Family Functioning, Identity Commitments, and School Value among Ethnic Minority and Ethnic Majority Adolescents.

Ethnic minority youth show worse school adjustment than their ethnic majority peers. Yet, it remains unclear whether this gap can be explained by differences in family functioning and consequent identity commitments. This study examined (1) whether family functioning relates to identity commitments over time and (2) whether identity commitments impact later school value (3) among minority and majority adolescents. Minority (N = 205, Mage = 16.25 years, 31.1% girls) and majority adolescents (N = 480, Mage = 15.73 years, 47.9% girls) participated in this preregistered three-wave longitudinal study (T1: March-April 2012; T2: October 2012; T3: March-April 2013). Dynamic Panel Models revealed that most within-person cross-lagged associations were not significant in the total sample. Yet, multigroup analyses revealed differences between groups: Stronger identity commitments related to lower school value among minority adolescents, but were unrelated to school value among majority adolescents over time. Additionally, higher school value increased identity commitments among minority youth, yet it decreased identity commitments among majority youth over time. The findings highlight the differential interplay between identity commitments and school adjustment for minority and majority adolescents, with important implications for their future life chances.

Long-term Effects of the Raising Healthy Children Intervention on Family Functioning in Adulthood: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Some universal prevention programs, such as Raising Healthy Children (RHC), have shown persisting and wide-ranging benefits in adulthood, long after the intervention has ended. Recent studies suggest that benefits may continue into the next generation as well. This study examines whether the RHC intervention, delivered in childhood, may promote healthy family functioning among participants who now have families of their own. Participants were drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP), a nonrandomized controlled trial of the RHC intervention prospectively following youths from 18 elementary schools in Seattle, Washington from 1985 to 2014. Participants who became parents were enrolled in an intergenerational study, along with their oldest biological child and an additional caregiver who shared responsibility for raising the child. Ten waves of data were collected between 2002 and 2018. The present analysis includes 298 SSDP parents, 258 caregivers who identified as a parent or partner of SSDP parent ("co-parent"), and 231 offspring. The SSDP parent sample was composed of 41.6% male, 21.1% Asian or Pacific Islander, 24.2% Black or African American, 6.4% Native American, and 48.3% white individuals. No significant intervention effects were found on adult romantic relationship quality; offspring bonding to co-parent; or co-parent past-month use of cannabis, cigarettes, or binge drinking. Findings highlight the continued need to understand how the benefits of theory-guided universal preventive interventions are sustained across the life course and how they may or may not shape family functioning for those who go on to have families and children of their own.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04075019.

Asian American child-parent cultural value discrepancies, family conflict, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.

We examined Asian American college students' adherence to traditional values that are salient in Asian cultures, the students' perceptions of their mother's and father's adherence to the same values, and the discrepancies between the students and their mothers and fathers on the levels of adherence to these values. Based on the data from 301 participants who self-identified as Asian Americans, paired-samples t tests revealed that the child-parent cultural value discrepancies were present across all generational statuses of the participants with the children adhering less strongly to most of the value dimensions than their parents. The results based on correlational analyses showed that many types of value discrepancies were positively associated with the likelihood and seriousness of conflict. Several types of value discrepancies also were inversely associated with the participants' life satisfaction and self-esteem. In addition, the results from the PROCESS Macro for mediation analysis revealed significant mediation role of family conflict on the relationships between various types of value discrepancies and life satisfaction. The significant mediators were the likelihood and seriousness of family conflict and the family conflict about education and career decisions, and the value discrepancies centered on the values of conformity to norms, family recognition through achievement, and humility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mediating effects of meaning in life on the relationship between family care, depression, and quality of life in Chinese older adults.

Background: The study explored sources of meaning in older adults and the action path among family care, meaning in life, quality of life, and depression. Materials and methods: We investigated 627 older adults using the Sources of Meaning in Life Scale for the Elderly (SMSE), the Family Care Index (APGAR), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10 (CES-D-10), and the EuroqOL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Results: Scores categorized 454 older adults with good family function, 99 with moderate, and 47 with severe family dysfunction; 110 older adults had depression. The structural equation model showed that family care affected the quality of life and depression by influencing meaning, and depression had a significant negative effect on the quality of life (P < 0.05). The model was a good fit for the data (χ2/df = 3.300, SRMR = 0.0291, GFI = 0.975, IFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.952, CFI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.062). Conclusion: Meaning in life is an intermediary factor that affects depression and quality of life in older adults. Family care had a significant positive impact on SMSE and a negative influence on depression. The SMSE effectively clarifies the sources of meaning in life and can be used to improve meaning and promote mental health in older adults.

The influence of Latino cultural values on the perceived caregiver role of family members with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

OBJECTIVES: We explored how Latino cultural values play a role in perceived caregiving experiences. DESIGN: We conducted a qualitative study that used individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with middle-aged and older Latinos who were primary caregivers of family members with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The interview guide consisted of questions about participants' perceptions of family caregiving and interrelationships between the caregiver and care recipient. The interviews were recorded, translated, and transcribed verbatim. We performed direct content analysis. RESULTS: Participants were caregivers, 50-75 years old (n = 16), and the majority were female. We identified four cultural values that were salient to participants' caregiving experiences: (a) familismo, (b) fatalismo (c) marianismo, and (d) machismo. CONCLUSION: Latino cultural values influenced the role of caregiving and caregiving roles of family members with ADRD. Future research should consider these values as they affect different familial and health dynamics.

Age at Immigration and Depression: The Mediating Role of Contemporary Relationships With Adult Children Among Older Immigrants.

OBJECTIVES: For the growing population of older immigrants in the United States, both age at immigration and familial relationships are important factors affecting psychological well-being. This study explores how age at immigration and contemporary relationships with adult children combine to explain older immigrants' depressive symptoms. METHOD: This study uses 2014 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 759 immigrants aged 65 and older who have at least one adult child aged 21 or older. A series of ordinary least squares regressions and mediational analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Findings indicate that structural solidarity significantly mediates the association between age at immigration and depressive symptoms. Specifically, immigrating in later life was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms through its relationship with structural solidarity. In addition, giving monetary support to children and providing care for grandchildren may alleviate depressive symptoms for older immigrants. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that relationships with adult children may differ with age at immigration. The types of support that older immigrants provide to their adult children may be crucial because such support may instill a sense of obligation and reciprocity that may be beneficial to the psychological well-being of older immigrants.

Cultural Differences in the Intended Use of Long-Term Care Services in the United States: The Role of Family Ties.

OBJECTIVES: In the light of an increasingly diverse older population in the United States, there is an ongoing discussion on how cultural factors contribute to individual long-term care (LTC) needs and service use. This study empirically assesses whether the level of acculturation and cultural differences in the importance of the family shape foreign-born immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services. METHODS: We correlated immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services to the cultural strength of family ties that prevails in their region of origin. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey and the World Values Survey/European Values Study for analysis. Multinomial logit models were estimated and predisposing, enabling, and need factors were controlled for. Estimations were weighted to account for the sampling structure, and sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Immigrants from cultures with stronger family ties are significantly more likely to intend the use of LTC options that include the family. Furthermore, immigrants are less likely to intend the use of exclusively family care when having lived in the United States for a longer time. DISCUSSION: We conclude that cultural differences in family ties shape immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services. If policymakers aim at increasing the provision of specific LTC services or support to family caregivers, there should be a careful evaluation of demand-side factors in an increasingly culturally diverse society.

A qualitative focus group study concerning perceptions and experiences of Nigerian mothers on stillbirths.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences and perceptions of stillbirth among mothers from a tertiary medical centre in Kano, Northern Nigeria. DESIGN: Qualitative, interpretative. SETTING: Tertiary healthcare facility, Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital (MMSH), Kano, Northern Nigeria. SAMPLE: Mothers who had given birth to a liveborn baby at the MMSH in the prior 6 months (n = 31). In order to capture the experiences and perception of stillbirth within this cohort we approached mothers who had in a previous pregnancy experienced a stillbirth. Of the 31 who attended 16 had a previous stillbirth. METHODS: Semi-structured Focus Group Discussions, consisting of open-ended questions about stillbirth, beliefs, experiences and influences were held in MMSH, conducted over 1 day. RESULTS: Our findings highlight that this is a resource-poor tertiary facility serving an ever-growing population, increasing strain on the hospital and healthcare workers. Many of the participants highlighted needing permission from certain family members before accessing healthcare or medical treatment. We identified that mothers generally have knowledge on self-care during pregnancy, yet certain societal factors prevented that from being their priority. Judgement and blame was a common theme, yet a complex area entwined with traditions, superstitions and the pressure to procreate with many mothers described being made to feel useless and worthless if they did not birth a live baby. CONCLUSIONS: As access to healthcare becomes easier, there are certain traditions, family and social dynamics and beliefs which conflict with scientific knowledge and act as a major barrier to uptake of healthcare services. The findings highlight the need for investment in maternity care, appropriate health education and public enlightenment; they will help inform appropriate interventions aimed at reducing stigma around stillbirth and aide in educating mothers about the importance of appropriate health seeking behaviour. Stillbirths are occurring in this area of the world unnecessarily, globally there has been extensive research conducted on stillbirth prevention. This research has highlighted some of the areas which can be tackled by modifying existing successful interventions to work towards reducing preventable stillbirths.

The sociocultural relationships of older immigrant Punjabi women living in Nova Scotia: Implications for well-being.

With the increase of South Asian immigrants in Canada, the relationship between older immigrant Punjabi women's sociocultural relationships and their mental health and well-being needs to be understood. Guided by the social determinants of health and intersectional feminist frameworks, five Punjabi women living in Nova Scotia, Canada were interviewed. Three themes were identified: (a) having freedom yet being dependent on families, (b) conflating having a happy family with having good mental health, and (c) needing ways to connect with other older Punjabi women. These findings articulate how Punjabi relationships affect women's views on mental health and well-being.

Negative interactions with extended family and church members and subjective well-being among older African American women.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether negative interactions with family and church members are associated with indicators of subjective well-being (SWB) in a nationally representative sample of older African American women. The analytic sample (N = 537) was drawn from the National Survey of American Life. Linear regressions were used to assess the associations between negative interactions with family and church members and happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. The negative interactions with family variable was inversely associated with happiness and self-esteem. Findings underscore the importance of social relationships and the quality of these relationships in women's well-being.

Correlates of affective empathy, perspective taking, and generativity among a sample of adults.

Previous research suggests that empathy can be cultivated by social ideals and relationships with people. The current study examines family importance and religious importance as correlates of affective empathy, perspective taking, and generativity among a sample of adults aged 18 to 35 (N = 722). Given the ethnic and racial diversity represented by Millennials and Generation Z, the moderating role of racial group membership is explored as well. Results indicate that family importance is positively associated with affective empathy, perspective taking, and generativity for the overall sample, though the relationship is particularly strong for non-Hispanic whites. Religious importance is significantly related to affective empathy and generativity (not perspective taking), primarily among Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. Due to the increasing visibility of victimization towards socially vulnerable groups, it is important to understand how attitudes oriented towards helping and empathizing with others are fostered. Implications for further research are discussed.

Factors underlying surrogate medical decision-making in middle eastern and east Asian women: a Q-methodology study.

BACKGROUND: It is not clear how lay people prioritize the various, sometimes conflicting, interests when they make surrogate medical decisions, especially in non-Western cultures. The extent such decisions are perspective-related is also not well documented. METHODS: We explored the relative importance of 28 surrogate decision-making factors to 120 Middle-Eastern (ME) and 120 East-Asian (EA) women from three perspectives, norm-perception (N), preference as patient (P), and preference as surrogate decision-maker (S). Each respondent force-ranked (one to nine) 28 opinion-items according to each perspective. Items' ranks were analyzed by averaging-analysis and Q-methodology. RESULTS: Respondents' mean (SD) age was 33.2 (7.9) years; all ME were Muslims, 83% of EA were Christians. "Trying everything possible to save patient," "Improving patient health," "Patient pain and suffering," and/or "What is in the best interests of patient" were the three most-important items, whereas "Effect of caring for patient on all patients in society," "Effect of caring for patient on patients with same disease," and/or "Cost to society from caring for patient" were among the three least-important items, in each ME and EA perspectives. P-perspective assigned higher mean ranks to family and surrogate's needs and burdens-related items, and lower mean rank to "Fear of loss" than S-perspective (p<0.001). ME assigned higher mean ranks to "Medical facts" and "Surrogate own wishes for patient" and lower mean rank to "Family needs" in all perspectives (p<0.001). Q-methodology identified models that were relatively patient's preference-, patient's religious/spiritual beliefs-, or emotion-dependent (all perspectives); medical facts-dependent (N- and S-perspectives), financial needs-dependent (P- and S-perspectives), and family needs-dependent (P-perspective). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Patient's health was more important than patient's preference to ME and EA women; society interest was least important. 2) Family and surrogate's needs/ burdens were more important, whereas fear of loss was less important to respondents as patients than as surrogate decision-makers. 3) Family needs were more important to EA than ME respondents, the opposite was true for medical facts and surrogate's wishes for patient. 4) Q-methodology models that relatively emphasized various surrogate decision-making factors overlapped the ME and EA women' three perspectives.

A multiple baseline study of a brief alcohol reduction and family engagement intervention for fathers in Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a lay provider-delivered, brief intervention to reduce problem drinking and related family consequences among men in Kenya. The 5-session intervention combines behavioral activation (BA) and motivational interviewing (MI). It integrates family-related material explicitly and addresses central cultural factors through gender transformative strategies. METHOD: A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design was used. We initiated treatment with 9 men ages 30 to 48 who were fathers and screened positive for problem drinking; the median Alcohol Use Identification Test score was 17 (harmful range). Participants were randomized to staggered start dates. We measured the primary outcome of weekly alcohol consumption 4 weeks before treatment, during treatment, and 4 weeks posttreatment using the Timeline Followback measure. Secondary outcomes were assessed using a pre-post assessment (1-month) of men's depression symptoms, drinking- and family-related problem behavior, involvement with child, time with family, family functioning, relationship quality (child and partner), and harsh treatment of child and partner. Men, partners, and children (ages 8-17) reported on family outcomes. RESULTS: Eight men completed treatment. Mixed-effects hurdle model analysis showed that alcohol use, both number of days drinking and amount consumed, significantly decreased during and after treatment. Odds of not drinking were 5.1 times higher posttreatment (95% CI [3.3, 7.9]). When men did drink posttreatment, they drank 50% less (95% CI [0.39, 0.65]). Wilcoxon signed-ranks test demonstrated pre-post improvements in depression symptoms and family related outcomes. CONCLUSION: Results provide preliminary evidence that a BA-MI intervention developed for lay providers may reduce alcohol use and improve family outcomes among men in Kenya. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Family Ties and Aging in a Multiethnic Cohort.

Objective: Lack of social support is linked to lower cognitive function and cognitive decline. We investigated the effects of a specific type of social relationship, family ties, on cognitive trajectories in non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics. Methods: Using multiple-group latent growth curve models, we analyzed associations between the number of children/grandchildren/siblings/other relatives contacted within the past month at baseline and cognitive trajectories in 1420 older adults who were nondemented at baseline. Language, memory, and visuospatial abilities were assessed at baseline and at 18- and 24-month follow-ups for up to six visits. Inferential analyses assessed the differential effects of sex/gender and race/ethnicity for each family tie. Results: Independent of all covariates, contact with more relatives was associated with better initial memory (b = .01) and language functioning (b = .01) across race/ethnicity and sex/gender. Conclusion: The size of peripheral rather than immediate family networks may be more likely to affect cognitive function in older adults.

Knowledge, attitude and traditional practices towards epilepsy among relatives of PWE (patients with epilepsy) in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Epilepsy remains one of the most common neurological diseases in the world but seems to be widely misunderstood, especially in low-income countries. Patients with epilepsy (PWE) can face considerable stigma in society, and there have been various studies that evaluate the knowledge and attitude of the population towards epilepsy. However, there was no study of this kind in Morocco. PURPOSE: Our aim was thus to assess knowledge, attitudes, and traditional practices specifically among relatives and caregivers of PWE in our community, in order to better evaluate their educational needs. METHODS: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out over a year long period in the outpatient neurology clinic of the Mohammed 6 University Hospital, a tertiary referral center in Marrakesh, Morocco. The respondents were relatives of PWE (usually parents and siblings) or spouses who attended the outpatient clinic alongside them. The interviews were carried out by the same investigator at the outpatient clinic during patient's visits, face-to-face using Moroccan Arabic or Darija, with an 18-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Responses of 100 participants were analyzed. The mean age was 40 years old and 5 months. Sixty-six percent of the respondents were women, 50% of rural origin and 76 % lived in an urban area. Forty-one percent were illiterate, and 74% were of low income. Only 65% of the participants knew the Arabic term for epilepsy. For 48%, epilepsy was linked with witchcraft or demonic possession. Seventy-five percent of the respondents had at least one prior consultation to a traditional healer. Only 5% in our study knew the first-aid basics to apply in case of a seizure. CONCLUSION: Despite having a relative with epilepsy, our participants' knowledge was very poor. The level of education and income seem to be the two major contributing factors. Cultural beliefs and superstition are very pervasive, and the majority of our sample had already used traditional healing and alternative medicine. Our study highlights the need for a more global intervention in Morocco encompassing healthcare policies, awareness campaigns, and educational reforms.

'Aching to be a boy': A preliminary analysis of gender assignment of intersex persons in India in a culture of son preference.

Intersexuality, particularly in the global South, remains an under-researched field of study. In my in-progress doctoral research project, I explore the cultural, social, and medical discourses that influence how key stakeholders such as healthcare providers make decisions about the sex and gender assignment of the intersex child in India. In this paper I interrogate some of these ideas around gender assignment of intersex people in India, paying particular attention to the context of son preference. I am interested in exploring how decisions of gender assignment by medical professionals are guided by ideas of son preference. Focusing on four qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews across two cities with medical doctors from different specializations, this paper is a preliminary attempt to examine some of the factors that guide medical professionals in making decisions about gender assignment of intersex children and explore the dynamics of the decision-making process. Specifically, I explore the factors that inform doctors' decision-making and locate these decision-making processes within the broader socio-cultural context of India.

Weiqu, structural injustice and caring for sick older people in rural Chinese families: An empirical ethical study.

This paper examines caregiving for sick older family members in the context of socio-economic transformations in rural China, combining empirical investigation with normative inquiry. The empirical part of this paper is based on a case study, taken from fieldwork in a rural Chinese hospital, of a son who took care of his hospitalized mother. This empirical study highlighted family members' weiqu (sense of unfairness)-a mental status from experiencing mistreatment and oppression in family care, yet with constrained power to explicitly protest or make care-related choices. Underpinning people's weiqu and constrained choice, as informed by the conception of structural injustice, is the impact of unjust social structures, organized by unfavourable norms, discriminatory social policies and institutions targeting rural populations. By restraining individual choices and capacities in supporting health care for aging populations, these unjust structures create additional difficulties for and discriminations against rural families and their older members. Some policy recommendations are proposed to mitigate structural injustice so as to empower families and promote care for older people in rural settings.

Barriers to Accessing Medical Care for Hispanic Individuals With Craniofacial Conditions.

In the United States, having limited access to health care has been an ongoing concern that could cause detrimental effects for minority populations, specifically the Hispanic population. Numerous barriers to accessing health care were identified for both pediatric and adult Hispanic patients who were born with craniofacial conditions. Barriers that were determined to impact Hispanic patients with craniofacial conditions from receiving medical and health services included language and communication, patient-health care provider relationships, socioeconomic status and finances, insurance status, timely access to appointments, citizenship and immigration status, and lack of family and social support. Interventions for these barriers were also proposed to increase support for Hispanic patients. Lamentably, there is scant research that investigates how these barriers affect this special population, despite the limitations that they have in their ability to access health care. In addition, these barriers to treatment have dire consequences for individuals with craniofacial conditions. The findings and proposed interventions discussed in this review article provide measures to minimize these barriers and define ways to benefit Hispanic patients with craniofacial conditions.