Racialization processes and depressive symptoms among pregnant Mexican-origin immigrant women.

This study examines how racialization processes (conceptualized as multilevel and dynamic processes) shape prenatal mental health by testing the association of discrimination and the John Henryism hypothesis on depressive symptoms for pregnant Mexican-origin immigrant women. We analyzed baseline data (n = 218) from a healthy lifestyle intervention for pregnant Latinas in Detroit, Michigan. Using separate multiple linear regression models, we examined the independent and joint associations of discrimination and John Henryism with depressive symptoms and effect modification by socioeconomic position. Discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms (ß = 2.84; p < .001) when adjusting for covariates. This association did not vary by socioeconomic position. Women primarily attributed discrimination to language use, racial background, and nativity. We did not find support for the John Henryism hypothesis, meaning that the hypothesized association between John Henryism and depressive symptoms did not vary by socioeconomic position. Examinations of joint associations of discrimination and John Henryism on depressive symptoms indicate a positive association between discrimination and depressive symptoms (ß = 2.81; p < .001) and no association of John Henryism and depressive symptoms (ß = -0.83; p > .05). Results suggest complex pathways by which racialization processes affect health and highlight the importance of considering experiences of race, class, and gender within racialization processes.

Efficacy to avoid violence and parenting: A moderated mediation of violence exposure for African American urban-dwelling boys.

We took a risk and resilience approach to investigating how witnessing physical violence influences adolescent violent behaviors overtime. We proposed efficacy to avoid violence as a major path of influence in this negative trajectory of adolescent development. We also focus on the protective roles of parenting behaviors for African American boys living in disadvantaged contexts. Most of our sample of 310 African American adolescent males (M age = 13.50, SD = .620) had experienced significant amounts of violence, but they also reported continued efficacy to avoid violence. We tested a first stage dual moderated mediation model and found that higher levels of witnessing violence lead to more violent behavior and less efficacy to avoid violence, and that efficacy was the mediator in that link. Youth who witness more violence may feel that engagement in violence is inescapable and thus may themselves end up engaging in it. These problematic long-term trajectories were moderated by parent's communication about violence and monitoring revealing possible protections for youth, and an enhancement of youths' internal strengths. Our findings propose pathways that can inform interventions that may protect African American adolescent boys against the vicious cycle of exposure to, and acts of, violence.

Ethnic-racial Socialization, Perceived Neighborhood Quality, and Psychosocial Adjustment among African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents.

Ethnic-racial socialization is employed by ethnic minority parents to support their children's psychosocial adjustment. These socialization messages may be associated differently with psychosocial adjustment for Black youth according to ethnicity and qualities of the neighborhood context. This research examined whether associations between ethnic-racial socialization messages and psychosocial adjustment vary by ethnicity and perceived neighborhood quality in a nationally representative sample of Black adolescents who participated in the National Survey of American Life Adolescent supplement study. The effects of promotion of mistrust messages varied by ethnicity, and the effects of egalitarianism messages varied depending on perceived neighborhood quality. These findings help clarify prior research which has yielded equivocal results for the effects of these messages for Black youth's psychosocial adjustment.

Mediating role of self-esteem: Black Caribbean and African American adolescents' initiation of sex.

To determine how self-esteem mediates the relationship between family support and initiation of sex for US-born Black Caribbean compared to African American adolescents. Secondary data analyses were performed on responses from 1170 adolescents from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescents supplement (2003-2004). Weighted descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine whether initiation of sex on perceived family support is mediated by self-esteem. The study population consists of 360 Black Caribbean and 810 African American adolescents. Sexual initiation prevalence was higher for Black Caribbean adolescents (42.1%) than African American adolescents (36.75%). The adjusted odds ratio for Black Caribbean adolescents' initiation of sex was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-4.51) compared to African American adolescents' 0.59 (95% CI: 0.35-1.00). Self-esteem represented a statistically significant mediation path and might be more important for African American adolescents' sexual health than the Black Caribbean. The unfounded mediating role of self-esteem between perceived family support and Black Caribbean adolescents' sexual initiation suggests possible influences of Black heterogeneity stemming from ethnic identity differences in sexual health decision-making.

Examining contextual and relational factors influencing perceptions of societal and interpersonal mattering among rural youth.

Researchers have shown that interpersonal and societal mattering have important implications for adolescent development. Yet, few researchers have focused on what predicts mattering, particularly societal mattering, and even fewer have studied mattering among rural youth. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore how perceived contextual and relationship factors affect rural youths' perceptions of societal and interpersonal mattering. Participants for this study were 381 middle school youth from two rural school districts in Michigan. Using structural equation modeling, we found that more positive perceptions regarding opportunities for youth involvement, availability of community resources, student input in decision-making at school, and support for autonomy at school were associated with greater perceptions of societal mattering. In addition, greater support from friends, higher quality parent-child communication, and more parental involvement were associated with a greater sense of interpersonal mattering. This study identifies important relational and contextual factors that can be enhanced in an effort to foster greater perceptions of interpersonal and societal mattering among rural youth, and ultimately help us to promote positive youth development.

Risk and protective family factors during childhood on youth violence among African American males: The role of mothers and nonresident fathers.

African American male youth experience disproportionately higher levels of violence. We examined parental depression among African American mothers and nonresident fathers on parenting stress and school involvement in their adolescent sons' school connectedness and violent behaviors. Using a longitudinal study design, parent factors were assessed when sons were 9 years old on youth outcomes at age 15. We found that maternal depression was associated with maternal stress, and maternal stress was indirectly associated with sons' violent behaviors through school connectedness. School involvement among nonresident fathers was positively associated with sons' school connectedness, which was linked to less youth violent behaviors. Maternal stress and nonresident fathers' school involvement are influential for understanding youth violence. Future interventions should incorporate a more nuanced approach when including family factors.

Psychological pathway from racial discrimination to the physical consequences of alcohol consumption: Religious coping as a protective factor.

While racial discrimination (RD) is associated with increased alcohol-related problems among African Americans (AAs), researchers have not examined how RD contributes to the physical consequences of alcohol consumption over time. In addition, the protective role of religious coping has been discussed but not formally tested in pathways connecting RD to the physical consequences of alcohol consumption. To address this gap, we estimated latent growth mediation models in a sample of 465 AA emerging adults. We found that RD increased physical consequences of alcohol consumption over time through psychological distress. After identifying two profiles of religious coping (i.e., low and high religious coping), RD indirectly influenced the physical consequences of alcohol consumption through psychological distress among AAs in the low religious coping group. Our results signal the importance of developing alcohol-misuse prevention programs that address the psychological consequences of RD. Integrating culturally tailored coping strategies (e.g., religious coping) may bolster the efficacy of these prevention programs.

Blacks' Diminished Health Return of Family Structure and Socioeconomic Status; 15 Years of Follow-up of a National Urban Sample of Youth.

The protective effect of family structure and socioeconomic status (SES) on physical and mental health is well established. There are reports, however, documenting a smaller return of SES among Blacks compared to Whites, also known as Blacks' diminished return. Using a national sample, this study investigated race by gender differences in the effects of family structure and family SES on subsequent body mass index (BMI) over a 15-year period. This 15-year longitudinal study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), in-home survey. This study followed 1781 youth from birth to age 15. The sample was composed of White males (n = 241, 13.5%), White females (n = 224, 12.6%), Black males (n = 667, 37.5%), and Black females (n = 649, 36.4%). Family structure and family SES (maternal education and income to need ratio) at birth were the independent variables. BMI at age 15 was the outcome. Race and gender were the moderators. Linear regression models were run in the pooled sample, in addition to race by gender groups. In the pooled sample, married parents, more maternal education, and income to need ratio were all protective against high BMI of youth at 15 years of age. Race interacted with family structure, maternal education, and income to need ratio on BMI, indicating smaller effects for Blacks compared to Whites. Gender did not interact with SES indicators on BMI. Race by gender stratified regressions showed the most consistent associations between family SES and future BMI for White females followed by White males. Family structure, maternal education, and income to need ratio were not associated with lower BMI in Black males or females. The health gain received from family economic resources over time is smaller for male and female Black youth than for male and female White youth. Equalizing access to economic resources may not be enough to eliminate health disparities in obesity. Policies should address qualitative differences in the lives of Whites and Blacks which result in diminished health returns with similar SES resources. Policies should address structural and societal barriers that hold Blacks against translation of their SES resources to health outcomes.

"I think that's all a lie I think It's genocide": Applying a Critical Race Praxis to Youth Perceptions of Flint Water Contamination.

Background: In April 2014, the emergency manager of Flint, Michigan switched the city's water supplier from Detroit's water department to the Flint River. The change in water source resulted in the Flint Water Crisis (FWC) in which lead (Pb) from the city's network of old pipes leached into residents' tap water. Residents of Flint reported concerns about the water to officials; however, the concerns were ignored for more than a year. Objective: This study sought to understand how Black youth in Flint conceptualize, interpret, and respond to racism they perceive as part of the normal bureaucracy contributing to the FWC. Methods: In 2016, we conducted four community forums with Flint youth aged 13 to 17 years. Sixty-eight youth participated with 93% self-identifying as Black. Participants completed a brief survey. We audio-recorded the forums and transcribed them verbatim. Critical Race Theory (CRT) guided the development of the interview protocol and Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP) served as an interpretive framework during qualitative data analysis. Content analyses were completed using software. Results: Many youth viewed the FWC through a racially conscious frame. They described Flint as a Black city where historical and contemporary forms of racial stratification persist. Some described the contamination of the city's water as a form of genocide targeting Blacks. Conclusions: The findings from this exploratory study suggest some Black youth in Flint have difficulty coping with the FWC. Those who perceive it through a racial frame attribute the crisis to racism. They feel distressed about this and other traumas (eg, failure to address high rates of crime) they perceived as racism-related. Future research should examine the implications for specific mental health outcomes among youth.

Organized Activity Participation and Relational Aggression: The Role of Positive Youth Development.

Relational aggression among early adolescents is a pervasive problem that negatively influences the health and well-being of youth. Strength-based approaches such as positive youth development (PYD) are a promising way to reduce risk of detrimental outcomes such as relational aggression. Participation in organized activities is a key way that youth build assets related to PYD. Yet, few researchers have examined empirically assets related to PYD as a mechanism by which organized activity participation may help reduce risk of relational aggression. In this study, we used structural equation modeling to investigate if assets associated with PYD mediate the relationship between organized activity participation and relational aggression using survey data from a diverse, school-based sample of early adolescents (N = 196; mean age = 12.39 years; SD = 0.52; 60% female; 45% African American, 27% White, 21% multiracial, and 7% other, 71% economically disadvantaged). We tested 2 competing models, 1 with decomposed PYD factors and 1 with an integrated PYD factor. Our results suggest that PYD better fit as an integrated versus decomposed construct, providing support for the notion that youth benefit most from assets related to PYD when they operate collectively. Our results also provide support for PYD-related factors as a mechanism by which participation may reduce risk of relational aggression. Limitations of this study, and implications for prevention are discussed.

Meaning-based coping, chronic conditions and quality of life in advanced cancer & caregiving.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between the number of co-existing health problems (patient comorbidities and caregiver chronic conditions) and quality of life (QOL) among patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers and assessed the mediating and moderating role of meaning-based coping on that relationship. METHODS: Data came from patients with advanced cancers (breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate) and their family caregivers (N = 484 dyads). Study hypotheses were examined with structural equation modeling using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model. Bootstrapping and model constraints were used to test indirect effects suggested by the mediation models. An interaction term was added to the standard actor-partner interdependence model to test for moderation effects. RESULTS: More patient comorbidities were associated with lower patient QOL. More caregiver chronic conditions were associated with lower patient and caregiver QOL. Patient comorbidities and caregiver chronic conditions had a negative influence on caregiver meaning-based coping but no significant influence on patient meaning based coping. Caregiver meaning-based coping mediated relationships between patient comorbidities and caregiver health conditions and patient and caregiver QOL. No significant moderating effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the severity of advanced cancer for patients and caregivers, the co-existing health problems of one member of the dyad have the potential to directly or indirectly affect the wellbeing of the other. Future research should consider how the number of patient comorbidities and caregiver chronic conditions, as well as the ability of patients and caregivers to manage those conditions, influences their meaning-based coping and wellbeing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The influence of dyadic symptom distress on threat appraisals and self-efficacy in advanced cancer and caregiving.

PURPOSE: Physical and psychological symptoms experienced by patients with advanced cancer influence their well-being; how patient and family caregiver symptom distress influence each other's well-being is less understood. This study examined the influence of patient and caregiver symptom distress on their threat appraisals and self-efficacy to cope with cancer. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from an RCT that enrolled patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers (N = 484 dyads). Structural equation modeling and the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) were used to examine two models: threat appraisals as a mediator of the relationship between symptom distress and individual and family-related self-efficacy; and, self-efficacy (individual and family dimensions) as mediators of the relationship between symptom distress and threat appraisals. RESULTS: Data suggest the self-efficacy mediation model was the preferred model. More patient and caregiver symptom distress was directly associated with their own lower self-efficacy and more threatening appraisals. Patient and caregiver individual self-efficacy also mediated the relationship between their own symptom distress and threat appraisals. There were also significant interdependent effects. More patient symptom distress was associated with less caregiver family-related self-efficacy, and more caregiver symptom distress was directly associated with more threatening patient appraisals. CONCLUSIONS: Patient and caregiver symptom distress influenced their own and in some cases each other's cognitive appraisals. Limitations of this study include the use of cross-sectional data and assessments of individually-focused (vs. family-focused) threat appraisals. These findings highlight the need to consider the management of patient and caregiver symptoms during advanced cancer.

Engagement in health-promoting behaviors and patient-caregiver interdependence in dyads facing advanced cancer: an exploratory study.

Diet and exercise are important for the wellbeing of people with cancer and their family caregivers. Unfortunately, little is known about their behaviors over time or factors that may influence their engagement in these behaviors. This exploratory study examined the influence of chronic conditions, symptom distress, and perceived social support on exercise and diet behaviors of patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) and interdependence theory as guiding frameworks. This secondary analysis uses self-report data from a large RCT (N = 484 patient-caregiver dyads) at three time points: baseline data was collected within three months of the diagnosis, at 3 months post-baseline, and 6 months post-baseline. A number of actor effects were observed: patient and caregiver prior exercise and diet were significant predictors of their own future exercise and diet behaviors; more patient-reported social support was associated with less patient exercise; more patient symptom distress was associated with poorer patient diet; and, more caregiver-reported social support was associated with more caregiver exercise and better caregiver diet. Partner effects were also observed: more patient exercise was positively associated with more caregiver exercise; more patient comorbidities were associated with better caregiver diet; more caregiver-reported social support was associated with better patient diet; and, more patient-reported social support was associated with better caregiver diet. Despite the challenges of advanced cancer and caregiving, past exercise and diet behavior remained a significant predictor of future behavior. Other health problems and perceptions of social support within the dyad may exert a positive or negative influence on patient/caregiver diet and exercise.

Family Efficacy within Ethnically Diverse Families: A Qualitative Study.

Family efficacy, which refers to a family's belief in its ability to produce a desired outcome, has been shown to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors. Few studies have examined family efficacy within diverse populations, however, and understanding of how efficacy is framed and formed within the context of cultural and familial values is limited. This descriptive qualitative study examined sources of family efficacy within ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families, evaluating how such families develop and exercise family efficacy with the intent to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors (i.e., marijuana and alcohol use and early sexual activity). We collected qualitative data via two semi-structured interviews, 4-6 months apart, with 31 adolescents (ages 12-14) and their parent/s, for total of 148 one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis identified three distinct domains of family efficacy: relational, pragmatic, and value-laden. Prior experiences and cultural background influenced the domain/s utilized by families. Significantly, families that consistently tapped into all three domains were able to effectively manage personal and family difficulties; these families also had family strategies in place to prevent adolescents from risky behaviors. Health professionals could utilize this concept of multidimensional family efficacy to promote health within culturally diverse families.

Trajectories of Organized Activity Participation Among Urban Adolescents: An Analysis of Predisposing Factors.

Organized activity participation provides important opportunities for adolescents to develop assets and resources related to positive youth development. Predisposing factors, in addition to sociodemographics and self-selection factors, may influence how youth participate over time. In this study, we used growth mixture modeling with longitudinal data from African American adolescents attending urban high schools in Flint, MI to identify subgroups of participation trajectories (Wave 1 N = 681, mean age at Wave 1 = 14.86 years, 51% female). We measured activity participation using psychological and behavioral engagement across multiple contexts over the 4 years of high school. We examined how predisposing risk and promotive factors were related to these trajectories, accounting for sociodemographic and self-selection factors. The results indicated three participation trajectories: a low group decreasing over time (74%), a moderate, consistent participation group (21%) and a moderate, increasing group (5%). More substance use was associated with lower odds of being in the moderate/consistent versus low/decreasing participation group. More parental support was associated with lower odds of being in the moderate/increasing versus the moderate/consistent group. Our results suggest that addressing predisposing factors such as substance use may help facilitate participation over time.

Patient perceptions of asthma-related financial burden: public vs. private health insurance in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Given the complexity of the health insurance market in the United States and the confusion that often stems from these complexities, patient perception about the value of health insurance in managing chronic disease is important to understand. OBJECTIVE: To examine differences between public and private health insurance in perceptions of financial burden with managing asthma, outcomes, and factors that explain these perceptions. METHODS: Secondary analysis was performed using baseline data from a randomized clinical trial that were collected through telephone interviews with 219 African American women seeking services for asthma and reporting perceptions of financial burden with asthma management. Path analysis with multigroup models and multiple variable regression analyses were used to examine associations. RESULTS: For public (P < .001) and private (P < .01) coverage, being married and more educated were indirectly associated with greater perceptions of financial burden through different explanatory pathways. When adjusted for multiple morbidities, asthma control, income, and out-of-pocket expenses, those with private insurance used fewer inpatient (P < .05) and emergency department (P < .001) services compared with those with public insurance. When also adjusted for health insurance, greater financial burden was associated with more urgent office visits (P < .001) and lower quality of life (P < .001). CONCLUSION: African American women who perceive asthma as a financial burden regardless of health insurance report more urgent health care visits and lower quality of life. Burden may be present despite having and being able to generate economic resources and health insurance. Further policy efforts are indicated and special attention should focus on type of coverage.

A qualitative analysis of father-son relationships among HIV-positive young black men who have sex with men.

Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are experiencing high and rising rates of HIV infection, more than any other age-risk group category in the USA. Contributors to HIV risk in this group remain incompletely elucidated. We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews with 20 HIV-positive YBMSM aged 17-24 and found that father-son relationships were perceived to be important sociocontextual influences in participants' lives. Participants discussed the degree of their fathers' involvement in their lives, emotional qualities of the father-son relationship, communication about sex, and masculine socialization. Participants also described pathways linking father-son relationships to HIV risk, which were mediated by psychological and situational risk scenarios. Our thematic analysis suggests that father-son relationships are important to the psychosocial development of YBMSM, with the potential to either exacerbate or attenuate sexual risk for HIV. Interventions designed to strengthen father-son relationships may provide a promising direction for future health promotion efforts in this population.

Experiences addressing health-related financial challenges with disease management among African American women with asthma.

OBJECTIVE: Despite economic hardship, compliance with self-management regimens is still evident among individuals and families managing chronic disease. The purpose of this study was to describe how women with asthma address cost-related challenges to management of their condition. METHODS: In 2012 and 2013, four focus groups were conducted in Southeast Michigan with 26 African American women with asthma, recruited based on maximum variation sampling procedures. A semi-structured interview protocol was employed by trained facilitators. Coded transcripts were analyzed for themes regarding means to reduce the impact of the cost of asthma management. RESULTS: Major themes identified were acceptance of the status quo; stockpiling and sharing medicines; utilizing community assistance programs; reaching out to healthcare providers and social networks for help; foregoing self-management; and utilizing urgent care. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of strategies that are helpful to patients in reducing out-of-pocket costs may better equip service providers and others to develop interventions to make useful strategies more widely available.

Beyond co-pays and out-of-pocket costs: perceptions of health-related financial burden in managing asthma among African American women.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to define perceptions of health-related financial burden based on the views of individuals who report these perceptions through qualitative approaches. METHODS: Four focus groups were conducted in Southeast Michigan with 26 African American women with asthma, recruited based on maximum variation sampling procedures. A semi-structured interview was employed by facilitators. Coded transcripts were analyzed for themes regarding dimensions of the meaning of financial burden. RESULTS: Major domains of financial burden identified included (1) high out-of-pocket expenses; (2) lost wages from exacerbations, inability to maintain a stable job and stress from making decisions about taking a sick day or coming to work; (3) transport costs; (4) both costs and stress of managing insurance eligibility and correcting erroneous bills. CONCLUSION: Greater awareness of factors that add to perceptions of financial burden might better equip researchers to develop interventions to help care teams manage such concerns with their patients.

Social Integration and the Mental Health of Black Adolescents.

The influence of family, school, and religious social contexts on the mental health of Black adolescents has been understudied. This study used Durkheim's social integration theory to examine these associations in a nationally representative sample of 1,170 Black adolescents, ages 13-17. Mental health was represented by positive and negative psychosocial well-being indicators. Results showed that adolescents' integration into family and school were related to better mental health. In addition, commitment to religious involvement positively influenced mental health. Although the direct effect of religious involvement was inversely related to mental health, mediation analyses revealed a positive influence through religious commitment. Findings suggest a greater emphasis on all three social contexts when designing strategies to improve the mental health of Black adolescents.