Immigrant Background Research Articles

What you think is what you feel: Immigration-related value beliefs predict emotional exhaustion in pre-service teachers

Cultural diversity has recently been discussed as a potential stressor for teachers. The present study contributes to this discussion by examining the role of cultural diversity in the development of emotional exhaustion among teachers. Using the teacher stress model as a framework, we investigated if working conditions, such as cultural diversity (1), value beliefs, such as cultural beliefs or stereotypes towards students with an immigration background (2), and perceived professional competence, such as teaching experience and self-efficacy (3), predict emotional exhaustion. The data comes from a longitudinal study with 291 German pre-service mathematics teachers (M = 9.5 month). Results from robust multiple regression analyses showed no relation between cultural diversity and emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was significantly predicted by prior emotional exhaustion, frequent class disruptions, and large classes. Regarding cultural beliefs, participants with more stereotypes towards students with an immigration background experienced a higher level of emotional exhaustion, whereas the actual cultural diversity in their class had no impact. Contrary to our hypotheses, no effect was found for cultural beliefs. Taken together, our results suggest that it is not cultural diversity per se that leads to emotional exhaustion but evaluative processes of seeing students with an immigration background as burden that reflect beginning teachers' stereotypes. Practical implications are that teacher training should aim to reduce candidates' stereotypes towards students with an immigration background and allow more hands-on teaching experience.

The use of youth healthcare services and its association with health-related quality of life, physical and mental health and over-the-counter analgesics use in 13–19-year-old adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundYouth healthcare services in Norway include a public health nurse (PHN) at school and local youth health centres (YHCs). They provide health services for all adolescents free of charge, focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. The present study aimed to assess possible associations between health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical and mental health, over-the-counter analgesics (OTCA) use and use of youth healthcare services among 13–19-year-old adolescents.MethodsThis study was based on national, cross-sectional data from the Ungdata Survey conducted in 2022. The sample was comprised of 16 482 adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the associations between HRQoL, headaches, selected physical symptoms, psychological distress, use of OTCA, PHN availability, sociodemographic variables, and use of the PHN at school or at a YHC. The KIDSCREEN-10 was used to measure HRQoL, and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 10 was used to measure symptoms of psychological distress.ResultsGirls used the youth healthcare services more frequently than boys. Better HRQoL was significantly associated with fewer visits to the PHN at school. Girls reported lower HRQoL and mental health, and more pain and frequent OTCA use than boys. When having symptoms of psychological distress, boys had greater odds of visiting the PHN at school than girls. For girls in senior high school, headaches and OTCA use were strongly associated with visiting the PHN at school and the YHC. In senior high school, boys with an immigration background had greater odds of visiting the YHC than native Norwegian boys, while girls with an immigration background were less likely to visit the YHC than native Norwegian girls.ConclusionsOur results show that more girls than boys use youth healthcare services. When adolescents experience pain, have mental problems, use OTCA, or report low levels of HRQoL, they have greater odds of using youth healthcare services. Youth healthcare services offer excellent opportunities to support and follow up with adolescents. The findings provide important insights into youth healthcare services used by adolescents for various stakeholders, including PHNs and policy makers, with potential implications for future public health efforts.

Taking Care of Others and the Self through Islamic Funeral Service in Berlin

This article examines how Islamic funeral services contribute to the production of care in Berlin. Deriving from participant observations, in-depth interviews with migrant undertakers with Turkish backgrounds, and a collection of textual and visual materials, the article focuses on the practices of migrant undertakers. Against the essentialist arguments inherent to the identity politics of the existing scholarship on migrant death in Berlin and in Germany, I analyze this case study through a critical reading of the scholarship on ethnic entrepreneurship. In this context, I illustrate three findings on the production of care, which emerge at the intersection of technologies of the self and domination à la Foucault. In the first dimension, care is given to the deceased, (particularly those with an “immigrant background” from Turkey), their bereaved families and co-migrants, visitors, and employees of various institutions in Berlin. The second dimension of care is produced, as a form of self-examination, through migrant undertakers' recollections and reflections. In the third dimension, care is the result of socio-economic policies, related to the prospect of the emergence and development of ethnic entrepreneurship.

Immigration background as a risk factor of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in children and adolescents living in Spain: differences as a function of age.

The number of people immigrating from one country to another is increasing worldwide. Research has shown that immigration background is associated with chronic pain (CP) and pain disability in adults. However, research in this issue in children and adolescents has yielded inconsistent results. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the association between immigration background, CP, high-impact chronic pain (HICP) in a community sample of children and adolescents; and (2) the extent these associations differed as a function of sex and age. Participants of this cross-sectional study were 1115 school children and adolescents (mean age = 11.67; 56% girls). Participants were asked to provide sociodemographic information and respond to a survey including measures of pain (location, extension, frequency, intensity, and interference). Results showed that having an immigration background was associated with a greater prevalence of CP (OR = 1.91, p <.001) and HICP (OR = 2.55, p <. 01). Furthermore, the association between immigration background and CP was higher in children (OR = 6.92, p <.001) and younger adolescents (OR = 1.66, p <.05) than in older adolescents. Children and adolescents with an immigration background are at higher risk for having CP -especially younger children- and HICP. More resources should be allocated in the prevention of CP and HICP in children and adolescents with an immigration background.

Trends in cervical cancer screening in Norway 2012-2017: a comparison study of non-immigrant and immigrant women.

Immigrant women in Norway have lower cervical cancer screening participation than non-immigrant women. Our aim in this study was to assess whether the observed increase in screening participation during 2012-2017 was different between Norwegian-born women and immigrant women. Data were collected from three national registries. The study included 1,409,561 women, categorized according to country of birth and immigrant background: (i) Norway, Norwegian parents; (ii) Norway, immigrant parent(s); (iii) Europe, excluding Norway; (iv) Africa; (v) Asia, including Turkey; and (vi) other countries. Trends and differences between groups were analyzed using Poisson regression analyses with adjustments for variables other studies have found to influence screening participation. Trends were assessed by including half-years as a continuous variable in the models and reported as prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Screening participation increased in all groups, but was not statistically significant among women from Africa in the adjusted model. The highest increase was among Norwegian women, with a 2.2% increase per year. Interaction tests showed significantly smaller increases in screening among women born in Europe (p interaction < 0.0001), Africa (p interaction < 0.0001), Asia (p interaction < 0.0001), and countries in the "Other" category (p interaction = 0.004). There was also a smaller increase among Norwegian-born women with one or more immigrant parent(s), but this was not significant (p interaction = 0.178). The gap in screening participation and the increasing differences in trends suggest that healthcare services do not reach all women in Norway to the same extent. One should attempt to improve this while working toward further increasing screening participation for all.

Educational Disparities in Primary School Students in Austria

Abstract: In this study, we analyze data from the Austrian assessments of educational standards in German and Mathematics, applying an intersectional perspective. We simultaneously consider the effects of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and immigrant background on fourth-graders’ competencies in both subjects. Besides the expected main effects – girls perform better in German, boys better in mathematics, lower SES and immigrant background predict lower performance in both subjects – we found the following interaction effects: Second-generation immigrant students showed better achievement in German than their peers who had migrated to Austria later in life, except when their country of origin was Turkey. In students without an immigrant background, SES was more strongly related to achievement in mathematics in boys, while among students originating from former Yugoslavia, SES was more strongly related to achievement in German in girls. The study demonstrates that intersectional perspectives in quantitative educational research can help to identify groups with increased support needs.

How Do Perceived Instructors’ Mindset Beliefs Influence STEM Students’ Belonging Uncertainty and Dropout Intentions?

Abstract: We examined how undergraduate STEM students’ ( N = 389) perceptions of their instructors’ beliefs that intelligence is malleable ( growth mindsets) or unchangeable ( fixed mindsets) influence their uncertainty about belonging and, in turn, their dropout intentions. Taking an intersectional research perspective, we focused on students’ gender and immigrant background to better understand the distinct and combined impact of these social categories on students’ academic experiences. Our results show that male students who perceived their instructors to hold more fixed mindsets reported fewer dropout intentions. In contrast, female students’ dropout intentions were unaffected by their perceived instructors’ mindset beliefs. Belonging uncertainty predicted students’ dropout intentions regardless of their gender and immigrant background, but did not serve as a mediator in the relationship between perceived instructors’ mindset beliefs and dropout intentions. Overall, our findings suggest the predominance of students’ gender in the examined context rather than definitive evidence of intersectional effects with their immigrant background.

Transitions from Long-Term Unemployment to Employment

As labour market research has shown, social networks heavily impact the likelihood of gaining employment. In Germany, factors such as low qualifications, illness, age over 50, immigrant background, language deficits, and care obligations, particularly when combined, hinder job transitions and induce long-term unemployment. Nevertheless, some long-term unemployed individuals can secure jobs and forgo social benefits, seemingly against all odds. To investigate the transition-to-work process and its relationship with information, network compositions, and individual agency, we conducted a qualitative survey supplemented by problem-centred biographical interviews, employing software-based network tools. The results revealed that adopting a process-oriented approach was crucial for understanding the utilization of networks to address long-term unemployment. To encourage future network approaches in investigating labour market transitions, three key aspects appear valuable. First, the development of individual agency within stable living conditions, the contribution of alteri within the network, and information transfer for labour market orientation, including factors contributing to translating information, motivation, and orientation into employment activities. This three-step analysis moves beyond traditional approaches examining factors such as network density and the frequency of interactions or simply distinguishing strong from weak ties, by emphasising relational diachronic perspectives and respecting individual life course trajectories.

The Role of Social Categories and the Social Climate for the Development of Well-Being in Elementary School Students

Abstract: School well-being is shaped by person- and context-specific factors and is a target criterion of educational processes. However, only little is known about the development of students’ school well-being during elementary school, including the role of (intersecting) social categories and the social context. The present study examines changes in elementary students’ school well-being (liking to go to school), the link to students’ gender and immigrant background, their intersection, and the perceived class climate. The sample included data from 2,395 third- and fourth-graders (48 % girls; MAgeT1 = 9.31 years, SDAgeT1 = 0.47) from a German longitudinal study. Linear growth curve models demonstrated a significant decline in school well-being over time. Boys without an immigrant background reported particularly low school well-being; class climate was positively related to students’ well-being. The study contributes to a better understanding of the intersectionality of various social categories and contextual influences related to developmental changes in elementary students’ school well-being.

Explaining the lacking effectiveness of labor market integration programs for workers with immigrant backgrounds: The role of cognitive shortcuts in recruitment

Explaining the lacking effectiveness of labor market integration programs for workers with immigrant backgrounds: The role of cognitive shortcuts in recruitment

A short-term longitudinal study on the development of moral disengagement among schoolchildren: the role of collective moral disengagement, authoritative teaching, and student-teacher relationship quality.

The aim of this study was to examine whether collective moral disengagement and authoritative teaching at the classroom level, and student-teacher relationship quality at the individual level, predicted individual moral disengagement among pre-adolescent students 1 year later. In this short-term longitudinal study, 1,373 students from 108 classrooms answered a web-based questionnaire on tablets during school, once in fifth grade (T1) and once in sixth grade (T2). The results showed, after controlling for T1 moral disengagement, gender, and immigrant background, that students with better student-teacher relationship quality at T1 were more inclined to score lower on moral disengagement at T2, whereas students in classrooms with higher levels of collective moral disengagement at T1 were more inclined to score higher on moral disengagement at T2. In addition, both collective moral disengagement and authoritative teaching were found to moderate the associations between student-teacher relationship quality at T1 and moral disengagement at T2. These findings underscore the importance of fostering positive relationships between students and teachers, as well as minimizing collective moral disengagement in classrooms. These measures may prevent the potential escalation of moral disengagement in a negative direction.

Intersectional Discrimination in the Transition to Vocational Education and Training

Abstract: Racial background and gender are considered relevant social categories in research on transitions to vocational education and training (VET). Given the contradictory empirical results and opposing theoretical expectations regarding their interaction, this study deals with perceived racial discrimination and investigates (1) differences between groups of origin, (2) gender differences in racial discrimination, and (3) gender differences in racial discrimination in various ethnic origin groups. Logistic regression models and marginal effects were calculated using data from the National Educational Panel Study’s (NEPS) Starting Cohort 4 ( N = 1,421). The results show that adolescents with Turkish immigrant backgrounds perceive more personal discrimination in the search for an apprenticeship than those of Polish, ex-Yugoslav, and ex-Soviet origin. Interaction analyses show that individuals’ experiences of discrimination may vary based on gender, with women being the disadvantaged group. The article discusses the suitability of the selected quantitative approach for intersectional inquiries compared to other possible study designs for intersectional research.

Risk factors for fraud victimization: The role of socio-demographics, personality, mental, general, and cognitive health, activities, and fraud knowledge

Fraud against individuals is a major and growing problem. Understanding why some people fall victim to fraud, while others do not, is crucial in developing effective prevention strategies. We therefore studied the effect of socio-demographics, personality traits, mental, general, and cognitive health, routine Internet activities, and prior fraud knowledge on general fraud victimization, susceptibility to fraud attempts, and exposure to fraud attempts. We modeled data from a Dutch fraud victimization survey, using an exhaustive fraud taxonomy and a representative sample for which an elaborate set of historical background variables were available. Results show that there is no clear personality or other profile of those most at risk for fraud, except for having low self-control, having a non-Western, immigrant background or being a frequent Internet user. Improving fraud knowledge could be an effective way to prevent fraud victimization by reducing susceptibility to attempts.

Analysis of Korean Cultural Elements in Modern English Children’s Literature for Overseas Korean Learners of Korean Immigrant Background

Analysis of Korean Cultural Elements in Modern English Children’s Literature for Overseas Korean Learners of Korean Immigrant Background

The effects of a free universal after-school program on child academic outcomes

After-school programs provide structured care throughout the academic year. In Norway, after-school programs are an integrated part of school, used to extend the school day to a full working day. Participation is voluntary and is subject to fees paid by parents. In 2016/17, the municipality of Oslo gradually introduced and expanded an offer of free part-time participation in its after-school program, starting with city districts with a high share of children with an immigrant background who were underrepresented in the program at the time. We utilize the staggered rollout of this policy to investigate the effects on enrollment and learning outcomes and conduct an exploratory analysis of student welfare and maternal labor supply. We find that the take-up was substantial, raising enrollment rates from about 70 to 95% in the first wave of affected schools. Despite this, our difference-in-differences estimates show no overall effect of the program on academic performance, neither on average nor across subgroups. There is also little evidence that the program enhanced student well-being or decreased bullying. Heterogeneity analysis does, however, suggest that the program increased earnings for mothers with an immigrant background by about 10 percent.

Remote enculturation among Black immigrant adolescents in the United States

Remote enculturation (RE), the process of engaging with one's heritage culture through indirect and/or intermittent exposure, could strengthen heritage culture identity and promote adaptation among immigrant-origin youth. This study used mixed methods to describe RE activities and their associations with positive adaptation among Black adolescents with Somali American and Jamaican American heritage (n = 89; ages 11–18). Common RE activities included preparing heritage culture foods (98%) and participating in traditions (92%). Accounting for covariates, more frequent RE was associated with higher heritage culture identity, school grades, parent-child engagement, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Content analysis of open-ended responses describing RE's personal impact revealed themes of connection to family and place, cultural identity (dis)connection, learning the heritage culture, and emotions. Overall, adolescents from two different cultural and immigration backgrounds frequently practiced RE activities and perceived them to be personally impactful, highlighting potential applications of RE to support resilience.

EXPERIENCES AND SUPPORTIVE CARE NEEDS OF LATINX MILLENNIAL CAREGIVERS

Abstract Latinx millennial caregivers are the largest ethnic minority subgroup within the millennial caregiving cohort. Due to age and life stage, members of this understudied group must often manage the competing priorities of career, family, and caregiving. Layered with these challenges are the experiences of being part of a minority group in the United States, with systemic barriers impacting access to healthcare, insurance, a safe built environment, and educational opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences and needs of Latinx millennial caregivers. Participants were recruited locally and nationally using recruitment flyers and social media advertising. Data were collected from 29 participants using five focus group interviews and one individual interview. Data analysis using interpretive thematic analysis and inductive coding occurred. Twenty female and nine male Latinx millennial caregivers participated in the focus groups. Two meta-themes threaded throughout the analysis included the Latinx experience (immigrant background, Latinx culture, and navigating barriers as a minoritized individual) and being a super-caregiver. Main themes were identified: family well-being, occupational and financial well-being, social support dynamics, challenges and rewards of family caregiving, and coping strategies. Family and community were emphasized in all main themes. In this study, the importance of family and community relationships motivated caregiving and were areas where support was needed for Latinx millennial caregivers. Interventions and clinical support for these caregivers is needed that addresses their cultural background, the value of family and community, and the barriers they experience to accessing care and support.

HETEROGENOUS EFFECTS OF MEDICARE BENEFIT FOR ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONVERSATION BY SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

Abstract Background Although Medicare makes the option of physician-patient advance care planning (ACP) discussion available to everyone starting in 2016, older adults from disadvantaged backgrounds may be less likely to benefit from the policy. Motivated by Fundamental Cause Theory, this study examines the heterogenous policy effect, as a natural experiment, on older adults’ ACP uptake. Methods Data were from Health and Retirement Study 2012-2020 with 15,647 individuals. I used two quasi-experimental models – interrupted time series (ITS) analysis and difference-in-difference (DID) – to study ACP outcomes before and after the policy implementation between older adults who were Medicare-eligible and those who weren’t. I studied the heterogenous effects in stratified samples by race/ethnicity, immigration background, and socioeconomic status. I used coarsened exact matching to address the potential bias that the comparison group is not the ideal counterfactual control unit. Results DID reveals that, in the total population, Medicare expansion was associated with a significant increase (0.05 percentage point) in the proportion of older adults who completed advance directives, but not for having informal conversations. Furthermore, I find no evidence that the Medicare expansion was effective in improving the rates of ACP among Black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American, or non-US-born older adults. Lastly, based on ITS results, the policy only has significant immediate policy effects (level change) on ACP uptake, but not for sustained effects (slope change). Discussions: The current policy reproduced the disparities in ACP. I discuss health policy recommendations to improve the ACP rate among older adults with disadvantaged backgrounds.

Vitamin D concentrations were often insufficient among native Norwegian adolescents and children with a non-Western immigrant background.

The aim of this study was to review papers that assessed the vitamin D intake of children living in Norway, as research has suggested that it has remained below the recommended daily allowance of 10 μg/day. This mini review examined the vitamin D status of Norwegian children aged 0-18 years by systematically searching the PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases from 1 January 2009 to 1 July 2020. The review comprised six studies published in English between 2009 and 2020 on native-born and non-Western immigrant children. Most studies defined satisfactory vitamin D status as a plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration of 50 nmol/L, with 25-50 nmol/L being classified as insufficient and below 25 nmol/L being classified as deficient. A study of healthy children found that 21% had insufficient levels and a further 1% were deficient, but this second finding was only among adolescents. Other studies showed that 47% of Norwegian children with a non-Western immigrant background were deficient, and so were 19% of overweight children, mainly adolescents. Vitamin D concentrations were often insufficient among children living in Norway, particularly adolescents and those with a non-Western immigrant background. Higher recommended supplements may be needed.

Tanning bed use in Germany between 2015 and 2022: Representative data of 28,000 individuals on indoor tanning, risk awareness and reasons for use.

Tanning beds were classified as first-group carcinogens in 2009. Nonetheless, research shows that people in industrialized Western countries use tanning beds. Based on the National Cancer Aid Monitoring (NCAM) including representative data on 28,000 individuals from Germany, we quantified the prevalence as a trend from 2015 to 2022, identified determinants of tanning bed use and analysed risk awareness and reasons for use. We used NCAM data from 2015 to 2022 to analyse the trends in the prevalence of tanning bed use (n = 28,000). To determine the characteristics of tanning bed users, risk awareness and reasons, we combined data from the waves 2019 to 2022 (n = 16,000, 49.2% female, 16-65 years) in a pooled dataset to have sufficient power to detect even smaller associations. Tanning bed use decreased to 5.1% in 2022. The use of tanning beds in spas, fitness and beauty facilities increased, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the use in tanning salons decreased. Typical tanning bed users were female, middle-aged, occupied, higher educated, had an immigrant background and were former or current smokers. Risk awareness was the lowest among the current users. The most frequently mentioned reasons were relaxation, enhancement of attractiveness and pre-tanning. Our nationwide representative data showed that the prevalence of indoor tanning has decreased. Of concern are the lower risk awareness among current users and the shift in place of use towards facilities associated with health and wellness. To further reduce the use of tanning beds, targeted information, educational campaigns and extended legislation are considered helpful.