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Department of Human Development and Family Studies

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Browsing Department of Human Development and Family Studies by Subject "African American studies"

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    Culture, racial identity and mood effects on birth outcomes of African-American mothers in Alabama
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Burton, Wanda Martin; Hernandez-Reif, Maria; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The purpose of this study was to determine if racial identity, acculturation, depression and or anxiety would predict birthweight in African Americans. Multiple linear regression was conducted and results indicated that racial identity predicted birthweight. African American mothers who identified with having a stronger racial identity reported having low birthweight babies less often than those who scored lower on racial identity. These findings are consistent with those that support other positive effects of racial identity, such as higher self-esteem and less risk-taking behaviors among youth. Further exploration of racial identity revealed self image as the essential element of predicting birthweight. Results also indicated that for African American mothers between the ages of 21 and 35, birthweight decreases as mothers' age increase. This finding is congruent with the weathering hypothesis which states that the health of African-American women may begin to deteriorate in early adulthood; thereby suggesting that the optimal age for childbirth for African Americans may be earlier than most research suggest. More research is needed to explore the effects of racial identity and self image on birthweight among a more diverse group of mothers. Additional research should also compare women from different parts of the country and migration time in the U. S. to re-examine the possible effects of acculturation.
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    Does father warmth/involvement predict intergenerational teenage pregnancy and adolescent risky sexual behavior?
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Carter, Vanessa Christine; Scofield, Jason M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Previous studies highlight many disadvantages for adolescent mothers who experience an early pregnancy. Among these disadvantages is the high probability of single-parenthood and the likelihood that their children may experience early pregnancies as well, i.e., intergenerational teenage pregnancy. The implications of the Balance Theory suggest that the primary source of warmth for adolescent girls comes from their fathers. Adolescent girls who grow up in father-absent homes may seek this missing warmth outside of the home in intimate sexual relationships. Using data from the Mobile Youth and Poverty Study (MYPS), single mothers who reported giving birth between the ages of 12-19 and their 15-year-old daughters were chosen for the current study. It was hypothesized that adolescent girls in father-absent homes would be more likely to experience an adolescent pregnancy and engage in more risky sexual behavior. Although a small portion of the sample actually experienced an early pregnancy (n=19), levels of father warmth significantly predicted whether adolescent girls had initiated sexual intercourse by age 15 as well as frequency and recency of the sexual intercourse.