Hispanic Immigrant Mothers Research Articles

Home-Based Parent Involvement, Parental Warmth, and Kindergarten Outcomes Among Children of Immigrant Parents

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Immigrant families who represent a growing share of the early schooling population face unique challenges related to involvement in their children’s education. This study examined whether and to what extent home-based parent involvement and parental warmth are associated with the socio-emotional and academic outcomes of children of immigrant mothers during the kindergarten year – a critical and sensitive period for later school success. The study sample included 9,187 children from the base year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11. Among the major findings, the study revealed that Hispanic and Asian immigrant parents, on average, were less frequently involved in home-based activities and reported less warmth than U.S.-born parents. Additionally, greater frequency of home-based parent involvement was associated with better interpersonal skills for both children of Hispanic immigrant mothers and children of Asian immigrant mothers, but home-based involvement was also positively associated with reading and math scores for children of Asian immigrant mothers. Moreover, the association between home-based involvement and socio-emotional outcomes was manifested broadly among poor children of immigrant mothers. Practice or Policy: The findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural differences in parent involvement and parenting styles to enhance immigrant children’s educational experiences.

Early Life Factors for Overweight Risk Among Infants of Hispanic Immigrant Mothers

IntroductionThis study examined postpartum depression, food insecurity, and underestimation of infant size as potential early life factors for overweight risk at 12 months among infants of Hispanic immigrant mothers. MethodWeight-for-length (WFL) measurements and face-to-face interviews were completed during well child visits. Regression models estimated the impact of early life factors (0-6 months) on overweight risk at 1 year. ResultsWFL ≥ 85th percentile was found among 2.4% at birth and 42.7% at 1 year. Most mothers (78.6%) experienced food insecurity, a factor that increased the likelihood of infant overweight risk by 2.29 times (1.03–5.09). Maternal underestimation of infant size increased the likelihood of overweight risk 5.07 times (2.57–9.99). Postpartum depression risk did not contribute to infant weight status. DiscussionAssessment for maternal food insecurity and underestimation of infant weight status during early infancy may help reduce overweight risk and subsequent obesity for this vulnerable population.

Is Food Security Influencing Emotional Health? A Study with Hispanic Immigrant Mothers

IntroductionHispanic immigrants in the U.S. often face a number of negative conditions that influence their emotional health. These problems can be heightened when there are low resources such as food insecurity and pressing stressors. This study looks to understand if food insecurity and acculturation predict depression levels for Hispanic immigrant mothers. From previous literature we hypothesize that food insecurity and higher levels of stress will predict higher depression levels.MethodsThis study used the Larger Multi‐State Abriendo Caminos Intervention program data. Hispanic immigrant mothers completed surveys at pre‐post and 6 month follow up time points. Food security was measured with USDA food security short module. Depression was measured with the CESD‐10 questionnaire and stress with Cohen's perceived stress scale. Multiple regression models were used to analyze data collected at baseline for the Illinois and California cohorts (N= 100). Among our participants, 36% reported some food insecurity with 6% of those having very low food security. Furthermore 24% had depression and, compared to other Hispanic populations, our participants had high levels of stress.ResultsHigher levels of food insecurity significantly predicted maternal depression (β = 0.314, p <0 .001), regardless of acculturation level. Food insecurity explained 10% of the variance in rates of depression and in this analyses higher acculturation levels to Anglo American behaviors account for another 2% of the variance although it is not significant. In addition, when stress was included in the analyses it accounted for an additional 23% of model variance and was a significant predictor of depression (β = 0.48, p < 0.001).ConclusionWe found that food insecurity and stress significantly predicted depression regardless of acculturation level. These psychological variables have been associated with food consumption patterns and weight‐related outcomes in other low income populations. Therefore, our findings suggest the importance of including food insecurity and psychological variables in future research to explore possible interactions with effects on nutritional and behavior outcomes.Support or Funding InformationThis project was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive grantno. 2015‐60001‐23246 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Hispanic Immigrant Mothers of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: How Do They Understand and Cope With Autism?

This study aimed to understand the experiences of raising a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in a group of Hispanic immigrant mothers. The following 3 aspects were explored: (a) the families' social environments, (b) cultural beliefs on development and autism, and (c) perceptions of bilingualism influencing language choices. In-depth 3-part phenomenological interviews and thematic analyses were conducted with 22 Hispanic immigrant mothers of preschool children with ASD. A total of 3 thematic categories emerged: stigmatization and social isolation, preconceptions about developmental milestones and autism, and mothers' reluctance to speak Spanish with their children. A lack of awareness about autism influenced social isolation, and autism was viewed as temporary and associated with fear or sadness. The mothers believed that exposure to 2 languages would increase their children's language difficulties. Hispanic immigrant mothers raising children with autism were often challenged by immigration status, economic hardship, and advice against using Spanish with their children. Professional training and parent education are needed to facilitate early identification of ASD. Immigrant families should be encouraged to communicate in the home language with their children. Information about ASD should be disseminated through community outreach, home-school connections, and pediatricians, who remain pivotal in informing Hispanic immigrant families.

Preschool and Academic School Readiness Among Young Children of Asian and Hispanic Immigrant Mothers

ABSTRACTPreschool is an important developmental context for children of immigrants that can help them succeed in later life. In this study, we examine the association between preschool and academic school readiness among young children of Asian or Hispanic immigrant mothers. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data (n ≈ 1,550) collected in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Results show that attending preschool (mostly prekindergarten or other center-based care) was associated with better academic school readiness at the year of participation among children of both Asian and Hispanic immigrant mothers; such beneficial associations were found at kindergarten entry among Asian children, but not Hispanic children. Furthermore, more-pronounced beneficial influences of preschool on academic school readiness were found at the year of participation among children of home language mothers in both groups, but such more-pronounced benefits were gone at kindergarten entry in both groups. These findings suggest that the differences between the two groups in maintaining the benefits from preschool may be associated with different home environments. Future research is needed to look specifically at the mechanisms of how attending preschool is related to academic school readiness among children of immigrants.

Low-Income Immigrant Hispanic Mothers' Concerns and Perceptions of Their Young Child's Weight.

To describe how low-income Hispanic immigrant mothers' concerns and perceptions of her child's health, along with her concerns for herself becoming overweight, relate to her (a) concerns that her child will become overweight and (b) underestimation of her child's weight status. Cross-sectional survey and direct body composition assessments were collected among 96 low-income Hispanic mothers and their young children from Houston-area community centers. Data were collected on maternal concerns and perceptions of child's weight and health, concerns about her own weight, demographic characteristics, and measured child's height and weight. Fifty-four percent of mothers with an overweight/obese child perceived their child was "about the right weight." Mothers concerned with becoming overweight themselves had 3 times higher odds of being concerned that her child would become overweight (OR=3.01, p<.01). Mothers who perceived their child as less healthy had approximately 2 times higher odds of underestimating their child's weight (OR=1.86, p<.01). Short screeners that focus on maternal concerns about herself and her child becoming overweight, along with perceptions of her child's health and weight status, may assist nurses in effectively tailoring their health message at point of care.

Perceptions About Parental Engagement Among Hispanic Immigrant Mothers of First Graders from Low-Income Backgrounds

Parental engagement is critical to children’s educational achievement. Before and during elementary school, it is crucial for parents to be involved in their children’s education in order to foster development and achievement. Hispanic parents’ immigrant status, coupled with a lack of English proficiency, means that they often find themselves of low socioeconomic status (SES). Being low SES also means that parents possess fewer resources for engaging with their children. The current study seeks to understand low-income, primarily Hispanic mothers’ perceptions of their roles in their first grade children’s education. Mothers were interviewed regarding parenting confidence related to teaching their children, and responses were analyzed using qualitative research methods. Mothers in this study associated their roles in their children’s education with two primary areas: helping their children to learn, and raising their children to be well-behaved and respectful. The main barrier to parental confidence in these roles appeared to be mothers’ lack of English proficiency. This is consistent with previous research demonstrating that Hispanic parents maintain the perception of a lack of proficiency in English as a significant barrier to parental involvement in their children’s education in the United States. Future interventions with teachers and parents may benefit from these findings in consideration of the optimal ways to involve parent related to their perceived personal strengths regarding parental engagement.

Maternal Acculturation and Weight Status Among Young Children of Asian and Hispanic Immigrant Mothers

Using a nationally representative sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) and defining maternal acculturation as three patterns of language use, this study examined the influence of maternal acculturation on child weight status at kindergarten entry, separately for children of Asian and Hispanic immigrant mothers. Overall, this study found beneficial associations between maternal acculturation and children’s weight status in both Asian and Hispanic groups. Children of bilingual and English-dominant Asian mothers had lower body mass index (BMI) z-scores than those of home-language Asian mothers. Maternal acculturation was also associated with a reduced risk of being obese among children of Asian mothers. In addition, children of bilingual Hispanic mothers also had lower BMI z-scores than those of home-language Hispanic mothers. The findings of this study suggest that programs to promote the healthy development of young children in immigrant families may need to be tailored to different ethnic groups and levels of maternal acculturation.

Intergenerational transmission of the effects of acculturation on health in Hispanic Americans: a fetal programming perspective.

We propose a transdisciplinary, life span framework for examining the underlying cause of the observed intergenerational decline in health among Hispanic Americans. We focus on acculturation, and we posit that acculturation-related processes in first-generation Hispanic immigrant mothers may affect the intrauterine development of an unborn child, via the process of fetal programming, to produce phenotypic effects that may alter the susceptibility for noncommunicable chronic diseases. In this manner, an intergenerational cascade of perpetuation may become established. Our framework may shed light on the biological, behavioral, and social causes of intergenerational cycles of vulnerability among immigrant minority groups, with public health and policy implications for primary prevention and intervention.

Exploring the palliative care needs of Hispanic immigrant mothers with advanced cancer.

135 Background: Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States and cancer is the leading cause of death in this population. Hispanic immigrants encounter a number of challenges when confronting end-of-life care: geographical and cultural separation from families; language and educational barriers; fear of discrimination; and in the case of undocumented immigrants, fear of deportation. The experiences of Hispanic patients with advanced cancer who are parents of dependent-age children are essentially unknown. Therefore, we used qualitative methods to identify the palliative care and end-of-life needs of this unique population. Methods: We recruited five Spanish-speaking, Hispanic mothers with metastatic cancer to complete a semi-structured interview about their experiences. The interviews addressed coping with advanced illness, sources of distress, parenting changes, medical decision-making strategies, and communication about illness. Data were analyzed using traditional content analysis techniques. Results: Participants were all female, ages 34-43 year old. On average, they had 3.4 children and 8.2 years of education. Common themes were: (1) the financial burden of cancer; (2) low social support for parenting and household responsibilities; (3) lack of perceived role in medical decision-making; (4) and religion as primary source of coping and hope. We also identified several communication barriers in conducting a palliative care study with this population. Conclusions: Future palliative care studies can improve Spanish-speaking Hispanics’ comprehension by incorporating Spanish vocabulary into the interviews and providing greater explanation of concepts such as shared decision-making, cancer staging, palliative care, and hospice. Greater awareness of financial concerns and insufficient social support may help oncology providers and researchers develop interventions to help Hispanic parents with advanced cancer. Further studies are needed to learn more about the unmet needs of end-of-life care for this demographic group.

Dancing with Mothers: A School-Based Dance/Movement Therapy Group for Hispanic Immigrant Mothers

This article outlines the creation of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) group for Hispanic immigrant women, its rationale, and proposed components. Since immigration is becoming of central interest in the United States and the Hispanic immigrant population is growing rapidly, the needs of this population must be acknowledged, and therapeutic models must be created to support them. Several dance/movement therapists who have explored issues of diversity cite the importance of recognizing and honoring both difference as well as universality. This proposed short-term group for Hispanic immigrant mothers in a school setting includes DMT principles and recognizes the specific needs, clinical issues, and values of this population.

ENGAGING HISPANIC IMMIGRANT MOTHERS: REVISITING THE TIME-LIMITED PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL GROUP MODEL

As new members of a culture, Hispanic Spanish dominant mothers must learn a new language as well as adjust to new and different values and expectations. To facilitate culturally sensitive practice, this article revisits a psycho-educational group model (Leon, Mazur, Montalvo & Rodriguez, 1984). This model was originally developed and successfully utilized by the first author in the mental health setting. The article uses the author's group experiences and the existing literature to emphasize the importance of integrating aspects of Hispanic culture in delivering group services to Hispanic immigrant mothers. Cultural and programmatic considerations for the successful development and implementation of a time-limited short-term group model are presented. Through group sessions facilitated by a bilingual therapist, Hispanic mothers are given the opportunities to develop mutual support systems, learn about their community resources and increase their knowledge on child development.