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Open access publications by faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences.
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Item HIV Activist Identity, Commitment, and Orientation Scale (HAICOS): Psychometric Evaluation to Assess Clinician’s Propensity Towards HIV Activism in Malaysia(AIDS and Behavior, 2024-05-28) Chong, Norman; Azwa, Iskandar; Hassan, Asfarina Amir; Mousavi, Mohammad Ebrahimzadeh; Wong, Pui Li Wong; Ng, Rong Xiang; Saifi, Rumana; Basri, Sazali; Omar, Sharifah Faridah Syed; Walters, Suzan M.; Collier, Zachary K.; Haddad, Marwan S.; Altice, Frederick L.; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Earnshaw, Valerie A.HIV activism has a long history of advancing HIV treatment and is critical in dismantling HIV-related stigma. This study evaluated the psychometric quality of the HIV Activist Identity, Commitment, and Orientation Scale (HAICOS) to assess clinicians’ propensity towards HIV activism in Malaysia. From November 2022 to March 2023, 74 general practitioners and primary care physicians in Malaysia participated in the study. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted an internally consistent three-factor solution with 13 items: (1) HIV activist identity and commitment, orientation towards (2) day-to-day, and (3) structural activism. The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.91, and intra-class correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.86. Stigma-related (prejudice and discrimination intent) and clinical practice (comfort in performing clinical tasks with key populations and knowledge about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) measures supported the construct validity of the scale. The study provided concise, structurally valid, and reliable measures to evaluate HIV activism among clinicians. Resumen El activismo del VIH tiene una larga historia de avanzar el tratamiento del VIH y es crítico para desmantelar el estigma relacionado al VIH. Este estudio evaluó la calidad psicométrica de la Escala de Identidad, Compromiso y Orientación de Activistas del VIH (HAICOS) para evaluar la propensión de los médicos hacia el activismo del VIH en Malasia. Desde noviembre del 2022 hasta marzo del 2023, 74 médicos generales y de atención primaria en Malasia participaron en este estudio. El análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE) extrajo una solución de tres factores internamente consistente con 13 ítems: (1) identidad y compromiso del activismo del VIH; orientación hacia (2) el activismo cotidiano y (3) el activismo estructural. El valor alfa de Cronbach fue de 0.91 y el coeficiente de correlación intraclase para la confiabilidad prueba-reprueba fue de 0.86. Las medidas relacionadas con el estigma (prejuicio e intención de discriminación) y la práctica clínica (comodidad realizando tareas clínicas con poblaciones claves y conocimiento sobre la profilaxis pre-exposición del VIH) respaldaron la validez de constructo de la escala. El estudio proporcionó medidas concisas, estructuralmente válidas y confiables para evaluar el activismo de VIH entre los médicos.Item Russian Immigrant Families’ Child Care Selection in the United States(Early Childhood Education Journal, 2024-11-16) Novikova, Ekaterina; Hallam, Rena; Pic, AnnetteResearch on immigrant populations shows that child care choices are dependent on the population’s region of origin. While the Russian immigrant population in the United States comprises the largest group of immigrants from Eastern Europe and is likely to increase in the future, there is virtually no research on Russian immigrant families’ child care search and selection criteria. This qualitative study applies the theoretical model of Pungello and Kurtz-Costes (1999), which illustrates how factors such as parental demographic characteristics, environmental context, child characteristics, and parental beliefs play into families’ child care selection. The study draws from semi-structured interviews with 11 Russian immigrant families residing in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to examine their child care search processes and selection criteria. Results revealed that most parents found child care through friends’ recommendations, Internet search, and online reviews. Nine themes describing child care criteria valued by Russian immigrant families emerged from the analysis. Specifically, parents mentioned culture and personal beliefs, child characteristics, convenience, cost and subsidy, education and learning, program features, facilities and environment, teacher characteristics, and rating and reputation as the major factors in selecting child care. Understanding Russian immigrant parents’ child care information sources and selection criteria will allow for early care and education (ECE) providers to accommodate the needs of Russian immigrant population and for policymakers to facilitate access to ECE programs for these families.Item Antitrans Policy Environment and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Transgender and Nonbinary Adults(Jama Network Open, 2024-08-22) Restar, Arjee; Layland, Eric K.; Hughes, Landon; Dusic, Emerson; Lucas, Ruby; Bambilla, Audren J. K.; Martin, Aleks; Shook, Alic; Karrington, Baer; Schwarz, Deborah; Shimkin, Genya; Grandberry, Vanessa; Xanadu, Xero; Streed, Carl G., Jr.; Operario, Don; Gamarel, Kristi E.; Kershaw, TraceKey Points Question: Is awareness of current policies addressing access to health care for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations associated with depression and anxiety? Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 797 trans individuals living in Washington State, concerns about trans rights being taken away were associated with significantly higher odds of depression and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with accurate knowledge of state-level protective legislation had lower odds of depression and anxiety. Meaning: In a policy environment with increasing legislation aimed at eroding trans rights and access to care, interventions that increase awareness and accurate knowledge of policies that protect access to trans health care could help address distress around losing trans rights and may mitigate the negative impact of nationwide antitrans policies on mental health outcomes in trans adults. Abstract Importance: With the increasing legislation restricting health care access for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations in recent years, there has been limited research on how awareness of and concerns about legislative restrictions and protections influence mental health outcomes. Objective: To examine whether awareness of and concerns about the current policy environment regarding trans individuals are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among trans adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study uses cross-sectional data collected between March and April 2023 from the Washington Priority Assessment in Trans Health (PATH) Project, an online study designed by, with, and for trans communities. All participants were trans adults, aged 18 years or older, living in Washington state. Exposure: Awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety symptoms, assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire–4. A series of multivariable regression models was used to assess the association between awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment and depression and anxiety symptoms. Models were adjusted for covariates, including demographics, social marginalization, and health care experiences. Results: A total of 797 participants (653 women [81.93%]; 455 aged 18-29 years [57.09%]) were included. The majority screened positive for current depression (689 individuals [86.45%]) and anxiety (686 individuals [86.07%]) symptoms. Trans individuals who were concerned or worried about their rights being taken away (vs not) had significantly higher odds of current depression symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.54), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.63-4.36). Those who knew (vs did not know) about state-level protective legislation had significantly lower odds of current depression symptoms (aOR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28-0.67), as well as current anxiety symptoms (aOR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.25). When examining interaction effect estimates, trans individuals who correctly knew about the protective policies and were not worried about having their rights taken away reported the lowest odds of depression and anxiety. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional study are consistent with research elucidating the negative mental health consequences of policies limiting health care access and provide insights into informing policies and interventions that target trans populations’ worsened mental health outcomes as a result of antitrans legislation.Item LGBTQ+ Youth Identity Disclosure Processes: A Systematic Review(Adolescent Research Review, 2024-06-07) Mousavi, Mohammad; Chong, Norman; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Layland, Eric K.Disclosure, as a complex social process, profoundly influences the well-being of LGBTQ + youth. This study, guided by the disclosure process model, systematically reviews and synthesizes LGBTQ + youth disclosure literature, considering it as a developmental, multi-component process across various contexts. After screening 5,433 articles, 29 studies were identified, focusing on identity-disclosure processes among LGBTQ + youth aged 26 or younger. These studies were scrutinized for disclosure process components, individual and contextual factors shaping disclosure, and potential bias. Findings reveal a predominant focus on avoidance goals (e.g., fear of rejection, LGBTQ + stigma) rather than approach goals (e.g., seeking belonging, authenticity) in studies examining the disclosure decision-making process. Reactions to disclosures were often mixed, initially leaning negative but evolving positively over time. Mental health emerged as the most studied outcome of disclosure. Additionally, disclosure processes were shaped by disclosure recipients, social context, and cultural beliefs. In conclusion, research on LGBTQ + youth disclosure is advancing and evolving, with increasing attention to disclosure goals and outcomes. Rather than viewing disclosure as a singular event, this review underscores LGBTQ + youth identity disclosure as a complex, developmental process extending over time and across diverse contexts.Item Kept in the Closet: Structural Stigma and the Timing of Sexual Minority Developmental Milestones Across 28 European Countries(Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2023-07-06) Layland, Eric K.; Bränström, R.; Murchison, G. R.; Pachankis, J. E.Structural stigma’s role in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s attainment of identity development milestones remains unknown. In a sample of 111,498 LGB people (ages 15 to 65+) living across 28 European countries, associations were investigated between structural stigma measured using an objective index of discriminatory country-level laws and policies affecting LGB people and the timing and pacing of LGB self-awareness, coming out, and closet duration, and subgroup differences in these associations. On average, self-awareness occurred at age 14.8 years old (SD = 5.1), coming out occurred at 18.5 years old (SD = 5.7), and the closet was 3.9 years long (SD = 4.9); thereby highlighting adolescence as a key period for sexual identity development and disclosure. Greater structural stigma was associated with higher odds of never coming out, later age of coming out, and longer closet duration. Gender identity, transgender identity, and sexual identity moderated associations between structural stigma and these developmental milestones. Reducing structural stigma can plausibly promote sexual identity development among LGB populations, especially during adolescence when identity related milestones are often attained.Item Narrowing ‘Bathtub Volunteerism’ in Singapore and Beyond Through High-quality Adolescent and Young Adult Volunteer Experiences(Young, 2024-08-06) Kwan, Jin Yao; Wray-Lake, LauraHigh-quality volunteerism experiences in adolescence are associated with higher volunteerism later in life, yet less is understood about contextualized features of these experiences, especially when school-based programmes are mandatory. Relatedly, narrowing ‘bathtub volunteerism’ (i.e., increasing postgraduation youth volunteerism and shortening the period between volunteer disengagement and resumption) remains a research gap. Therefore, using in-depth retrospective qualitative interviews with 50 young Singaporeans, we aimed to understand features of high-quality volunteer experiences in schools (among adolescents) and communities (among young adults). Findings indicated that within a national context of compulsory school-based volunteerism, ‘bathtub volunteerism’ was narrowed efficaciously when adolescents and young adults were exposed to high-quality school- and community-based volunteer experiences, respectively. High-quality school-based experiences granted student autonomy and facilitated empathy development. Community-based ones combined cause selectivity, personal meaning and close interpersonal relationships. Our findings offer insights to raise volunteerism rates by developing and propagating high-quality volunteer experiences.Item Social Media Use and Early Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Variations by Parent-Adolescent Communication and Gender(Youth and Society, 2023-06-21) Gordon, Mellissa S.; Ohannessian, Christine McCauleyResearch investigating social media use typically focus on late adolescents and young adults, despite a growing number of early adolescents, 93% to 97%—having at least one social media platform. Also, early adolescents are more likely to engage with newer sites, such as Snapchat and Instagram, than older platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Given the evolving landscape of social media, the present study examines the impact of the use of various social media platforms, along with its moderating effects, on adolescents’ academic achievement, using a sample of N = 1,459 early adolescents. Results were such that, as frequency of use on each platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat increased, academic achievement decreased. Specific to interaction effects, frequent use of Facebook and Instagram and early adolescents’ academic achievement were moderated by motheradolescent communication; while gender moderated the association between frequent use of Twitter and Snapchat and early adolescents’ academic achievement. Implications are discussed.Item Sources, Conceptualizations, and Mechanisms of Racism/Oppression for Academic and Mental Health Outcomes(AERA Open, 2024-06-10) Polk, Whitney M.; Hill, Nancy E.; Hughes, Diane L.Interpersonal and systemic racism and discrimination persist in our educational system—from primary and secondary institutions through college, despite the forward strides of desegregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This special topic collection identifies and applies empirically and theoretically grounded conceptualizations of racism to improve our understanding of the experience of racism, interventions to mitigate it, and protective factors. The papers in this collection reflect two themes: 1) racial and religious identities in classrooms, schools, and universities, focusing on how educators mitigate and perpetuate systemic racism, including how White teachers understand the impact of race, how inclusive and antiracism curricula are received and rejected by future educators and clinicians, and the impact of exclusionary social networks in the hiring of teachers of color and 2) school belonging and climate, including documenting that students of color feel less safe, are disproportionately exposed to harsh discipline, question their belonging, and question commitments to diversity. The negative sequelae are concurrent and last into adulthood. In addition, there are several advances in theory and measurement, including assessing gendered and racial biases in teachers’ attributions about students’ abilities, frameworks for mitigating colonial and racialized trauma, and domains of antiracist activism to bring racial justice and equity to schools.Item Beyond “Not My Type”: A Quantitative Examination of Intraminority Stigma Among Gay Men Who Use Dating Apps(Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2024-03-14) Shepherd, Benjamin F.; Tidwell, Colin A.; Layland, Eric K.; Maki, Justin L.; Brochu, Paula M.Gay men with intersecting diverse identities are at increased risk for experiencing intraminority stigma (i.e., negative attitudes or discrimination from the gay community based on a socially undervalued identity or trait). The use of dating apps is pervasive among gay men and becoming more common during the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, representing a potential site for intraminority stigma. In this study, the association between online dating and experiences of stigma within the gay community was examined utilizing an international sample of 2,159 gay men through the lens of intraminority gay community stress theory. Participants reported how frequently they experienced stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, nonconformity to popular gay culture (i.e., hobbies, beliefs, or ideologies perceived as typical of gay men), race/ethnicity, gender expression, and body size and shape. Approximately 60% of the sample used dating apps/websites every month or more frequently. More frequent dating app use was associated with more frequent experiences of intraminority stress across the constructs of age stigma, socioeconomic stigma, racial/ethnic stigma, and body stigma but not gay nonconformity stigma or gender expression stigma. More frequent dating app use was associated with more intraminority racial/ethnic stigma among gay men of color relative to White gay men and more intraminority age stigma among older gay men relative to younger gay men. Findings provide empirical and contextual evidence for multiple forms of intraminority stigma, paving the way for future intersectional research focused on the social, psychological, and physical well-being of multiply marginalized gay men. Public Significance Statement This study shows that the use of dating apps and websites is common among gay men of varying backgrounds, especially younger and less wealthy gay men, and that gay men who used these services more frequently were more likely to experience stigma from other gay men based on age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and body size and shape. Furthermore, findings suggest older gay men and gay men of color are especially likely to experience identity-based stigma from other gay men while using dating apps/websites.Item Living, learning, working, and playing during COVID-19: tackling existing and exacerbated problems of low-income Singaporean youth(Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 2024-02-12) Kwan, Jin Yao; Tan, Joshua; Yi Jie, Chua; Khor, JoannaCOVID-19’s adverse, disproportionate impact on low-income youth — prompting youth-serving professionals to adapt and adjust — is well-documented. However, research gaps exist, including explanatory processes underlying COVID-19’s deleterious impact, systematic documentation of existing and exacerbated problems, and short- and long-term responses of youth-serving professionals. Using a multi-informant mixed methods design guided by a live-learn-work-play theoretical framework, exploratory findings indicated that COVID-19 worsened existing problems across all domains. In the short-term, Singaporean professionals prioritised, moved online, and evaluated programmes. Progressively, they sought to build youth communities, empower families, collaborate, and experiment. Findings have implications for understanding and resolving structural problems perpetuating pre-disaster vulnerabilities.Item Practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination: a Singaporean case study(China Journal of Social Work, 2024-01-14) Kwan, Jin Yao; Khor, Joanna; Chan, JoeBecause practice research’s benefits in social work contexts are well-documented, research attention has shifted to improving its operationalisation within organisations. However, few studies have examined practice research’s challenges and opportunities across project conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination. Even fewer have considered practitioner-researcher and organisational power dynamics, especially in Asia. Using a qualitative exploratory case study approach, we first described the challenges a Singaporean youth work agency faced during conceptualisation, implementation, and dissemination across three practice-research projects. Subsequently, we evaluated how the core practice-research team seized opportunities to address these challenges (i.e. manpower and resourcing, disproportionate researcher influence, sustaining interest internally and externally) and future improvement opportunities (i.e. institutionalise knowledge, build organisational capacity, and examine structural impediments). Implications for practitioners and researchers and effective organisational strategies – internally, externally, and structurally – are discussed. 摘要 实践研究的优势在社会工作背景下已得到较多讨论, 研究注意力已开始转向如何改善其在组织内的可操作性。然而, 尤其在亚洲地区、研究者较少探讨实践研究在项目概念化、实施和传播方面存在的挑战和机遇, 对实务工作者-研究者以及组织权力动力方面的探究则更为缺乏。本文运用定性探索性案例研究方法, 首先描述了一间新加坡青年工作机构三个实践研究项目在概念化、实施和传播过程中所面临的挑战。随后, 论文评估了核心团队如何抓住机遇以应对这些挑战 (即人力和资源、研究人员不成比例的影响力、和维持内外部的兴趣), 并探讨未来的改进机会 (即制度化知识、建设组织能力、和考察结构性障碍) 。论文最后讨论了该研究对实务工作者、研究者以及在内部, 外部和结构性方面如何推动有效组织策略的启示。Item Criminalized or Stigmatized? An Intersectional Power Analysis of the Charter School Treatment of Black and Latino Boys(Urban Education, 2024-02-06) Carey, Roderick L.As scholars account for the disproportional harm adolescent Black and Latino boys face in school, needed are studies that report on more than educator bias. Utilizing interviews and ethnographic observations from an urban charter school, I introduce and deploy the Intersectional School Power Model to illustrate how multiple school processes coalesced to uphold the criminalization of Black boys and stigmatization of Latino boys subtly and acutely. Findings show their (mis)treatment resulted from intersecting power arrangements across four school domains: the structural (e.g., organizational components), cultural (e.g., school norms), disciplinary (e.g., student corrective policies and practices), and interpersonal (e.g., daily interactions).Item The Postsecondary Future Selves of Black and Latinx Boys: A Case for Cultivating More Expansive Supports in College-Going Schools(American Educational Research Journal, 2024-04) Carey, Roderick L.Black and Latinx adolescent boys from economically stratified communities face pervasive societal inequities and, therefore, deserve more responsive school supports to determine and actualize postsecondary pathways. For insights into how such students conceptualize their futures and their school’s role in facilitating this process, this ethnographic study investigated one urban school’s college-going culture and its impact on shaping what the author calls participants’ postsecondary future selves. This theoretical approach encompasses three domains: college (i.e., postsecondary education), career (i.e., post-college employment trajectory), and condition (i.e., expected financial stability, relational and familial prospects, future living arrangements, happiness, and joy). Implications suggest that college-going school practitioners widen supports so students can imagine and envision how college ambitions align with career and condition goals.Item Child Temperament as a Moderator of Promoting First Relationships Intervention Effects Among Families in Early Head Start(Prevention Science, 2022-01-21) Hustedt, Jason T.; Hooper, Alison; Hallam, Rena A.; Vu, Jennifer A.; Han, Myae; Ziegler, MelissaAs availability of parent–child interaction curricula increases, Early Head Start (EHS) provides a relevant context to test research-based parenting models as part of everyday practice. We trained EHS staff to incorporate the Promoting First Relationships (PFR) intervention into ongoing weekly home visits with mothers and their young children (n = 102) enrolled in EHS. Children had a mean age of 19.75 months and were 56% Hispanic, 23% Black, and 14% White. Families were randomly assigned to an intervention group where they participated in PFR as an EHS enhancement, or to a waitlist-control group where they received only typical EHS services. To explore the possibility that effectiveness of parent–child curricula may differ based on child characteristics, we used linear regression to examine children’s temperament as a potential moderator of PFR efficacy on outcomes related to parenting stress, family functioning, and parent–child interaction. While we did not find a significant main effect of PFR for the full sample, there were several significant moderated effects. For families where children showed higher levels of surgency, mothers’ parenting stress was significantly reduced after PFR participation. Also, when children showed higher levels of negative affect, mothers demonstrated higher sensitivity in parent–child interactions after participating in PFR. Given findings from our exploratory study, agencies should consider the characteristics of families served and the match with intervention priorities, when selecting intervention programs. When delivered as a home visitation enhancement, PFR may be a valuable support for certain enrolled families, based on child characteristics including high levels of surgency or negative affect.Item A qualitative study of healthcare providers’ attitudes toward assisted partner notification for people with HIV in Indonesia(BMC Health Services Research, 2023-01-24) Levy, Judith A.; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Milanti, Ariesta; Waluyo, Agung; Culbert, Gabriel J.Background Assisted partner notification (APN) is recommended as a public health strategy to increase HIV testing in people exposed to HIV. Yet its adoption in many countries remains at an early stage. This qualitative study sought the opinions of HIV health service providers regarding the appropriateness and feasibility of implementing APN in Indonesia where such services are on the cusp of adoption. Methods Four focus group discussions totaling 40 health service providers were held in Jakarta, Indonesia to consider APN as an innovative concept and to share their reactions regarding its potential implementation in Indonesia. Voice-recorded discussions were conducted in Bahasa, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed. Results Participants recognized APN’s potential in contacting and informing the partners of HIV-positive clients of possible viral exposure. They also perceived APN’s value as a client-driven service permitting clients to select which of three partner notification methods would work best for them across differing partner relationships and settings. Nonetheless, participants also identified personal and health system challenges that could impede successful APN adoption including medical and human resource limitations, the need for specialized APN training, ethical and equity considerations, and lack of sufficient clarity concerning laws and government policies regulating 3rd party disclosures. They also pointed to the job-overload, stress, personal discomfort, and the ethical uncertainty that providers might experience in delivering APN. Conclusion Overall, providers of HIV services embraced the concept of APN but forecast practical difficulties in key service areas where investments in resources and system change appeared necessary to ensure effective and equitable implementation.Item Characterizing the impacts of public health control measures on domestic violence services: qualitative interviews with domestic violence coalition leaders(BMC Public Health, 2023-09-05) Horney, Jennifer A.; Fleury‑Steiner, Ruth; Camphausen, Lauren C.; Wells, Sarah A.; Miller, Susan L.Background Prior to the availability of pharmaceutical control measures, non-pharmaceutical control measures, including travel restrictions, physical distancing, isolation and quarantine, closure of schools and workplaces, and the use of personal protective equipment were the only tools available to public health authorities to control the spread of COVID-19. The implementation of these non-pharmaceutical control measures had unintended impacts on the ability of state and territorial domestic violence coalitions to provide services to victims. Methods A semi-structured interview guide to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted service provision and advocacy generally, and how COVID-19 control measures specifically, created barriers to services and advocacy, was developed, pilot tested, and revised based on feedback. Interviews with state and territorial domestic violence coalition executive directors were conducted between November 2021 and March 2022. Transcripts were inductively and deductively coded using both hand-coding and qualitative software. Results Forty-five percent (25 of 56) of state and territorial domestic violence coalition executive directors representing all 8 National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) regions were interviewed. Five themes related to the use of non-pharmaceutical pandemic control measures with impacts on the provision of services and advocacy were identified. Conclusions The use of non-pharmaceutical control measures early in the COVID-19 pandemic had negative impacts on the health and safety of some vulnerable groups, including domestic violence victims. Organizations that provide services and advocacy to victims faced many unique challenges in carrying out their missions while adhering to required public health control measures. Policy and preparedness plan changes are needed to prevent unintended consequences of control measure implementation among vulnerable groups as well as to identify lessons learned that should be applied in future disasters and emergencies.Item Refugees’ Perspectives on Cultural Adaptation and Education of Their Children: Myanmar Refugee Mothers’ Story(International Journal of Higher Education, 2023-08-05) Lim, Boo Young; Han, Myae; Han, Shin Ae; Lee, Jiyeon; Lake, VickieThis qualitative study explored Myanmar refugee mothers' perceptions and experiences of social and cultural capital use for their children’s education and cultural adaptation while resettling in the host country, the United States. The multiple sources of data were collected and triangulated, including a parent survey, individual interviews with three mothers, a focused group interview with a group of mothers, and meticulous field notes. The findings revealed three prominent themes of social and cultural capital use among Myanmar refugee mothers: education as hopes vs. concerns, language as an opportunity vs. disappearance, and community as social capital vs. social distance. The Myanmar refugee families engaged in complex negotiations for each capital as they supported their children’s education and cultural adaptation. Refugee mothers strived to utilize their past experiences as well as cultural and social resources, such as their home language, nurturing relationships, and networking with fellow ethnic mothers, to provide diverse social and cultural capital for their children. This study offers valuable insights for teachers and policymakers when considering the successful integration of refugee children and families into current school systems.Item Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Cognitive Functioning among Diverse Older Adults: An Intersectional Approach(International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021-03-06) Thierry, Amy D.; Sherman-Wilkins, Kyler; Armendariz, Marina; Sullivan, Allison; Farmer, Heather R.Unfavorable neighborhood conditions are linked to health disparities. Yet, a dearth of literature examines how neighborhood characteristics contribute to cognitive health in diverse samples of older adults. The present study uses an intersectional approach to examine how race/ethnicity, gender, and education moderate the association between neighborhood perceptions and cognitive functioning in later life. We used data from adults ≥65 years old (n = 8023) in the 2010–2016 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We conducted race/ethnicity-stratified linear regression models where cognitive functioning, measured using the 35-point Telephone Interview Cognitive Screen (TICS), was regressed on three neighborhood characteristics—cleanliness, safety, and social cohesion. We examine whether there is heterogeneity within race/ethnicity by testing if and how the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive functioning differs by gender and education. Among White adults, worse neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower cognitive functioning among those with less education. However, for Black adults, poor perceived quality of one’s neighborhood was associated with worse cognitive functioning among those with more years of education compared to those with fewer years of education. Among Mexicans, perceived neighborhood uncleanliness was associated with lower cognitive functioning among those with less education, but higher cognitive functioning for those with higher levels of education. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive aging disparities by examining neighborhood contextual factors as determinants of cognitive functioning. In particular, we find that higher education in the context of less favorable neighborhood environments does not confer the same benefits to cognitive functioning among all older adults.Item Evoking Learning by Examples through Reducing Misconceptions and Highlighting Procedures(The Journal of Experimental Education, 2023-07-10) Barbieri, Christina Areizaga; Silla, Elena M.Prior research highlights a positive effect of incorrect worked examples on mathematics learning. Yet the mechanisms underlying these benefits are unclear. To investigate potential mechanisms of the benefits of various worked example types, we examined process data from a previously published classroom-based experiment. More specifically, we analyzed students’ explanations made while explaining worked examples in three varying example conditions as well as students’ problem-solving errors made when solving problems. These data operationalize two potential mechanisms: a reduction of misconceptions (i.e., fewer targeted conceptual errors), and an increase in principled algebra knowledge (i.e., explanations focusing on principles underlying procedures). Mediation analyses revealed both as important mechanisms of varying effects. A reduction of misconceptions explained greater benefits of all three worked example conditions, compared to a problem-solving control, on an algebra concepts posttest. More principled explanations of procedures explained the benefits of incorrect worked examples on problem-solving at posttest compared to the two other example conditions. These findings help explain differential findings in prior work by example type and may elucidate potential avenues for errorful instruction.Item Gifts, growing, and love: A qualitative analysis of children’s literature depicting breastfeeding(Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2023-04-27) Bianca, Kelsey PalmerChildren’s literature on the topic of breastfeeding is a niche form of media that has the potential to present breastfeeding in a different light because of a difference in audience and intent, but this media form is understudied. The aim of this study was to explore the portrayal of breastfeeding in English language children’s literature published between 1985 and 2020. This cross-sectional qualitative study explored the written and visual content of children’s literature on the topic of breastfeeding. This qualitative study utilized content analysis to explore 49 children’s books that depict breastfeeding as a major theme or story. Children’s books depict breastfeeding as an act of love that confers benefits beyond nutrition including being a symbolic gift, and conferring growth, and love. Breastfeeding is presented in these books by teaching how mammals feed their young or by teaching children about the function of breasts. These books also often include information for parents. Children’s literature depicting breastfeeding provides a unique avenue for the dissemination of breastfeeding resources and information. This research can inform lactation education practices in healthcare settings by normalizing breastfeeding.