Lisa Kiang

A Preliminary Study of Daily Interpersonal Stress and C-Reactive Protein Levels Among Adolescents From Latin American and European Backgrounds

Objective: To examine the association between the experience of daily interpersonal stress and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker that is a key indicator of cardiovascular risk, during the teenage years. Methods: A total of 69 adolescents (Mage= 17.78 years) completed daily diary checklists each night for 14 days in which they reported their experience of negative interpersonal interactions in the domains of family, peers, and school (e.g., conflict with family and friends, peer harassment, punishment by parents and teachers). Blood samples were obtained an average of 8.63 months later and assayed for circulating levels of CRP, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Measures of body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), substance use, stressful life events, rejection sensitivity, and psychological distress were obtained. Results: A greater frequency of daily interpersonal stress was associated with higher levels of CRP, even after controlling for BMI, SES, substance use, life events, rejection sensitivity, psychological distress, and frequency of daily interpersonal stress 2 years earlier. Conclusions: Experiencing a high frequency of interpersonal stressors that are typical of adolescent life is associated with higher levels of inflammation even among a normative, healthy sample of adolescents. Additional work should focus on other daily experiences during the adolescent period and their implications for elevated risk for later cardiovascular disease. BMI = body mass index; CRP = C-reactive protein; CVD = cardiovascular disease.

Meaning in Life as a Mediator of Ethnic Identity and Adjustment Among Adolescents from Latin, Asian, and European American Backgrounds

Establishing a sense of life meaning is a primary facet of well-being, yet is understudied in adolescent development. Using data from 579 adolescents (53% female) from Latin American, Asian, and European backgrounds, demographic differences in meaning in life, links with psychological and academic adjustment, and the role of meaning in explaining associations between ethnic identity and adjustment were examined. Although no generational or gender differences were found, Asian Americans reported higher search for meaning than Latin and European Americans. Presence of meaning was positively associated with self-esteem, academic adjustment, daily well-being, and ethnic belonging and exploration, whereas search for meaning was related to lower self-esteem and less stability in daily well-being. Presence of meaning mediated associations between ethnic identity and adjustment, explaining 28–52% of ethnic identity’s protective effect on development. Ethnic identity thus appears to affect adjustment, in part, through its role in fostering a positive sense of meaning in adolescents’ lives.

Daily family assistance and inflammation among adolescents from Latin American and European backgrounds

To assess the biological impact of time spent helping the family during the teenage years, we examined circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6r), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 64 adolescents (M(age)=17.79 years) from Latin American and European backgrounds. Analyses of nightly diary checklists over 14 days showed that the amount of time spent helping the family in a variety of ways, such as cooking, cleaning, and sibling care, was associated with long-term elevations of sIL-6r and CRP, even after controlling for ethnicity, parental education, BMI, substance use, distress, and frequency of daily family assistance 2 years earlier. However, adolescents who derived a greater sense of role fulfillment from helping the family on a daily basis had lower levels of sIL-6r and CRP as compared to their peers who engaged in the same amount of family assistance. Additional work should explore the family context that drives high levels of assistance among adolescents, as well as the variety of ways adolescents may derive meaning from this activity.

The Protective Role of Familism in the Lives of Latino Adolescents

Familism, a Latino value that promotes loyalty, cohesiveness, and obedience within the family, predicts improved outcomes for Latino adolescents. However, few studies have tested whether familism serves a protective role when adolescents are facing stress. We examined whether familism predicted psychosocial outcomes in the context of stress, and whether familism moderated the relationship between peer discrimination, acculturative stress, and economic stress predicting these outcomes in a sample of 173 Latino adolescents. Familism was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and greater school attachment, but it did not moderate the relationship between any of the stressors and outcomes. Discrimination was associated with greater depressive symptoms, worse school attachment, and greater perceived barriers to college, but socioeconomic stress and acculturation stress did not uniquely predict these outcomes once taking into account discrimination. Thus, although familial culture values lead to improved outcomes in youth, they are unable to counter the detrimental effects of discrimination.

Normative Changes in Ethnic and American Identities and Links with Adjustment among Asian American Adolescents.

Identity development is a highly salient task for adolescents, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, yet longitudinal research that tracks simultaneous change in ethnic identity and American identity over time has been limited. With a focus on 177 Asian American adolescents recruited from an emerging immigrant community, in the current study, we used hierarchical linear modeling and found that ethnic identity tends to remain fairly stable across the 4 years of high school, whereas American identity increases over time. When ethnic identity and American identity were examined simultaneously, consistent with existing research, ethnic identity was positively associated with positive relationships, high self-esteem, academic motivation, and lower levels of depression over time. Although American identity was not significantly associated with depression, positive links with relationships, self-esteem, and academic motivation were found. Both identities were interactively associated with academic motivation. Acculturative implications and the importance of considering the dual construction of ethnic identity and American identity in light of adolescent adjustment are discussed.

Relational expression of ethnic identity in Chinese Americans

The conceptualization of ethnic identity as a dynamic construct differentially expressed as a function of relational context was examined in 207 Chinese Americans. Relational differentiations were made such that individuals expressed their ethnic identity most when with Asian peers, followed by parents, then Caucasian peers. Factor analysis supported differentiations across same-ethnic and different-ethnic contexts. To illustrate the utility of a relational approach, relationship-specific models were developed with relational ethnic identity implicated as a mediator between ethnic support and outcomes of relational adjustment and relationship quality. Across relationships, differences in the strength and significance of direct and mediational paths were found. Discussion emphasizes strengths of a relational framework in the study of ethnic identity and related constructs.

Gendered academic adjustment among Asian American adolescents in an emerging immigrant community.

Research on the academic adjustment of immigrant adolescents has been predominately conducted in large cities among established migration areas. To broaden the field’s restricted focus, data from 172 (58% female) Asian American adolescents who reside within a non-traditional or emerging immigrant community in the Southeastern US were used to examine gender differences in academic adjustment as well as school, family, and cultural variables as potential mediators of gender differences found. Results suggest that girls report significantly higher educational goals, intrinsic academic motivation, and utility value of school compared to boys. These gender differences are statistically mediated by ethnic exploration and family processes, most prominently, family respect. School connectedness and perceived discrimination are also associated with academic adjustment at the bivariate level, suggesting that academic success may be best promoted if multiple domains of influence can be targeted.

An Integrated Conceptual Framework for the Development of Asian American Children and Youth

The diversity of circumstances and developmental outcomes among Asian American children and youth poses a challenge for scholars interested in Asian American child development. This article addresses the challenge by offering an integrated conceptual framework based on three broad questions: (a) What are theory-predicated specifications of contexts that are pertinent for the development of Asian American children? (b) What are the domains of development and socialization that are particularly relevant? (c) How can culture as meaning-making processes be integrated in conceptualizations of development? The heuristic value of the conceptual model is illustrated by research on Asian American children and youth that examines the interconnected nature of specific features of context, pertinent aspects of development, and interpretive processes.

Ethnic, Gender, and Age Differences in Adolescent Nonfatal Suicidal Behaviors

This study examined ethnic differences in adolescent nonfatal suicidal behaviors as well as age and gender variation both across and within ethnic groups. Using a large (n = 14, 346) sample of adolescents in Grades 7 through 12, African Americans reported relatively high rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts and Southeast Asians reported high rates of suicidal thoughts. Hispanic Americans, European Americans, and Asian Americans were similar in their reports of nonfatal suicidal behaviors. Gender differences also varied across ethnicity as Southeast Asian boys (particularly older boys) reported more suicidal thoughts and attempts than Southeast Asian girls.

Theoretical Perspectives on Asian American Youth and Families in Rural and New Immigrant Destinations

The Asian American population has skyrocketed in recent years with growth rates currently outpacing all other ethnic/racial groups in the USA. Yet, Asian Americans remain understudied in the literature, and virtually nothing is known about the Asian youth and families who are increasingly settling in new immigrant communities and rural areas of the USA. This chapter addresses this literature gap by providing a theoretical discussion of some of the complex variables that should be considered when conceptualizing the development of Asian American youth and families in rural and new immigrant destinations. A brief review of historical migration patterns and the changing demographics of Asian American immigrants is followed by an outline of key individual, community, and culturally based factors that uniquely shape development among emerging and rural settlement sites. Topics for future research, including implications for education, policy, and research, are also discussed.