Assessment of the Reach, Usability, and Perceived Impact of "Talking Is Power": A Parental Sexual Health Text-Messaging Service and Web-Based Resource to Empower Sensitive Conversations with American Indian and Alaska Native Teens

Parenting Practices and Adolescents' Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Perceived Maternal and Paternal Acceptance-Rejection and Adolescents' Self-Efficacy

Parenting practices are essential in promoting children's mental health, especially in effective and ineffective parenting. The use of ineffective parenting practices is no longer encouraged in the west; however, it remains a common practice among Asian households. Ineffective parenting consists of inconsistent discipline, corporal punishment, and poor monitoring which may result in mental health consequences. Thus, this study assessed the mediating effects of adolescents' self-efficacy and parental acceptance-rejection on the relationship between ineffective parenting practices and adolescents' mental health. The current study involved a total of 761 school-going Malaysian adolescents aged 13-18 (38.5% males; Mage = 15.65; SDage = 1.43). This study utilized a cross-sectional design where it measured adolescents' mental health, ineffective parenting practices, parental acceptance-rejection, and adolescents' self-efficacy. Both paternal and maternal parenting practices and acceptance-rejection were measured independently. Adolescents' self-efficacy and perceived paternal and maternal acceptance-rejection were found to be significant mediators for ineffective parenting practices and adolescents' mental health. Our findings suggest that ineffective parenting practices will result in perceived parental rejection and lower self-efficacy which in turn resulted in poorer mental health among adolescents. It means parents should be mindful of their parenting approaches as they have a direct and indirect impact on the mental health of their offspring.

Analyzing when parental warmth but without parental strictness leads to more adolescent empathy and self-concept: Evidence from Spanish homes

Introduction

Classical research mainly conducted with European-American families has identified the combination of warmth and strictness (authoritative style) as the parenting always associated with the highest scores on developmental outcomes. Additionally, despite the benefits of empathy for prosocial behaviors and protection against antisocial behaviors, most research has considered the contribution of specific practices (e.g., reasoning or power assertion), but not so much the parenting styles. Similarly, family studies tend to study the relationship between parenting and global self-perceptions (self-esteem), but not so much those of each dimension (self-concept).

Methods

In the present study, 600 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (M = 15.25, SD = 2.01) were classified within one of the four household typologies (i.e., authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, or neglectful). Adolescent developmental outcomes were cognitive empathy (adopting perspectives and emotional understanding), emotional empathy (empathic stress and empathic happiness), and self-concept (academic, social, emotional, family and physical).

Results

The results showed that the indulgent parenting (warmth but not strictness) was related to equal or even better empathy and self-concept than the authoritative style (warmth and strictness), whereas non-warm parenting (authoritarian and neglectful) was consistently associated with poor results.

Discussion

Overall, the present findings seriously question that parental strictness combined with parental warmth (authoritative style) is always the parenting style related to the greatest outcomes. By contrast, it seems that reasoning, warmth and involvement, without strictness (indulgent parenting) help adolescents to achieve a good orientation toward others in terms of cognitive and affective empathy and a good self-evaluation in terms of self-concept.

The Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox: Using Implementation Mapping to adapt an online decision support system to promote culturally-relevant sexual health education for American Indian and Alaska Native youth

Background

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth experience serious disparities in sexual and reproductive health, including the highest teen birth rate among racial/ethnic groups, and disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV. A growing number of evidence-based programs (EBPs) that integrate the strengths and cultural teachings of Native communities exist. Yet, multiple factors, including lack of trained personnel, limited resources, and geographic isolation, may hinder their adoption and implementation. Innovative implementation strategies that facilitate the adoption and implementation of sexual health EBPs in Native communities may help reduce these disparities.

Methods

We applied Implementation Mapping, a systematic planning framework that utilizes theory, empirical evidence, and community input, to adapt a theory-based, online decision support system, iCHAMPSS (CHoosing And Maintaining Effective Programs for Sex Education in Schools), to support underlying dissemination and implementation processes unique to Native communities. We used an iterative design process, incorporating input from Native practitioners and academicians, to ensure that the adapted decision support system reflects cultural identification, community values, and experiences.

Results

Grounded in diffusion of innovations, organizational stage theory, and social cognitive theory, the Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox supports Native practitioners through five phases (Gather, Choose, Prepare, Implement, and Grow) to adopt, implement, and maintain a culturally-relevant, age-appropriate sexual health EBP. The Toolbox provides tools, ready-to-use templates, and guidance to plan, implement, and grow a culturally-relevant adolescent health program with their Tribe or community. Hosted within the Healthy Native Youth website (www.healthynativeyouth.org), the Toolbox comprises: (1) a curriculum portal with access to 15 culturally-relevant, age-appropriate evidence-based health promotion programs for AI/AN youth; (2) a "resource library" comprising 20+ support tools, templates, and links to external resources, and (3) "stories from the field" comprising testimonials from experienced Native educators, who have implemented sexual health programs.

Conclusion

There is a continued need to design, test, and evaluate D&I strategies that are relevant to Native communities. The Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox contributes to the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, culturally-relevant sexual health education programs in diverse Native communities. Implementation Mapping provided a systematic approach to guide the adaptation process and integrate community voice with the ultimate goal of enhancing sexual health equity among AI/AN youth.

The Mediation Role of an Individual's and Couple's Psychological Factors, Including Parenting in the Prediction of Relational and Marital Satisfaction

The goal of this study was to widen the scope of the social component of family sustainability. The fundamental goal of this non-experimental, quantitative study was to look at the links between parenting correlates, personality characteristics, marital satisfaction, and well-being in couples, as well as to construct explanatory prediction models for relational and marital satisfaction. The study focused on the effects of personality traits, parental self-efficacy, and attachment to marital and relational satisfaction. The test instruments applied were: the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Marital Adjustment Test, Couple Satisfaction Index, Relationship Satisfaction Scale, Family Distress Index, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (adapted to the role of a parent), Mowen's Personality Scale, and demographic data. A total of 238 Romanians answered the online survey, recruited based on a convenience sampling method. Participants in this research were individuals who were both married and had at least one child. The main findings show that agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, anxious and avoidant attachment, and marital adjustment predict the satisfaction in the relationship, and openness partially mediates the association between marital adjustment and relationship satisfaction. Parental self-efficacy appears to influence the association between relationship satisfaction and marital satisfaction. An increased parental self-efficacy score predicts an increased relationship satisfaction and marital satisfaction. The higher the parental self-efficacy, the higher the satisfaction in the relationship, which leads to an increase in satisfaction in the couple. These results show that marital adjustment and adaptation are related to relational satisfaction, and these relationship are partially mediated by an individual's openness. Despite some limitations, the current study significantly contributes to couples therapies and interventions in terms of physical and mental health, and the study provides insight into the experiences and perspectives of married individuals with children in Romania.

Creating a path forward: understanding the context of sexual health and sexually transmitted infections in American Indian/Alaska Native populations – a review

This review assessed sexual health and sexually transmitted infection (STI) burden among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples within the context of current clinical and public health services. We conducted a review of published literature about sexual health and bacterial STIs among AI/AN populations in the United States using Medline (OVID), CINAHL (EbscoHost) and Scopus. Peer-reviewed journals published during 1 January 2005-2 December 2021 were included and supplemented by other publicly available literature. A total of 138 articles from reference lists met inclusion criteria, including 85 peer-review articles and 53 additional references. Results indicate a disproportionate burden of STIs is carried by AI/AN populations compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Risk for STIs in AI/AN people has origins in historical trauma and structural and social determinants of health. STI services are available for AI/AN populations, but many barriers to care exist. Community-based sexual health programming has been successful, but has thus far focused primarily on adolescents and young adults. A myriad of factors contributes to high rates of STIs among AI/AN populations. Longstanding disparities show a clear need to increase the availability of integrated, low-barrier STI prevention and treatment services. Implementation of multi-level (individual, physician, clinic, healthcare organisation, and/or community level), culturally relevant sexual health and STI interventions should be community-based and person-centred, acknowledge social determinants of health, and grounded in deep respect and understanding of AI/AN histories and cultures.

Digitalisation, Parenting, and Children's Mental Health: What Are the Challenges and Policy Implications?

In this narrative review, the relationships between digitalisation and the mental health status among children and youths will be discussed first. Second, amidst the pandemic, parents and children have much more time to spend together at home, so parenting plays a more significant role in determining children’s wellbeing. Therefore, how different parenting styles impact digitalisation and the mental health experienced by children and youths will be assessed. This narrative review aims to investigate the parenting conditions needed for children and youths to benefit from the growth of digitalisation, so that policies for digital transformation can be recommended. The outputs of this narrative review include recommending the endeavours of digital transformation that involve indiscriminately active inclusion and facilitating privileged young people, as well as their less advantaged counterparts, to maximise the advantages digitalisation offers.