Determinants of educational attainment for children in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico, and its long term implications for families: A longitudinal study 1987, 1992, and 1997

The purpose of this study is to investigate issues related to the attainment of formal education among children in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, in two studies conducted with Oaxacan families. The first study is a quantitative analysis of children born between the years of 1966 and 1977. Two cross-sectional parallel analyses were conducted to assess family and child characteristics that predict school enrollment and educational attainment of 271 children. Logistic regression equations were used to ascertain the family and child characteristics that predict the child\u27s presence or absence of school enrollment in 1987 and 1992. Linear regressions analyze the predictors of children\u27s educational attainment at different age groups. Significant predictors of school enrollment both in 1987 and 1992 are the number of workers in the household, and whether the child is working. Significant predictors of level of educational attainment both in 1987 and in 1992 are the number of workers in the household, household income, and the age of the child. The second study is a qualitative study based on 11 ethnographic interviews with families in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, that focused on the retrospective assessments of families about their decisions regarding the formal education of their children. The primary themes identified by families as playing a role in decision-making processes regarding education were: (1) the role of personal sacrifice for the benefit of the entire family; (2) the collective nature of educational achievement; (3) the association of education with upward social mobility for the family; (4) feelings of pride for the family and increased social status in the community; and (5) hope for a better life for the children\u27s generation

Behavioral Observations in Northern UGANDA: Development of a Coding System to Assess Mother–Child Interactions in a Post-war Society

Möllerherm J, Wieling E, Saile R, Forgatch MS, Neuner F, Catani C. Behavioral Observations in Northern UGANDA: Development of a Coding System to Assess Mother–Child Interactions in a Post-war Society. Frontiers in Psychology. 2019;10: 2519.There is growing interest in causes and consequences of disruptions in parent-child relationships in post-war environments. Recent studies mainly relied on self-reports to gain information about family dynamics following war exposure. Considering the limitations of self-report measures, we see the need for an in-depth examination of post-conflict parenting based on observational and quantitative data. The aim of the present study was the development of a coding system for a culturally bound description of parent–child interactions in northern Uganda, where virtually the entire population has been severely affected by 20 years of civil war. Interactions of 101 mothers and their 6- to 12-year-old children were observed during a structured interaction task (problem solving discussion). Foundation for the development of the coding system was the Family and Peer Process Code (FPP code). The cultural adaptation of the FPP code was based on in-depth qualitative analyses of the problem solving task, including a combination of inductive and deductive latent content analyses of textual data and videotapes, member checking and consultations of experts in the field of behavioral observations. The final coding system consists of 35 exhaustive and mutually exclusive content codes including codes for verbal, vocal, and compliance behavior as well as 14 affect codes. Findings indicate that the assessment of behavioral observations in post-conflict settings provides unique insights into culture- and context-specific interaction patterns and may be critical for the development and evaluation of parenting interventions

Determinants of educational attainment for children in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico, and its long term implications for families: A longitudinal study 1987, 1992, and 1997

The purpose of this study is to investigate issues related to the attainment of formal education among children in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, in two studies conducted with Oaxacan families. The first study is a quantitative analysis of children born between the years of 1966 and 1977. Two cross-sectional parallel analyses were conducted to assess family and child characteristics that predict school enrollment and educational attainment of 271 children. Logistic regression equations were used to ascertain the family and child characteristics that predict the child's presence or absence of school enrollment in 1987 and 1992. Linear regressions analyze the predictors of children's educational attainment at different age groups. Significant predictors of school enrollment both in 1987 and 1992 are the number of workers in the household, and whether the child is working. Significant predictors of level of educational attainment both in 1987 and in 1992 are the number of workers in the household, household income, and the age of the child. The second study is a qualitative study based on 11 ethnographic interviews with families in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico, that focused on the retrospective assessments of families about their decisions regarding the formal education of their children. The primary themes identified by families as playing a role in decision-making processes regarding education were: (1) the role of personal sacrifice for the benefit of the entire family; (2) the collective nature of educational achievement; (3) the association of education with upward social mobility for the family; (4) feelings of pride for the family and increased social status in the community; and (5) hope for a better life for the children's generation.</p

A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Family Interventions for Trauma-Affected Refugees

Family connections are crucial for trauma-affected refugees from collectivistic cultures. Evidence-based family interventions are consistently promoted to support a host of mental and relational health needs of families exposed to traumatic stressors; however, there is still limited research focused on cultural adaptation and the testing of the effectiveness of these interventions on some of the most disenfranchised populations in the aftermath of forced displacement. This systematic review was conducted to examine the reach of existing evidence-based family interventions implemented with newly resettled refugees globally. Studies included in this review include those testing the effectiveness of a systemic treatment with pre and post intervention evaluation, studies with or without control groups, and studies that include at least one family member in addition to the target participants. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Barriers to conducting randomized control trials with displaced refugee populations are discussed. Recommendations are made for future studies to include a focus on scientifically rigorous multi-method designs, specific cultural adaptation frameworks, and the integration of relational aspects rather than focusing only on individual adjustment. Global displacement continues to rise; therefore, it is imperative that the mental health and wellbeing of displaced populations be treated with a comprehensive, multi-level framework

Developing Culturally Appropriate, Evidence-Based Treatments for Interventions with Ethnic Minority Populations

There is a lack of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological frameworks that appropriately position families and communities of color within a historical, political, and socioeconomic context that accounts for their experiences. This has led to gross disparities in mental health services. The neglect of families of color - whether or not it is overt - has contributed to the perpetuation of misunderstandings, oppressive attitudes, and, ultimately, poorly designed programs of intervention and psychotherapy. Historically, race, culture, and ethnicity have not been seriously addressed in clinical and scientific literature

Family Violence Exposure and Associated Risk Factors for Child PTSD in a Mexican Sample

This study was undertaken in an effort to help illuminate the deleterious effects of traumatic stress on children and families in Mexico. Rates of exposure to traumatic events, family and community violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were investigated in 87 school-age children and their mothers. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine potential family and ecological risk factors for the presence of child PTSD. A total of 51 children (58.6%) reported an event that met the DSM-IV A criteria, and 36 children (41.4%; 20 boys and 16 girls) met criteria for full PTSD. Traumatic exposure in this sample was considerable, particularly intense, and chronic as a result of interpersonal violence in the home and community. Results support the need for preventive systemic interventions targeting the individual level, parent-child dyadic level, and the larger cultural and community context

Parenting in a post-conflict region: Associations between observed maternal parenting practices and maternal, child, and contextual factors in northern Uganda

Möllerherm J, Saile R, Wieling E, Neuner F, Catani C. Parenting in a post-conflict region: Associations between observed maternal parenting practices and maternal, child, and contextual factors in northern Uganda. Development and Psychopathology. 2024.Studies show that war leads to an increase in harsh parenting and a decrease in parental warmth, which in turn has a devastating impact on children's development. However, there is insufficient research on the factors that affect parenting in post-conflict regions. In addition, most previous studies on the role of parenting in the context of war rely on self-reports, which are subject to a number of limitations. To complement existing research, the present cross-sectional study used behavioral observations of 101 mothers and their 6-12 year old children to assess parenting in post-conflict northern Uganda. The aim of the current study was to explore associations between observed maternal warmth and coercion and self-reported socioeconomic status (e.g., mother's educational level) as well as maternal (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder), child (e.g., externalizing problems), and social contextual factors (e.g., family violence). Results show a link between observed parenting, child characteristics, and family violence. Higher levels of children's externalizing problems were associated with more severe maternal coercion. In addition, a negative association was found between family violence and maternal warmth. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for prevention and intervention programs and the use of behavioral observations in post-conflict environments