Amy K. Marks

The Immigrant Paradox in Sexual Risk Behavior Among Latino Adolescents: Impact of Immigrant Generation and Gender

This article contributes new evidence on the associations among immigrant generation, gender, and sexual risk behavior among Latino adolescents in the United States. Longitudinal data from 3,272 Latino adolescents (grades 7–12) who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) were examined for evidence of the immigrant paradox in sex risk behaviors. Compared to more acculturated counterparts, first generation adolescents demonstrated the lowest levels of sexual risk behavior at each time point across adolescence and early adulthood. Gender significantly predicted change in sexual risk behavior over time with Latina females displaying a significantly greater increase in sexual risk behavior than males. Results indicate that third generation Latino adolescents and Latina females, in particular, may benefit from targeted sexual risk interventions to prevent increases in sex risk behavior during adolescence.

Associations Between First-Time Expectant Women's Representations of Attachment and Their Physiological Reactivity to Infant Cry

Associations among 53 primiparous womens Adult Attachment Interview classifications (secure-autonomous vs. insecure-dismissing) and physiological and self-reported responses to infant crying were explored. Heart rate, skin conductance levels, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were recorded continuously. In response to the cry, secure-autonomous women demonstrated RSA declines, consistent with approach-oriented responses. Insecure-dismissing women displayed RSA and electrodermal increases, consistent with behavioral inhibition. Furthermore, insecure-dismissing women rated the cries as more aversive than secure-autonomous women. Nine months postpartum, secure-autonomous women, who prenatally manifested an approach-oriented response to the unfamiliar cry stimulus, were observed as more sensitive when responding to their own distressed infant, whereas women classified prenatally as insecure-dismissing were observed as less sensitive with their own infants.

The immigrant paradox and adolescent obesity: examining health behaviors as potential mediators.

Objective: Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern with significant immediate and long-term health consequences. Certain social groups in the United States, such as immigrant adolescents, have been identified as particularly vulnerable to overweight and obesity. A pattern of results coined the “immigrant paradox” that refers to the phenomenon wherein obesity is less prevalent in first-generation immigrant youth when compared with second- and third-generation peers. Seeking to better understand this concerning trend, this study examined the mediating role of several health behaviors on the relation between generation status and body mass index (BMI). Method: Participants were 2292 Latino immigrant adolescents and emerging adults enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results: Multiple linear regression models indicated that sedentary behaviors partially mediated the relation between generation status and BMI. Conclusion: The findings indicate the unique role that sedentary behaviors play in explaining weight gain among Latino immigrants.

A Three-Generation Study of Chinese Immigrant Extended Family Child Caregiving Experiences in the Preschool Years

Chinese immigrant families often migrate to the U.S. with unique family characteristics including long separations between parents and children, as well as multigenerational family living. Research has shown that the intergenerational interactions within immigrant families are important for the psychological well-being of both parents and children, but has yet to document how grandparent and extended family member child rearing experiences may promote positive and/or negative well-being. This mixed-methods study aimed to understand such experiences in a low-income urban community. Results are discussed with respect to theory regarding how extended family childrearing dynamics impact both parent and child well-being.

What We Might Have Missed: Lessons from Diverse Methodologies in the Study of Immigrant Families

This article serves as an introduction to the current issue of Research in Human Development, which is devoted to exploring diverse methodological approaches to understanding human development within immigrant families. The authors present four original research articles spanning experimental, qualitative (focus groups and individual interview approaches), and mixed quantitative-qualitative study designs. Lessons learned from each methodological perspective are presented here by posing the question, “What might we have missed?” by relying solely on quantitative survey-based techniques. The authors end with acknowledgments of methodological limitations and thoughts for future research.

Current Psychological Perspectives on Adolescent Lesbian Identity Development

Developing a healthy identity is one of the main tasks of adolescence. This process is certainly full of challenges for all adolescents; however, the experiences are different for lesbian adolescents than they are for gay male adolescents, or even lesbian adults. This article aims to discuss what makes the lesbian adolescent identity development process unique (e.g., the role of femininity, the school context, friendships) and how this process can, or cannot, be conceptualized using current psychological models of sexual identity development. Future directions are suggested for researchers and educators in order to implement changes needed to support positive sexual identity development in young lesbian adolescents.

A Program Evaluation Strategy in a Community-Based Behavioral Health and Education Services Agency for Children and Families

Evaluation research and outcomes measurement in the arena of behavioral health services for children must be adapted for the community agency setting. Through evaluation research, it is possible to address service goals as well as more traditional academic research goals. This article examines a variety of activities that have been implemented to evaluate children’s behavioral and educational services in a Northern California non-profit community agency. It is noted that there are multiple formats for collecting information from and providing comments to children’s parents, their clinicians, and program administration staff, all of which can be used to effectively address service-focused evaluation research goals. Challenges to doing scientifically rigorous research in a community setting require additional considerations regarding organizational culture and structure. Based on the experiences of the authors and the experiences of others, the article describes general principles that can guide evaluation research and outcomes measurement with children and their families in the community health agency setting.

Identifying Resilience Resources for HIV Prevention Among Sexual Minority Men: A Systematic Review

Most HIV prevention for sexual minority men and men who have sex with men targets risk behaviors (e.g., condom use) and helps <50% of participants. Bolstering resilience might increase HIV prevention’s effectiveness. This systematic review identified resilience resources (protective factors) in high-risk, HIV-negative, sexual minority men. We reviewed PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, references, and Listservs for studies including sexual minority men with 1+ HIV risk factor (syndemics): childhood sexual abuse, partner abuse, substance abuse, or mental health symptoms. From 1356 articles screened, 20 articles met inclusion criteria. Across the articles, we identified and codified 31 resilience resources: socioeconomic (e.g., employment), behavioral coping strategies (e.g., mental health treatment), cognitions/emotions (e.g., acceptance), and relationships. Resilience resources were generally associated with lower HIV risk; there were 18 low-risk associations, 4 high-risk associations, 8 non-significant associations). We generated a set of empirically based resilience variables and a hypothesis to be evaluated further to improve HIV prevention.ResumenLa mayoría de prevención del VIH para los hombres de las minorías sexuales y hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres se dirige a los comportamientos de riesgo (por ejemplo, el uso del condón) y ayuda a <50% de los participantes. Refuerzo de la resiliencia podría aumentar la efectividad de la prevención del VIH. Esta revisión sistemática identificó recursos de resiliencia (factores protectores) en alto riesgo, VIH-negativos, hombres de las minorías sexuales. Revisamos PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, referencias, y servidores de listas para los estudios incluidos hombres de las minorías sexuales con factor de riesgo del VIH 1+ (syndemics): el abuso sexual infantil, el abuso de pareja, abuso de sustancias, o síntomas de salud mental. A partir de 1.356 artículos revisados, 20 artículos cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. A través de los artículos, hemos identificado y codificado 31 recursos de resiliencia: socio-económico (por ejemplo, empleo), las estrategias de afrontamiento de comportamiento (por ejemplo, tratamiento de salud mental), cogniciones/emociones (por ejemplo, la aceptación), y relaciones. recursos de resiliencia en general se asocian con un menor riesgo de VIH (18 asociaciones riesgo bajo, 4 asociaciones alto riesgo, 8 asociaciones no significativas). Hemos generado un conjunto de variables de resiliencia de base empírica y una hipótesis para realizar evaluaciones adicionales para mejorar la prevención del VIH.

National Immigration Receiving Contexts

Extraordinary increases in refugee and voluntary migration have recently been observed in many European and North American countries. At the same time, negative attitudes toward immigrants and unfavorable immigration-related policy changes are promoting national climates of increased discrimination, fear of deportation, and experiences of income and education inequality among many immigrant origin youth and families. This paper considers how national receiving contexts, in particular the efficacy of national immigration integration policies and markers of national attitudes toward immigrants, can shape both native-born youth and immigrant and refugee youth well-being. Using an ecological framework, we draw from the recent empirical literature and three sources of international policy and child well-being data, to assess how national receiving contexts matter for native-born children and immigrant youth adaptation. Results indicate strong linkages among the macro-level contexts of multicultural policies and positive integration approaches with overall child well-being. More favorable immigrant national attitudes, and the more micro-level perceptions of discrimination and xenophobia, also matter tremendously for immigrant and refugee youth adaptation and health outcomes.

An integrative risk and resilience model for understanding the adaptation of immigrant-origin children and youth.

We propose an integrative model for the adaptation of immigrant-origin children and youth that combines ecological with risk and resilience frameworks. Immigrant-origin children and youth are now, and will continue to be, a diverse and demographically important segment of all postindustrial nations’ populations. Synthesizing evidence across psychological, educational, and sociological disciplines produced since the seminal publication of García Coll et al.’s (1996) model, along with significant events such as a global refugee crisis, a sociopolitical “deportation nation” climate, and heightened xenophobia, we provide a model for understanding the current conditions immigrant-origin children and youth encounter as they develop. This new integrative conceptual model for addressing positive frameworks for adaptation provides a culturally relevant approach for understanding both the risks and resilience of this population. The model was designed to inform practice and future research in the service of immigrant-origin children and youth.