Socioeconomic and home educational resource risk factors and Children's literacy and social skills in Guyanese families: Mediating role of parental cognitive engagement and parental guidance

This study examined the mediating role of parental cognitive engagement and parental guidance on the associations between family socioeconomic and home environment resource risk factors and children's literacy and social skills in Guyana. The sample consisted of 1208 families from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds drawn from the 2019 to 2020 country-level UNICEF MICS data. Caregivers provided assessments of socioeconomic conditions, educational resources in the home environment, cognitive engagement, parental guidance and children's literacy and social skills. Family socioeconomic risk had an indirect association with social skills through cognitive engagement. Home environment educational resource risk had indirect associations with children's literacy and social skills through parental guidance. Findings are discussed in terms of identifying protective factors within families in low- and middle-income Caribbean countries that can better inform intervention efforts geared at reducing risks to childhood development.

Maternal depressive symptoms and physical intimate partner violence and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Guyanese families: Mediating role of constructive conflict behavior

Using models of risk and resilience as a guide, this study examined the mediating role of constructive conflict behaviors on the associations between maternal depressive symptoms, intimate partner violence (IPV), and child behavior problems. The nature of the mediation pathways was also examined for two groups of families, one experiencing high and another experiencing low levels of partner social support. Participants included 196 mothers and their preschool-aged children from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in Guyana. Constructive conflict behaviors partially mediated the link between maternal depressive symptoms and children's externalizing behaviors. Maternal depressive symptoms and physical intimate partner violence were directly related to children's internalizing behaviors. Constructive conflict behaviors were not a mediator of the association between risk factors and children's behavioral outcomes for families experiencing high or low levels of partner social support. In the context of families experiencing high partner social support, constructive conflict behaviors appeared to be more effective in reducing children's externalizing problem behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The beneficial role of family enmeshment among South Korean immigrants in the United States

Enmeshment is considered inimical to healthy family dynamics among European Americans. However, recent studies have failed to show negative associations between family enmeshment and individual outcomes among Asian Heritage families. Using structural equation modelling and multiple group analysis, this study examined whether enmeshed relationships are dysfunctional in Korean immigrant families in the United States and whether degree of acculturation moderated the associations between enmeshment and children's socioemotional functioning and academic performance. The sample consisted of 98 South Korean immigrant families with children between 9 and 14 years of age residing in the Greater New York City Area. Results showed that enmeshed family relationships tended to be beneficial to child socioemotional functioning and the association became more evident with lower than higher degree of acculturation. Findings are discussed in terms of the meaning of enmeshment when working with Korean immigrant families in the United States.

Paternal and Maternal Cognitive Engagement and Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills Across Six Ethnic Groups in Suriname

Using propositions in cultural-ecological and maternal and paternal engagement models, this study utilized the 2018 UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys to examine which sociodemographic factors were associated with fathers’ and mothers’ cognitive engagement and the associations between parental and maternal cognitive engagement and preschoolers’ literacy skills in Amerindian, Maroon, Creole, Javanese, Hindustani, and Mixed-ethnic families in Suriname ( N = 1,008). After establishing measurement invariance in constructs across ethnic groups, analyses revealed few consistent sociodemographic predictors of paternal and maternal cognitive engagement. Patterns of associations between paternal and maternal cognitive engagement and children’s literacy skills were not uniform across ethnic groups. Data have implications for understanding mothers’ and fathers’ contributions to children’s early literacy skills development and for developing parenting intervention programs in Suriname.

Maternal use of physical and non-physical forms of discipline and preschoolers' social and literacy skills in 25 African countries

OBJECTIVES

Little is known about associations between different forms of discipline and children's literacy, social skills, and behavior in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined maternal use of physical discipline, harsh physical discipline, psychological aggression, and nonphysical discipline and their relative associations with preschool-aged children's social and literacy skills and behavioral difficulty in 25 diverse African countries. We also explored whether belief in physical discipline and sociodemographic factors moderate the associations between different forms of discipline and childhood outcomes.

METHODS

The participants were 32,817 biological mothers and their preschool-aged children from the UNICEF Multiple indicator Cluster Surveys. Information regarding belief in and use of physical and nonphysical forms of discipline and children's social and literacy skills and behavioral difficulty were obtained via questionnaires obtained from mothers in each household.

RESULTS

Psychological aggression was negatively, and nonphysical discipline positively associated with children's literacy skills. Harsh physical discipline, physical discipline, and psychological aggression were positively, and nonphysical discipline negatively associated with behavioral difficulty in children. Psychological aggression, physical discipline, and nonphysical discipline were positively associated with and harsh physical discipline negatively associated with children's social skills. Maternal education, preschool enrollment, and household wealth variously moderated the associations between different modes of discipline and children's literacy and social skills and behavioral difficulty.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings underline the negative consequences of harsh discipline on children's social and literacy skills and behavioral difficulty in African cultural communities.

Maternal and Paternal Cognitive Engagement and Children’s Literacy Skills in 25 African Countries

There is increasing interest in promoting positive parenting to improve childhood development in low- and middle-income countries. Following propositions in parenting and cultural-ecological frameworks about the importance of early parent-child engagement in fostering children’s literacy skills, we used the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Surveys to assess the associations between maternal and paternal book reading, storytelling, and naming/counting and early literacy skills in 90,397 families and their preschool-aged children in 25 low- and middle-income African countries. Individual participant data meta-analysis indicated strong associations between maternal and paternal engagement in reading, storytelling, and naming/counting and children’s letter recognition, reading simple words, and recognizing symbols. Preschool enrollment and maternal education consistently moderated the associations between maternal and paternal engagement activities and children’s literacy skills. These findings are in agreement with those found in the high-income countries and have implications for the transferability of parenting practices from high-income to low- and middle-income countries in efforts to improve the early academic skills of young children.

Fathers’ Cognitive Engagement and Preschoolers’ Literacy Skills in Three Ethnic Groups in Trinidad and Tobago

Using the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, this study assessed the associations between fathers’ cognitive engagement and preschoolers’ literacy skills in African Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean, and mixed-ethnic Caribbean families in Trinidad and Tobago. The sample consisted of 476 fathers and their preschool-aged children. Multigroup structural equation modeling indicated that paternal cognitive engagement was associated with children’s literacy skills in mixed-ethnic Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean families above and beyond maternal cognitive engagement activities. Across all groups, children’s age, number of hours in preschool, and number of children’s books in the home were associated with children’s literacy skills. Fathers’ residential status was associated with children’s literacy skills differently across ethnic groups. Findings are interpreted in terms of the importance and consistency of paternal engagement in the home environment for the acquisition of early language skills in developing countries.

The moderating role of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms in fathers with young children

Drawing on couple-focused prevention intervention models that target family level processes, we used complier average causal effect (CACE) estimates to determine whether relationship skills education moderated the association between fathers' depressive symptoms assessed when their children were 15-months-old and again when their children were 36-months-old. The sample consisted of low-income Hispanic American, European American, and African American fathers (N = 2,540) from the Building Strong Families Study. Fathers from 8 sites across the United States were randomly assigned to either a treatment group who were offered relationship skills education or a control group. Paternal age and family residential stability predicted fathers' utilization of intervention services. Relationship skills education moderated the association between depressive symptoms at 15 months and depressive symptoms at 36 months. The impact of dosage of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms was inconsistent and dependent on percentage of receipt of relationship skills education classes. Data are interpreted in the context of the efficacy of intervention programs for tempering depressive symptoms in low-income fathers with young children. (PsycINFO Database Record

Sociodemographic, psychosocial and physical health correlates of common mental disorder symptoms among mothers in Trinidad and Tobago: Examining ethnic variations

Historical and cultural experiences have shaped the life experiences of cultural communities in Trinidad and Tobago. Using a cultural focus, the goal of this investigation was to examine ethnic variations both in the prevalence of common mental disorder (CMD) symptoms as well as in the associations between sociodemographic, psychosocial, physical health correlates and CMDs among mothers in Trinidad and Tobago. Participants included 1002 mothers (359 African-, 353 Indo- and 290 Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian). Mean comparisons indicated similarities in the levels of depression, somatisation and anxiety across ethnic groups. The associations between physical ill health, experiences of pain and depression and between physical ill health and somatisation were stronger for Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian than Indo-Trinidadian mothers. The relationship between early experiences of domestic violence and depression was stronger for Indo-Trinidadian than Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian mothers. The associations between early experiences of domestic violence and depression and between experiences of pain and somatisation were stronger for African Trinidadian than Mixed-Ethnic Trinidadian mothers. Thus beyond the direct effects, mothers belonging to specific ethnic groups indicated greater or lesser vulnerabilities to CMDs depending on their exposure to specific correlates. Results have applicability for the development of culturally sensitive interventions for mothers experiencing CMDs.

Puerto Rican Fathers' Involvement with Their Preschool-Age Children

The relationships between fathers 'functional styles within the family, social support, and fathers' involvement with their preschool-age children in the home were assessed in 40 mainland Puerto Rican intact lower-to middle-income families. The data revealed that fathers spent about a third of the time as mothers did in primary caregiving. Family income and fathers' educational level were not significantly associated with paternal involvement, fathers' functional styles, or the degree of support received, but family income was positively associated with length of time married. Fathers' assessments of their commitment to the family and their competence were significantly associated with their involvement with their preschool-age children. The results are discussed with respect to the importance ofpersonalpsychologicalfunctioningforparticipation in early caregiving.

Do Guyanese mothers' levels of warmth moderate the association between harshness and justness of physical punishment and preschoolers' prosocial behaviours and anger?

This study assessed the moderating role of Indo-Guyanese mothers' warmth and affection on the associations between harshness and justness of physical punishment and prosocial behaviours and anger in preschoolers. One hundred and thirty-nine rural Indo-Guyanese mothers filled out Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection (PARQ) and Physical Punishment Questionnaires (PPQ). Teachers provided assessments of children's prosocial behaviours and anger in preschool settings. Maternal warmth did not moderate the relationship between harshness of physical punishment and children's prosocial behaviours and anger, but it did moderate the relationship between justness of physical punishment and prosocial behaviours for sons as well as the association between justness of physical punishment and anger for daughters. In Caribbean societies where harsh punishment is normative, maternal warmth may work more effectively with justness, and not with harshness of physical punishment, to lower negative childhood behavioural outcomes.

Relationships Between Parenting Practices and Preschoolers’ Social Skills in African, Indo, and Mixed-Ethnic Families in Trinidad and Tobago

Following the tenets of cultural-ecological theories, this study examined the mediating role of ethnic socialization in the relationship between parenting practices and prosocial behavior and behavioral difficulties in 1,282 African, Indo- and mixed-ethnic Caribbean female caregivers in Trinidad and Tobago. Across ethnic groups, caregivers used a combination of high levels of positive parenting, rule setting, and material rewards, and moderate levels of harsh discipline and ethnic socialization. Indo and mixed-ethnic Caribbean caregivers engaged in more positive parenting and rule setting and offered more material rewards to children than African Caribbean caregivers, whereas African and mixed-ethnic Caribbean caregivers used more harsh discipline than Indo Caribbean caregivers. Ethnic socialization mediated the associations between parenting practices and prosocial behavior in children differently across the three ethnic groups. Harsh discipline had direct associations with antisocial behaviors in all ethnic groups. Data are discussed with respect to parental management style in difficult ecological niches and variations in the role of ethnic socialization in mediating the associations between parenting practices and childhood social development across ethnic groups.

Indian Fathers: Family Dynamics and Investment Patterns

Despite unprecedented economic and social changes within the Indian family, not much attention is paid to the role of the father in the socialisation of young children. This overview provides a contemporary look at the Indian father in the context of ideological beliefs about roles and responsibilities, levels and quality of involvement with infants and young children, and maternal employment and caregiving patterns. Ideological beliefs about men’s and women’s roles and responsibilities within the family have not changed appreciably. Fathers appear responsive to the needs of young children, but mothers still assume major responsibility for childrearing. Maternal employment affects caregiving patterns modestly. There is a need for studies on fathers’ involvement and investment in infants and young children within changing work and family patterns using more complex research designs.

A multilevel analysis of the role of parental and community variables on young children's health

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among community characteristics, family economic adversity, parents' health beliefs, and parents' and children's health using cross-level mediation analyses.

METHODS

Survey data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,337 families with children between 3 and 6 years nested within 45 Trinidad and Tobago community clusters.

RESULTS

At the individual level, parents' health belief of internality was a significant mediator between family economic adversity, adult health, and children's health. In the cross-level mediation analyses, health belief of internality was a significant mediator between community health problems and children's health. There were between-community variations in the relationship between adult health, health belief of powerful others, and children's health.

CONCLUSIONS

There is strong evidence of the role of community and family influences on children's health. Findings indicate the need to use a multilevel analytical approach in studies of children's health.

Infant Social Interactions With Multiple Caregivers

Most studies of diverse populations of families within the United States have either focused predominantly on ethnicity or socioeconomic status (SES), and those that have examined both ethnicity and SES have noted difficulties in disentangling the effects of SES and ethnicity. In order to achieve a greater understanding of variation in infant experiences with parental and nonparental caregivers in differing socioeconomic and ethnic contexts, 41 infants from African American and 40 infants from European American families of lower and middle SES were observed for 12 hours each in and around their home environments. Ethnic differences were evident in the infants’ overall experiences with caregivers, maternal availability, affection, caregiving, and stimulation by nonnuclear relatives; SES differences were identified for maternal and paternal holding, maternal carrying, and paternal caregiving. When caregiver availability was taken into account, variations in interactional and care experiences were predominantly predicted by ethnicity. These results underscore the need to study both ethnicity and socioeconomic variation rather than either one alone. Furthermore, the caregiving behaviors of African American mothers and fathers may be misrepresented when multiple SES contexts are not considered.

Social experiences and daily routines of African American infants in different socioeconomic contexts

Sixty-two 3- to 4-month-old African American infants from lower, middle, and upper socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds were each observed in naturalistic contexts for 12 hr. The social experiences of infants in the 3 groups were similar in many ways: Infants from all backgrounds slept and were vocalized to for similar amounts of time. However, infants in the upper SES families engaged in more self-play, vocalized less, fussed less, had fewer but longer naps, and fewer but longer bouts of social interaction than did infants in the middle- and lower SES families. Infants in the upper SES families also received more verbal affection and soothing responses to their fussing and crying than did the other infants, whereas infants in the lower SES families interacted more with extended kin than did infants in the upper SES families. These results underscore the need to study African American families in a variety of socioeconomic contexts because families in more advantaged circumstances may greatly differ from those who are more disadvantaged, especially in terms of reliance on extended kin as caregivers.

Mothers' and fathers' behaviors toward their 3- to 4-month-old infants in lower, middle, and upper socioeconomic African American families

African American mothers' and fathers' availability, caregiving, and social behaviors toward their infants in and around their homes were examined. Twenty lower, 21 middle, and 21 upper socioeconomic families and their 3- to 4-month-old infants were observed for 4 3-hr blocks between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on 4 different weekdays. With increasing economic resources, children's exposure to multiple caregivers and nonresident fathers declined. Mothers were more available to infants than fathers were, regardless of socioeconomic status. Mothers fed infants more than fathers did, whereas fathers vocalized more and displayed more affection to infants than mothers did when they were examined in proportion to caregiver presence. Mothers and fathers interacted with male and female infants quite similarly, although, in the upper socioeconomic families, fathers of daughters were more available than fathers of sons. Fathers and mothers in the different socioeconomic groups held, displayed affection to, and soothed their infants differently.

Mothers' and fathers' interactions with preschoolers in the home in northern Thailand: relationships to teachers' assessments of children's social skills

Using ecocultural theory as a guide, the authors observed some everyday activities of mothers and fathers with children for 2 hr in the home in 53 families residing in Chaing Mai Province in northern Thailand. Teachers provided assessments of children's general social skills in preschool using the Preschool Kindergarten Behavior Scale (K. W. Merrell, 1994). Mothers were significantly more likely to engage in basic care, general conversations, and educational activities; to praise; and to use commands and reasoning as forms of discipline with children than fathers. Mothers and fathers did not significantly differ in the display of affection, teasing or joking, and modes of play interactions with children. Parents generally treated boys and girls similarly. Few associations between parent-child involvement and children's social skills in preschool were significant. Data are discussed with respect to changes in culturally driven parent-child practices.

Paternal involvement in child care as a function of maternal employment in nuclear and extended families in India

Paternal involvement in childcare as a function of family structure and maternal employment status was assessed in 92 dual-wage and 103 single-wage Indian families with preschool-aged children residing in different areas of New Delhi, India. Mothers and fathers completed Radian's Paternal Involvement in Child Care Index (PICCI). Data showed that parents in single-wage families spent more time in primary care-giving compared with parents in dual-wage families. Fathers' involvement scores on the different components of the PICCI did not vary as a function of mother's employment status or family structure. Data are discussed with respect to the rigidity of men's role in a historically patriarchal society.

The interactional teaching patterns of mothers and fathers with their popular, moderately popular, or unpopular children

The interactional teaching strategies of mothers and fathers toward their sociometrically determined popular, moderately popular, or unpopular children, and children's responses to them were examined during a structured puzzle task in a laboratory setting. Parents of popular children used more explanations in aiding their children to complete the puzzle task than parents of moderately popular or unpopular children. Mothers were more likely to offer suggestions, use explanations, and ask questions during the puzzle task than fathers. Analysis of children's responses revealed that popular children were more likely to ignore imperatives by their parents compared with unpopular children, while unpopular children showed a tendency to be more cooperative following imperatives by parents than popular children. Finally, popular children were less likely to ignore but were more likely to go off task following suggestions by parents than either unpopular or moderately popular children. The data are discussed with respect to the possible link between parental socialization patterns and children's popularity in the peer group and the need to consider the interaction patterns in both the peer and parent-child systems for intervention purposes.