Search

Over the past 30 years, prevention science in the adolescent health field has moved from interventions focused on preventing single problem behaviors to efforts employing a dual approach, addressing risk factors that predict problems while simultaneously nurturing protective factors and promoting positive development. Through an examination of previous research and empirical case examples with vulnerable youth, this article considers the hypothesis that adolescents' sense of connectedness to caring adults acts as a protective factor against a range of risk behaviors. Multivariate analyses with existing data examined indicators of youth-adult connectedness among two groups at high risk for poor health outcomes: (1) mentor-youth relationship quality in an urban, ethnically diverse sample of students in a school-based mentoring program (2014 survey, N=239); and (2) parent-youth connectedness in a statewide sample of high school students who reported homelessness in the past year (2013 survey, N=3,627). For youth in the mentoring program, a high-quality youth-mentor relationship was significantly associated with positive social, academic, and health-related behaviors. Among students who experienced homelessness, all measures of parent connectedness were significantly associated with lower sexual risk levels. Collectively, findings from these analyses and previously published studies by this research group provide evidence that strong, positive relationships with parents and other caring adults protect adolescents from a range of poor health-related outcomes and promote positive development. Youth-adult connectedness appears to be foundational for adolescent health and well-being. Program, practice, and policy decisions should consider what strengthens or hinders caring, connected youth-adult relationships., (Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are more than 200,000 incarcerated women in U.S. prisons and jails, and it is estimated that 6% to 10% are pregnant. Pregnant incarcerated women experience complex risks that can compromise their health and the health of their offspring., Objectives: Identify lessons learned from a community-university pilot study of a prison-based pregnancy and parenting support program., Methods: A community-university-corrections partnership was formed to provide education and support to pregnant incarcerated women through a prison-based pilot program. Evaluation data assessed women's physical and mental health concerns and satisfaction with the program. Between October 2011 and December 2012, 48 women participated., Lessons Learned: We learned that providing services for pregnant incarcerated women requires an effective partnership with the Department of Corrections, adaptations to traditional community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches, and resources that support both direct service and ongoing evaluation., Conclusions: Effective services for pregnant incarcerated women can be provided through a successful community- university-corrections partnership.

Much of the current evidence regarding the associations between attachment states of mind and parenting quality is based on concurrent or short-term longitudinal studies with samples of adults. Using data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation, we examined the predictive significance of the coherence of participants' discourse during the Adult Attachment Interview, assessed at ages 19 and 26 years, for parenting quality measured using observations (administered when participants' children were 24 and 42 months old) and interview ratings (collected when parents were 32 years old). Results indicated that associations between AAI coherence and parenting quality varied based on when adult attachment was assessed, as well as when and how parenting quality was assessed. Coherence of mind measured at age 19 years predicted observed supportive parenting when it was assessed when participants were in their late-20s and early-30s, a developmental period when parenting can be conceptualized as a salient developmental task, but not before. In contrast, coherence of mind measured at age 26 years predicted both observed and interview-ratings of supportive parenting.

This study drew on prospective, longitudinal data to test the hypothesis that the intergenerational transmission of positive parenting is mediated by competence in subsequent relationships with peers and romantic partners. Interview-based ratings of supportive parenting were completed with a sample of 113 individuals (46% male) followed from birth to age 32. Results indicated that supportive parenting during adulthood was predicted by observed maternal sensitivity during the first 3 years of life, even after controlling for adults' age at first childbirth and adults' socioeconomic status and educational attainment at the time of the second generation parenting assessments. Moreover, the intergenerational association in parenting was mediated by later competence in relationships with peers and romantic partners. In particular, sensitive caregiving in infancy and early childhood predicted teachers' rankings of children's social competence with peers during childhood and adolescence, which in turn forecasted later interview ratings of romantic relationship competence during young adulthood, which in turn predicted supportive parenting in adulthood. Findings are discussed with respect to current theory and research on the intergenerational transmission of parenting.

The differential susceptibility to parenting model was examined in relation to toddler self-regulation in a prospective longitudinal study of infants born preterm or low birth weight. We followed 153 mother-infant dyads across five time points between the infant's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay and 24 months postterm. Assessments of infant temperament, quality of early parenting interactions, contextual variables, and toddler effortful control and behavior problems were conducted. Results supported differential susceptibility and dual risk models in addition to documenting main effects of early parenting on children's emerging self-regulation. Our data suggested that preterm or low birth weight infants who were prone to distress or rated by mothers as more difficult were particularly susceptible to the effects of early negative parenting.

Family science and public health scholars have documented the consequences of incarceration for the well-being of individuals, children, families, and communities. Yet the largest form of supervision in the criminal legal system is not imprisonment, but probation, with little known about the experiences of parents on probation. We analyzed interviews with 153 adults on probation, 68 (44%) of whom reported being parents of minor children (under 18 years). Compared to participants without minor children, parents with minor children were younger and more likely to be employed. Among parents, 42% reported having custody of one or more minor children and 20% lived with their minor children at the time of the interview. Yet, most (82%) parents reported they provided some form of care or support. Qualitative analyses of four case studies show the challenges facing parents on probation and the complex intersection of custody, living arrangements, and care and support for minor children. We find that parenthood and probation are interconnected, with parent status influencing the experience of supervision and probation impacting parenting opportunities and constraints. Findings suggest service providers working with parents on probation need to attend to these complex family dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an evaluation of a prison-visiting program, Extended Visiting (EV), for incarcerated mothers and their children. Mothers (N = 24) and caregivers (N = 19) were interviewed regarding experiences with the program. Mothers identified benefits including maintaining a relationship with children, physical contact, motivation, privacy, peer support, and personal growth. Caregivers echoed mothers’ appreciation for the opportunity to maintain mother–child relationships and physical contact. Mothers identified barriers including desire for overnight visits and more age-appropriate activities. Caregivers perceived travel time and costs and children’s adverse reactions as barriers. When comparing EV to typical visiting, participants unanimously preferred EV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Father engagement can benefit children, but research on fathers and family home visiting is limited. • Including fathers in family home visiting promotes healthy relationships and program retention. • Negative or apathetic attitudes towards fathers in FHV can impact fathers' involvement in FHV. • Lack of consistency in measurement and reliance on mothers as primary reporters are limitations. Early childhood family home visiting (FHV) is an evidence-based intervention aimed at promoting healthy child development, preventing child abuse and neglect, and providing support and education to parents. Despite evidence that fathers provide critical support to their families, little research has focused specifically on fathers involved in FHV. This scoping review aims to systematically assess the current research on the intersection of fathers and FHV and factors associated with fathers' involvement in FHV programming. Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were systematically searched. Following title/abstract screening (n = 311) and full-text review (n = 70) for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 36 manuscripts were included in this review. Key findings were organized into six categories: (1) individual father characteristics associated with fathers' involvement in FHV; (2) programmatic factors associated with fathers' involvement in FHV; (3) fathers' outcomes and (4) mothers' outcomes associated with fathers' involvement in FHV; (5) fathers' relationships in the family system; (6) fathers' engagement with children. Results support previous studies that including fathers in FHV programs and promoting healthy relationships between mothers and fathers improves program retention. However, whether or not fathers participate in FHV appears to be connected to the perceived role of fathers held by fathers, mothers, home visitors, and FHV programs. Negative or apathetic attitudes towards involving fathers in FHV can impact fathers' involvement in FHV. Lack of consistency in measurement and reliance on maternal report are limitations of the existing literature. Implications for future research center on the need to address programmatic changes to increase father involvement in FHV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]