Commentary on "A Needs Assessment Examining Low-Income Fathers’ Barriers to Participation in Parenting Programs"

The article provides insight on issues serving as barriers to low-income fathers' involvement with their children and with parenting programs.

Low-Income Fathers’ Barriers to Participation in Family and Parenting Programs

This exploratory study used semi-structured focus groups to examine: 1) where and from whom fathers obtain information about parenting; 2) the types of parenting services men are aware of, and their attitudes about participating in such services; and 3) fathers’ perceived norms about the acceptability and utility of various parenting practices. Low-income men (N = 17) were recruited from a human services agency in Detroit, Michigan. Four major themes emerged. First was the need for male-focused community resources for fathers. Second was that men were aware of and used positive disciplinary strategies. Third was emphasis on fathers’ positive and effective communication, with male children in particular. Finally, men suggested that constructive and concrete activities, such as engaging with children in activities or mentorship programs with other adult men in the community, were preferable to traditional parenting class such as those offered through Child Protective Services.

Parenting Pioneers and Parenting Teams: Strengthening Extended Family Ties in Family Support

Starting with the premise that extended family members often have great influence on family functioning, this article describes social work practice techniques for helping families utilize resources available in the extended family network. Two key concepts are presented: "parenting pioneers," who, while attempting newly learned parenting skills, may struggle with resistance from extended family members; and "parenting teams," in which the focal family is giving to or receiving from extended family members substantial family support. The article presents these practice techniques in the context of family support services, which are characterized as voluntary, preventive, developmental, and based in the concept of empowerment and the ecological perspective.

Commentary on "Exploring the Association Between Household Food Insecurity, Parental Self-Efficacy and Fruit and Vegetable Parenting Practices Among Parents of 5- to 8-Year-Old Overweight Children"

Invited commentary of an article that discusses the association between parental factors and food insecurity by Angela Hilmers, Karen Cullen, Carolyn Moore and Teresia O’Connor.

Exploring the Association Between Household Food Insecurity, Parental Self-Efficacy, and Fruit and Vegetable Parenting Practices Among Parents of 5- to 8-Year-Old Overweight Children

Background: Food insecurity may negatively impact children’s nutritional status by affecting parenting quality. Because parents have a strong influence on their children’s eating and food choices, examining the effects of food insecurity on parenting may provide important insights into obesity prevention efforts. Objectives: This study explored whether food insecurity was associated with parental self-efficacy and parenting practices related to fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: Secondary analysis was performed using baseline data from 31 mothers of 5-8 year old overweight or obese children who had participated in a pilot obesity treatment program. Household food security status, fruit and vegetable parental self-efficacy (modeling/socialization, planning/encouraging and availability/accessibility) and fruit and vegetable parenting practices (structure, responsiveness, non-directive control, and external control) were assessed using validated measures. Students' t-test investigated differences in subscales by food security status. Results: There were no significant differences in fruit and vegetable parenting practices and parental self-efficacy between food secure and insecure groups. There was a trend towards a decrease in parental self-efficacy for making fruit and vegetables available in the home among food insecure parents (p=.06). Conclusions: In this small sample no significant associations were found between food insecurity and fruit and vegetable parenting practices and parental self-efficacy. However, the trend observed in this exploratory analysis supports further hypothesis-driven research with a larger sample size able to detect more subtle differences.

Evaluation of web-based resources for pregnant and parenting teens

Current teen pregnancy and repeat pregnancy rates reveal that there is a pressing need for comprehensive care for pregnant and parenting teens to address their unique needs. The Internet has become a source of various types of information and as a result, several efforts have begun to assess the quality of health information provided on websites. The objective of this study was to assess the functionality and quality of websites containing health information and resources for pregnant and parenting teens. The three most widely used search engines currently: Google, MSN, and Yahoo were searched using three general search terms “teen pregnancy”, “pregnant teen”, and “teen parent”. The first 5 pages of each search were reviewed and categorized to yield 12 websites which met inclusion criteria for content evaluation. The 12 websites were rated using a pre-existing instrument encompassing two domains: functionality and content analysis. Within the functionality domain, this sample highlighted the need to improve accessibility and credibility for the target population. The content analysis revealed that among the topics which are recommended for pregnant and parenting teens, the topics most commonly covered were mental health and primary and preventive health care. The majority of websites neglected sexual health topics including STI’s and family planning. This study provides the first glimpse into health information and resources for pregnant and parenting teens on the Internet. Researchers, health care providers, social workers, health educators, and website sponsors can use these results to maintain and recommend websites which offer easily accessible, accurate, and practical information for pregnant and parenting teens.^

Parenting practices, acculturation and Hispanic youth's sexual health

This dissertation examined the impact of acculturation and the influence of the family (specifically parenting practices) on Hispanic youth's sexual behavior and reproductive health and is presented in the form of three papers. In the first paper, we assessed the reliability and validity of the Bicultural Acculturation Scale/Language Proficiency (BAS/LP) subscale for use among Hispanic middle school-aged youth. The purpose of the second paper was to examine the associations between initiation of vaginal intercourse, parental monitoring, and parent-child communication while controlling for acculturation and other recognized covariates. Finally, the purpose of the third dissertation paper was to examine HPV vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and acceptability among Hispanic mothers and girls using strategic focus groups. The three papers will jointly extend the knowledge about Hispanic youth and their parents regarding both sexual initiation and uptake of the HPV vaccine. In addition, findings from the papers can inform the development of interventions for Hispanic youth and their parents to delay sexual initiation and increase HPV vaccine uptake.^

Dr. William Gorgas and his style of management against yellow fever during the construction of the Panama Canal: A historical case study

This study describes the style of management of Dr. William Gorgas as he led the public health effort to reduce diseases to a level that permitted the completion of the Panama Canal construction. Initially, Gorgas was skeptical of the mosquito vector theory. He fully accepted this theory after participating in Walter Reed’s massive cleanup of Havana, Cuba during the Spanish American War of 1898. During 1905 to 1914, Gorgas was selected to lead the sanitary effort during the construction of the Panama Canal. The lessons learned from this historical case study provide public health administrators with guidance to effectively lead current and future infectious diseases threats. Understanding styles of management within the context of disease control is essential in tackling epidemics like yellow fever and other infectious diseases. ^

A descriptive study of comprehensive and categorical services for pregnant and parenting adolescents in West Dallas

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Children and Youth Projects' Adolescent Family Life Program, a comprehensive program serving pregnant and parenting adolescents in the economically disadvantaged area of West Dallas. The underlying question asked is what are the relative contributions of the comprehensive, school-linked Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Program compared with the Maternal Health and Family Planning Program (MHFPP), a categorical provider of family planning and reproductive services, towards meeting the immediate and intermediate term needs of adolescent mothers. Also addressed are the protective effects of participation in the Dallas Independent School District Health Special Program, a segregated school for pregnant adolescents.^ A cohort of 339 West Dallas adolescent mothers who delivered babies during a two-year period, 1986 through 1987, are monitored by linking records from Parkland Hospital, the primary provider to hospital services to indigent women in Dallas, the Dallas Independent School District, and the prenatal care providers, the AFL and MHFP Programs. Information is collected on each teen describing her demographic, fertility, service utilization and educational characteristics.^ The study tests the hypothesis that adolescents receiving services from the comprehensive AFL program will be less likely to have a repeat birth and to discontinue school during the 24 month study period, compared with categorical provider clients. Although the study finds that there are no statistically significant differences in repeat deliveries, using survival analysis, or in school continuation between programs, important findings are revealed about the ethnic differences. Black and Hispanic fertility and educational behaviors are compared, and their implications for program design and evaluation discussed. ^

Factors associated with contraception use among postpartum or parenting Latina adolescents: A systematic review

Despite advances in effective and long-acting contraceptive methods and the introduction into health care that an initial unplanned pregnancy allows, repeat unplanned pregnancy continues to affect Hispanic adolescents at a rate higher than that of non-Hispanic whites. The current study was undertaken to identify and categorize factors associated with uptake of long acting contraception (implant or intrauterine devices) or consistent use of highly effective methods (injectable DMPA, ring, patch, or pills), among Hispanic/Latina teens who have previously given birth. ^ I searched Ovid Medline, Pubmed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, POPLINE and Scopus, and reference lists for studies in English, ≥1980, of original data from the United States on factors related to initiation, maintenance, or discontinuation of contraceptive methods in postpartum or parenting adolescent females. I then identified articles that specified the inclusion of Hispanics/Latinas in the study population and either reported findings specific to race/ethnicity or used race/ethnicity as an independent variable in analyses of contributing factors. I then extracted data for each study and categorized independent variables as predisposing, enabling, or reinforcing following the PRECEDE model.1 Factors found to be associated with contraception use or non-use were combined to create a logic model of risk. ^ Of 9 eligible studies, one solely addressed initiation; one, initiation and maintenance; two, initiation and discontinuation; three, maintenance; and two, maintenance and discontinuation. There was some overlap in the studies' assessments of maintenance and discontinuation and the author(s) often did not distinguish between the two. Nearly all (k=7) were prospective observational studies with convenience samples and bivariate analyses (k=6). One study was initially a quasi-experimental design but became a prospective cohort due to extremely high attrition. Sociodemographic characteristics and predisposing factors were studied frequently, as were reinforcing factors; enabling factors were discussed infrequently and only in studies involving focus groups or interviews. Due to a paucity of research, a consensus of factors found consistently to influence the contraception behavior of postpartum Latina teens could not be established for the overall population nor for cultural subgroups. Future research is needed that focuses on postpartum/parenting Latina teens, with subgroup identification and differentiation, to determine the prevalent and pertinent predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors related to effective contraception initiation and maintenance.^