Low-income Mexican-American Families Research Articles

Cognitive Distancing Language in Parent-Child Book Sharing Among Low-Income Mexican American and Chinese American Families: Cultural Group Comparisons and Links to Children’s Executive Functions

ABSTRACT Research Findings: In the context of parent-child book sharing, cultural influences on cognitive distancing language and associations with child executive function (EF) have been understudied. This study examined cultural group similarities/differences in parent and child book-sharing distancing language among preschool-aged dual language learners from low-income Mexican American (MA) and Chinese American (CA) families. We further tested concurrent relations between parent/child distancing language and children’s EF. The sample consisted of 88 children (45 MAs, 43 CAs, age = 38–68 months) enrolled in Head Start preschools and their parents. To assess distancing language, utterances were coded for cognitive demand and classified as referential (low demand), behavioral (moderate demand), or inferential (high demand). Cognitive tasks tapping inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility were used to assess child EF. Results showed parents and children from both cultural groups produced comparable numbers of story-related utterances. MA dyads used higher proportions of parent/child inferential statements and a lower proportion of parent referential questions. The proportions of parent behavioral questions and child behavioral statements were positively related to child cognitive flexibility. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight heterogeneity in parent-child verbal interactions among low-income multilingual families and have implications for promoting preschoolers’ cognitive/language development in diverse populations.

0754 Sleep Ecology in Low-Income Mexican American Toddlers

Abstract Introduction Healthy sleep is critical for child development, yet disparities exist, with Latino children disproportionately affected by deficient sleep. Most of what is known about sleep ecology and interventions to improve sleep in young children is based on studies of primarily White, non-Latino, and economically-advantaged families. To ensure the effectiveness of interventions, it is important to understand the contribution of socioecological factors on sleep among toddlers in low-income Mexican American families. Methods This study employed in-depth interviews with a purposeful sample of low-income Mexican American Spanish-speaking (n=10) and English-speaking mothers (n=10) of toddlers (18-34 months old). Interviews focused on daily sleep routines, perceptions of toddler sleep behaviors, and environmental contributors. Transcripts were coded by two investigators and analyzed using a content analytic approach. Results For sleep-related parenting practices, 70% of mothers reported late child bedtimes (≥9:00 pm), 75% reported room/bed sharing, and almost a third of children fell asleep at bedtime with a bottle or cup. Maternal beliefs about child sleep included concerns that child crying during the night might disturb neighbors or wake siblings, and child sleep quality improved when the child is not hungry. Contextual factors impacting sleep included schedules, neighbors, and siblings. Specifically, later weekday bedtimes were attributed to maternal (but not paternal) work schedules, while wake times were often a result of a sibling’s school schedule. Weekend bedtimes were commonly reported to be delayed for toddlers due to families watching movies. Noisy neighbors, in particular upstairs neighbors, were identified as disrupting children’s sleep. Siblings were identified as both facilitating sleep (e.g., helping with routines) and disrupting sleep (e.g., distracting child at nap time). Conclusion Findings provide insights on socioecological factors and parental beliefs about sleep ecology in low-income Mexican American toddlers that have implications for the design of interventions to improve child sleep. For example, commonly used behavioral sleep interventions have children sleeping in their own room, or require some crying during the night. However, these approaches may not be a good fit or feasible for this population. To address sleep health disparities, further work is needed to understand socioecological factors that require inclusive adaptations to pediatric sleep interventions. Support (if any) R01HL163859

Parent Emotion Talk with Preschoolers from Low-Income Mexican American and Chinese American Families: Links to Sociocultural Factors.

Emotion talk (ET), an emotion socialization practice theorized to promote children's emotion understanding and emotion regulation, has been linked to better socioemotional adjustment in diverse samples. Immigrant children face developmentally unique challenges and opportunities related to their multi-lingual and multi-cultural experiences. The present study aimed to identify sociocultural correlates of parent ET in two groups of low-income immigrant families with preschool-age children: Mexican American (MA) and Chinese American (CA) families. In 90 parent-child dyads (child age = 38 to 70 months, 59% girls; 46 Mexican American and 44 Chinese American) recruited from Head Start programs, parents' (mostly mothers') ET quality and quantity (i.e., use of emotion words, emotion questions and explanations, and overall elaborateness of ET) were coded from verbal transcripts of a shared picture book reading task. First, we found similarities and differences in ET across the two groups. Both MA and CA parents used emotion words, emotion questions, and emotion reasoning, whereas linking the story to personal emotion experience was infrequent. MA parents used more negative emotion words, emotion reasoning, and engaged in more elaborate ET than CA parents. Second, we examined the unique relations of multiple socio-cultural factors (SES, cultural orientations, parent and child demographics) to parent ET. Parent education and child age were associated positively with emotion questions, income was associated positively with emotion reasoning, and parents' heritage culture orientation was associated positively with the elaborateness of ET. The findings highlight the need to consider socio-cultural variations in emotion socialization practices when adapting and disseminating socioemotional learning interventions.

Screen-related discord and dismay in low-income Mexican American families with toddlers: A qualitative study

PurposeUnderstanding parental experiences with managing their toddler's screen use is important to inform the design of interventions addressing early childhood screen use, yet current evidence is limited. To enhance our understanding of the context of toddler screen use, this study characterizes the screen-related discord and dismay parents experience in families with toddlers. Design and methodsIn-depth interviews were conducted to explore everyday experiences with screen use among low-income Mexican American caregivers of toddlers (21 mothers, 10 fathers, 1 grandmother). Transcripts were content analyzed to identify prominent themes. ResultsThree themes were identified. Experiences of screen-related discord and dismay arose (1) between parent and child, (2) between parents, and (3) surfaced as parental internal dissonance about toddler screen use. Parent-child discord resulted from parental limit setting and child reactions to parental screen use, which often included tantrums. Parent-partner discord included patterns of agreeing to disagree and direct disagreement between partners. Parents also reported their own feelings of ambivalence and dismay as they struggled to reconcile their preferences against their toddler's actual screen use, while living in a screen-saturated world. ConclusionsFindings offer insight into types of screen-related discord and dismay low-income Mexican American parents experience as they attempt to manage their toddler's screen use. Practice implicationsAlthough discord in families is normal, the screen-specific discord reported by participants warrants consideration in efforts promoting healthy screen use in families. Providers can tailor their counseling to consider the range of screen-related discord families of toddlers may experience.

Prenatal Neighborhood Ethnocultural Context and the Mental Health of Mothers and Children in Low-Income Mexican American Families.

Socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods increase the risk for poor mental health among residents, yet protective factors may operate alongside risk. This study evaluated the influence of the prenatal neighborhood ethnocultural context on child behavior problems and maternal depressive symptoms. Prenatal maternal role expectations, prenatal culture-specific stress, and postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms were evaluated as mediators. Participants included 322 low-income, Mexican American mother-child dyads. Women (Mage =27.8) reported on proposed mediators, maternal depressive symptoms, and child behavior problems at 4.5years. Neighborhood Latinx concentration was obtained from census data. Higher Latinx concentration predicted fewer maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems, mediated through role expectations and PPD symptoms. Results suggest prenatal neighborhood context to impact later maternal and child mental health.

Effects of maternal and paternal postnatal depressive symptoms on infants' parasympathetic regulation in low-income, Mexican American families.

Mothers and fathers are at elevated risk for developing depression during the first postnatal year, especially among families from marginalized communities. Although a number of studies demonstrate that exposure to maternal depressive symptoms can undermine infants' regulatory development, less is known about the extent to which paternal depressive symptoms may also contribute. The current study investigated whether maternal and paternal depressive symptoms were uniquely associated with infants' physiological regulation, and whether associations varied depending on infant sex. Participants included 90 low-income Mexican American families. Fathers and mothers self-reported their depressive symptoms when infants were 15weeks old, and infants' resting parasympathetic activity (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) was assessed at 6 and 24weeks. Results indicated that, after controlling for infant 6-week RSA and depressive symptoms in the other parent, paternal depressive symptoms were associated with lower 24-week RSA for both girls and boys, but maternal depressive symptoms were only associated with lower 24-week RSA for boys. Findings highlight a potential mechanism through which the consequences of parent depressive symptoms may reverberate across generations, and suggest that considerations of both infants' and parents' sex may lend insight into how best to intervene.

Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Postpartum Depressive Symptoms on Children's Behavior Problems.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may confer infant susceptibility to the postpartum environment. Among infants with higher RSA, there may be a positive relation between depressive symptoms across the first 6months postpartum (PPD) and later behavior problems, and toddlers' dysregulation during mother-child interactions may partially explain the effects. Among a sample of low-income Mexican-American families, infant RSA (N=322; 46% male) was assessed at 6weeks of age; mothers (Mage =27.8, SD=6.5) reported PPD symptoms every 3weeks from 6 to 24weeks and infant behavior problems at 36months. Dysregulation was observed at 24months. PPD was positively associated with behavior problems only among infants with lower RSA; however, this relation was not mediated by dysregulation.

Screen-Related Parenting Practices in Low-Income Mexican American Families

ObjectivesTo (1) examine whether the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills Model predicts maternal screen-related parenting practices and (2) evaluate the relationship of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)–recommended parenting practices with child television (TV) use behaviors. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 312 Spanish-speaking and/or English-speaking female primary caregivers of Mexican descent with a child 3 to 5 years of age were recruited from safety-net pediatric clinics. Participants completed a phone interview and screen media diary. Measures included maternal screen-related beliefs, self-efficacy, parenting practices (time restriction, TV in the child's bedroom, allowing viewing while eating meals and while eating snacks), and child viewing behaviors (amount of TV viewing, frequency of eating while viewing). Two path analytic models were estimated. ResultsPositive general beliefs about TV viewing and positive functional beliefs were negatively associated with maternal self-efficacy to restrict TV time (β = –0.14, P < .05; β = –0.27, P < .001). Greater self-efficacy to restrict time was associated with more maternal restriction of time (β = 0.29, P < .001). Greater positive functional beliefs were associated with less self-efficacy to restrict TV viewing with snacks (odds ratio = 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.81). High self-efficacy to restrict viewing with snacks was associated with less allowing of viewing while snacking (β = –0.16, P < .01). Time restriction, TV in the child's bedroom, and allowing viewing while snacking were associated with child TV viewing behaviors. ConclusionsProviders should consider maternal beliefs, including beliefs regarding the functional use of screens, and self-efficacy to engage in AAP-recommended parenting practices, when counseling on screen use in this population.

Beyond immigrant status: Book-sharing in low-income Mexican-American families

Data from a sample (n = 145) of low-income Mexican-American mothers and their toddlers (9–26 months) were used to explore the prevalence of high-frequency book-sharing (⩾3 days/week) and its association with maternal immigrant status (Mexico-born vs US-born), as well as other demographic and psychosocial factors. Mexico-born mothers were more likely to report frequent book-sharing than were their US-born counterparts. This was contrary to expectations, and may be representative of the “immigrant paradox.” Other variables associated with high-frequency book-sharing included not receiving welfare, low levels of parenting stress, and having 10 or more books in the home; these factors remained statistically significant in multivariate logistic regression models. The findings of this study have the potential to inform not only intervention efforts targeting emergent literacy in family contexts and children’s school readiness in Latino families, but also practitioners and policy makers in the health and social services. Pediatricians and other health and social service practitioners are encouraged to be aware of the demographic and psychosocial factors that can affect mothers’ pursuit of child-focused early literacy activities.

Factors Contributing to Background Television Exposure in Low-Income Mexican-American Preschoolers.

Objective Background television (TV) exposure is harmful to young children, yet few studies have focused on predictors of exposure. This study's objectives were to elucidate demographic, environmental, and behavioral correlates of background TV exposure in low-income Mexican-American preschoolers and to explore caregiver beliefs about the impact of such exposure. Methods A convenience sample of low-income Mexican-American female primary caregivers of preschoolers (3-5years old, n=309), recruited in safety-net clinics, were surveyed by phone. Caregivers reported the frequency of their child's exposure to background TV and responded to questions on the home media environment, TV use, and whether they had thought about background TV exposure and its impact on their child. Results Background TV exposure was common; 43% reported that their child was often, very often, or always exposed to background TV. More hours of TV viewing by the caregiver and greater frequency of TV viewing during meals were associated with an increased frequency of exposure to background TV. Only 49% of participants had ever thought about the impact of background TV. Believing that background TV is not harmful was associated with higher levels of background TV exposure. Conclusions Findings suggest that background TV exposure is frequent and caregiver awareness of its potential impact is low in low-income Mexican-American families. Beliefs that background TV is not harmful may predict risk of exposure. Potential targets for interventions focused on reducing background TV exposure in this population include increasing caregiver awareness of the potential negative impact of such TV exposure.

Effects of prenatal factors and temperament on infant cortisol regulation in low-income Mexican American families.

Prenatal psychosocial exposures can significantly affect infant health and development. Infants with higher temperamental negativity are theorized to be more susceptible to environmental exposures. We evaluated the interaction of prenatal maternal exposures and infant temperamental negativity to predict infant cortisol response to mildly challenging mother-infant interaction tasks. Participants included 322 Mexican American mother-infant dyads (mother age 18-42; 82% Spanish-speaking; modal family income $10,000-$15,000). Mothers reported depressive symptoms and social support prenatally and infant temperamental negativity at 6 weeks postpartum. Salivary cortisol was collected from infants before and after mother-infant interaction tasks at 12 weeks. Higher prenatal maternal depressive symptoms and lower social support predicted higher cortisol among infants with higher temperamental negativity. Higher infant temperamental negativity predicted an increase in maternal distress and a decrease in social support from prenatal to 12 weeks postpartum. Interactive influences of maternal social-contextual factors and infant temperament may influence the development of infant neurobiological regulation and promote or strain maternal and infant adaptation over time.

The Differential Relationship Between Parental Worry and Adolescent Outcomes by Linguistic Preference Among Low-Income Mexican American Families

This study examined the moderating effects of parents’ linguistic preference, as a proxy for acculturation, on the relationship between parental worry and problem behaviors among 130 Mexican American early adolescents (M age = 13; 51 % male) living in public housing neighborhoods in the Southwestern United States. Based on the family stress model we hypothesized that adolescents whose parents reported more general worry would have higher rates of delinquency and substance use and those who reported higher levels of parental supervision would have lower rates of delinquency and substance use. We hypothesized that these relationships would differ by linguistic preference, with Spanish language being equated to less acculturation and more risky. Hierarchal linear models controlling for multiple children in the same family indicated that worry among parents predicted higher rates of delinquency and substance use for adolescents whose parents were more acculturated whereas no relationship was found for less acculturated parents. No support was found for the protective effect of parental supervision and parental worry did not predict levels of supervision. These findings suggest that global worry among parents may impact delinquency and substance use among adolescents in families with parents who prefer Spanish through pathways other than supervision. The protective effect of Spanish language preference, which may indicate lower parental acculturation among Mexican American youth, indicates the need for more research examining possible mediators of the relationship between living in high-risk environments such as public housing and adolescent delinquency and substance use in this population.

Cultural Differences in the Parenting of Young Children: An Observational Study of Low-Income Mexican American and European American Families

We compared 57 Mexican American (MA) parents of children aged 3–7 to 86 demographically similar European American (EA) parents on a standardized, observational coding system for parent-child interactions. MA parents expressed less verbal approval in two of three play situations, and more verbal disapproval of their children in one of three play situations. MA parents used more direct commands than their EA counterparts in one situation. All analyses controlled for both child age and maternal education. We found no differences on behavioral descriptions or reflective statements, but EA parents were more likely than MA parents to use indirect commands. Implications for cultural modifications to BPT programs are discussed.

Prenatal stress, partner support, and infant cortisol reactivity in low-income Mexican American families.

Maternal exposure to significant prenatal stress can negatively affect infant neurobiological development and increase the risk for developmental and health disturbances. These effects may be pronounced in low SES and ethnic minority families. We explored prenatal partner support as a buffer of the impact of prenatal stress on cortisol reactivity of infants born to low-income Mexican American women. Women (N=220; age 18-42; 84% Spanish-speaking; 89% foreign born; modal family income $10,000-$15,000) reported on economic stress and satisfaction with spousal/partner support during the prenatal period (26-38 weeks gestation), and infant salivary cortisol reactivity to mildly challenging mother-infant interaction tasks was assessed at women's homes at six weeks postpartum. Multilevel models estimated the interactive effect of prenatal stress and partner support on cortisol reactivity, controlling for covariates and potential confounds. Infants born to mothers who reported high prenatal stress and low partner support exhibited higher cortisol reactivity relative to those whose mothers reported high support or low stress. The effects did not appear to operate through birth outcomes. For low-income Mexican American women, partner support may buffer the impact of prenatal stress on infant cortisol reactivity, potentially promoting more adaptive infant health and development.

Food insecurity may be linked to childhood obesity in low-income Mexican-American families

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between past and current maternal food insecurity and child-feeding practices among low-income Mexican-American families. Participants in the study were mother-child pairs enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The findings suggest that low-income Mexican-American mothers who are currently experiencing food insecurity were more likely to worry that their children were eating too much food and tended to offer smaller portion sizes to their children than mothers not currently experiencing food insecurity. Mothers who were overweight were more than twice as likely to have overweight children than mothers who were not overweight.

Research Issues for Improving Treatment of U.S. Hispanics With Persistent Mental Disorders

Research Issues for Improving Treatment of U.S. Hispanics With Persistent Mental Disorders

A Genomewide Search Finds Major Susceptibility Loci for Gallbladder Disease on Chromosome 1 in Mexican Americans

Gallbladder disease (GBD) is one of the major digestive diseases. Its risk factors include age, sex, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (MS). The prevalence of GBD is high in minority populations, such as Native and Mexican Americans. Ethnic differences, familial aggregation of GBD, and the identification of susceptibility loci for gallstone disease by use of animal models suggest genetic influences on GBD. However, the major susceptibility loci for GBD in human populations have not been identified. Using ultrasound-based information on GBD occurrence and a 10-cM gene map, we performed multipoint variance-components analysis to localize susceptibility loci for GBD. Phenotypic and genotypic data from 715 individuals in 39 low-income Mexican American families participating in the San Antonio Family Diabetes/Gallbladder Study were used. Two GBD phenotypes were defined for the analyses: (1) clinical or symptomatic GBD, the cases of cholecystectomies due to stones confirmed by ultrasound, and (2) total GBD, the clinical GBD cases plus the stone carriers newly diagnosed by ultrasound. With use of the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, five MS risk factors were defined: increased waist circumference, hypertriglyceredemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, and high fasting glucose. The MS risk-factor score (range 0-5) for a given individual was used as a single, composite covariate in the genetic analyses. After accounting for the effects of age, sex, and MS risk-factor score, we found stronger linkage signals for the symptomatic GBD phenotype. The highest LOD scores (3.7 and 3.5) occurred on chromosome 1p between markers D1S1597 and D1S407 (1p36.21) and near marker D1S255 (1p34.3), respectively. Other genetic locations (chromosomes 2p, 3q, 4p, 8p, 9p, 10p, and 16q) across the genome exhibited some evidence of linkage (LOD >or=1.2) to symptomatic GBD. Some of these chromosomal regions corresponded with the genetic locations of Lith loci, which influence gallstone formation in mouse models. In conclusion, we found significant evidence of major genetic determinants of symptomatic GBD on chromosome 1p in Mexican Americans.

Food Security and Nutritional Outcomes of Preschool-Age Mexican-American Children

Objective To examine the relationship of food insecurity to nutrition of Mexican-American preschoolers.Design Cross-sectional survey of low-income Mexican-American families with children of preschool age (3 to 6 years). Data included food security using the Radimer/ Cornell scale; acculturation; parental education; monthly income; past experience of food insecurity; and child weight, height, and frequency of consuming 57 foods. Weight-for-height z scores (WHZ), height- for-age z (HAZ) scores, and the percentage of overweight (≥85th percentile WHZ) were calculated.Subjects/Setting A convenience sample of Mexican-American families (n=211) was recruited through Head Start, Healthy Start, Migrant Education, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Tulare, Fresno, Monterey, and Kern counties in California.Statistical analyses Analysis of variance, t tests, Spearman's correlations, and Mantel Haenszel χ2.Results Limited education, lack of English proficiency, and low income were negatively correlated with food security (r=−0.31 to −0.44, P<.0001). After controlling for acculturation, children in severely food-insecure households were less likely to meet Food Guide Pyramid guidelines than other children (median number of food groups ≥ recommended levels [interquartile range]: 2.0 (2.0) vs 3.0 (2.0), P<.006). Although WHZ (mean±SD=1.28±1.80) and percent overweight (48%, N=19) tended to peak among children from household level food insecure families, no significant differences were found in weight or height status of children by level of food insecurity.Applications/Conclusions Dietetics professionals working with low-income Hispanic-American families should screen for different levels of food insecurity to determine needs for nutrition education and other services. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002; 102:924-929.

Acculturation of Mexican-American mothers influences child feeding strategies

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of maternal acculturation level on child feeding strategies and anthropometry in preschoolers from low-income Mexican-American families.Design/Subjects Data are from a cross-sectional survey of 238 low-income Mexican-American families with preschool children living in California during 1998. Interviewers collected data from the mothers on child-feeding practices and weighed and measured the children in their homes.Statistical Analyses Spearman’s correlation coefficients, analysis of variance, and χ2 were used to examine the relationship of maternal acculturation level with feeding strategies and anthropometric measurements.Results Compared with more acculturated mothers, less acculturated mothers tend to offer alternative foods more often when their children refuse to eat. More acculturated women are less likely to view bribes, threats, and punishments as effective strategies and are more likely to give vitamins than less acculturated mothers. Maternal acculturation is not associated with differences in weight-for height z-scores, height-for-age, or body mass index of the children. Triceps skinfold thickness are larger in children of more acculturated mothers than in children of less acculturated women.Applications/Conclusions Dietitians should consider differences in child feeding practices due to acculturation among Mexican-Americans. Successful strategies to encourage consumption of nutritious traditional foods and to transition from child-led snacking to more structured meals should be part of nutrition education programs. J Am Diet Assoc, 2001;101: 542–547.

Observed maternal strategies and children's health locus of control in low-income Mexican American families.

This study examined the relationship among mothers' health locus of control (HLOC) beliefs, their socialization strategies, and their children's HLOC beliefs in 80 low-income Mexican American families. Maternal socialization strategies were assessed from videotaped interactions of mothers and children engaged in a structured task. Factor analysis of the coded strategies yielded 4 factors: Tell Answer, Teaching, Clarify, and Reinforce. Findings indicated that maternal-health-internally scores negatively predicted mothers' use of the Tell Answer strategies and positively predicted their use of Teaching strategies. Mothers who believed that Powerful Others (e.g., health professionals) controlled their health were more likely to use the Tell Answer strategy. In contrast, mothers who believed that health was due to chance were less likely to use Teaching. Maternal use of Teaching strategies predicted children's internal HLOC, whereas maternal Tell Answer strategies predicted children's external HLOC. Findings suggest that mothers' HLOC beliefs influence the socialization strategies they use and that these strategies are associated with children's HLOC beliefs.