Previous research has shown inconsistent findings of the effect of familism on academic outcomes among adolescents from Latino immigrant families. Guided by social capital theory and the concept of ...gendered familism, the current study examined differential effects of family obligation and family cohesion as subcomponents separately. This study also investigated the moderating effect of familial SES on the association of each component of familism and academic outcomes by gender.
Participants were 1801 adolescents from Latino immigrant families (Mage = 14.1 years, SD = 0.83, range = 14–17) drawn from the Children of Immigrant Longitudinal Studies. The current study employed a series of multiple regression analyses to examine the effects of familism, assessed by family obligation and family cohesion, on adolescents' grade point average (GPA), educational expectations and aspirations. Multigroup analyses were also conducted to examine gender differences in the effect of familism on adolescents’ academic outcomes.
Analyses revealed the positive main effect of family cohesion and the negative effect of family obligations on Latino and Latina adolescents' GPA and educational expectations. For Latino adolescents, negative effect of family obligation on GPA was stronger for adolescents from high-SES families than those from low-SES families.
It is imperative for researchers to conceptualize familism and operationalize the construct clearly. The effect of differences in family context and gender role expectation also needs to be considered in examining the association between familism and the academic outcomes of adolescents from immigrant families.
Latino youth have higher rates of educational and mental health difficulties compared to peers from other racial/ethnic groups. To understand the factors related to such maladjustment, a mediational ...model linking youth report of parent-youth acculturation gaps to prospective changes (from spring to fall semester) in youth report of academic performance, depressive symptoms and alcohol use via youth report of parent-youth conflict and family cohesion, was studied in a sample of 248 U.S.—and foreign—born Latino youth (Mage = 15.21 years; 50% female; 67% U.S.-born). Parent-youth acculturation gaps were associated with changes in youth academic performance across two semesters via their negative impact on family functioning. For U.S.-born youth, parent–youth acculturation gaps were also linked to changes in alcohol use via parent-adolescent conflict. Results provide some support for the acculturative gap hypotheses while unique findings across nativity groups suggest that such individual-level characteristics may serve as important sources of variation for Latino youth.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an acute threat to the well-being of children and families due to challenges related to social disruption such as financial insecurity, caregiving burden, and ...confinement-related stress (e.g., crowding, changes to structure, and routine). The consequences of these difficulties are likely to be longstanding, in part because of the ways in which contextual risk permeates the structures and processes of family systems. The current article draws from pertinent literature across topic areas of acute crises and long-term, cumulative risk to illustrate the multitude of ways in which the well-being of children and families may be at risk during COVID-19. The presented conceptual framework is based on systemic models of human development and family functioning and links social disruption due to COVID-19 to child adjustment through a cascading process involving caregiver well-being and family processes (i.e., organization, communication, and beliefs). An illustration of the centrality of family processes in buffering against risk in the context of COVID-19, as well as promoting resilience through shared family beliefs and close relationships, is provided. Finally, clinical and research implications are discussed.
Public Significance Statement
The current paper reviews the literature on historical adversities that have threatened societies, such as natural and human-made disasters and recessions, in order to highlight the possible consequences of the current crisis on the well-being of families and children. Families are facing imminent threats to their relationships, rules, rituals, and routines due to COVID-19, which can have major implications for children's coping during this time. Some families will be more impacted than others, due to their prior circumstances, such as those with lower income, mental health and/or special needs, and/or experiences of racism or marginalization. It is important for families to preserve and nourish their relationships and shared beliefs as a way to provide security and hope for children during this time of stress and uncertainty.
In response to dramatic increases in imprisonment, a burgeoning literature considers the consequences of incarceration for family life, almost always documenting negative outcomes. But effects of ...incarceration may be more complicated and nuanced. In this article, we consider the countervailing consequences of paternal incarceration for a host of family relationships, including fathers' parenting, mothers' parenting, and the relationship between parents. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find recent paternal incarceration sharply diminishes parenting behaviors among residential but not nonresidential fathers. Virtually all of the association between incarceration and parenting among residential fathers is explained by changes in fathers' relationships with their children's mothers. Consequences for mothers' parenting, however, are weak and inconsistent. Furthermore, our findings show recent paternal incarceration sharply increases the probability a mother repartners, potentially offsetting some losses from the biological father's lesser involvement while simultaneously leading to greater family complexity. Taken together, the collateral consequences of paternal incarceration for family life are complex and countervailing.
Fathers in families raising children with disabilities are under-researched. Fathers' perspectives can be better accommodated in childhood disability services that operate on a family-centred ...paradigm if their perspectives are understood. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of fathers on caring and family life, work, and health.
A mixed-methods design with an online questionnaire included open-ended questions and three instruments: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS); Health Promoting Activities Scale (HPAS-M); Fathers of Children with Developmental Challenges (FCDC) Scale.
Fathers (n = 33) reported high depressive (58%), anxiety (37%), and stress symptoms (61%). Fathers reported low participation in health-promoting activity with less than weekly: planning health activities (58%); solo physical activity (26%); social activity (3%); time relaxing (16%). Sixty-four percent worked full-time, although work was reported to be challenged by family responsibilities. Fathers described directly caring for their children although service interactions were low and delegated to mothers.
Fathers in this study reported stress, mental health issues, and low participation in healthy activity. Fathers experienced challenges related to career progression and job choices due to family responsibilities. Providing individualised and responsive support to fathers of a child with a disability would better support the family unit.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
Fathers of children with a disability in this study experienced high mental health symptoms.
Fathers were involved with their child's care at home but had low service interactions suggesting that service providers need to discover new ways to better engage fathers.
Fathers experienced challenges to participation in paid work secondary to care responsibilities for their child with a disability and resulting needs of their family.
Services that better support fathers are important to promote better health and wellbeing and support families.
Consumer genomics databases have reached the scale of millions of individuals. Recently, law enforcement authorities have exploited some of these databases to identify suspects via distant familial ...relatives. Using genomic data of 1.28 million individuals tested with consumer genomics, we investigated the power of this technique. We project that about 60% of the searches for individuals of European descent will result in a third-cousin or closer match, which theoretically allows their identification using demographic identifiers. Moreover, the technique could implicate nearly any U.S. individual of European descent in the near future. We demonstrate that the technique can also identify research participants of a public sequencing project. On the basis of these results, we propose a potential mitigation strategy and policy implications for human subject research.
The loss of vital cells within healthy tissues contributes to the development, progression and treatment outcomes of many human disorders, including neurological and infectious diseases as well as ...environmental and medical toxicities. Conversely, the abnormal survival and accumulation of damaged or superfluous cells drive prominent human pathologies such as cancers and autoimmune diseases. Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved cell death pathway that is responsible for the programmed culling of cells during normal eukaryotic development and maintenance of organismal homeostasis. This pathway is controlled by the BCL-2 family of proteins, which contains both pro-apoptotic and pro-survival members that balance the decision between cellular life and death. Recent insights into the dynamic interactions between BCL-2 family proteins and how they control apoptotic cell death in healthy and diseased cells have uncovered novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Importantly, the development of both positive and negative small-molecule modulators of apoptosis is now enabling researchers to translate the discoveries that have been made in the laboratory into clinical practice to positively impact human health.
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