Over the past several decades, an increasing number of refugee children and families have involun... more Over the past several decades, an increasing number of refugee children and families have involuntarily migrated to countries around the world to seek safety and refuge. As the refugee population increases, it is becoming more important to understand factors that promote and foster resilience among refugee youth. The present review examines the past 20 years of resilience research with refugee children to identify individual, family, school, community, and societal factors fostering resilience. This review highlights various factors that promote resilience among refugee children, including social support (from friends and community), a sense of belonging, valuing education, having a positive outlook, family connectedness, and connections to home culture. Recommendations for interventions and programs to promote resilience as well as future directions for resilience research are discussed.
Most HIV prevention for sexual minority men and men who have sex with men targets risk behaviors ... more Most HIV prevention for sexual minority men and men who have sex with men targets risk behaviors (e.g., condom use) and helps \50% of participants. Bolstering resilience might increase HIV prevention's effectiveness. This systematic review identified resilience resources (protective factors) in high-risk, HIV-negative, sexual minority men. We reviewed PsycINFO, Psy-cARTICLES, MEDLINE, references, and Listservs for studies including sexual minority men with 1? HIV risk factor (syndemics): childhood sexual abuse, partner abuse, substance abuse, or mental health symptoms. From 1356 articles screened, 20 articles met inclusion criteria. Across the articles, we identified and codified 31 resilience resources: socioeconomic (e.g., employment), behavioral coping strategies (e.g., mental health treatment), cognitions/emotions (e.g., acceptance), and relationships. Resilience resources were generally associated with lower HIV risk; there were 18 low-risk associations, 4 high-risk associations, 8 non-significant associations). We generated a set of empirically based resilience variables and a hypothesis to be evaluated further to improve HIV prevention.
In this study, we examined the relationships between family, school, and community contexts and a... more In this study, we examined the relationships between family, school, and community contexts and academic achievement during middle childhood among children of Portuguese, Dominican, and Cambodian immigrant families. We interviewed approximately 350 children from 2 age cohorts spanning first through third and fourth through sixth grades annually across 3 years. Additionally, we collected interviews with parents, measures from teachers, school administrative information, and community ethnographies to understand the various contexts of children's academic achievement. Using a " mixed-methods " approach, we qualitatively coded children's academic success from school records and teacher's responses about the student into 1 of 5 pathways representing children who were " excelling, positive, neutral, negative , or abysmal " across all 3 years of the study. We then used ordinal regression modeling to examine the relationships between child, family, school, and community factors and child academic pathway. Commonalities in findings across the 3 immigrant groups reveal the importance of good school attendance. Divergences between the 3 immigrant groups highlighted family and cultural influences on positive child academic achievement such as synchronicity between child and school values, the children's own academic self-concepts, and academic aspirations. We integrated quantitative findings with the profiles from ethnographic research of the study's communities for an in-depth examination of the mechanisms behind early educational success among children of immigrants.
Purpose: To describe ethnic/racial group differences in prescription drug misuse within a nationa... more Purpose: To describe ethnic/racial group differences in prescription drug misuse within a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Also to identify potential sociocultural influences on this health risk behavior. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted on the public-use data of the 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health using the records of 12-to 17-year-old African American, Hispanic, and white participants (N 5 18,614). Logistic and Poisson regression analyses focused on examining the predictive role of perceived parental and peer substance use disapproval on adolescents' prescription drug misuse and how these social influences varied by ethnic group. Results: Within this sample, 10.4% of adolescents endorsed misusing 1 or more subtypes of prescription drugs. The results showed significant ethnic group differences in rates of prescription drug misuse such that white adolescents reported the highest rates and African American adolescents reported the lowest rates of prescription drug misuse. Rates of misuse for Hispanic adolescents fell in between. Importantly, perceived parental and peer substance use disapproval decreased the likelihood of prescription drug misuse most significantly among white adolescents compared to Hispanic and African American adolescents. Furthermore, influence of disapproval differed by the type of substance, indicating ethnic group differences in disapproval, such as views of alcohol versus marijuana use. Conclusions: These findings provide new ethnic group-specific information about the role that the attitudes of peers and parents on substance use may play in whether adolescents misuse prescription drugs. Future studies should explore possible parent/peer-related socialization mechanisms, which may account for these ethnic group differences. (J Dev Behav Pediatr 35:257-265, 2014) Index terms: adolescents, substance abuse, prescription drugs, health risk, ethnic minority health.
Associations among 53 primiparous women's Adult Attachment Interview classifications (secure-auto... more Associations among 53 primiparous women's Adult Attachment Interview classifications (secure-autonomous vs. insecure-dismissing) and physiological and self-reported responses to infant crying were explored. Heart rate, skin conductance levels, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were recorded continuously. In response to the cry, secure-autonomous women demonstrated RSA declines, consistent with approach-oriented responses. Insecure-dismissing women displayed RSA and electrodermal increases, consistent with behavioral inhibition. Furthermore, insecure-dismissing women rated the cries as more aversive than secure-autonomous women. Nine months postpartum, secure-autonomous women, who prenatally manifested an approach-oriented response to the unfamiliar cry stimulus, were observed as more sensitive when responding to their own distressed infant, whereas women classified prenatally as insecure-dismissing were observed as less sensitive with their own infants.
This article serves as an introduction to the current issue of Research in Human Development, whi... more This article serves as an introduction to the current issue of Research in Human Development, which is devoted to exploring diverse methodological approaches to understanding human development within immigrant families. The authors present four original research articles spanning experimental, qualitative (focus groups and individual interview approaches), and mixed quantitative-qualitative study designs. Lessons learned from each methodological perspective are presented here by posing the question, "What might we have missed?" by relying solely on quantitative survey-based techniques. The authors end with acknowledgments of methodological limitations and thoughts for future research.
The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth dis... more The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth display less favorable outcomes when compared to first-generation co-ethnic peers. This study examines the role of number of sex partners in explaining the immigrant paradox in pregnancy among Latina adolescents. This secondary analysis utilized a nationally representative sample of Latinas in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. As expected, first-generation Latina adolescents demonstrated less risk than second-or third+ generation Latinas for becoming pregnant. Further, the lower number of sexual partners fully accounted for the first generation's advantage in lower rate of adolescent pregnancy. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers who work with
The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth dis... more The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth display less favorable outcomes when compared to first-generation co-ethnic peers. This study examines the role of number of sex partners in explaining the immigrant paradox in pregnancy among Latina adolescents. This secondary analysis utilized a nationally representative sample of Latinas in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. As expected, first-generation Latina adolescents demonstrated less risk than second-or third+ generation Latinas for becoming pregnant. Further, the lower number of sexual partners fully accounted for the first generation's advantage in lower rate of adolescent pregnancy. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers who work with
Objective: Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern with significant immediate and ... more Objective: Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern with significant immediate and long-term health consequences. Certain social groups in the United States, such as immigrant adolescents, have been identified as particularly vulnerable to overweight and obesity. A pattern of results coined the "immigrant paradox" that refers to the phenomenon wherein obesity is less prevalent in first-generation immigrant youth when compared with second-and third-generation peers. Seeking to better understand this concerning trend, this study examined the mediating role of several health behaviors on the relation between generation status and body mass index (BMI). Method: Participants were 2292 Latino immigrant adolescents and emerging adults enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results: Multiple linear regression models indicated that sedentary behaviors partially mediated the relation between generation status and BMI. Conclusion: The findings indicate the unique role that sedentary behaviors play in explaining weight gain among Latino immigrants. (J Dev Behav Pediatr 35:138-143, 2014) Index terms: sedentary behaviors, immigrants, obesity, immigrant paradox.
The immigrant paradox in childhood and adolescence is a population-level phenomenon wherein U.S.b... more The immigrant paradox in childhood and adolescence is a population-level phenomenon wherein U.S.born youth (or more highly acculturated immigrants) have less optimal developmental outcomes than newcomer immigrant youth. These patterns, which hold true after accounting for the generally lower income and parent education levels among first-generation immigrant families, have existed for decades in the United States. In this article, we address this topic in child development research, offering insights into studies to explain why the paradox occurs from the standpoint of both risk and resilience. We also present ideas for research and implications for developing policies and methods for effective practice with immigrant families.
Objective: We aimed to expand the scant research on disordered eating in women identifying same-s... more Objective: We aimed to expand the scant research on disordered eating in women identifying same-sex sexual attractions. Method: We used multiple linear regressions to explore potential mechanisms driving disordered eating-both explicit and implicit weight bias and heterosexism-in a cross-sectional, online-recruited community sample of women (N = 437). Participants endorsed a range of sexual attractions from exclusively opposite-sex (21.1%) to exclusively same-sex (19.5%) attraction. Results: Findings revealed no associations between sexual attraction and disordered eating. Awareness of sociocultural norms valuing thinness accounted for disordered eating for all women, regardless of sexual attraction, and was influenced by attitudes regarding weight. Among women endorsing same-sex attractions, self-reported internalized heterosexism influenced disordered eating. Discussion: Findings contradict long-held beliefs that same-sex attracted women are protected from disordered eating. They emphasize a universal risk, for all women, of sociocultural norms valuing thinness, as well as the risk of internalized heterosexism among same-sex attracted women. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 0:1-15, 2015.
Nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) among U.S. adolescents is a burgeoning public health... more Nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) among U.S. adolescents is a burgeoning public health problem. Previous studies have observed differences in rates of NMUPD among ethnic/racial groups. However, less is known on the social and cultural processes and mechanisms, which may influence adolescents' prescription drug beliefs and practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse 13-to 17-year-olds in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit to elicit in-depth, context-sensitive information about social factors relevant to NMUPD. Data analysis was completed using grounded theory and interpreted with a social ecological approach. Results highlighted the myriad of important contextual influences on adolescent NMUPD. Responses reflected factors within microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem contexts as well as important intrapersonal factors. Furthermore, adolescents who identified as an ethnic minority also described cultural values (e.g., religion) and culturally based beliefs (e.g., mental health stigma), which influenced their prescription drug beliefs. Narratives revealed the interplay between intrapersonal factors and socialization agents, such as parents, peers, and the media, influencing prescription drug behavior. Our findings present ecologically framed insights as a first step in understanding this health risk behavior among U.S. adolescents. Implications as well as
Understanding how ethnic identities develop in adolescence is currently limited by a reliance on ... more Understanding how ethnic identities develop in adolescence is currently limited by a reliance on self-report paper-and-pencil measures. This mixed-methods study presents a novel response time measure, the Multiethnic Identities Processing Task (MIPT), to quantify bicultural adolescents' implicit identifications with ethnic and racial identity labels. Eighty-four adolescents (age 14 -21 years) of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds self-identified as bicultural or not bicultural and described their ethnic identities, pride, and ethnic centrality during a brief interview. Participants were assigned to complete either the interview (self-prime) or the MIPT (no prime) first. Results indicate that bicultural adolescents readily endorsed a variety of ethnic and racial labels in the MIPT, reflecting their multifaceted identities. Younger bicultural adolescents showed a large inhibited response to the label "White," indicating some hesitation in deciding whether the label was "like me" or "not like me." Heart rate monitoring and qualitative analyses of interviews provide some insight into this pattern of results. Findings are discussed with respect to developmental theory, and the strengths of using both implicit and explicit measures to understand multiethnic identity development in adolescence.
Over the past several decades, an increasing number of refugee children and families have involun... more Over the past several decades, an increasing number of refugee children and families have involuntarily migrated to countries around the world to seek safety and refuge. As the refugee population increases, it is becoming more important to understand factors that promote and foster resilience among refugee youth. The present review examines the past 20 years of resilience research with refugee children to identify individual, family, school, community, and societal factors fostering resilience. This review highlights various factors that promote resilience among refugee children, including social support (from friends and community), a sense of belonging, valuing education, having a positive outlook, family connectedness, and connections to home culture. Recommendations for interventions and programs to promote resilience as well as future directions for resilience research are discussed.
Most HIV prevention for sexual minority men and men who have sex with men targets risk behaviors ... more Most HIV prevention for sexual minority men and men who have sex with men targets risk behaviors (e.g., condom use) and helps \50% of participants. Bolstering resilience might increase HIV prevention's effectiveness. This systematic review identified resilience resources (protective factors) in high-risk, HIV-negative, sexual minority men. We reviewed PsycINFO, Psy-cARTICLES, MEDLINE, references, and Listservs for studies including sexual minority men with 1? HIV risk factor (syndemics): childhood sexual abuse, partner abuse, substance abuse, or mental health symptoms. From 1356 articles screened, 20 articles met inclusion criteria. Across the articles, we identified and codified 31 resilience resources: socioeconomic (e.g., employment), behavioral coping strategies (e.g., mental health treatment), cognitions/emotions (e.g., acceptance), and relationships. Resilience resources were generally associated with lower HIV risk; there were 18 low-risk associations, 4 high-risk associations, 8 non-significant associations). We generated a set of empirically based resilience variables and a hypothesis to be evaluated further to improve HIV prevention.
In this study, we examined the relationships between family, school, and community contexts and a... more In this study, we examined the relationships between family, school, and community contexts and academic achievement during middle childhood among children of Portuguese, Dominican, and Cambodian immigrant families. We interviewed approximately 350 children from 2 age cohorts spanning first through third and fourth through sixth grades annually across 3 years. Additionally, we collected interviews with parents, measures from teachers, school administrative information, and community ethnographies to understand the various contexts of children's academic achievement. Using a " mixed-methods " approach, we qualitatively coded children's academic success from school records and teacher's responses about the student into 1 of 5 pathways representing children who were " excelling, positive, neutral, negative , or abysmal " across all 3 years of the study. We then used ordinal regression modeling to examine the relationships between child, family, school, and community factors and child academic pathway. Commonalities in findings across the 3 immigrant groups reveal the importance of good school attendance. Divergences between the 3 immigrant groups highlighted family and cultural influences on positive child academic achievement such as synchronicity between child and school values, the children's own academic self-concepts, and academic aspirations. We integrated quantitative findings with the profiles from ethnographic research of the study's communities for an in-depth examination of the mechanisms behind early educational success among children of immigrants.
Purpose: To describe ethnic/racial group differences in prescription drug misuse within a nationa... more Purpose: To describe ethnic/racial group differences in prescription drug misuse within a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Also to identify potential sociocultural influences on this health risk behavior. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted on the public-use data of the 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health using the records of 12-to 17-year-old African American, Hispanic, and white participants (N 5 18,614). Logistic and Poisson regression analyses focused on examining the predictive role of perceived parental and peer substance use disapproval on adolescents' prescription drug misuse and how these social influences varied by ethnic group. Results: Within this sample, 10.4% of adolescents endorsed misusing 1 or more subtypes of prescription drugs. The results showed significant ethnic group differences in rates of prescription drug misuse such that white adolescents reported the highest rates and African American adolescents reported the lowest rates of prescription drug misuse. Rates of misuse for Hispanic adolescents fell in between. Importantly, perceived parental and peer substance use disapproval decreased the likelihood of prescription drug misuse most significantly among white adolescents compared to Hispanic and African American adolescents. Furthermore, influence of disapproval differed by the type of substance, indicating ethnic group differences in disapproval, such as views of alcohol versus marijuana use. Conclusions: These findings provide new ethnic group-specific information about the role that the attitudes of peers and parents on substance use may play in whether adolescents misuse prescription drugs. Future studies should explore possible parent/peer-related socialization mechanisms, which may account for these ethnic group differences. (J Dev Behav Pediatr 35:257-265, 2014) Index terms: adolescents, substance abuse, prescription drugs, health risk, ethnic minority health.
Associations among 53 primiparous women's Adult Attachment Interview classifications (secure-auto... more Associations among 53 primiparous women's Adult Attachment Interview classifications (secure-autonomous vs. insecure-dismissing) and physiological and self-reported responses to infant crying were explored. Heart rate, skin conductance levels, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were recorded continuously. In response to the cry, secure-autonomous women demonstrated RSA declines, consistent with approach-oriented responses. Insecure-dismissing women displayed RSA and electrodermal increases, consistent with behavioral inhibition. Furthermore, insecure-dismissing women rated the cries as more aversive than secure-autonomous women. Nine months postpartum, secure-autonomous women, who prenatally manifested an approach-oriented response to the unfamiliar cry stimulus, were observed as more sensitive when responding to their own distressed infant, whereas women classified prenatally as insecure-dismissing were observed as less sensitive with their own infants.
This article serves as an introduction to the current issue of Research in Human Development, whi... more This article serves as an introduction to the current issue of Research in Human Development, which is devoted to exploring diverse methodological approaches to understanding human development within immigrant families. The authors present four original research articles spanning experimental, qualitative (focus groups and individual interview approaches), and mixed quantitative-qualitative study designs. Lessons learned from each methodological perspective are presented here by posing the question, "What might we have missed?" by relying solely on quantitative survey-based techniques. The authors end with acknowledgments of methodological limitations and thoughts for future research.
The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth dis... more The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth display less favorable outcomes when compared to first-generation co-ethnic peers. This study examines the role of number of sex partners in explaining the immigrant paradox in pregnancy among Latina adolescents. This secondary analysis utilized a nationally representative sample of Latinas in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. As expected, first-generation Latina adolescents demonstrated less risk than second-or third+ generation Latinas for becoming pregnant. Further, the lower number of sexual partners fully accounted for the first generation's advantage in lower rate of adolescent pregnancy. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers who work with
The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth dis... more The immigrant paradox is a population health pattern whereby later generation immigrant youth display less favorable outcomes when compared to first-generation co-ethnic peers. This study examines the role of number of sex partners in explaining the immigrant paradox in pregnancy among Latina adolescents. This secondary analysis utilized a nationally representative sample of Latinas in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. As expected, first-generation Latina adolescents demonstrated less risk than second-or third+ generation Latinas for becoming pregnant. Further, the lower number of sexual partners fully accounted for the first generation's advantage in lower rate of adolescent pregnancy. These findings have important implications for healthcare providers who work with
Objective: Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern with significant immediate and ... more Objective: Adolescent obesity is a national public health concern with significant immediate and long-term health consequences. Certain social groups in the United States, such as immigrant adolescents, have been identified as particularly vulnerable to overweight and obesity. A pattern of results coined the "immigrant paradox" that refers to the phenomenon wherein obesity is less prevalent in first-generation immigrant youth when compared with second-and third-generation peers. Seeking to better understand this concerning trend, this study examined the mediating role of several health behaviors on the relation between generation status and body mass index (BMI). Method: Participants were 2292 Latino immigrant adolescents and emerging adults enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results: Multiple linear regression models indicated that sedentary behaviors partially mediated the relation between generation status and BMI. Conclusion: The findings indicate the unique role that sedentary behaviors play in explaining weight gain among Latino immigrants. (J Dev Behav Pediatr 35:138-143, 2014) Index terms: sedentary behaviors, immigrants, obesity, immigrant paradox.
The immigrant paradox in childhood and adolescence is a population-level phenomenon wherein U.S.b... more The immigrant paradox in childhood and adolescence is a population-level phenomenon wherein U.S.born youth (or more highly acculturated immigrants) have less optimal developmental outcomes than newcomer immigrant youth. These patterns, which hold true after accounting for the generally lower income and parent education levels among first-generation immigrant families, have existed for decades in the United States. In this article, we address this topic in child development research, offering insights into studies to explain why the paradox occurs from the standpoint of both risk and resilience. We also present ideas for research and implications for developing policies and methods for effective practice with immigrant families.
Objective: We aimed to expand the scant research on disordered eating in women identifying same-s... more Objective: We aimed to expand the scant research on disordered eating in women identifying same-sex sexual attractions. Method: We used multiple linear regressions to explore potential mechanisms driving disordered eating-both explicit and implicit weight bias and heterosexism-in a cross-sectional, online-recruited community sample of women (N = 437). Participants endorsed a range of sexual attractions from exclusively opposite-sex (21.1%) to exclusively same-sex (19.5%) attraction. Results: Findings revealed no associations between sexual attraction and disordered eating. Awareness of sociocultural norms valuing thinness accounted for disordered eating for all women, regardless of sexual attraction, and was influenced by attitudes regarding weight. Among women endorsing same-sex attractions, self-reported internalized heterosexism influenced disordered eating. Discussion: Findings contradict long-held beliefs that same-sex attracted women are protected from disordered eating. They emphasize a universal risk, for all women, of sociocultural norms valuing thinness, as well as the risk of internalized heterosexism among same-sex attracted women. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 0:1-15, 2015.
Nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) among U.S. adolescents is a burgeoning public health... more Nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) among U.S. adolescents is a burgeoning public health problem. Previous studies have observed differences in rates of NMUPD among ethnic/racial groups. However, less is known on the social and cultural processes and mechanisms, which may influence adolescents' prescription drug beliefs and practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse 13-to 17-year-olds in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit to elicit in-depth, context-sensitive information about social factors relevant to NMUPD. Data analysis was completed using grounded theory and interpreted with a social ecological approach. Results highlighted the myriad of important contextual influences on adolescent NMUPD. Responses reflected factors within microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem contexts as well as important intrapersonal factors. Furthermore, adolescents who identified as an ethnic minority also described cultural values (e.g., religion) and culturally based beliefs (e.g., mental health stigma), which influenced their prescription drug beliefs. Narratives revealed the interplay between intrapersonal factors and socialization agents, such as parents, peers, and the media, influencing prescription drug behavior. Our findings present ecologically framed insights as a first step in understanding this health risk behavior among U.S. adolescents. Implications as well as
Understanding how ethnic identities develop in adolescence is currently limited by a reliance on ... more Understanding how ethnic identities develop in adolescence is currently limited by a reliance on self-report paper-and-pencil measures. This mixed-methods study presents a novel response time measure, the Multiethnic Identities Processing Task (MIPT), to quantify bicultural adolescents' implicit identifications with ethnic and racial identity labels. Eighty-four adolescents (age 14 -21 years) of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds self-identified as bicultural or not bicultural and described their ethnic identities, pride, and ethnic centrality during a brief interview. Participants were assigned to complete either the interview (self-prime) or the MIPT (no prime) first. Results indicate that bicultural adolescents readily endorsed a variety of ethnic and racial labels in the MIPT, reflecting their multifaceted identities. Younger bicultural adolescents showed a large inhibited response to the label "White," indicating some hesitation in deciding whether the label was "like me" or "not like me." Heart rate monitoring and qualitative analyses of interviews provide some insight into this pattern of results. Findings are discussed with respect to developmental theory, and the strengths of using both implicit and explicit measures to understand multiethnic identity development in adolescence.
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Papers by Amy Marks