The Mediating Role of Home-School Dissonance in Linking Maternal Discrimination to Latin American-Origin Adolescent Academic Performance.

Latin American-origin parents play an important role in supporting the formal education of their youth, but cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers make parent involvement difficult. The aim of the present study was to examine how Latina mothers' experiences with discrimination were associated with short-term changes in their adolescent children's academic performance, directly and indirectly through mothers' appraisal of home-school dissonance. Data were drawn from an ongoing longitudinal study of 547 mother-youth dyads in suburban Atlanta. Results showed a significant indirect relationship between mothers' experiences of discrimination and declines in adolescents' grade point average by way of increased home-school dissonance. Thus, Latina mothers' discriminatory experiences may have spillover effects on adolescent academic achievement through increasing proximal barriers to parent involvement.

Sleep, Classroom Behavior, and Achievement Among Children of Color in Historically Disinvested Neighborhoods.

Children of color are more likely to have poor sleep health than White children, placing them at risk for behavioral problems in the classroom and lower academic performance. Few studies, however, have utilized standardized measures of both classroom behavior and achievement. This study examined whether children's sleep (parent and teacher report) in first grade concurrently related to independent observations of classroom behavior and longitudinally predicted achievement test scores in second grade in a sample of primarily Black (86%) children (n = 572; age = 6.8) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Higher teacher-reported child sleepiness was associated with lower adaptive behaviors and higher problem behaviors in the classroom, and predicted lower achievement. Parent-reported bedtime resistance and disordered breathing also predicted lower achievement.

Father-figure Presence and Externalizing and Internalizing Problems in Mexican and Dominican American Children.

This study examined whether various types of father-figure presence in Mexican (n = 414)- and Dominican- American (n = 336) households measured at baseline predicted child mental health functioning one year later. Results of linear regression analyses showed that the impact of household structure on child functioning was significant and differed by ethnicity. For Mexican-American children, residing with a step-father or other adult male predicted increased externalizing problems compared to children residing their biological father. For Dominican-American children, residing with no father figure predicted increased externalizing problems compared to children residing with a biological father. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Early Emotion Knowledge and Later Academic Achievement Among Children of Color in Historically Disinvested Neighborhoods.

This study examined longitudinal relations between emotion knowledge (EK) in pre-kindergarten (pre-K; Mage  = 4.8 years) and math and reading achievement 1 and 3 years later in a sample of 1,050 primarily Black children (over half from immigrant families) living in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Participants were part of a follow-up study of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Controlling for pre-academic skills, other social-emotional skills, sociodemographic characteristics, and school intervention status, higher EK at the end of pre-K predicted higher math and reading achievement test scores in kindergarten and second grade. Moderation analyses suggest that relations were attenuated among children from immigrant families. Findings suggest the importance of enriching pre-K programs for children of color with EK-promotive interventions and strategies.

Skin color and academic achievement in young, Latino children: Impacts across gender and ethnic group.

OBJECTIVES: The present study investigates the association between skin color and academic achievement in young Latino students. METHOD: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of the early development of Latino children that took place in 24 public elementary schools in New York City. Students included in the present analyses (N = 750) were 4 and 5 years old when they were enrolled (baseline) and were followed through the end of first grade. Structural equation models and bootstrapping mediation tests were conducted to examine the effects of skin color on academic achievement at the end of first grade, partially mediated by academic and social emotional domains of school readiness in prekindergarten or kindergarten. This study considered the intersectionality of ethnicity and gender in the models. RESULTS: The findings showed that for Dominican-origin boys, being "collectively black" was indirectly associated with lower academic achievement in first grade, mediated by lower teacher-rated adaptive behavior in prekindergarten or kindergarten. CONCLUSIONS: Discussion focuses on the need for educational policies and practices to be conscious of phenotypicality bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Depression among Mexican-origin mothers: Exploring the immigrant paradox.

OBJECTIVES: Residential time in the United States appears to be a risk factor for mental health problems among Latinos, according to studies of the immigrant paradox, or a pattern of findings documenting better health for immigrants relative to U.S.-born Latinos. The present study used an acculturative stress model to examine the immigrant paradox with a sample of Mexican-origin mothers. METHOD: Mothers [N = 175; age = 33.52 (10.75)], who were foreign- or U.S.-born, were categorized as more acculturated or less acculturated based on cluster analyses using demographic and language proficiency variables. The association between acculturative status and depressive symptoms approximately 9 months later was tested with two models: with both cultural stressors (i.e., perceived discrimination, acculturative stress) and cultural assets (i.e., familismo, ethnic identity) as mediators, and with the effects of cultural stressors moderated by cultural assets. RESULTS: Data provide some support for the validity of the mediation model. Less acculturated mothers reported (a) a stronger ethnic identity, which appears to have protected them from later depression, and (b) stronger familismo, which increased risk for later depression. In addition, discrimination was negatively related to later depression. CONCLUSIONS: We found support for the mediating role of cultural assets in the link between acculturation and depression, but some associations were in unexpected directions. These findings highlight the complexities of preserving core cultural characteristics among Mexican-origin mothers living in the United States, and the need to consider the context in which cultural processes unfold. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental socialization profiles in Mexican-origin families: Considering cultural socialization and general parenting practices.

OBJECTIVES: Recognizing that immigrant parents socialize their children in specific ways, the current study examines Mexican-origin families' parental socialization profiles using both parental cultural socialization and general parenting dimensions. We seek to understand how these dimensions interact to form culturally grounded parental socialization profiles in a sample of Mexican-origin parents and adolescents. METHOD: There were 604 adolescents, 595 mothers, and 293 fathers within Mexican-origin families self-reporting on 2 cultural socialization dimensions (respeto, independence) and 4 general parenting dimensions (warmth, hostility, monitoring, reasoning). Adolescent outcomes were assessed 1 year later. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis revealed eight parental socialization profiles representing distinct combinations of cultural socialization and parenting dimensions. Relative to other profiles, the Integrative-Authoritative profile (high on socialization toward respeto and independence; high on warmth, monitoring, and reasoning; and relatively low on hostility) was the most common parenting pattern and was also associated with more optimal adolescent outcomes. CONCLUSION: Examining cultural socialization alongside general parenting dimensions can better capture parental socialization strategies among Mexican-origin parents. The various parental socialization profiles that characterize Mexican-origin parents have important implications for adolescent outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Autonomy-related Parenting Processes and Adolescent Adjustment in Latinx Immigrant Families.

It is unclear how autonomy-related parenting processes are associated with Latinx adolescent adjustment. This study uses Latent Profile Analysis to identify typologies of parental monitoring and parent-adolescent conflict and examines their association with Latinx youth's school performance and depressive symptoms. The sample included 248 Latinx 9th and 10th graders (50% female) who completed surveys during fall (Time 1) and spring (Time 2) semesters of the school year. When compared to a high monitoring/low conflict parenting profile, a moderate monitoring/moderate conflict profile was associated with stronger declines in school performance; for boys, a high monitoring/moderately high conflict profile also was associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms. For Latinx immigrant families, researchers should consider monitoring and conflict as co-occurring processes.

Maternal depression and acculturative stress impacts on Mexican-origin children through authoritarian parenting.

Depression and acculturative stress are common among Latina mothers, yet little is known about how these variables are related to parenting practices and in turn, to the mental health functioning of their young children. The present study used a sample of Mexican-origin mothers of 3- to 6-year-old children (N = 175) to test a model of maternal depression and acculturative stress as predictors of child internalizing and externalizing problems, mediated by authoritarian and authoritative parenting practices. Results showed that maternal depressive symptoms and acculturative stress were associated with child internalizing, but not externalizing, problems. Only authoritarian practices mediated these associations. Results highlight the importance of considering sociocultural context in the study of child mental health in Mexican-origin populations.

The Role of Authoritative and Authoritarian Parenting in the Early Academic Achievement of Latino Students.

Early academic achievement has been shown to predict high school completion, but there have been few studies of the predictors of early academic success focused on Latino students. Using longitudinal data from 750 Mexican and Dominican American families, this study examined a cultural model of parenting and early academic achievement. While Latino students were achieving in the average range as a whole, certain subgroups (e.g., Dominicans, boys) were at higher risk for underachievement. Results highlighted the protective role of authoritative parenting, which was associated with academic and social-emotional school readiness, both of which predicted higher achievement at the end of first grade. The role of respeto and authoritarian parenting practices in academic achievement at first grade differed between Mexican and Dominican American families. Findings advance understanding of early achievement and parenting among Latino families from a cultural perspective.

Engaging Parents in Preventive Interventions for Young Children: Working with Cultural Diversity Within Low-Income, Urban Neighborhoods.

A robust literature documents the impact of poverty on child development and lifelong health, well-being and productivity. Racial and ethnic minority children continue to bear the burden of poverty disproportionately. Evidence-based parenting interventions in early childhood have the potential to attenuate risk attributable to poverty and stress. To reduce racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the USA, parenting interventions must be accessible, engaging, and effective for low-income families of color living in large urban centers. This paper describes the initial development of ParentCorps and ongoing improvements to realize that vision. Initial development focused on creating a parenting intervention that places culture at the center and effectively embedding it in schools. ParentCorps includes core components found in nearly all effective parenting interventions with a culturally informed approach to engaging families and supporting behavior change. As the intervention is implemented at scale in increasingly diverse communities, improvement efforts include augmenting professional development to increase racial consciousness among all staff (evaluators, coaches, and school-based facilitators) and applying an implementation science framework to study and more fully support schools' use of a package of engagement strategies.

Social Support, Parenting, and Social Emotional Development in Young Mexican and Dominican American Children.

This study focused on social support and its association with child developmental outcomes, indirectly through parenting practices, in families of 4-5 year old Latino children. Data were collected from mothers and teachers of 610 Mexican American (MA) and Dominican American (DA) children. Mothers reported on perceived social support, parenting practices and children's problem and adaptive behavior functioning at home, and teachers reported on mothers' parent involvement and children's problem and adaptive behavior functioning in the classroom. Results showed that support received from family was higher than support received from school networks for both ethnic groups. Moreover, familial support was associated with child behavior, mediated by positive parenting practices, whereas support from school networks was not associated with child outcomes. During early childhood, social support from family members may be an important protective factor that can promote positive behavioral functioning among Latino children.

Charting Directions for Research on Immigrant Children Affected by Undocumented Status.

Three groups of children from Mexico and Central America are vulnerable to effects of US immigration policies: 1) foreign-born children who entered the US with undocumented immigrant parents; 2) unaccompanied children who entered the US alone; and 3) U.S.-born citizen children of undocumented immigrant parents. Despite the recent demographic growth of these youth, scholarship on their strengths and challenges is under-theorized and isolated within specific disciplines. Hence, service providers, researchers, and policymakers have insufficient research to inform their efforts to support the children's wellbeing. A group of scholars and service-providers with expertise in immigrant children convened to establish consensus areas and identify gaps in knowledge of undocumented, unaccompanied, and citizen children of undocumented immigrant parents. The primary goal was to establish a research agenda that increases interdisciplinary collaborations, informs clinical practice, and influences policies. This report summarizes key issues and recommendations that emerged from the meeting.

Family- and Neighborhood-Level Factors as Predictors of Conduct Problems in School among Young, Urban, Minority Children.

Minority children attending schools in urban socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are at high risk for conduct problems. Although a number of family and neighborhood characteristics have been implicated in the onset and progression of conduct problems, there remains incomplete understanding of the unique contributions of poverty-related factors early in development. This prospective study of 298 black public school children considered family- and neighborhood-level predictors of teacher-reported conduct problems from pre-kindergarten through first grade. Results from multi-level analyses indicate that percentage of poor residents in a student's neighborhood made a robust independent contribution to the prediction of development of conduct problems, over and above family- and other neighborhood-level demographic factors. For children of single parents, the percentage of black residents in the neighborhood also predicted the development of conduct problems. School-based interventions to prevent conduct problems should consider impact for children at highest risk based on neighborhood poverty.

Family and Teacher Characteristics as Predictors of Parent Involvement in Education During Early Childhood Among Afro-Caribbean and Latino Immigrant Families.

Parent involvement is a robust predictor of academic achievement, but little is known about school- and home-based involvement in immigrant families. Drawing on ecological theories, the present study examined contextual characteristics as predictors of parent involvement among Afro-Caribbean and Latino parents of young students in urban public schools. Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with lower home-based involvement. Several factors were associated with higher involvement, including parents' connection to their culture of origin and to U.S. culture, engagement practices by teachers and parent-teacher ethnic consonance (for Latinos only). Findings have implications for promoting involvement among immigrant families of students in urban schools.

Mental Health Trajectories of Latinx Female Caregivers and Young Children During COVID-19: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Studies of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health symptoms suggest that there may be a unique impact of COVID-19 on minoritized individuals, young children (children five and younger), and their caregivers. Longitudinal studies with representative samples including minoritized populations are needed to accurately reflect the experience of families during COVID-19. The current study used a longitudinal design to assess trajectories of mental health among Latinx female caregivers and their young children over time, beginning prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and over the course of 12 months. In fall of 2019, Latinx female caregivers (N = 213; 93.0% biological mother) of young children (M age = 5.38, SD = 0.34) reported on their own and their child's (52.6% female) mental health symptoms, as well as parenting stress, at three time points through Fall of 2020. Growth curve models showed that self-report of caregiver global mental health worsened over time, though caregiver depression and parenting stress did not change significantly, nor did caregiver-report of their children's mental health. Results suggest that while female caregiver well-being was adversely affected by COVID-19, caregivers showed resilience in the face of this pandemic, which in turn may have buffered the impact of the pandemic on Latinx child mental health. Methodological and contextual implications of these results are considered.

Test of a cultural framework of parenting with Latino families of young children.

This study examined the mental health and academic functioning of 442 4- and 5-year old children of Mexican (MA) and Dominican (DA) immigrant mothers using a cultural framework of Latino parenting. Data were collected on mothers' self-reported acculturative status, parenting practices and cultural socialization, and on children's behavioral functioning (mother- and teacher-report) and school readiness (child test). Results provide partial support for the validity of the framework in which mothers' acculturative status and socialization of respeto (a Latino cultural value of respect) and independence (a U.S. American cultural value) predict parenting practices. For both groups, English language competence was related to less socialization of respeto, and other domains of acculturative status (i.e., U.S. American/ethnic identity, and U.S. American/ethnic cultural competence) were related to more socialization of respeto and independence. Socialization of respeto was related to the use of authoritarian practices and socialization of independence was related to the use of authoritative practices. Socialization of respeto was also related to lower school readiness for DA children, whereas socialization of independence was related to higher school readiness for MA children. Independence was also related to higher teacher-rated externalizing problems for MA children. For both groups, authoritarian parenting was associated with more parent-reported internalizing and externalizing problems. The discussion focuses on ethnic subgroup differences and similarities to further understanding of Latino parenting from a cultural perspective.

Examining School and Neighborhood Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Childhood Obesity in the U.S.

Obesity amongst Kindergartners in Texas is above the national average, particularly among Hispanic students. Research on the impact of school and neighborhood-level SES on obesity in childhood using multilevel models is lacking. Survey data were collected from Hispanic caregivers of pre-kindergarten students in Fall 2019 (n = 237). Students were clustered in thirty-two neighborhoods and twelve schools. The dependent variable was the child's body mass index z-score (BMIz). Covariates included the child's sex, primary caregiver's marital status, education level, relationship to the child, and family income. Level-two variables included neighborhood poverty and school SES. CTableross-classified multilevel linear regression models were conducted to examine the unique associations of neighborhood poverty and school SES with individual student BMIz, and how they interact. Twenty-four percent of students were classified as overweight, and five percent were classified as obese. The models resulted in a significant association between school SES and BMIz (B = −0.13; SE = 0.06; p < 0.05) and between neighborhood poverty and BMIz (B = −1.41; SE = 0.49; p < 0.01). Individual students' BMIz decreased as school SES increased and decreased as neighborhood poverty increased. Neighborhood poverty and school SES appear to play a role in the development of obesity in childhood, although in differing directions.

System Dynamics of Cognitive Vulnerabilities and Family Support Among Latina Children and Adolescents.

The paper describes an approach to developing a data-driven development of a feedback theory of cognitive vulnerabilities and family support focused on understanding the dynamics experienced among Latina children, adolescents, and families. Family support is understood to be a response to avoidant and maladaptive behaviors that may be characteristic of cognitive vulnerabilities commonly associated depression and suicidal ideation. A formal feedback theory is developed, appraised, and analyzed using a combination of secondary analysis of qualitative interviews (N = 30) and quantitative analysis using system dynamics modeling and simulation. Implications for prevention practice, treatment, and future research are discussed.

Impact of COVID social distancing measures on eating and exercise behaviors among a sample of Hispanic parents of young children in the United States.

Background: In the United States, healthy behaviors, such as eating fruits/vegetables and exercise, are well below recommended levels, particularly for Hispanics. The COVID pandemic may have exacerbated existing health behavior disparities. The current study examines the impact of COVID social distancing measures on Hispanic parents' eating and exercise behaviors, and how the impact may differ by socioeconomic status (SES) and distress levels. Design and methods: This cross-sectional logistic regression study utilized data from a sample of Hispanic parents in Texas (n = 237). COVID-related questions were collected in Summer 2020. Dependent variables included self-reported changes in exercise and eating behaviors due to the pandemic (i.e. got better or got worse). Primary independent variables included family-SES, neighborhood-SES, and distress due to COVID. Results: More than half (60%) of parents reported that their eating and exercise behaviors worsened. Results showed a significant relationship between distress due to COVID and both dependent variables; changes in eating (OR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.20, 1.58]) and changes in exercise (OR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.11, 1.48]). There were no observed differences by SES. Conclusions: Results suggest distress due to COVID was associated with worsening of eating and exercise behaviors, regardless of SES. The direction of the relationship between distress and healthy eating and exercise behaviors requires further attention.