sibling donor. No respondent would recommend private cord blood banking for a newborn with 1 healthy sibling when both parents were of northern European descent; 11% would recommend banking when parents were of different minority ethnicities. Few transplants have been performed by using cord blood stored in the absence of a known indication in the recipient. Willingness to use banked autologous cord blood varies depending on disease and availability of alternative stem cell sources. Few pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation physicians endorse private cord blood banking in the absence of an identified recipient, even for mixed-ethnicity children for whom finding a suitably matched unrelated donor may be difficult.