Larry E. Dumka

Familism Values as a Protective Factor for Mexican-Origin Adolescents Exposed to Deviant Peers

This study examined interactive relations between adolescent, maternal, and paternal familism values and deviant peer affiliations in predicting adolescent externalizing problems within low-income, Mexican-origin families (N = 598). Adolescent, maternal, and paternal familism values interacted protectively with deviant peer affiliations to predict lower levels of externalizing problems according to two independent teacher reports. These relations were not found with parent reports of adolescent externalizing problems although these models showed a direct, protective effect of maternal familism values. Consistent with the view that traditional cultural values are protective for Latino adolescents, these results suggest that supporting familism values among Mexican-origin groups is a useful avenue for improving adolescent conduct problems, particularly in a school context.

Recruitment and Retention of High-Risk Families into a Preventive Parent Training Intervention

This article describes the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating recruitment and retention strategies for an eight session preventive parenting program designed for high-risk minority parents from low-income inner-city communities. The program was offered in both Spanish and English to a sample of 142 one- and two-parent families (78% Mexican immigrant or Mexican American, 15% African American, and 9% Anglo, Native American, and other). Recruitment and retention strategies resulted in a 70% participation rate with 48% of the families attending 5-8 sessions and 22% attending 1-4 sessions. Attendance rates were higher for married and cohabiting mothers than for single mothers and for Spanish speaking mothers compared to English-speaking Latino mothers. New categories are presented to improve future reporting of recruitment and retention data.

Randomized Trial of a Broad Preventive Intervention for Mexican American Adolescents

OBJECTIVE This randomized trial of a family-focused preventive intervention for Mexican American (MA) adolescents evaluated intervention effects on adolescent substance use, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and school discipline and grade records in 8th grade, 1 year after completion of the intervention. The study also examined hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effects. METHOD Stratified by language of program delivery (English vs. Spanish), the trial included a sample of 516 MA adolescents (50.8% female; M = 12.3 years, SD = 0.54) and at least one caregiver that were randomized to receive a low-dosage control group workshop or the 9-week group intervention that included parenting, adolescent coping, and conjoint family sessions. RESULTS Positive program effects were found on all 5 outcomes at 1-year posttest but varied depending on whether adolescents, parents, or teachers reported on the outcome. Intervention effects were mediated by posttest changes in effective parenting, adolescent coping efficacy, adolescent school engagement, and family cohesion. The majority of intervention effects were moderated by language, with a larger number of significant effects for families who participated in Spanish. Intervention effects also were moderated by baseline levels of mediators and outcomes, with the majority showing stronger effects for families with poorer functioning at baseline. CONCLUSION Findings not only support the efficacy of the intervention to decrease multiple problem outcomes for MA adolescents but also demonstrate differential effects for parents and adolescents receiving the intervention in Spanish vs. English, and depending on their baseline levels of functioning.

Engaging Mexican Origin Families in a School-Based Preventive Intervention

This study describes a culturally sensitive approach to engage Mexican origin families in a school-based, family-focused preventive intervention trial. The approach was evaluated via assessing study enrollment and intervention program participation, as well as examining predictors of engagement at each stage. Incorporating traditional cultural values into all aspects of engagement resulted in participation rates higher than reported rates of minority-focused trials not emphasizing cultural sensitivity. Family preferred language (English or Spanish) or acculturation status predicted engagement at all levels, with less acculturated families participating at higher rates. Spanish-language families with less acculturated adolescents participated at higher rates than Spanish-language families with more acculturated adolescents. Other findings included two-way interactions between family language and the target child’s familism values, family single- vs. dual-parent status, and number of hours the primary parent worked in predicting intervention participation. Editors’ Strategic Implications: The authors present a promising approach—which requires replication—to engaging and retaining Mexican American families in a school-based prevention program. The research also highlights the importance of considering acculturation status when implementing and studying culturally tailored aspects of prevention models.

Early Adolescents' Career Aspirations: A Qualitative Study of Perceived Barriers and Family Support among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

Using qualitative methods and data, this study examined career aspirations, perceived barriers, and family support among low-income, African American, Euro-American, Mexican American, and Mexican Immigrant early adolescents. Based on themes grounded in the narratives, gender and ethnic differences emerged. Girls were more likely to express an understanding of the requirements for reaching their goals than were boys. Mexican girls were more likely to express traditionally female goals than were other girls. Adolescents of Mexican descent perceived fewer barriers for reaching their goals than did African Americans or Euro-Americans. Negative relationships were observed between career aspirations and perceived barriers and between perceived barriers and family support. The implications of the findings were discussed, in addition to directions for future research.

Using qualitative methods to develop contextually relevant measures and preventive interventions: An illustration

Qualitative methods were used to develop a contextually relevant quantitative measure of parenting stress and inform the design of family-focused interventions aimed at preventing adolescent mental and behavioral health problems. The study focused on the experiences of low-income one- and two-parent families representing three ethnic groups (Mexican, African, and European Americans) living in low-income neighborhoods in a large Southwestern city. This report describes the place of this study in a broader program of prevention research, the qualitative methods and data analysis procedures employed, and how the results were used to develop a new measure of parenting stress and inform future program design. The report also includes reflective comments on the methods used and lessons gained.

Preventing Poor Mental Health and School Dropout of Mexican American Adolescents Following the Transition to Junior High School

This study provided an initial test of the Bridges to High School Program, an intervention designed to prevent school disengagement and negative mental health trajectories during the transition to junior high school. The intervention included an adolescent coping skills intervention, a parenting skills intervention, and a family strengthening intervention. The program was evaluated by examining pretest to posttest changes on targeted mediators and outcomes with a sample of 22 predominantlyMexican American families. Adolescents reported increased use of active and distraction coping strategies, and decreased depressive symptoms for themselves from pretest to posttest. They also reported significant changes in their mothers’parenting skills, including increased monitoring and a decrease in inconsistent discipline. Maternal caregivers reported an increase in supportive parenting and a decrease in inconsistent discipline for themselves and fewer adolescent problem behaviors. Process evaluations confirmed the attractiveness and perceived helpfulness of the program.

Family characteristics as mediators of the influence of problem drinking and multiple risk status on child mental health

Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical model in which family cohesion and family reframing coping were hypothesized as mediators between family drinking problems, multiple risk factors, negative life events, and child mental health (conduct disorder, depression, anxiety) in two-parent families. Family cohesion mediated the relationships of family drinking problems and negative life events to child conduct disorder and depression. Negative life events mediated the relationships of family drinking problems and family multiple risk to child conduct disorder. Family reframing coping did not function as a mediator nor was it related to child mental health when other factors were considered simultaneously. Results indicate that increasing family cohesion and reducing sources of stress within the family (negative life events) represent promising areas for interventions for children with problem-drinking parents.

Maternal Warmth Moderates the Link between Harsh Discipline and Later Externalizing Behaviors for Mexican American Adolescents.

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examined maternal warmth as a moderator of the relation between harsh discipline practices and adolescent externalizing problems one year later in low-income, Mexican American families. Design. Participants were 189 adolescents and their mothers who comprised the control group of a longitudinal intervention program. Results. Maternal warmth protected adolescents from the negative effects of harsh discipline such that, at higher levels of maternal warmth, there was no relation between harsh discipline and externalizing problems after controlling for baseline levels of externalizing problems and other covariates. At lower levels of maternal warmth, there was a positive relation between harsh discipline practices and later externalizing problems. Conclusion. To understand the role of harsh discipline in the development of Mexican American youth outcomes, researchers must consider contextual variables that may affect youths’ perceptions of their parents’ behavior, such as maternal warmth.

The Parental Relationship and Adolescent Conduct Problems in Mexican American and European American Families

Abstract Couple and family therapists have long noted the connection between discord in the marital relationship and adolescent conduct problems. To clarify the processes involved in this relationship, we tested a path model linking marital discord and adolescent conduct problems via the parenting alliance for mothers and fathers in European American, Mexican American English-preference, and Mexican American Spanish-preference families. Results indicated that a strong parenting alliance significantly affected parenting self-efficacy. Parenting self-efficacy was negatively related to adolescent conduct problems for mothers but not for fathers. Results suggest that maternal perceptions of low parenting alliance and low maternal parenting self-efficacy are salient risk factors for adolescent conduct problems in Mexican American families. Implications of the findings for couple and family therapy are discussed.