Latinx Mothers Research Articles

Más que palabras: Understanding the mental health and behavioral consequences of sociodemographic risk and deportation fears in Latinx families.

Exponential increases in deportation and negative public discourse have resulted in heightened fears of profiling and deportation among Latinx immigrant families in the United States. Deportation fears could compound the inequalities Latinx families face, worsening mental and behavioral health. To better understand the mental health consequences of the climate of deportation concerns among low-income Latinx mothers in the United States, we conducted a linguistic analysis of interviews of Latinx mothers' parenting experiences, examining their use of words related to deportation fears (e.g., separado). We examined the interaction of sociodemographic risk with maternal deportation fears in predicting maternal and youth mental health. Recent immigrant Latinx mothers (N = 160) and youth (Mage = 12.88, SDage = 1.73) completed the Parent Development Interview-Revised (Slade et al., 2004), analyzed using a deportation fears custom dictionary (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count; Pennebaker et al., 2003). Mothers completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 2001); youth completed the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach, 1991). Cumulative sociodemographic risk was assessed using a composite score of six risk variables. Regressions revealed significant Sociodemographic Risk × Deportation Fear interactions for maternal depression (p = .01) and youth depression (p < .01) but not for maternal anxiety, youth anxiety, or aggression. As sociodemographic risk increased, associations between deportation fears and psychopathology decreased. The adverse impact of maternal deportation fears on mental health is visible only when demographic stress is lower. Deportation fears may increase mental health risk, potentially reducing treatment seeking among families previously at lower risk. Findings underscore the importance of policy and sociocultural shifts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural stressors, youth coping, and mother-adolescent conflict.

This study examined the associations between cultural stressors (i.e., foreigner-based discrimination and acculturation gap conflict) and mother-adolescent relational conflict and the moderating effects of youth coping on these relations. Within a sample of 175 Latinx mothers (Mage = 41.84 years; 88% born in Mexico) and adolescents (Mage = 12.89 years; 52% female; 87% U.S. born), we used actor-partner interdependence models to test the dyadic associations of one's cultural stress experiences with their own (i.e., self-effect) and the other family member's (i.e., mother or adolescent effect) perception of relational conflict, and we examined youth coping as a moderator. Adolescents' experiences of cultural stress were positively related to their own perception of relational conflict but not their mother's. Amid higher maternal discrimination experiences, higher youth shift-and-persist coping was related to lower youth-reported relational conflict. Higher youth discrimination experiences were correlated with higher reports of youth support-seeking, but youth support-seeking did not moderate the relation between cultural stress and relational conflict. Shift-and-persist coping may play a critical role in exacerbating or mitigating the harmful relations between cultural stress and relational conflict, depending upon whether the cultural stressor is external (i.e., foreigner-based discrimination) or family-based (acculturation gap conflict). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A multi-site cultural and linguistic adaptation of a hypospadias decision aid for Latinx communities

Latinx, Spanish-speaking (LSS) patients are more likely to experience decisional conflict and regret about healthcare decisions than non-Hispanic, white, English-speaking patients. To adapt the Hypospadias Hub (Hub), a rigorously developed and tested web-based decision aid (DA), for LSS parents. Guided by the Ecological Validity Model (EVM), a heuristic framework was followed to culturally adapt the Hub (see Extended Summary Figure). In stage 1, recommendations were obtained from a focus group with members of the institution's Latinx Community Review Board (Latinx CRB) and semi-structured interviews with pediatricians with Latinx-focused practices. In stage 2, preliminary cultural modifications were made, the Hub was translated into Spanish, and a second focus group with the Latinx CRB was convened to review the revised Hub. In stage 3, semi-structured interviews with LSS parents of healthy boys (i.e., without hypospadias)≤5 years old were conducted to identify any cultural adaptations and/or usability issues regarding the revised Hub. In stage 4, based on parents' feedback, final revisions to the Hub were made. The focus groups and parent interviews were conducted in Spanish; then, the recordings were professionally transcribed in Spanish and translated into English. Interviews with pediatricians were conducted in English; then, the recordings were professionally transcribed. Three coders conducted a qualitative content analysis to identify areas for revision. Changes were applied iteratively. Participants included 3 Latinx CRB members (2 women, 1 did not disclose gender; mean age=48.3, SD=21.2), 3 non-Latinx pediatricians (2 women, 1 man; mean age=49.6, SD=9.1), and 5 Latinx mothers (mean age=34.0, SD=1.26). Participants recommended: 1) featuring video testimonials from Latinx families or including Spanish voice-overs/subtitles; 2) diversifying racial/ethnic/geographic representation and including extended families in photographs/illustrations; 3) adding information about health insurance coverage and circumcision, 4) reassuring parents that the condition is not their fault, 5) considering cultural values (e.g., reliance on expert advice), and 6) clarifying medical terminology. Feedback related to seven EVM dimensions: concepts, content, context, goals, language, metaphors, and methods. Participants perceived the Hub to be informative in guiding parents' treatment decisions. Revisions were reasonable and acceptable for a linguistic and cultural adaptation for LSS parents. We identified and implemented preliminary cultural modifications to the Hub and applied user-centered design methods to test and revise the website. The product is a culturally appropriate DA for LSS parents. Next, English and Spanish-versions of the Hub will be tested in a randomized controlled trial.

Latinx Grandparents' Child Feeding Practices and Interaction with Parents.

Despite Latinx grandparents' substantial involvement in child rearing, there is limited understanding of their child feeding practices. A survey examined 80 Latinx mothers' perception of Latinx grandparents' feeding practices and interaction with parents. Results showed grandparents engaged in positive feeding somewhat frequently and negative feeding somewhat infrequently. Mother-grandparent disagreement and grandparent-parent(s) communication on child feeding occurred at a moderate level of frequency. Mother-grandparent disagreement was associated with higher frequency of grandparents' negative feeding, while grandparent-parent(s) communication was associated with higher frequency of positive feeding by grandparents. Finally, grandparents' behaviors and practices varied depending on characteristics of grandparents, mothers, and children.

Parenting of siblings in Latinx families during middle childhood.

Parents' management of their children's sibling relationships, or sibling-focused parenting, has substantial theoretical and practical importance but is rarely studied. This study's goals were to describe dimensions of sibling-focused parenting and to examine sociocultural resources and challenges as potential correlates among Latinx mothers and fathers in 262 families with two children in middle childhood. Families were recruited from 11 public elementary schools, and caregivers (248 mother figures; 118 father figures) participated in a home visit and phone interviews at the onset of the study. Sibling-focused parenting included three dimensions: positive guidance (10 items), nonintervention (four items), and authoritarian control (five items). Parents rated positive guidance as their most frequent strategy, and comparisons of mothers and fathers from the same families revealed that mothers engaged in more sibling-focused parenting overall than fathers. Regarding correlates, mothers' familism values and mothers' and fathers' family cohesion reports were associated with more positive guidance and mothers' cohesion was negatively related to nonintervention in sibling conflicts. For mothers only, parenting stress was linked to all three dimensions of sibling-focused parenting-negatively to guidance and positively to authoritarian control and nonintervention; maternal depressive symptoms were positively linked to authoritarian control. Economic hardship was not a significant correlate of any dimension. Findings suggest that sibling-focused parenting is a key domain of parenting in need of further research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation of the "Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids" Program in Head Start: An Application of the RE-AIM QuEST Framework Centering Equity.

Marginalized mothers are disproportionately impacted by depression and face barriers in accessing mental health treatment. Recent efforts have focused on building capacity to address maternal depression in Head Start; however, it is unclear if mental health inequities can be addressed by two-generation programs in Head Start settings. Therefore, this study examined the implementation outcomes and processes of a two-generation program called "Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids" (HMHK) that provided an evidence-based depression treatment to ethnic minority Head Start mothers. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and merged in a convergent mixed method design in accordance with the RE-AIM Qualitative Evaluation for Systematic Translation (RE-AIM QuEST) framework. Qualitative data included interviews with 52 key stakeholders, including intervention participants and staff members, and 176 sets of meeting minutes from the implementation period. Quantitative data included intervention study data and administrative data. It was difficult for HMHK to reach the target population, with only 16.8% of eligible mothers choosing to participate. However, mothers who participated experienced reductions in depressive symptoms and parenting stress and shared a variety of positive impacts in interviews. The program was also more successful in enrolling Latinx mothers who were Spanish-speaking or bilingual rather than English-speaking and Black/African American mothers, limiting its reach. Providing IPT therapy groups was effective in reducing maternal depressive symptoms and stress for those who enrolled, but additional work should focus on reducing barriers to participation, considering other delivery models to meet participants' needs, and identifying culturally relevant ways to meet the needs of Black mothers.

Early life stress, prenatal secondhand smoke exposure, and the development of internalizing symptoms across childhood

BackgroundPrior findings relating secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and internalizing problems, characterized by heightened anxiety and depression symptoms, have been equivocal; effects of SHS on neurodevelopment may depend on the presence of other neurotoxicants. Early life stress (ELS) is a known risk factor for internalizing symptoms and is also often concurrent with SHS exposure. To date the interactive effects of ELS and SHS on children’s internalizing symptoms are unknown. We hypothesize that children with higher exposure to both prenatal SHS and ELS will have the most internalizing symptoms during the preschool period and the slowest reductions in symptoms over time.MethodsThe present study leveraged a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort of 564 Black and Latinx mothers and their children, recruited between 1998 and 2006. Cotinine extracted from cord and maternal blood at birth served as a biomarker of prenatal SHS exposure. Parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were examined at four timepoints between preschool and eleven years-old. ELS exposure was measured as a composite of six domains of maternal stress reported at child age five. Latent growth models examined associations between SHS, ELS, and their interaction term with trajectories of children’s internalizing symptoms. In follow-up analyses, weighted quintile sum regression examined contributions of components of the ELS mixture to children’s internalizing symptoms at each time point.ResultsELS interacted with SHS exposure such that higher levels of ELS and SHS exposure were associated with more internalizing symptoms during the preschool period (β = 0.14, p = 0.03). The interaction between ELS and SHS was also associated with a less negative rate of change in internalizing symptoms over time (β=-0.02, p = 0.01). Weighted quintile sum regression revealed significant contributions of maternal demoralization and other components of the stress mixture to children’s internalizing problems at each age point (e.g., age 11 WQS β = 0.26, p < 0.01).ConclusionsOur results suggest that prior inconsistencies in studies of SHS on behavior may derive from unmeasured factors that also influence behavior and co-occur with exposure, specifically maternal stress during children’s early life. Findings point to modifiable targets for personalized prevention.

An Exploratory Evaluation Case Study on Latinx-Maternal Acceptance Promotion of LGBTQ+ Youth Using Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Modeling (PCSIM) Methods

Family acceptance is one of the strongest predictors of mental health in youth with diverse sexual orientations and genders (LGBTQ+) In Latinx communities, where the values of familismo, machismo, and religion may present as both strengths and barriers to facilitating family acceptance, culture-responsive programming can encourage LGBTQ+ youth acceptance. This study uses an exploratory evaluation case study design to learn how using participatory culture-specific intervention modeling (PCSIM) methods can facilitate Latinx maternal acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth and to identify the successes and challenges researchers encountered throughout the process to inform future intervention implementation efforts. A total of n = 16 Latinx community members participated in the brief psychoeducational programming. The participants were Latinx women—predominately mothers—and ranged in age from 14 to 55 years old. All the participants spoke Spanish and n = 4 also spoke English. The study presents the PCISM process and mothers’ evaluation of their experience and perceptions using mixed methods. The maternal reports indicated favorable qualitative acceptability and efficacy findings but demonstrated minimal statistical significance. This study conveys how researchers implemented the PCSIM approach to yield brief, culture-responsive programming with Latinx mothers to facilitate their openness towards accepting LGBTQ+ children in their homes and communities. The researchers reviewed how the practices from this current study can be used or amended in future culture-responsive programming that partners with Latinx mothers and community centers collaborating with this community to facilitate acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth to yield more generalizable and sustainable program development.

Hospital Adhering to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding Predicts Exclusive Breastfeeding in Latinx Mothers.

Introduction: Assessing how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding is the key to outlining necessary modifications in mother breastfeeding support. This study aimed to assess Latinx mothers' perception of how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and its influence on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates at hospital discharge. Methods: Secondary analysis of two longitudinal studies. The combined sample (N = 74) of Latinx pregnant women residing in the US. We modified, translated, and evaluated reliability of the Questionnaire for the Breastfeeding Mother (QBFM), which was applied to evaluate mothers' perception of how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Results: The QBFM obtained a standardized KR-20 of 0.77. Mothers who EBF had higher scores of the QBFM than mothers who used formula during hospitalization. For each point that the QBFM score increased, the likelihood that the mother was EBF at discharge increased by 1.30 times. Conclusion: Mothers' perceptions of how well a hospital adheres to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding were the only significant variable associated with EBF at discharge. The QBFM Spanish version is a valuable instrument that can be used to obtain measurable outcomes and outlines necessary changes after implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Toward Border‐Crossing Biliteracies: Pláticas of Midwest Transnational Latinx Families Reading and (Re)writing the World

AbstractThis article focuses on the experiences of transnational Latinx youth and families through historias shared by the mothers. Transnational communities such as those from Latinx immigrant backgrounds have acquired critical perspectives because of their experiences in and across borders that have become central to their understanding of how to navigate learning in the U.S. context. As such, learning about border‐crossing knowledge and literacies from transnational students, families, and communities has become increasingly relevant and a timely pressing topic in today's U.S. language and literacy education and beyond. This study employed a pláticas methodology to capture how transnational Latinx mothers storied their bilingual children's biliteracies. This study draws on transnational literacies and transcultural knowledge to conceptualize border‐crossing biliteracies, a lens for understanding how transnational children read and write the world. Drawing on this lens, the findings reveal how transnational Latinx families disrupt and expand the meaning of family, language, literacy, and cultural teaching and learning for transnational Latinx youth. Rooted in their experiences, this article discusses and unpacks the meaning of border‐crossing biliteracies pedagogy and offers implications for bilingual educators, curriculum developers, and researchers.

Connecting Public Health Graduate Students with a Latinx Community Advisory Committee on Caregiving

Abstract In this paper, we describe insights from a formed Latinx Community Advisory Committee (LCAC) that consisted of 11 Latinx mothers of children with special needs. Three Public Health graduate students, as a part of a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) seminar, joined virtual meetings of the LCAC to hear insights into barriers and challenges of caregiving from these Latinx mothers, and the graduate students were tasked with developing a CBPR research proposal based on these insights.

Flora la Fresca &amp; The Art of Friendship by Veronica Chambers

Reviewed by: Flora la Fresca & The Art of Friendship by Veronica Chambers Jennifer Usovicz Chambers, Veronica Flora la Fresca & The Art of Friendship; illus. by Sujean Rim. Dial, 2023 [272p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780525556299 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780525556312 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6 When fifth grade best friends Clara and Flora aren’t in Saturday Spanish school, they’re typically getting into all sorts of mischief, most recently scheming ways to annoy Flora’s older sister, Maylin, who has become a quincezilla while planning her upcoming quinceañera. It’s all well and good until Clara’s mother gets a new job in California, which means that Clara and her family will be moving away from their home in Rhode Island in five weeks, ruining Christmas and, according to the girls, their lives forever. Flora must now navigate her school without her partner in crime while Clara has to figure out how to make friends in a new California school. The girls’ friendship is full of inside jokes and heartwarming anecdotes, and both pals are realistic modern tweens, writing code in Scratch, practicing TikTok dances, and skateboarding. The mix of Spanish and English dialogue between the friends shows their growing Spanish language skills, and their relationships with their Latinx mothers deftly convey the parent/child dynamic of second-generation kids trying to honor their heritage. Having a close friend move away in childhood is a common theme in middle grade and YA lit, and Chambers’ compassionate look at Clara and Flora’s relationship may make the journey more bearable for those facing a similar scenario. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Pandemic-Related Stress and Resilience Among Latinx Mothers with a History of Depression: Differences by Immigration Status.

This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income, Latinx mothers in Southern California with a history of depression, including undocumented mothers and members of mixed status families. Drawing participants from a parent study that provided a maternal depression intervention to Head Start mothers (n = 119), this mixed method study integrates qualitative and quantitative data in a convergent design. Thirty-four mothers completed semi-structured qualitative interviews and standardized questionnaires in the fall of 2020. Mothers shared overwhelming economic difficulties, with the majority reporting that their family income decreased and half reporting that they were unable to pay for housing. Stressors were compounded for undocumented mothers and members of mixed-status families who were excluded from major relief programs. Stress affected maternal mental health, and mothers with precarious status reported differences in functioning. Mothers also identified positive ways that they coped with adversity. Results show that Latinx mothers with a history of depression, particularly mothers with precarious immigration status, continue to suffer considerable economic, social, and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social workers can support the human rights of this population by advocating for financial relief, food assistance, and the expansion of medical-legal partnerships and physical and mental health services.

(M)othering Labeled Children: Bilingualism and Disability in the Lives of Latinx Mothers

(M)othering Labeled Children: Bilingualism and Disability in the Lives of Latinx Mothers

The Coronavirus Impact Scale: Construction, Validation, and Comparisons in Diverse Clinical Samples

This report is of the construction and initial psychometric properties of the Coronavirus Impact Scale in multiple large and diverse samples of families with children and adolescents. The scale was established to capture the impact of the coronavirus pandemic during its first wave. Differences in impact between samples and internal structure within samples were assessed. A total of 572 caregivers of children and adolescents or expecting mothers in diverse clinical and research settings completed the Coronavirus Impact Scale. Samples differed in regard to developmental stage, background, inpatient/outpatient status, and primary research or clinical setting. Model free methods were used to measure the scale's internal structure and to determine a scoring method. Differences between samples in specific item responses were measured by multivariate ordinal regression. The Coronavirus Impact Scale demonstrated good internal consistency in a variety of clinical and research populations. Across the groups studied, single, immigrant, predominantly Latinx mothers of young children reported the greatest impact of the pandemic, with noteworthy effects on food access and finances reported. Individuals receiving outpatient or inpatient care reported greater impacts on health care access. Elevated scores on the Coronavirus Impact Scale were positively associated with measures of caregiver anxiety and both caregiver- and child-reported stress at a moderate effect size. The Coronavirus Impact Scale is a publicly available scale with adequate psychometric properties for use in measuring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in diverse populations.

Associations between early introduction to complementary foods, subsequent cereal-added bottle feeding and daily macronutrient intake among infants

Introducing complementary foods early during infancy has been associated with an increased risk of overweight later in life, but the pathway is an understudied topic. Hence the study was conducted with low-income and primarily minority mother-infant dyads to: 1) understand how the introduction of complementary foods prior to 4 months was associated with socio-demographic characteristics and food security status; 2) determine the association between early introduction to complementary foods and breastfeeding and adding cereal into the bottle in later infancy (i.e., at 6 and 9 months), and; 3) examine how adding infant cereal into the bottle was related to daily calorie and macronutrient intake in infancy. We conducted interviews with mothers (n = 201) at 4 months of age and 24-h feeding recalls at age 6 and 9 months. Results indicated that 29% of the infants were fed complementary foods before 4 months of age. Introducing complementary foods early was negatively associated with breastfeeding and positively associated with adding cereal into the bottle at 6-months. This practice was more common among those who experienced marginal to very low levels of food security. Comparing by race/ethnicity, Latinx mothers were significantly less likely to introduce solids early. After controlling for sex, infants fed cereal in the bottle were consuming significantly more calories compared to their counterparts. Specifically, adding cereal into the bottle resulted in approximately 10% additional daily calorie intake among infants. Understanding how these feeding practices affect appetite development and weight status during infancy is warranted.

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Latinx Families: A Comparison between Intraracial and Interracial Families

Racial/ethnic minorities are prone to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), posing a concern over social justice. However, the influence of interracial family structure has been rarely discussed. Considering that 26% of Hispanic individuals form interracial marriages in the U.S., we need to examine whether interracial family structure matters for ACEs disparities in Latinx families. We hypothesized that there were differences in ACEs between intraracial and interracial families in the Latinx population. A Latinx sample was collected from the Fragile Family and Child Well-being Studies with 1113 children of two Latinx parents and 397 children of interracial parents (e.g., White mother/Latinx father, Black mother/Latinx father, Latinx mother/White father, Latinx mother/Black father). Negative binomial models revealed a higher overall ACEs score among children in interracial families (β = 0.54, p &lt; 0.05). Compared to children with two Latinx parents, children in each interracial family group were prone to higher risks of different ACEs. For example, children with Latinx mothers and Black fathers were more likely to experience parental separation (OR = 2.33), household material hardship (OR = 1.64), physical abuse (OR = 6.01), and psychological abuse (OR = 3.49) than children in intraracial Latinx families. Based on our findings, we call for culturally responsive ACEs prevention and intervention that consider the unique stressors of interracial families, to promote the health and well-being of racial/ethnic minorities.

Social Needs and Acculturation as Predictors of Emotional Problems and Perceived Stress Among Latinx Mothers with Low Income

Associations between household social needs, acculturation, and emotional health remain understudied, particularly among Latinx mothers. We analyzed baseline survey data from 455 Latinx mothers in a previous study. Using multinomial regression, we examined whether emotional problems and perceived stress were associated with household social needs and acculturation. Almost half the sample reported four or more household social needs. Social needs cumulatively and independently predicted increased odds of frequent emotional problems or perceived stress. Lower acculturation predicted lower odds of frequent emotional problems. There is increased risk for emotional problems and stress in low-income Latinx mothers who experience high social need. Integrated social service and mental health care models may be one way to improve health outcomes. More research is needed to understand how clinical settings can leverage unique cultural protective factors to address the social and emotional health needs of Latinx mothers.

Trajectories of low‐income mothers’ and fathers’ engagement in learning activities and child socioemotional skills in middle childhood

AbstractUsing Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing data (N = 3259), the current study examined Black and Latinx mothers’ and fathers’ trajectories of engagement in learning activities (e.g., storytelling) from infancy to age 5, and whether those trajectories predicted socioemotional skills at age 9, predictors of the trajectories (poverty, mother‐father nonresidence, temperament, race/ethnicity), and moderators of the trajectories. Mothers’ and fathers’ learning activities decreased significantly over time as children got older. Higher rates of decline in fathers’ engagement in learning activities over time significantly predicted lower socioemotional skills. Mother‐father nonresidence during infancy was associated significantly with higher rates of decline in mothers’ and fathers’ learning activities. Difficult temperament moderated the association between fathers’ trajectories and child outcomes.

Latinx Mothers' Experiences With Linkage to Early Intervention

This study explored the experiences and perspectives of Latinx mothers of children younger than 3 years who had participated in a developmental screening initiative provided by 2 Federally Qualified Health Centers in an urban setting, had positive developmental screenings, and were referred to early intervention (EI) services. A 2-phase mixed-methods explanatory design was implemented in English and Spanish. In Phase 1, a telephone survey was conducted with 62 parents. In Phase 2, qualitative semistructured interviews (regarding parental experiences with their child's developmental screening, the process of linking to services, the EI evaluation, and subsequent services received) were conducted with a subset of 13 Phase 1 mothers. Results from the phone survey showed that 91% of children were found eligible for EI and 92% were receiving EI services. More than 90% of mothers reported positive experiences with their children's developmental screening, learning about their child's development, and accessing services. However, results from the semistructured interviews revealed that mothers had mixed experiences with the developmental screening process and linkage to EI services. Findings from this study provide insights into the perceived value of EI services by Latinx families and the need for improved system supports to access and navigate EI services.