Latino Parents Research Articles

International migration, work, and cultural values: A mixed‐method exploration among Latino adolescents in U.S. agriculture

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this research is to understand the factors contributing to Latino adolescents' migration and entrance into U.S. agriculture.BackgroundAdolescent Latino migrants pursuit of work in the United States could be considered a family strategy to generate income. However, little is known regarding the degree to which the decision to migrate for work depends on family financial need.MethodIn Study 1, a transcendental‐phenomenological approach explored views on migration and work choice among 20 (Mage = 17.75 years) adolescent Guatemalan and Mexican migrants in the southeastern United States. Based on Study 1 findings and in a separate sample (N = 36; Mage = 17.81 years), Study 2 examined migration decisions, farmwork, and their associations with cultural values, frequency of remittances, and family's financial dependency.ResultsStudy 1 highlighted four major themes: “It was the best thing I could do,” “It was my decision,” “Farmwork just made sense,” and “This is just temporary.” Study 2 showed significant relationships between the decision to migrate to the United States and the decision to work in U.S. agriculture with Latino and U.S. mainstream values.ConclusionAdolescent Guatemalan and Mexican migrant farmworkers endorsed a bicultural orientation wherein temporary U.S. agricultural work contributed to family well‐being and getting ahead in life.ImplicationsAdolescents' international migration for work is a complex reality wherein family and individual cultural values come together for family survival and prosperity. Future research should consider family interdependence among Latino parents and adolescents.

Developing an audio-based communication tool for NICU discharge of Latino families with limited English proficiency

ObjectiveResearch shows NICU Latino parents with limited English proficiency (LEP) feel less comfortable asking questions and participating in medical decision-making, which may negatively affect transition to community healthcare. Question prompt lists (QPL), suggested questions sometimes drawn from families and providers, can improve family-centered communication. We explored clinician and parent perceptions to inform development of and pilot a NICU discharge QPL. MethodsFocus groups with NICU and primary care providers explored perceived educational needs of Latino parents LEP and barriers to effective transition to community healthcare. Semi-structured interviews with Latino parents LEP explored perceptions of knowledge gaps and recommendations to improve the transition process. A Spanish audio QPL for parents and an English written version for providers were developed and pilot tested for acceptability. ResultsProvider focus groups (n = 27) and parent interviews (n = 19) identified themes: decreased parent activation, knowledge gaps, limited-use interpreters, unfamiliarity with healthcare system, and social isolation as barriers to smooth NICU-to-home transition. Providers (n = 11) and parents (n = 10) favored QPL introduction early in NICU admission, finding it useful to improve communication and transition processes for families. ConclusionOur QPL may address challenges faced by Latino parents LEP when transitioning home. Practice implicationsQPLs may improve Latino NICU infants’ healthcare outcomes.

Parental Race/Ethnicity and Children's Summer Activities: A Critical Race Approach.

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (N = 3,748), we examine how children's summer activities vary across White, Black, Latino, and Asian American families, net of socioeconomic and other characteristics. Overall, a majority of children play outside and use screen media daily, do learning activities three days or more per week, and take family trips. Attending summer school or camps is less common. As predicted from critical race perspectives, Black parents have children spend more time attending camps than other parents. Compared with White parents, Black and Asian parents have their children engaged in academic activities more and play outside less; Latino parents do learning activities with their children less, but are more likely to have them tutored. All the three non-White groups allow children to spend more time using screen media. More quantitative research using critical race perspectives in conceptualizing racial/ethnic differences in parenting is warranted.

Enhancing Question-Asking during Shared Reading in Immigrant Latino Families

ABSTRACT Asking questions about a text enhances comprehension whether the questions are self-generated by the reader or asked by another. Previous parent training studies have focused on Latino parents with low-income and low-levels of formal education and have noted that during shared reading, immigrant Latino parents ask few questions. In contrast, we examine shared reading for Latino immigrant parents who are relatively highly educated, specifically in relation to their question-asking behavior with their older children. The parents in our study spoke Spanish at home and their 3rd and 4th graders had at least 2 years of formal schooling in English. We conducted two studies. In Study 1, without training, no parent asked any conceptual questions. Study 2 showed an increase in question-asking after parents were given a 45-minute training. For the most part, this increase was maintained at the 5-week delayed follow-up (in the second study) with numerically large positive effects. These findings help us understand question-asking practices among immigrant families with school-age children.

Using a Community-Based Participatory Mixed Methods Research Approach to Develop, Evaluate, and Refine a Nutrition Intervention to Replace Sugary Drinks with Filtered Tap Water among Predominantly Central-American Immigrant Families with Infants and Toddlers: The Water Up @Home Pilot Evaluation Study.

Descriptions of the implementation of community-based participatory mixed-methods research (CBPMMR) in all phases of the engagement approach are limited. This manuscript describes the explicit integration of mixed-methods in four stages of CBPR: (1) connecting and diagnosing, (2) prescribing-implementing, (3) evaluating, and (4) disseminating and refining an intervention that aimed to motivate Latino parents (predominantly Central American in the US) of infants and toddlers to replace sugary drinks with filtered tap water. CBPMMR allowed for co-learning that led to the identification of preliminary behavioral outcomes, insights into potential mechanisms of behavior change, and revisions to the intervention design, implementation and evaluation.

La Transición: parent perspectives on transition for Latino youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities

The transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its complexity, however, may be magnified for families who have immigrated to the United States. This study examined the transition expectations and experiences of six first‐generation, Latino parents and their transition‐aged (14–22) children with intellectual disability, autism, and/or multiple disabilities. Through individual interviews held in Spanish or English, parents offered insights into (1) their visions of success for their child, (2) the distinct barriers they face as immigrant families, and (3) their suggestions for schools and adult agencies related to supporting strong transitions. Their portraits of desired outcomes were quite individualized and reflected high expectations. Factors identified as inhibiting successful transitions included persistent language barriers, the views of certain professionals and community members, and exclusion from typical school experiences. Parents encouraged schools to support family advocacy, foster greater student independence, expand adult programming, and reduce segregated educational placements. We present implications for educators on working with Latino families, as well as offer recommendations for future research.

Parental Child-Invested Contingent Self-Esteem as a Source of Acculturation-Related Parent–Child Conflicts Among Latino Families

Most parents want their children to succeed well. For some parents, however, children’s successes are strongly related to beliefs about their own self-worth; a concept known as parental child-invested contingent self-esteem, which has shown links to negative parenting practices (e.g., psychological control). Less is known about associations with aspects of the parent–child relationship that are particularly relevant among families with immigrant backgrounds. We examine the associations with acculturation-related conflicts in a sample of 180 Latino parents of children in 6th to 12th grade. Results showed that higher levels of parental child-invested contingent self-esteem was significantly linked to higher levels of acculturation conflicts, but this link was especially strong if the parent reported that their child was unresponsive to their corrections. When parents base their self-worth on their child’s successes and the child acts in ways that are not in line with parents’ expectations, parents report more acculturation-related conflicts.

Self-Care Needs and Technology Preferences Among Parents in Marginalized Communities: Participatory Design Study.

BackgroundTen million parents provide unpaid care to children living with chronic conditions, such as asthma, and a high percentage of these parents are in marginalized communities, including racial and ethnic minority and low-income families. There is an urgent need to develop technology-enabled tailored solutions to support the self-care needs of these parents.ObjectiveThis study aimed to use a participatory design approach to describe and compare Latino and non-Latino parents’ current self-care practices, needs, and technology preferences when caring for children with asthma in marginalized communities.MethodsThe participatory design approach was used to actively engage intended users in the design process and empower them to identify needs and generate design ideas to meet those needs.ResultsThirteen stakeholders participated in three design sessions. We described Latino and non-Latino parents’ similarities in self-care practices and cultural-specific preferences. When coming up with ideas of technologies for self-care, non-Latino parents focused on improving caregiving stress through journaling, daily affirmations, and tracking feelings, while Latino parents focused more on relaxation and entertainment.ConclusionsConsiderations need to be taken beyond language differences when developing technology-enabled interventions for diverse populations. The community partnership approach strengthened the study’s inclusive design.

Exploring Attitudes Towards Science of Latino Parents with Family Science Events

ABSTRACT Although efforts have been made in the United States to increase diversity within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, the Latino population is still largely underrepresented. This novel study focused on Latino underrepresentation by exploring Latino parents’ attitudes toward science. We organized 15 family science events in which parents completed a pre- and post-event attitude toward science survey to find out their attitudes toward science. Fourteen Latino parents participated in the study. Latino parents’ pre- and post-event attitude differences were statistically significant with a p-value of (p= .009). This study may inform organizations on strategies for changing Latino parents’ attitudes toward science.

Understanding the Factors Associated with Overprotective Parenting Behaviors in Latino Parents

ObjectiveThe current investigation examined whether parental psychopathology and psychosocial stress are related to overprotective parenting behaviors in a sample of Latino parents.BackgroundScant literature exists on the relationship among psychosocial stress, parental psychopathology, and parental behaviors in Latino populations. Further, the literature has focused on parental behaviors as predictors and not as outcomes.MethodSixty‐four Latino parents participated in this study. Parents completed measures of psychosocial stress, psychopathology, and overprotective parenting behaviors. Regression analyses examined predictors of overprotective parenting behaviors consisting of control, supervision, and separation problems.ResultsFindings showed that psychosocial stress predicted overprotective parenting behaviors. However, parental psychopathology had no effect on parental behaviors. Further analysis of psychosocial stress subscales indicated that immigration stress was associated with parental control and parental separation problems. With regard to subscales of parental psychopathology, parental hostility and parental depression were related to parental control.ConclusionLatino parents' use of controlling parenting behaviors seem to be associated with the level of stress they experience—in particular, immigration‐related stress.ImplicationsThese findings suggest the need for interventions that not only focus on teaching appropriate parenting techniques but that also address psychosocial stressors experienced by Latino parents to diminish the effect that immigration related stress has on their parenting practices.

8-OR: Depression and Diabetes Distress in African American and Latino Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

Introduction: Parents of young children experience high levels of depression and diabetes distress immediately post-diagnosis. However, there is a limited understanding of these factors later in the disease course, especially among parents from racial/ethnic minority groups who face management difficulties and persistent T1D health disparities (i.e., higher HA1c). This study described parental depressive symptoms, diabetes distress and adherence among African American and Latino parents of children with T1D duration > 1 year. Methods: African American (n = 39) and Latino (n = 26) parents of children age 5-10 years (M 9.0 ± 1.7 yrs; M HA1c = 9.0 ± 1.9; M T1D duration = 3.7±2.2 yrs) were enrolled in a behavioral intervention trial. At baseline they reported on demographics, treatment adherence (Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire, DSMQ), diabetes distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes Revised for parents, PAID-PR), and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression, CES-D). HA1c was extracted from the medical record. Results: Over one-quarter (27%) of African American (M CES-D = 13.6 ± 9.5) and 42% of Latino (M CES-D = 14.1 ± 8.8) parents reported moderate/severe depressive symptoms. Nearly half (49%) of African American (M PAID-PR = 56.7 ± 19.7) and 38% of Latino (M PAID-PR = 50.2 ± 17.8) parents reported diabetes distress above a clinical cutoff. Both African American and Latino parents reported high levels of adherence (M DSMQ = 25.9 ± 4.7 and 26.7 ± 4.3, respectively, out of 35). Conclusions: Substantial proportions of African American and Latino parents of school-aged children who have been managing T1D for at least 1 year experience serious mood concerns, both diabetes-specific and general. High levels of T1D adherence indicate resilience in the face of such challenges. Supporting parental psychosocial functioning should be a high priority for diabetes care providers, especially among minority families who may be experiencing elevated challenges. Disclosure S. A. Carreon: None. J. N. Jones: None. A. Reyes garcia: None. K. S. Peters: None. K. K. Christopher: None. M. E. Hilliard: None. A. Butler: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (1DP3DK113236)

Perceived community disability stigma in multicultural, low-income populations: Measure development and validation

BackgroundStigma and knowledge about disabilities differ across groups, impacting care. No validated measures of perceived community disability stigma exist for families in multicultural communities, at risk for disparities. AimsDevelop and validate a brief bilingual (i.e., English/Spanish) perceived disability stigma measure, compare perceived disability and autism stigma, and examine perceived disability stigma by parent sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity. Methods and proceduresSecondary data from 522 parents with children ages 2–5 years were recruited from Oregon WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program agencies for a child development and disability survey in 2015. The study sample included items regarding disability familiarity and stigma, among the survey population, which was 50 % Latino. Internal consistency, reliability and structural validity were examined. Secondary data on perceived disability and similar autism stigma items were compared. Nested multivariable linear regression assessed associations of perceived disability stigma with sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity. Outcomes and resultsFive perceived disability stigma items had reasonable internal consistency and performed well in the confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived autism stigma was greater than perceived disability stigma. Latino parents reported less perceived disability stigma than white parents. Parents who knew 1+ individual(s) with a disability reported greater perceived disability stigma. Conclusions and implicationsThe perceived disability stigma scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties. Results suggest differences in how stigma is perceived across sociodemographic characteristics and disability familiarity.

Latino church-going parents' insights on childhood obesity prevention.

Childhood obesity continues to be a priority health concern in the United States. Faith communities present a viable venue for health promotion programming. The majority of obesity prevention programming focuses on African American populations. Subsequently, insights for obesity prevention programming in Latino faith communities are lacking. This qualitative study aimed to gain insight into Latino church-going parents' perspectives on childhood obesity and faith-based obesity prevention strategies. Participants were Latino church-going parents with children ages 10-18, recruited from predominantly Latino churches in south Texas, United States. Focus groups were conducted with a total of 56 Latino participants from nine churches. Discussions were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was performed and assisted by NVivo. Participants were aware of the obesity facing their congregations. Parents' affirmation of the physical body being God's Temple supported the development of obesity prevention programs in faith community settings. Participants suggested integration of spiritual and physical health promotion through health sermons, Bible study, Sunday school, nutrition classes and physical activities for both children and adults. In brief, Latino church-going parents were concerned about childhood obesity and perceived the need for developing obesity prevention programs integrating both faith and health promotion.

Exploring the Experiences of Families of Latino Children Newly Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Understanding families' experiences from their initial developmental concerns through the first several months after autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis might help explain persistent disparities in age of diagnosis for low-income Latino children and those whose parents speak a primary language other than English. We explored these experiences among Latino parents of children recently diagnosed with ASD to develop a richer understanding of this critical juncture. We conducted semistructured interviews with Latino parents of children diagnosed with ASD in the previous 3 months who were receiving follow-up care through a large, hospital-based outpatient practice. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated, and analyzed using an iterative process. Twenty parents participated in a semistructured interview approximately 3 months after their child was diagnosed with ASD. All respondents were female and Latina, 90% spoke Spanish, and 95% of children received Medicaid. We identified the following 3 themes from their experiences: (1) When parents first shared their concerns about their child's development with professionals, they felt unheard. (2) Parents were surprised that the diagnostic process for ASD relied on parental description of child development and behavior and observation of the child, not on medical tests. (3) Receiving an ASD diagnosis was a life-altering event for parents, and how that diagnosis was communicated by clinicians had a significant impact on families. Parents of young Latino children identified several barriers throughout the process of ASD identification and diagnosis that have important implications for improving clinician communication with families.

Designing warnings for sugary drinks: A randomized experiment with Latino parents and non-Latino parents

Sugary drink warnings are a promising policy for reducing sugary drink consumption, but it remains unknown how to design warnings to maximize their impact overall and among diverse population groups, including parents of Latino ethnicity and parents with low English use. In 2019, we randomized US parents of children ages 2–12 (n = 1078, 48% Latino ethnicity, 13% low English use) to one topic (one of four warnings, or a neutral control), which they viewed on three designs (text-only, icon, and graphic) to assess reactions to the various warnings on sugary drinks. All warning topics were perceived as more effective than the control (average differential effect [ADE] ranged from 1.77 to 1.84 [5-point Likert scale], all p < .001). All warning topics also led to greater thinking about harms of sugary drinks (all p < .001) and lower purchase intentions (all p < .01). Compared to text-only warnings, icon (ADE = 0.18) and graphic warnings (ADE = 0.30) elicited higher perceived message effectiveness, as well as greater thinking about the harms of sugary drinks, lower perceived healthfulness, and lower purchase intentions (all p < .001). The impact of icon warnings (vs. text warnings) was stronger for parents with low English use, compared to those with high English use (p = .024). Similarly, the impact of icon (vs. text warnings) was stronger for Latino parents than non-Latino parents (p = .034). This experimental study indicates that many warning topics hold promise for behavior change and that including images with warnings could increase warning efficacy, particularly among Latino parents and parents with low English use.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04382599.

Awareness of and reactions to the health harms of sugary drinks: An online study of U.S. parents

Evidence about the health problems associated with sugary drink consumption is well-established. However, little is known about which sugary drink health harms are most effective at changing consumers’ behavior. We aimed to identify which harms people were aware of and most discouraged them from wanting to buy sugary drinks. Participants were a national convenience sample of diverse parents (n = 1,058), oversampled for Latino parents (48%). Participants rated a list of sugary drink-related health harms occurring in children (7 harms) and in adults (15 harms). Outcomes were awareness of each harm and how much each harm discouraged parents from wanting to purchase sugary drinks. Most participants were aware that sugary drinks contribute to tooth decay in children (75%) and weight gain in both children (73%) and adults (69%). Few participants were aware that sugary drinks contribute to adult infertility (16%), arthritis (18%), and gout (18%). All health harms were rated highly in terms of discouraging parents from wanting to buy sugary drinks (range: 3.59–4.11 on a 1–5 scale), with obesity, pre-diabetes, and tooth decay eliciting the highest discouragement ratings. Harm-induced discouragement was higher for participants who were aware of more health harms (B = 0.05, p < 0.0001), identified as female (B = 0.15 compared to male, p = 0.02), or had an annual household income of $50,000 or more (B = 0.16 compared to less than $50,000, p = 0.03). These findings suggest health messages focused on a variety of health harms could raise awareness and discourage sugary drink purchases.

Association of Acculturation and Latino Parents' Oral Health Beliefs and Knowledge.

The purpose of our study was to explore the association of acculturation and Latino parent behavioral and psychosocial characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 197 parent-children triads. Participating parents completed survey questions encompassing oral health knowledge, behaviors and beliefs from a validated oral health instrument. The mean score for acculturation in this sample was 3.8, where acculturation was dichotomized to a categorical variable. The bivariate associations between the independent variables (caregiver psychosocial factors and socio-economic factors (SES) factors) and acculturation (more/less acculturated) were conducted using logistic regression analysis, and for the final model a multivariate logistic regression model was used. In the bivariate analyses, less acculturated parents reported lower oral health knowledge (p = 0.02), higher social support (p = 0.028) and chronic stress (p = 0.015) and lower perceived susceptibility to dental caries in their children (p = 0.039). The bivariate analysis demonstrated that less acculturated parents had less education and employment (p < 0.0001) than more acculturated parents. The multivariate logistic model demonstrated that social support (p = 0.028), chronic stress (p = 0.015) and health beliefs as barriers to access dental care (p = 0.039) were higher in less acculturated parents compared to more acculturated parents. Less acculturated parents demonstrated lower oral health knowledge, higher stress and more barriers to accessing oral health care for their children. Oral health interventions for Latino families should incorporate strategies that include consideration of parental oral health beliefs.

Examining Sources of Social Norms Supporting Child Corporal Punishment Among Low-Income Black, Latino, and White Parents

ABSTRACT Child corporal punishment is a prevalent public health problem in the US. Although corporal punishment is sustained through parents’ perceptions of social norms supporting this discipline behavior, little research has investigated where these normative perceptions come from. To fill this gap, we conducted 13 focus groups including 75 low-income Black, Latino, and White parents across five states in the US. Results revealed that one influential source of Black and White parents’ perceived norms was their positive framing of corporal punishment experiences during childhood. Furthermore, Black parents formed normative perceptions based on identification with parents in their racial/ethnic group, while White parents did so with parents sharing the same generation. Results are interpreted in light of the false consensus effect and self-categorization theory. In contrast, Latino parents viewed their childhood experience of corporal punishment as negative and distanced their parenting practices from those practiced in their countries of origin, suggesting an influence of acculturation. Their perceived norms were likely transmitted through interpersonal communication within their social networks. These findings shed light on how social norms are formed and in turn guide parents’ use of corporal punishment as a tool to discipline children.

What the COVID-19 Pandemic Reveals about Racial Differences in Child Welfare and Child Well-Being: An Introduction to the Special Issue

This paper introduces the special issue on race, child welfare, and child well-being. In doing so, I summarize the evidence of racial/ethnic disparities in child well-being after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings demonstrate that, compared to white children, black and Latino children are more likely to have experienced poverty and food insufficiency, to have had parents lose their jobs, and to be exposed to distance learning and school closures during the pandemic. I argue that though COVID-19 has indeed worsened racial/ethnic disparities in child well-being, it has also served to place a spotlight on the American welfare state’s historical mistreatment of low-income families and black and Latino families in particular. Consider that around three-fourths of black and Latino children facing food insufficiency during the pandemic also experienced food insufficiency prior to the onset of the pandemic. Moving forward, analyses of racial/ethnic disparities in child well-being during the pandemic, I argue, must not only consider the economic shock and high unemployment rates of 2020, but the failure of the American welfare state to adequately support jobless parents, and black and Latino parents in particular, long before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

Toddler milk perceptions and purchases: the role of Latino ethnicity.

Toddler milk (i.e. a nutrient-fortified milk-based drink marketed for children 12-36 months old) is increasingly being marketed in the USA despite not being recommended for young children. There is evidence of targeted toddler milk marketing to Latinos in the USA. This study aimed to explore toddler milk perceptions and behaviours among Latino and non-Latino parents. An online survey assessed toddler milk perceptions, behaviours and interpretations of nutrition-related claims. Multivariable logistic and linear regression explored socio-demographic correlates of parent reported past purchases and perceived healthfulness. Online. National convenience sample of 1078 US parents of children aged 2-12 years (48 % Latino). About half of parents (51 %) had previously purchased toddler milk and few (11 %) perceived toddler milk as unhealthy. Latino parents were more likely to have purchased toddler milk than non-Latino parents (P < 0·001), but there were no differences in perceived product healthfulness (P = 0·47). Compared to parents born in the USA, parents living in the USA 10 years or less were more likely to have purchased toddler milk (P < 0·001) and perceive toddler milk as healthier (P = 0·002). Open-ended interpretations of claims were primarily positive, suggesting 'health halo' effects. Common misperceptions about toddler milk healthfulness suggest stronger labelling regulations are needed. Greater reported purchases by Latino parents and recent immigrants warrant further investigation.