Latina mothers' mental health: An examination of its relation to parenting and material resources

Language proficiency and ethnic-racial orientation among Latine mother-adolescent dyads

Language proficiencies have implications for how parents and children can communicate effectively and how culture and heritage can be transferred across generations. Previous research has sought to understand the relationship between parent language (mainstream, heritage) proficiencies and the ethnic-racial orientation of their children, though prior studies have not investigated the relationship between child language proficiencies and parent ethnic-racial orientation. This study examined the actor-partner effects of Latine mother-child dyads (N = 175; youth mean age = 12.86 years) regarding their proficiencies in English and Spanish and their Latine and White orientations. Our results revealed that youth Spanish language proficiency was positively linked to youth White orientation, and youth English proficiency was also positively associated with youth White orientation but only in instances when youth-reported acculturation conflict was lower or average. There were two partner effects observed, with youth English proficiency positively relating to mother's White orientation and mothers' Spanish proficiency being negatively related to youth White orientation. Regarding Latine orientation, both English and Spanish were positively related to greater Latine orientation for both mothers and their children. However, at higher levels of mother-reported acculturation conflict, higher mother English proficiency was related to lower youth Latine orientation. Overall, language proficiencies for Latine mothers and their children contribute to the development of bicultural orientations, though varying degrees of acculturation conflict can have differential impacts on these linkages.

Psychometric Evaluation of Women's Knowledge of Healthcare Rights and Perception of Resource Scarcity during Maternity

Background/Objectives: Resources to cope with maternity and women's participation are essential modulators of maternal well-being. Therefore, it is relevant that the psychosocial factors of woman be monitored during maternity to promote adequate healthcare. This study involved the design and the validation of two new tools that identify women's knowledge of healthcare rights (MatCODE) and perception of resource scarcity (MatER) during pregnancy, labor and early postpartum; Methods: The content validity was carried out using the Aiken's V coefficient and the content validity index (CVI-i) based on five experts. In addition, for the face validity, the pilot cohort was considered the INFLESZ scale. Finally, the questionnaires were applied to 185 women, which allowed to assess the construct validation by factorial and Rasch analysis. The divergent validity was also studied with validated psychological questionnaires; Results: MatCODE and MatER questionnaires received CVI-i and Aiken's V > 0.80 values, and the INFLESZ demonstrated acceptable semantic understanding. The analysis confirms the unidimensionality of the questionnaires, with fit values for MatCODE of RMSEA = 0.113 [0.105; 0.122] and for MatER of RMSEA = 0.067 [0.063; 0.072]. The divergent validity showed significant and consistent correlations with the constructs assessed. For MatCODE, ω = 0.95 and α = 0.94, and for MatER, ω = 0.79 and α = 0.78; Conclusions: MatCODE and MatER are useful new tools for monitoring maternal healthcare, with adequate psychometric characteristics in the Spanish context.

Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma: Participant Perspectives on an In-Person and Online Implementation of an Intervention to Promote Mental Health in Latina Immigrant Women

Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma is a community-based intervention designed to increase social support and coping strategies among Latina immigrant women at risk for depression and anxiety. To assess satisfaction and perceived efficacy of the intervention, we conducted interviews with 32 participants that received the intervention in-person and online. Participants across both modalities found the program supportive in maintaining their mental health. They learned stress management techniques and found the support from facilitators and other participants helpful. Those receiving the intervention in-person were able to connect with other participants more easily than those that received it online. Those receiving it online noted distractions at home that made it challenging to fully engage. Community-based interventions that promote coping strategies and social support are a promising strategy for addressing mental health disparities among Latina immigrant women.TRN: NCT03749278, date of registration: November 21, 2018.