Parental influences on adolescent physical activity: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is increasing among adolescents in the U.S., especially among girls. Despite growing evidence that parents are an important influence on adolescent health, few longitudinal studies have explored the causal relationship between parental influence and physical activity. This study examines how the relationships between parental influences and adolescent physical activity differ by gender and tests whether these relationships are mediated by adolescents' self-esteem and depression. METHODS: Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The sample includes 13,246 youth, grades 7 to 12, interviewed in 1995 and again 1 year later. Logit models were used to evaluate parental influences on achieving five or more bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week [MVPA] and whether the relationship between parental influence and MVPA was mediated by adolescents' level of self-esteem and depression. RESULTS: Family cohesion, parent-child communication and parental engagement positively predicted MVPA for both genders one year later (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for females, 1.09 [1.05–1.12], 1.13 [1.07–1.19], 1.25 [1.17–1.33] and males, 1.08 [1.04–1.11], 1.14 [1.07–1.23], 1.23 [1.14–1.33], respectively); however, parental monitoring did not (odds ratio and confidence intervals for females and males, 1.02 [.97–1.07]). For both females and males, self-esteem mediated the relationship between parental influence and physical activity. Depressive symptoms were only a mediator among males. Females reported higher levels of parent-child communication and lower family cohesion compared with males. There were no gender differences in levels of parental monitoring and engagement. Females had significantly lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depressive symptoms than males. CONCLUSION: Strategies to promote physical activity among adolescents should focus on increasing levels of family cohesion, parental engagement, parent-child communication and adolescent self-esteem

The Physical and Psychological Well-Being of Immigrant Children

Poor childhood health contributes to lower socioeconomic status in adulthood. Subsequently, low socioeconomic status among parents contributes to poor childhood health outcomes in the next generation. This cycle can be particularly pernicious for vulnerable and low-income minority populations, including many children of immigrants. And because of the rapid growth in the numbers of immigrant children, this cycle also has implications for the nation as a whole. By promoting the physical well-being and emotional health of children of immigrants, health professionals and policy makers can ultimately improve the long-term economic prospects of the next generation

The role of migration in the development of depressive symptoms among Latino immigrant parents in the USA

Nearly one out of every four children in the US is a child of immigrants. Yet few studies have assessed how factors at various stages of migration contribute to the development of health problems in immigrant populations. Most focus only on post-migration factors influencing health. Using data from the Latino Adolescent Migration, Health, and Adaptation Project, this study assessed the extent to which pre-migration (e.g., major life events, high poverty), migration (e.g., unsafe and stressful migration experiences), post-migration (e.g., discrimination, neighborhood factors, family reunification, linguistic isolation), and social support factors contributed to depressive symptoms among a sample of Latino immigrant parents with children ages 12-18. Results indicated that high poverty levels prior to migration, stressful experiences during migration, as well as racial problems in the neighborhood and racial/ethnic discrimination upon settlement in the US most strongly contribute to the development of depressive symptoms among Latino immigrant parents. Family reunification, social support, and familism reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms

Perceived barriers to opportunity and their relation to substance use among Latino immigrant men

Theory and empirical evidence suggest that perceived barriers to opportunity, such as discrimination, can lead to the adoption of unhealthy behaviors. The study assessed the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic, language and legal status barriers to opportunity and substance use among Latino immigrant men in North Carolina. Logistic regression was used to test for the association between perceived barriers and odds of binge drinking in the past 30 days and cigarette smoking. In both crude and adjusted models, perceived language barriers (OR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.78 – 5.25) and legal status barriers (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.26 – 4.01) were associated with increased odds of having engaged in binge drinking. Perceived barriers to opportunity were not significantly associated with cigarette smoking. Further research is needed to better understand the effect of language and legal status barriers on health among Latino immigrants

Substance use and treatment outcomes among Spanish-speaking Latino/as from four acculturation types.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of acculturation with substance use treatment outcomes in a sample of treatment-seeking Latino/as (N = 405). The study used data from a multisite randomized controlled trial of a culturally adapted version of Motivational Enhancement Therapy delivered in Spanish. Berry, Kim, Minde, and Mok\u27s (1987) acculturation model was used to divide the sample into 4 types (integrated, assimilated, separated, marginalized), based on Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire scores. One-way analyses of variance, chi-squared tests, and repeated-measures regression were used to examine baseline acculturation, posttreatment outcomes, and follow-up outcomes. All participants were of Latino/a background, and 88.4% of the sample was male. Participants with greater acculturation to American culture (i.e., integrated and assimilated acculturation types) reported more substance use and associated problems at baseline, χ²(3) = 20.5, p \u3c .001, with the integrated type reporting the highest percentage of substance use disorder symptoms and problems (67.6%). No significant differences in substance use were detected among acculturation types posttreatment or at follow-up. Although the integrated and assimilated acculturation types were associated at baseline with more substance use and associated problems, all acculturation types seemed to benefit at posttreatment from an evidence-based culturally adapted treatment. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Protective effect of yoghurt consumption on Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in a Mexican population

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between fermented and unfermented dairy product consumption and Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in a Mexican population. DESIGN: Dietary interviews were conducted as part of a population-based case-control study in 2005. Serum was obtained for each participant to determine H. pylori seropositivity status. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated from multivariate logistic regression models. SETTING: Mexico City, Mexico. SUBJECTS: A random sample of 464 healthy adult residents. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence of H. pylori in the study sample was 75.4%. In fully adjusted models, compared with those who did not consume yoghurt, there was a protective effect of eating up to one serving per week of yoghurt and more than one serving per week of yoghurt (odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.94 and OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.86, respectively), with a P for trend of 0.01. There were no effects for the consumption of unfermented dairy products (milk and cheese). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that yoghurt consumption may have a protective effect against H. pylori seropositivity. Additional studies are needed to determine whether consumption of yoghurt or other fermented dairy products can prevent or eradicate H. pylori infection

Worksite Health Promotion for Low-Wage Workers: A Scoping Literature Review

To determine: (1) What research has been done on health promotion interventions for low-wage workers and (2) What factors are associated with effective low-wage workers’ health promotion

Amigas Latinas Motivando el ALMA (ALMA): Development and Pilot Implementation of a Stress Reduction Promotora Intervention

Use of mental health care services for psychological distress is limited among Latino immigrants. In geographic areas where migration has been rapid, mental health systems possess limited capacity to provide bilingual and bicultural assistance. The development of a bilingual and bicultural workforce is a necessary yet long-term solution. More immediate strategies, however, are needed to meet the needs of immigrant Latinos. This paper describes the development of a stress-reduction focused, lay health advisor training that targets individual behavior change among Latina immigrants. The theoretical foundation, curriculum components, and pilot implementation of the training are discussed. As natural leaders, Latina promotoras disseminated learned strategies and resources within their communities. The lay health advisor model is a salient method for disseminating information regarding mental health and stress reduction among Latinas

Understanding African American Men's Perceptions of Racism, Male Gender Socialization, and Social Capital Through Photovoice

In this study we used a participatory qualitative research approach—photovoice—to collect information about African American men’s perceptions of the factors that influenced their own health and the health of their communities. Photovoice was conducted as part of the “Men as Navigators (MAN) for Health” project, an evaluation of a male lay health advisor (LHA) intervention in central North Carolina. Twelve African American men living in both urban and rural communities took photographs and discussed the photos in six photo discussion sessions. Analysis involved identifying recurring themes from the photos and transcriptions of photo discussions. The results suggest that race and racism, male gender socialization, and social networks and social capital all have important influences on African American men’s health. The implications for further research and public health practice are discussed

Binge drinking and perceived ethnic discrimination among Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos sociocultural ancillary study

The study assessed whether overall perceived ethnic discrimination and four unique discrimination types were associated with binge drinking in participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) who also completed the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study (n = 5,313). In unadjusted analyses that were weighted for sampling strategy and design, each unit increase in discrimination type was associated with a 12 - 63% increase in odds of binge drinking; however, after adjusting for important demographic variables including age, sex, heritage group, language, and duration of US residence, there was no longer an association between discrimination and binge drinking. Further research still needs to identify the salient factors that contribute to increased risk for binge drinking among Hispanics/Latinos