Urban Parents Research Articles

Informal Labor Supply in the United States: New Estimates from the Fragile Families Survey

Past studies of the informal economy in the US focused on small geographic areas and select populations. This paper uses a nationally representative panel survey of urban parents, the largest and most diverse data yet, to describe the nature of informal work in the United States. Informal work is pervasive and widespread across demographic characteristics. Approximately 51 percent of urban fathers and 28 percent of urban mothers of young children pursue informal work over a five-year period. Individuals transition in and out of short, intense bouts of informal work. Conditional on participating, men work in the informal sector an average of 22 hours in a usual week (20 for women) and an average of 18 weeks during the year (18 for women).

What is Leisure for Turkish Parents?

In shaping individual's perceptions, attitudes, and participation in leisure, culture has an important role. While Turkish society is undergoing rapid social change from being traditional to modern, it still carries characteristics of traditional norms and values even in urban families. Study explored the role of interdependence within 65 Turkish urban parents’ perceptions and participations for leisure. Descriptive analyze was used. Findings indicated that they perceived leisure spending time with family, valued leisure in their social circles and participated in some home-centered activities.

Tweeting About Testing: Do Low‐Income, Parenting Adolescents And Young Adults Use New Media Technologies To Communicate About Sexual Health?

Little research exists about adolescents' and young adults' use of new media technologies to communicate about sexual health. Understanding how young people at high risk for STDs use these technologies can inform media-based interventions. Between October 2010 and March 2011, a sample of 94 low-income, parenting adolescents and young adults recruited at clinics in Connecticut completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview about their use of media technologies, communication with friends about sexual health and willingness to use media technologies for such communication. Descriptive statistics were calculated; characteristics of those willing and those unwilling to communicate were compared in chi-square, t and Mann-Whitney tests. Ninety-three percent of participants had mobile phones; 71% used Facebook regularly. Participants discussed sexual health more often with close friends than with casual friends, and preferred to have such conversations in person (71% with close friends and 68% with casual friends), over the phone (52% and 45%) or via text message (30% and 28%), rather than through social networking sites (0-9% and 2-7%). Fewer than one-third reported being willing to share sexual health information with friends through a specific new media technology. Those who were willing were predominantly black (59%); of those who were unwilling, 51% were Latino. Condom self-efficacy, STD knowledge and number of Facebook friends were greater among those who were willing than among those who were unwilling. For conversations about sexual health, young urban parents prefer private forms of communication; thus, social networking sites may not aid STD interventions.

Do Thai parents really know about the sexual risk taking of their children? A qualitative study in Bangkok

This qualitative study explores the perceptions of parents and adolescents toward sexual risk-taking behaviors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 parents and 30 adolescents (aged 13-14 years) in Bangkok, and were analyzed by using coding and thematic analysis. The results showed that although parents generally believed that Thai teens begin to have sex at an early age and engage in sexual risk-taking behaviors, they trusted that their teens would follow parental guidance and rules and not engage in sexual activity at this age. Most of the Thai teens reported that their parents were not really aware of their sexual behaviors because of their tendency to keep their sexual stories secret for fear of being scolded, blamed, and punished. The teens also reported that they wanted their parents to listen, give them warmth and more freedom, and be more in touch with their activities. Parents expressed their need for knowledge and skills so that they could help guide their adolescent children to avoid sexual risk-taking behaviors. A family intervention specifically aimed at empowering Thai urban parents is needed.

African American Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives on Urban Education: An Exploration at an HBCU

This paper aims to better understand African American pre-service teachers’ perspectives on urban education. Over a 2-year period, pre-experience and post-experience surveys were conducted at a Historically Black University (HBCU) after pre-service teachers completed an urban education immersion course in order to frame their understanding of perspectives on urban education. Ultimately, the results indicate that the African American pre-service teachers’ perceptions of urban teachers, urban administrators, and a career in urban education were statistically more positive after the immersion course, but their views of urban parents became more negative. These results provide further implications for teacher education programs.

Erratum to “Parent management training, relationships with agency staff, and child mental health: Urban foster parents' perspectives” [Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 33 (2011) 2366–2374

Erratum to “Parent management training, relationships with agency staff, and child mental health: Urban foster parents' perspectives” [Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 33 (2011) 2366–2374

Urban African American Parents' Messages about Violence: A Mixed Methods Study.

Family socialization, which includes parental control and support, plays an important role in reducing the likelihood of adolescent involvement in conflict. This study examined the strategies that urban parents living in neighborhoods with high crime rates suggest to help their adolescent children avoid or deescalate conflict. Data come from 48 African American parent/adolescent dyads recruited through the youths' middle school. Dyads responded to three video-taped scenarios depicting youth in potential conflict situations. Qualitative methods were used to identify 11 strategies parents suggested to help youth avoid or deescalate conflict. Although the majority of parents advocated for non-violent solutions, these same parents described situations in which their child may need to use violence. These findings have important implications for family-focused violence prevention programs.

Effect of a Text Messaging Intervention on Influenza Vaccination in an Urban, Low-Income Pediatric and Adolescent Population

Influenza infection results in substantial costs, morbidity, and mortality. Vaccination against influenza is particularly important in children and adolescents who are a significant source of transmission to other high-risk populations, yet pediatric and adolescent vaccine coverage remains low. Traditional vaccine reminders have had a limited effect on low-income populations; however, text messaging is a novel, scalable approach to promote influenza vaccination. To evaluate targeted text message reminders for low-income, urban parents to promote receipt of influenza vaccination among children and adolescents. Randomized controlled trial of 9213 children and adolescents aged 6 months to 18 years receiving care at 4 community-based clinics in the United States during the 2010-2011 influenza season. Of the 9213 children and adolescents, 7574 had not received influenza vaccine prior to the intervention start date and were included in the primary analysis. Parents of children assigned to the intervention received up to 5 weekly immunization registry-linked text messages providing educational information and instructions regarding Saturday clinics. Both the intervention and usual care groups received the usual care, an automated telephone reminder, and access to informational flyers posted at the study sites. Receipt of an influenza vaccine dose recorded in the immunization registry via an electronic health record by March 31, 2011. Receipt was secondarily assessed at an earlier fall review date prior to typical widespread influenza activity. Study children and adolescents were primarily minority, 88% were publicly insured, and 58% were from Spanish-speaking families. As of March 31, 2011, a higher proportion of children and adolescents in the intervention group (43.6%; n = 1653) compared with the usual care group (39.9%; n = 1509) had received influenza vaccine (difference, 3.7% [95% CI, 1.5%-5.9%]; relative rate ratio [RRR], 1.09 [95% CI, 1.04-1.15]; P = .001). At the fall review date, 27.1% (n = 1026) of the intervention group compared with 22.8% (n = 864) of the usual care group had received influenza vaccine (difference, 4.3% [95% CI, 2.3%-6.3%]; RRR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.10-1.28]; P < .001). Among children and adolescents in a low-income, urban population, a text messaging intervention compared with usual care was associated with an increased rate of influenza vaccination. However, the overall influenza vaccination rate remained low. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01146912.

Antecedents of Chinese Parents’ Autonomy Support and Psychological Control: The Interplay Between Parents’ Self-Development Socialization Goals and Adolescents’ School Performance

Despite ample evidence for the benefits of parental autonomy support and the harms of parental psychological control to Chinese adolescents' well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents' endorsement of self-development socialization goals (i.e., regarding a positive sense of self in terms of holding optimistic attitudes toward oneself, feeling autonomous in one's actions, and establishing one's independence from others, as important for adolescents to develop) and adolescents' school performance may interact to predict parental autonomy support and psychological control in urban China. Three hundred and forty-one Chinese seventh graders (mean age = 13.30 years, 58 % female) and their parents (186 mothers and 155 fathers) participated. Parents reported on their own and their spouses' endorsement of self-development socialization goals; adolescents reported on parental autonomy support and psychological control; and adolescents' grades were obtained from school records. Significant interactions were found between parents' socialization goals and adolescents' grades in predicting parenting behaviors. When adolescents were doing well at school, the stronger parents' endorsement of self-development socialization goals, the greater their autonomy support and the lesser their psychological control; when adolescents were doing poorly at school, regardless of parents' socialization goals, their autonomy support was relatively low and their psychological control was relatively high. These findings highlight a tension between parental concerns over adolescents' self-development and academic success, which needs to be resolved to promote autonomy support and prevent psychological control among urban Chinese parents.

Outdoor Light at Night (LAN) Is Correlated With Eveningness in Adolescents

External zeitgebers synchronize the human circadian rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. Humans adapt their chronotype to the day-night cycle, the strongest external zeitgeber. The human circadian rhythm shifts to evening-type orientation when daylight is prolonged into the evening and night hours by artificial light sources. Data from a survey of 1507 German adolescents covering questions about chronotype and electronic screen media use combined with nocturnal satellite image data suggest a relationship between chronotype and artificial nocturnal light. Adolescents living in brightly illuminated urban districts had a stronger evening-type orientation than adolescents living in darker and more rural municipalities. This result persisted when controlling for time use of electronic screen media, intake of stimulants, type of school, age, puberty status, time of sunrise, sex, and population density. Time spent on electronic screen media use—a source of indoor light at night—is also correlated with eveningness, as well as intake of stimulants, age, and puberty status, and, to a lesser degree, type of school and time of sunrise. Adequate urban development design and parents limiting adolescents' electronic screen media use in the evening could help to adjust adolescents' zeitgeber to early school schedules when they provide appropriate lighting conditions for daytime and for nighttime. (Author correspondence: vollmer@ph-heidelberg.de)

Exploring Parents’ and Teachers’ Views of Primary Pupils’ Thinking Skills and Problem Solving Skills

This article is based on a descriptive study using survey method and focus group interviews. Thinking skills and problem solving skills are vital for pupils in their daily lives and facing their future challenges. Therefore, parents and teachers play an important role in nurturing these skills among pupils. The objective of the study is to explore parents’ and teachers’ views of pupils’ thinking skills and problem solving skills according to locations of the school (urban and rural). This study also explores parents’ and teachers’ suggestions to enhance pupils’ thinking skills and problem solving skills. The sample consists of 302 parents of the pupils and 104 teachers who are teaching Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6. The quantitative data for the research was collected using questionnaires which were developed by the researchers. Each set of questionnaire consists of 23 items. While the qualitative data was collected through the focus group interview method among parents and teachers to get their suggestions on how to enhance pupils’ thinking skills and problem solving skills. The findings show that the urban parents’ views of children’s thinking skills and problem solving skills is significantly higher than those from the rural. The results also indicate that there is no significant difference between the urban school teachers’ and the rural school teachers’ views of pupils’ thinking skills and problem solving skills. Findings from the focus group interviews show that most parents engage their children in hands on activities at home to enhance their thinking skills and problem solving skills. On the other hand, teachers encourage active participation of pupils in co-curricular activities to enhance pupils’ thinking skills and problem solving skills.

Awareness and Attitude of Parents towards Adolescence Education in Secondary Schools

The present study seeks to examine to what extent parents inhibit the institutionalization of Adolescence Education in secondary schools of Orissa. The teachers’ awareness and attitude towards the subject in relation to their gender, area, faculty and qualification have been examined in this study along with the inter-correlation between awareness and attitude in respect of teachers by gender, area, age and qualification. The participants in this descriptive survey consisted of 210 parents drawn by following stratified random sampling procedure. The findings of the study are: Fathers are better aware compared to mothers and rural parents are better aware compared to their urban counterparts in terms of Adolescence Education. Parents with graduation and post-graduation distinguish themselves in terms of awareness compared to parents having below higher secondary certificate (H.S.C.) and above H.S.C. qualification. The distinction between parents with below H.S.C. qualification and above H.S.C. qualification is negligent. Fathers and mothers do not differ in their attitude towards Adolescence Education and urban parents demonstrate superior attitude towards Adolescence Education compared to their rural counterparts. Parents with graduation and post-graduation qualification demonstrate better attitudinal dis-position compared to the parents with lower qualification. Urban parents show better attitude and higher the qualification of parents, higher is their awareness as well as attitude towards Adolescence Education.

Social status, values, and support for reform in education

Using a survey of Ohio and Indiana residents, we analyze the extent to which public support for school vouchers and school finance reform is structured by the same socioeconomic interests and values (equality, humanitarianism, individualism, and limited government) as is public support for contentious welfare policies. Disadvantaged individuals and individuals who live in disadvantaged communities are more likely to support vouchers but social status has a more ambiguous influence on support for finance reform. Values cannot explain the effect of social status on support for these education policies, but they exert independent effects. We speculate that disadvantaged individuals are more likely to see vouchers as in their interests than are advantaged individuals because voucher advocates have allied themselves with social movements and organizations representing clear constituencies (religious conservatives, low-income urban parents). On the other hand, we suggest that finance reform is more of an abstract issue because its advocates have mostly concentrated on intragovernmental litigation, and thus cleavages based on social status tend to be more obscured.

Factors affecting children's oral health: perceptions among Latino parents

The objective of this study is to understand factors that influence the oral health-related behaviors of Latino children, as reported by their parents. Focus groups and in-depth interviews assessed parental perceptions, experiences, attributions, and beliefs regarding their children's oral health. Guiding questions focused on a) the participant's child dental experiences; b) the impact of dental problems on the child's daily activities, emotions, self-esteem; c) parental experiences coping with child's dental problems; and d) hygienic and dietary habits. Participants were purposively sampled from dental clinics and public schools with a high concentration of Latinos; 92 urban low-income Latino Spanish-speaking parents participated. Transcriptions of the audio files were thematically analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Parents' explanations of their children's dental experiences were categorized under the following themes: caries and diet, access to dental care, migration experiences, and routines. Findings revealed fundamental multilevel (i.e., individual/child, family, and community) factors that are important to consider for future interventions to reduce oral health disparities: behaviors leading to caries, parental knowledge about optimal oral health, access to sugary foods within the living environment and to fluoridated water as well as barriers to oral health care such as lack of health insurance or limited health insurance coverage, among others.

Parent management training, relationships with agency staff, and child mental health: Urban foster parents' perspectives

Many foster parents are ill prepared to meet the behavioral needs of children placed in their homes. Research suggests they lack training in evidence-based behavioral interventions and feel unsupported by child welfare professionals. Given the complex needs of foster children and increased rates of placement disruption for foster children with behavior problems, implementation of effective interventions is essential. However, little is known about foster parents' receptivity to these types of interventions. In this qualitative study, we examine urban foster parents' perceptions of the specific elements of parent management training (PMT), an evidence-based treatment for disruptive behaviors that teaches parents to improve desired behaviors and decrease oppositional behaviors by rewarding positive behaviors (positive reinforcement) and responding to negative behaviors with mild, consistent punishments such as timeout or a privilege removal. We present data from four focus groups (N = 38). While the questions focused on parent's perceptions of PMT, responses often related to parent interactions with agency staff. Four strong themes emerged from the data. First, foster parents discussed a need for more support and training in how to address children's behaviors, but also had concerns that some PMT discipline techniques would be ineffective based on their past experiences with foster children. Second, they described how staff communication skills and allegations of child abuse could affect parents' motivation to continue fostering. Third, they expressed a need for more detailed information about children's histories and visits with biological families as the lack of information contributed to difficulty in meeting foster children's needs. They suggested that joint training of foster parents and staff in the intervention could improve their ability to work together to support the child's positive behaviors. Finally, parents reported little involvement in child mental health services and doubted the effectiveness of the mental health services their foster children received.

Gender Bias as Correlate of Parenting

The present study was undertaken to find gender bias in parenting patterns used by urban Punjabi parents on their children. A sample of 300 families (300 fathers and 300 mothers) were randomly selected from Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Patiala cities of Punjab 'Socio-Economic Status Scale' and 'Multi-Dimensional Parenting Scale' were used as quantitative measures. Significant gender differences were found in parenting patterns of urban Punjabi parents. Mothers were found to be more loving, encouraging, accepting, and progressing towards sons as compared to daughters. They were using all the negative dimensions of parenting with more intensity on daughters as compared to sons. They were more hating, rejecting, authoritarian, discouraging, and conservative towards their daughters. They also encouraged submissiveness and dependency in daughters as compared to sons. Whereas, fathers were using the similar positive dimensions on both sons and daughters. They were also using similar negative dimensions except conservatism, as they were found to be more conservative towards their daughters as compared to sons.

Predicting Parental Home and School Involvement in High School African American Adolescents

Predictors of parental home and school involvement for high school adolescents were examined within two groups of urban African American parents from various socioeconomic levels. Home involvement was defined as parent-adolescent communication about school and learning, while school involvement was defined in terms of parent attendance and participation in school events. Parental demographic variables, educational aspirations for their adolescents, and perceptions of teacher support were examined to determine how they predicted home and school involvement. In the first group, comprised of generally lower socioeconomic parents, educational aspirations predicted home involvement while educational aspirations, parent education, and perceived teacher support predicted school involvement. For the second group, composed of generally higher socioeconomic parents, educational aspirations and perceived teacher support predicted home involvement. Surprisingly, none of the context variables significantly predicted school involvement in African American parents from higher socioeconomic levels. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Urban Parents’ Perceptions of Healthy Infant Growth

To examine how urban parents' perceptions of healthy infant size and growth relate to objective weight-for-length percentiles of their children, parents of 222 (69% minority) 6- to 27-month-old infants were surveyed. In all, 41% of parents said growth charts had never been explained to them, and 31% were not confident they understood the meaning of chart percentiles. A total of 20% of parents preferred their child weigh ≥75th percentile, and these children had higher mean weight-for-length percentiles than their peers (P = .05). Similarly, 37% of parents agreed that "a chubby baby is a healthy baby," and these children had higher mean weight-for-length percentiles than others in the cohort ( P = .02). Additionally, 58% of parents ranked a growth curve with consistent growth at the 10th percentile as the "least healthy" of 6 infant growth curves. Growth charts are not consistently explained to or understood by urban parents, and many prefer early life growth patterns associated with later obesity.

Use of a parent management training intervention with urban foster parents: A pilot study

The development of effective interventions for foster children with behavior problems is essential given the consequences of behavior problems for children's placement stability and permanency outcomes. This article presents findings from a pilot study of an intervention providing parent management training (PMT) and support to foster parents in groups and home visits. The intervention was an adaptation of the KEEP (Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported) group intervention, provided in a large urban child welfare agency serving predominantly African American foster parents. The study used an intent-to-treat design, with 25 foster parents of 31 children (ages 4–12) in specialized foster care assigned to either an intervention or treatment as usual control group. Longitudinal outcomes were analyzed using random effect regression models. Over time, children's behavior problems were significantly lower in the intervention group relative to the control group, and the effect of the intervention was partially mediated by parents' understanding of how to appropriately use the intervention parenting skills. These results provide support for the effectiveness of KEEP with urban foster children with significant behavior problems.

Neighborhood Effects and Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence: Latest Results

Neighborhood Effects and Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence: Latest Results