Somatic Symptoms in Mexican-Origin Children: The Role of Familism and Family Conflict in the Context of COVID-19

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Description
Mexican-origin families (MO) have been more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to White European-Americans. Latinx youth also reported increased concern about somatic symptoms (i.e. bodily symptoms) during the pandemic compared to non-Latinx peers. Current research on the pandemic…

Mexican-origin families (MO) have been more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to White European-Americans. Latinx youth also reported increased concern about somatic symptoms (i.e. bodily symptoms) during the pandemic compared to non-Latinx peers. Current research on the pandemic indicates that cohesive and supportive families fare better than families within high-conflict households. However, no research has directly examined parent-child conflict during the pandemic in relation to youth somatic symptoms. Previous studies considered cultural proxies as predictors of somatic symptoms in Latinx children, the specific influence of prominent cultural values like familism remains less explored. Familism, emphasizing family well-being, is considered protective for Latinx youth, but evidence suggests it may pose risks in high parent-child conflict households. Utilizing Qualtrics panel, I collected data from 301 MO parents reporting on a target child (Mage= 11.4 years, SD= 3.7; 50.2% female) between March and June 2022. Approximately 40% of parents completed the survey in Spanish. Parental familism dimensions (support, family as referent, and obligations) were assessed as well as youth somatic symptoms. Changes in parent-child conflict and changes in social and family contacts due to the pandemic were also measured. Logistic regression models revealed that greater increases in conflict significantly predicted the presence of youth somatic symptoms (OR = 0.52, 95% CI= [0.27, 1.00]. Unexpectedly, total familism did not significantly moderate the relation between change in parent-child conflict and the presence of somatic symptoms (RR = 1.16, 95% CI= [0.99, 1.36]. However, post hoc analyses revealed that parental familism support was the only dimension of familism that was directly associated with the count of child somatic symptoms (RR= 0.81, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]= 0.71, 0.93). Parental familism as a referent significantly moderated the relation between change in parent-child conflict and the count of somatic symptoms (RR= 1.19, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.41]), such that higher familism values strengthened the positive relationship of change in parent-child conflict and higher count of somatic symptoms. Findings emphasize the need for future longitudinal research, considering medical conditions, to understand how parental familism values, particularly support, may buffer against somatic symptoms for Latinx youth.
Date Created
2024
Agent

The Utility of Physical Activity on Mood Regulation among those Experiencing Mental Health Issues

Description
The current study examined the experiences of individuals with severe mental health symptoms and low physical activity who were referred by their medical provider to a program called InSHAPE. In this program, participants are paired with a health mentor, whose…

The current study examined the experiences of individuals with severe mental health symptoms and low physical activity who were referred by their medical provider to a program called InSHAPE. In this program, participants are paired with a health mentor, whose goal was to improve the level of physical activity engagement. Health coaches also promoted community engagement through participation in physical activity. Each week individuals were assigned a physical health goal and a non-physical health goal. It is hypothesized that individuals who accomplish their goals in the first week are more likely to stay in the program. I hypothesize that more time in the program will be positively correlated with more success in terms of participants reaching their goals as well as engaging in community activity. Finally, it is hypothesized that the more time in the program, the healthier participants will become. The results of this study report no significant associations between variables, suggesting that there is no significant correlation between time spent in the InSHAPE program and success in the program in terms of goal attainment and community involvement. More research is needed to delineate the multidirectional relationship between physical activity and mental health. A better understanding of the mood benefits of physical activity can better inform holistic treatments for those with negative mental health symptoms. Documentation of programs focused on increasing physical activity specifically for mental health gains implemented in the community are needed.
Date Created
2024-05
Agent

Intergenerational Mechanisms of Resilience Promoting Child Biobehavioral Health in Low-Income, Mexican-Origin Families

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Description
Elevated rates of exposure to multi-level chronic stressors (e.g., poverty, discrimination, acculturative stress) place low-income, Mexican-origin individuals in the United States at elevated risk for adverse psychological and physical health across the lifespan. Despite exposure to contextual risk factors, many…

Elevated rates of exposure to multi-level chronic stressors (e.g., poverty, discrimination, acculturative stress) place low-income, Mexican-origin individuals in the United States at elevated risk for adverse psychological and physical health across the lifespan. Despite exposure to contextual risk factors, many individuals maintain positive biobehavioral health. In particular, despite greater exposure to sociodemographic risk factors, more recently immigrated Mexican-origin individuals in the U.S. may demonstrate more positive biobehavioral health, warranting consideration of specific cultural values and practices that confer and maintain positive health across generations. Parental cultural socialization is an understudied mechanism in promotive pathways of parent-child processes and child biobehavioral health. Across three generations of Mexican-origin families in the United States – maternal grandmothers, mothers, children – the current study (1) identified a multidimensional measure of child biobehavioral health across psychological and biological indicators, (2) evaluated the intergenerational transmission of grandmother-mother cultural socialization, (3) evaluated the effect of maternal cultural socialization on child-perceived parenting and child biobehavioral health, and (4) evaluated child cultural orientation as a moderator of the effect of maternal cultural socialization on child-perceived parenting and child biobehavioral health. Findings highlight the complex and nuanced relations among parental cultural socialization, individual cultural orientation, child perceptions of parenting, and child biobehavioral health among low-income, Mexican-origin families in the United States.
Date Created
2024
Agent

Disordered Weight Control Behaviors in a Longitudinal Sample of Adolescents and Emerging Adults: An Intersectional and Transdiagnostic Examination

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Description
Disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB) are a pervasive and serious public health issue associated with a wide variety of psychological and physiological problems. Using the transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral model and an intersectional framework, this study uses latent class analysis to…

Disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB) are a pervasive and serious public health issue associated with a wide variety of psychological and physiological problems. Using the transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral model and an intersectional framework, this study uses latent class analysis to examine DWCB in a national longitudinal sample (N = 2,874) of late adolescents and emerging adults (19-22 years) with focus on gender and race/ethnicity. Three latent classes were identified cross-sectionally across all timepoints: A restriction behaviors group, a combined restriction and compensatory behaviors group, and a group exhibiting low DWCB. Women of all racial/ethnic groups were consistently more likely than were men to classify in the restriction behaviors class, and Black and Hispanic women were more likely to classify in the combined behaviors class in waves 6 and 7. Longitudinally, two classes were identified: A low stable and a higher stable class. Women of all racial/ethnic groups were more likely to classify in the high stable class compared with White men, however, no other racial/ethnic differences emerged. Hispanic men were more likely to classify in the high stable group. This study highlights the utility of transdiagnostic, intersectional, cross-sectional, and longitudinal approaches to studying DWCB in nonclinical populations. More work is needed to examine the influence of restriction and combined DWCB behaviors on adolescent and emerging adult development and functioning. In addition, this work underlines the need for more nuanced measurement of disordered eating pathology in national studies and epidemiological research. Finally, this study demonstrates the need for continual focus on intersectionality frameworks and the addition of cultural and identity-related variables in disordered eating research to promote wellbeing, health, and equity for all individuals.
Date Created
2023
Agent

How do coping styles influence the association between COVID stressors and depression in Mexican-American heritage families?

Description

The coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a challenging time for the Hispanic community, facing impacts on stress and depression symptoms at disproportionate rates. The current study examined the associations between socioeconomic COVID stressors and depression symptoms; and coping styles,…

The coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a challenging time for the Hispanic community, facing impacts on stress and depression symptoms at disproportionate rates. The current study examined the associations between socioeconomic COVID stressors and depression symptoms; and coping styles, including problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and depression symptoms amongst Mexican heritage parents. Coping styles were also examined as a moderator of the association between socioeconomic COVID stressors and depression symptoms

Date Created
2022-12
Agent

Examination of Shame as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Disordered Eating

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Description
Background: An emerging literature has found associations between food insecurity and disordered eating behaviors. This study was two-fold. First, to replicate the existing literature that food insecurity is associated with disordered eating symptoms including loss of control over eating. Second,…

Background: An emerging literature has found associations between food insecurity and disordered eating behaviors. This study was two-fold. First, to replicate the existing literature that food insecurity is associated with disordered eating symptoms including loss of control over eating. Second, to expand the existing literature by examining stigma control theory, which purports that experiences related to food insecurity potentially induce stigma-related shame, with disordered eating behaviors used to cope with the shame. Further, to explore if emotion coping strategies moderate associations between shame and disordered eating. Method: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study of 582 adults with food insecurity. Participants completed a 20-minute online survey on food insecurity, shame related to food insecurity, coping strategies, and disordered eating behaviors. Analyses: Hierarchical regressions were computed where food insecurity, shame, and emotion focused coping were entered as predictor variables, followed by their interaction terms, and with disordered eating behaviors entered as outcome variables. Results: Regressions suggest that a) internalized shame partially mediated the relationship between food insecurity and global disordered eating, b) internalized shame did not mediate the relationship between food insecurity and loss of control, c) emotion focused coping did not moderate any relationship. Discussion: Internalized shame may be one mechanism in which disordered symptoms arise in food insecure populations, however emotion focused coping does not have any effect on this relationship. Results indicate that coping strategies alone may not reduce eating disorder symptoms, and internalized shame may be an important predictor of disordered eating in food insecure populations.
Date Created
2022
Agent

Exploring Appearance-Related Peer Victimization Across Gender Certain and Uncertain Preadolescents

Description

Appearance-related peer victimization has been shown to have strong social, health, and economic consequences on victims. Low body satisfaction has also been associated with higher appearance-related peer victimization prevalence. Preadolescent children are particularly vulnerable to the exposure and effects of…

Appearance-related peer victimization has been shown to have strong social, health, and economic consequences on victims. Low body satisfaction has also been associated with higher appearance-related peer victimization prevalence. Preadolescent children are particularly vulnerable to the exposure and effects of appearance-related peer victimization. Research shows gender minorities have been particularly at risk for peer victimization. More studies are needed to adequately capture the appearance-related peer victimization experiences of gender minorities within this vulnerable age group. The current study aimed to explore the prevalence rate of appearance-related peer victimization and associated variables across gender certain and uncertain preadolescents residing in the United States. 5354 children between the ages of 8 and 13 participated in this cross-sectional study. Gender groups were categorized as certain (children reported identifying as boy or girl) and uncertain (children reported being unsure of their gender or other). The sample was racially and ethnically diverse. A two-tailed independent samples t-test was performed for each variable to examine mean differences across gender certain and uncertain groups. Key findings revealed significant mean differences in appearance-related peer victimization [t(139) = 3.21, p < .001, d =.36], body satisfaction [t(211) = 6.32, p <.001, d = .55], body esteem [ t(5352) = 10.77, p = <.001, d = .71], and self-esteem [t(231) = 9.25, p = <.001, d = .73] such that gender uncertain children reported higher mean levels of appearance-related peer victimization; gender uncertain children also reported lower levels of body satisfaction, body esteem, and self-esteem. A correlational analysis indicated that as peer victimization frequency increased all children reported lower body satisfaction, body esteem, and general self-esteem. Body satisfaction and general self-esteem were more strongly positively correlated among gender uncertain children versus gender certain children. However, gender certain children reported stronger positive associations between body esteem and general self-esteem in comparison with gender uncertain children. Gender uncertain children report higher rates of appearance-related peer victimization and lower body satisfaction. Additional studies are needed to replicate and expand research on the appearance-related peer victimization experiences of preadolescent gender minority children and the related effects to body satisfaction.

Date Created
2022-05
Agent

Neighborhoods and Health Behaviors among Low-income Mexican American Children

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Description
Ecological systems theory argues that multiple nested systems impact child development. This study used a moderated mediation pathway to examine whether presence of a grocery store, number of fast-food restaurants, outdoor play space, and outdoor play safety affected children’s blood…

Ecological systems theory argues that multiple nested systems impact child development. This study used a moderated mediation pathway to examine whether presence of a grocery store, number of fast-food restaurants, outdoor play space, and outdoor play safety affected children’s blood pressure and BMI through variation in healthy family habits. Maternal perceived neighborhood social and cultural cohesion was examined as a moderator of the mediated effect. Data was collected from 214 mother–child dyads via biological measurement, maternal-report surveys, and geocoding of children’s neighborhoods using Google Earth. Zero-order correlations showed that higher number of fast-food restaurants in a child’s neighborhood was correlated with less engagement in healthy family habits and lower child BMI z-score. In all models, higher neighborhood social and cultural cohesion was associated with more engagement in healthy family habits. No statistically significant mediated effects or moderation of the mediated effects were found. Future directions may aim to identify which objective neighborhood environment indicators influence child health and what are potential variables mediating the relation.
Date Created
2020
Agent

The Interdependent Nature of Mother’s and Children’s Temperament and Approach to Food and its Impact on Weight

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Description
Obesity is associated with many well-established health risks as well as high annual public health costs. Intervening in the trajectory of obesity becomes significantly more difficult after a child has reached obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the processes…

Obesity is associated with many well-established health risks as well as high annual public health costs. Intervening in the trajectory of obesity becomes significantly more difficult after a child has reached obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the processes that influence weight early in life. Parents serve as one of the main influences on child health, have a significant impact on the weight of their offspring, and are often incorporated into childhood obesity prevention programs. However, the mutual influence that parents and children have on each other is not accounted for. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence model, the current study 1) examined the effect of children’s and mother’s temperament (e.g., negative affectivity, effortful control, and impulsivity) on their own weight as well as the weight of the other dyad member, 2) explored the effect of the interaction between mother and child temperament on both members’ weight, 3) assessed the effect of mother’s approach to food on mother and child weight, and 4) investigated how temperament might moderate the relationships between mother’s approach to food and mother and child weight. The sample consisted of 220 mother-child dyads. Children ranged from 4 to 6 years of age. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires on their own temperament and approach to food as well as their child’s temperament. Weight measures were assessed in the laboratory for both mother and child. Results indicated children’s impulsivity was related to their mother’s higher weight. The interaction between mother and child temperament was not significantly associated with weight. However, the interaction between child impulsivity and mother’s approach to food was significant; the effect of the mother’s approach to food on her own weight depended on their child’s impulsivity behaviors. Specifically, mothers’ approach to food on her own weight was nonsignificant when her child showed higher levels of impulsivity. The association of mother’s approach to food with her own weight was stronger when her child exhibited average to low impulsivity levels. This investigation of the influence of mother and child on each other’s weight is well-placed for translation into later obesity preventative and intervention efforts for family systems.
Date Created
2021
Agent

Mexican American Female Perspectives on Marriage and Childbearing

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Description

The present study examined Mexican American females’ perspectives on childbearing and marriage and the role of cultural influences on their perspectives given high rates of pregnancy and early marriage among Mexican and Mexican American females in the U.S. and worldwide.…

The present study examined Mexican American females’ perspectives on childbearing and marriage and the role of cultural influences on their perspectives given high rates of pregnancy and early marriage among Mexican and Mexican American females in the U.S. and worldwide. Participants were ten Mexican American females between 20 and 22 years of age who participated in qualitative interviews about their perspectives on marriage and childbearing and how their Mexican cultural background, including their upbringing, family members, peers, and the media influenced their perspectives. Findings highlight that there is indeed a connection between Mexican culture and perspectives on marriage and childbearing amongst participants, and participants particularly noted the role of female family members, stereotypes, and educational pursuits in shaping their perspectives.

Date Created
2021-05
Agent
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