Family-level moderators of daily associations between discrimination and distress among Mexican-origin youth

The current study evaluated cultural values and family processes that may moderate associations between daily racial-ethnic discrimination and distress among Mexican-origin youth. Integrating micro-time (daily diary) and macro-time (longitudinal survey) research design features, we examined familism, family cohesion, and ethnic-racial socialization from youth-, mother-, and father- reports as potential buffers of daily associations between youth racial-ethnic discrimination and youth distress (negative affect and anger). The analytic sample, drawn from the Seguimos Avanzando study, included 317 Mexican-origin adolescents (Mage = 13.5 years) and their parents, recruited from the Midwestern United States. Results indicated that youth-reported familism and family cohesion significantly buffered daily associations between youth racial-ethnic discrimination and youth distress. In contrast, parent-reported familism and family cohesion and some aspects of ethnic-racial socialization exacerbated the discrimination to distress link. The implications of these results are discussed to inform efforts supporting the healthy development of Mexican-origin youth and their families.

Network resources and educational outcomes among Mexican-origin youth

Despite schooling gains over the last two decades, Mexican-origin adults complete fewer years of schooling than adults from other ethnic backgrounds. Explanations emphasizing network resources suggest Mexican-origin adolescents have social ties that are more likely to be "closed" from adults with experience in higher education-and this, in turn, inhibits the transition to college. In this study, we draw on unusual network data measuring characteristics of students' peers and friends, as well as the socioeconomic background of peers' and friends' parents. We demonstrate that Mexican-origin adolescents are much less likely to have friends whose parents have college educations. 83% of non-Hispanic Asian students and 72% of non-Hispanic white students have nominated friends with college-educated mothers; about half of Mexican-origin students do. These patterns are the result of socioeconomic segregation in social networks both across and within schools. Within schools, we observe that the educational background of friends is predictive of schooling outcomes for non-Mexican students. We find evidence that this network resource shapes non-Mexican students' educational expectations in high school and longer-run completed schooling as adults more so than it shapes the outcomes among Mexican-origin students.

Family Environment, Heritage Language Profiles, and Socioemotional Well-being of Mexican-origin Adolescents with First Generation Immigrant Parents

Although Mexican-origin youth with first-generation immigrant parents are relatively good at retaining their heritage language of Spanish, limited research has been conducted on their Spanish language development during adolescence. From three-wave longitudinal data across six years (N_wave1 = 604, M_age.wave1 = 12.91, 54% female), distinct groups of adolescents with consistently high, improved, declined, and consistently low Spanish proficiencies were identified. Family relationship quality was more predictive of adolescents' Spanish proficiency than family language environment. The benefits of Spanish proficiency were consistent across adolescents' ethnic identity, resilience, and life meaning. More research and practical attention to parent-adolescent relationships is needed to capitalize on the continued plasticity of adolescents' Spanish language development and to promote consequent positive outcomes.

School Belonging, Generational Status, and Socioeconomic Effects on Mexican-Origin Children's Later Academic Competence and Expectations

This study examined factors that relate to academic competence and expectations from elementary to middle school for 674 fifth grade students (50% boys; M_age = 10.86 years) of Mexican origin. Models predicting academic competence and expectations were estimated using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework, with longitudinal data from fifth to eighth grades. School belonging (i.e., social and emotional connectedness to school) predicted greater academic competence and expectations over time. Findings indicate that student feelings of belonging in school may act as a resource that promotes academic competence and expectations. Furthermore, family income, parent education, and generational status had direct effects on academic competence and expectations to some degree, suggesting the importance of contextual factors in this process.

Mexican-Origin Youth Participation in Extracurricular Activities: Predicting Trajectories of Involvement from 7th to 12th Grade

The potential benefits of participation in extracurricular activities may be especially important for youth who are at risk for academic underachievement, such as low income Mexican-origin youth in the U.S. To advance understanding of factors that drive participation for this population, this study examined Mexican-origin youth's trajectories of participation in extracurricular activities across Grades 7-12 and tested theoretically-derived predictors of these trajectories. Participants were 178 adolescents (53.9 % Female, Mage = 12.28) and their mothers who separately completed in-home interviews. Youth reported the frequency of their participation across a range of extracurricular activities. Latent growth curve models of overall extracurricular activities participation, sports participation, and fine arts participation were individually estimated via structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrated developmental declines in overall participation and in sports participation. For fine arts, declines in participation in middle school were followed by subsequent increases during high school (a curvilinear pattern). Motivationally-salient predictors of participation trajectories included youth's traditional cultural values orientation (sports), the mothers' educational aspirations for the youth (sports, fine arts, overall activity), and youth gender (sports, fine arts). Overall, the results suggest variability in participation trajectories based on program type, and highlight the need for additional research to enhance our understanding of the impact of culturally-relevant predictors on participation over time.

Genetic, psychosocial, and demographic factors associated with social disinhibition in Mexican-origin youth

INTRODUCTION

The genetic heritability for sensation-seeking tendencies ranges from 40 to 60%. Sensation-seeking behaviors typically manifest during adolescence and are associated with alcohol and cigarette experimentation in adolescents. Social disinhibition is an aspect of sensation-seeking that is closely tied to cigarette and alcohol experimentation.

METHODS

We examined the contribution of candidate genes to social disinhibition among 1132 Mexican origin youth in Houston, Texas, adjusting for established demographic and psychosocial risk factors. Saliva samples were obtained at baseline in 2005-06, and social disinhibition and other psychosocial data were obtained in 2008-09. Participants were genotyped for 672 functional and tagging SNPs potentially related to sensation-seeking, risk-taking, smoking, and alcohol use.

RESULTS

Six SNPs were significantly associated with social disinhibition scores, after controlling for false discovery and adjusting for population stratification and relevant demographic/psychosocial characteristics. Minor alleles for three of the SNPs (rs1998220 on OPRM1; rs9534511 on HTR2A; and rs4938056 on HTR3B) were associated with increased risk of social disinhibition, while minor alleles for the other three SNPs (rs1003921 on KCNC1; rs16116 downstream of NPY; and rs16870286 on LINC00518) exhibited a protective effect. Age, linguistic acculturation, thrill and adventure-seeking, and drug and alcohol-seeking were all significantly positively associated with increased risk of social disinhibition in a multivariable model (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These results add to our knowledge of genetic risk factors for social disinhibition. Additional research is needed to verify whether these SNPs are associated with social disinhibition among youth of different ethnicities and nationalities, and to elucidate whether and how these SNPs functionally contribute to social disinhibition.

The associations of body image, anxiety, and smoking among Mexican-origin youth

PURPOSE

Among Mexican-origin teenagers, anxiety is associated with cigarette experimentation, while among girls and young women from other ethnic groups the desire to be thin is associated with smoking. However, little is known about the associations of body image concerns with smoking in Mexican-origin youth, particularly when accounting for anxiety.

METHODS

In 2005-2006, 1,328 Mexican-origin adolescents aged 11 to 13 years enrolled in a cohort study to examine nongenetic and genetic factors associated with cigarette experimentation. In 2008-2009, 1,154 participants completed a follow-up when they reported their smoking status, anxiety, and body image. Height and weight were measured. In 2010-2011, 1,001 participants completed another follow-up when they reported their smoking status. Multivariate multinomial regression models were computed to examine associations between smoking behavior assessed in 2010-2011 and body image score, anxiety, and body mass index assessed in 2008-2009, controlling for gender, country of birth, age, and parental education.

RESULTS

Of the 892 participants with complete data, 48% were boys, 74% were U.S.-born and in 2008-2009, were 14.29 years (SD = 1) old. Having smoked less than a whole cigarette was associated with being male (OR = 1.53), older age (OR = 1.42), a body mass index <85th percentile (OR = 1.93), and poor body image (OR = 1.12). Having smoked more than one cigarette was associated with being male (OR = 3.54), older age (OR = 1.86), anxiety (OR = 1.04), and poor body image (OR = 1.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Poor body image and anxiety were independently associated with cigarette experimentation among Mexican-origin youth. Implications for the design of culturally appropriate smoking prevention messages are discussed.