The determinants of young adult social well-being and health (DASH) study: the influence of parenting and religious involvement on mental health

OBJECTIVE: The DASH longitudinal study found better mental health for ethnic minorities compared to White British adolescents in the UK, despite more disadvantage. This paper investigates the impact of parenting style and attendance at a place of worship on mental well-being from adolescence to young adulthood. DESIGN AND METHODS: In 2002/03, 6643 11-13 year olds in London, ~80% ethnic minorities, participated in the baseline survey. In 2005/06 4,782 were followed-up. In 2012-14 665 took part in a pilot follow-up aged 21-23y, including 42 qualitative interviews. Measures of socio- economic and psychosocial factors and health were collected. RESULTS: In adolescence, ethnic minorities generally experienced more adversity but reported better mental health. Regardless of ethnicity, low parental care vs. high parental care (e.g. males coefficient: 1.32, 95% confidence interval 0.94-1.70), high parental control vs. low parental control (males: 1.37, 1.00-1.74), and attendance to a place of worship vs. no attendance were independently associated with mental health. At 21-23y, the ethnic patterning of mental health appeared to track, with increasing parental care, but not religious involvement, continuing to have a protective effect on mental health. Education levels signalled potential for socio-economic parity across ethnic groups, and family support appeared to reduce stress of transitions to adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: DASH provides evidence for a protective effect from parenting styles and religious involvement for young people growing up in ethnically diverse and deprived urban contexts. This suggests the value of cultural and social resources for psychological well- being.

A parenting intervention delivered at routine primary health visits improved child cognitive development and parenting knowledge

OBJECTIVE: Several agencies have recommended integrating early child development interventions with health services. We developed and evaluated a parent training programme integrated into primary health visits. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cluster randomised trial conducted in Jamaica, Antigua and St Lucia with health centre as the unit of randomization. Fifteen centres were randomised to control (n=250 mother-child pairs) and 14 to intervention (n=251). Participants were recruited at the 6-8 week child health visit. Intervention was provided at routine health visits from age 3-18 months and comprised short films of child development messages followed by discussion and demonstration led by community health workers, and mothers’ practice of activities. Nurses distributed message cards and a few play materials. Primary outcomes were child development, measured 2 weeks after the 18 month visit, with the Griffiths Mental Development Scales and the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). RESULTS: 85% of enrolled children were tested (control = 210; intervention=216). Loss did not differ by group. Multilevel analyses showed significant intervention benefits for cognitive development, (3.09 points; 95% CI 1.31, 4.87), effect size 0.30 SD. There were no benefits to language or hand and eye subscales, or CDI vocabulary score. Of six secondary outcomes there was a significant benefit to parenting knowledge, treatment effect 1.59 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.17), effect size 0.40. CONCLUSION: An innovative parenting intervention, requiring no additional clinic staff or mothers’ time, can be integrated into health services, with benefits to cognitive development and parent knowledge.

Parenting styles: a critical predictor of youth offending

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between parenting styles and youth offending. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used to collected data from youth in two secondary schools in east Trinidad, and from two penal institutions that housed male and female adolescents respectively. Independent variables were parenting styles, age, gender, area of residence, the amount of children in the home, and educational level of the parents. The dependent variable was offending status. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of offending. RESULTS: Of 182 participants, 120 (65.9%) were non-offenders, and 62 (34.1%) were offenders. Among non-offenders there were more females (52.5%), whereas in the offenders group there were more males (87.1%). Overall, offenders were older (16.7ñ1.0 vs 15.2ñ1.4 yrs) and for every year increase in age the risk of offending increased by 126%. Every additional child in the household increased the risk of offending by 33%. Participants from the North/West part of the Island were 4.47 times more likely to engage in offending. Participants from the South/Central part of the Island were 7.66 times more likely to be offenders. Non-offenders had more parents attaining tertiary level education. CONCLUSION: The data gathered established an association between parenting styles and youth offending. There was also an association between age of the adolescent, gender, area of residence, number of children in the home and the educational level of the parents with offending.

The impact of domestic violence on children in Trinidad and Tobago

Using document analysis and discourse analysis approaches, this study addresses the impact of domestic violence on children in Trinidad and Tobago. With the growing incidence of domestic violence in the country, much attention has been given to the primary parties involved in the abuse - the abused woman and the perpetrator while very little attention has been given to the children witnessing it. The experience of the authors as clinicians, brought us into contact with children who suffer tremendously in these situations and heightened our awareness of the absence of scholarly inquiry on this phenomenon. This inquiry is intended to highlight the telling impact that domestic violence has on children. In addition, we highlight the perceptions of therapists who work with children and families about the adequacy of the services available to this population in Trinidad and Tobago (AU)

Behaviour and development of stunted and nonstunted Jamaican children

In order to examine the mechanism whereby stunted children have poor developmental levels, we compared the behaviour of stunted (N = 78) and nonstunted (N = 26) children aged 12 to 24 months, and examined the relationship of their behaviour to their developmental levels. The effect of nutritional supplementation with or without psychosocial stimulation on the stunted children's behaviour was also examined. The children were observed at home during 4 days over a period of 6 months. The children significantly showed more apathy, and less enthusiasm and variety in exploring, were less happy and more fussy. Caretakers' vocalisations to them were less warm or instructive. Stunted children's activity level, exploratory and happy behaviours were predictive of change in developmental levels measured on the Griffiths Scales, from enrolment to 12 and 24 months later. Supplementation predicted mental age at 12 and 24 months later enrolment, however, it had no significant effect on behaviour (Au)

The impact of parenting on conduct disorder in Jamaican male adolescents

The present study examined the feasibility of using a new theoretical model to determine the association between parenting factors and conduct disorder in Jamaican male adolescents. The issues are discussed within the framework of family, peer group, and biological factors associated with conduct disorder.(Au)

Risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency in males

This case-control study was designed to determine the variables associated with juvenile delinquency. It was carried out at Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Institute in St. Ann, and Penwood Secondary School in St. Andrew Jamaica during March 28 - April 28, 1995. Sixty five juvenile delinquents between the ages of 12 - 18 were interviewed from the correctional institution out of a population of seventy one; six delinquents refused to be interviewed. Sixty five controls were randomly chosen and interviewed from a population of 140 boys in grades 9 - 11 at Penwood Secondary school with ages between 12 - 18 years. In all 130 boys were selected for the study. The risk factors associated with juvenile delinquencies in Jamaica are: being born to a teenage mother, absence of a father, inappropriate child rearing practices, violence in community and home, abuse and neglect, poverty, and drug use and abuse including alcohol. The most frequent crimes committed by juvenile delinquents are crimes of high aggressiveness: wounding and aggravated robbery; the second most frequent crimes committed are those related to larceny. Reasons for committing these crimes range from "I don't know why" to influenced by friends/gang which was most common (26.2 percent). The second most common reason was for the want of money (23.1 percent), and thirdly for self defense (19.9 percent). The mean age of offenders was 16.25 years. In order to reduce the prevalence of juvenile delinquency, the above stated risk factors must be dealth with. A multifaceted intervention strategy is needed to deal with adolescent health, family life, conflict resolution programmes, economic policies, social policies, peer pressure and education. (AU)

Study of the factors associated with the development of conduct disorder in Jamaican male adolescents

Using an adapted multi-dimensional etiological model examines some of the factors which are said to contribute to the development of conduct disorder in adolescence. Three hypotheses which postulates specific relationships among the incidence of conduct disorder and three major factors (family, peer group and biological factors), were used to test the credibility of the model. The model was tested with black male adolescents in Kingston, Jamaica. Findings indicate that two of the three hypotheses are supported, i.e. there seemed to be some association between family factors and the presence of conduct disorder, little association with severity of conduct disorder; however there seemed to be significant association between peer group factors, specifically with peer group relations and the severity of conduct disorder; but there there appeared to be no association between biological factors and the presence or severity of conduct disorder. It therefore appears that the several factors thought to contribute to delinquency do not seem to operate with the same force in terms of the presence and severity of conduct disorder. Concludes that it may be possible to isolate one or more sets of factors which seem to be more influential in the development of juvenile delinquency; suggests that social policy makers look in some depth at specific family factors identified from study (absence of mother, low contact with mother, number of changes in living arrangements, and the presence of a negative parental role) which are associated with this disorder in order to develop preventive social policy initiatives. (AU)

Challenges in parenting as it relates to health

Parenting should not only be seen as the mother raising the child as is the tradition, but the role of the father should also be emphasized. Various health problems arising in both mother and child are discussed especially those occuring in disabled children and teenage mothers. It is important to realize that the family is of prime significance for national planning and that population growth is of importance at any stage of social or economic planning. We as health workers should therefore ensure that information about family planning and fertility control is available and easily accesible