RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) may influence fathers' engagement in childrearing; however, empirical studies have been equivocal as to whether these effects emerge in a compensatory (i.e., higher paternal engagement) or spillover (i.e., lower paternal engagement) manner. This study evaluated fathers' gender role attitudes as a moderator that shapes the association between maternal PPD and fathers' engagement during infancy, and also examined relations between father engagement and children's subsequent behavior problems. METHOD: In a prospective study of low-income, Mexican-origin families (N = 181 mothers and a subset of their partners, N = 92 fathers), maternal PPD symptoms and fathers' gender role attitudes were measured at 15-weeks postpartum, father engagement was measured at 21-weeks, and children's behavior problems were measured at 12 and 18 months. RESULTS: Higher maternal PPD symptoms were associated with lower father engagement and more child behavior problems when fathers endorsed more segregated gender role attitudes; however, this relation was not significant when fathers endorsed less segregated, more contemporary gender role attitudes. A mediational chain was evident, wherein the interaction of maternal PPD and fathers' gender role attitudes predicted paternal engagement, and lower paternal engagement subsequently predicted more child behavior problems at 12 months, which predicted more child behavior problems at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the effects of maternal PPD on children's behavior problems may operate via paternal engagement, which is affected by fathers' traditional gender role attitudes. The study highlights the importance of examining fathering and children's behavior using a cultural-contextual lens among underrepresented ethnic minority families.
Assuntos
Depressão , Etnicidade , Pré-Escolar , Depressão/psicologia , Relações Pai-Filho , Pai/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Grupos Minoritários , Mães/psicologia , Poder Familiar/psicologia , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
Despite a sizeable literature documenting meaningful contributions of father involvement to child health and development, researchers have paid little attention to biological characteristics that may render a child more or less sensitive to fathering behavior. The identification of child and paternal characteristics that promote child behavioral health is particularly critical in the context of sociocultural risk. We hypothesized that respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) measured during infancy would moderate the impact of father engagement in caregiving activities on child behavioral health. In a sample of 181 Mexican American families, we evaluated the impact of infant RSA at 6 weeks, mother- and father-reported father engagement in caregiving activities at 15 and 21 weeks, and their interaction on toddler social or emotional behavior problems and competence at 2 years of age. Only infants with average or higher RSA exhibited more behavior problems in the context of low father engagement (p = .021). Neither RSA nor father engagement predicted behavioral competence. The results are consistent with a stress-diathesis process such that higher infant RSA increases vulnerability to suboptimal father involvement, but does not enhance the benefits of high father involvement.
Assuntos
Relações Pai-Filho , Pai , Arritmia Sinusal Respiratória , Relações Pai-Filho/etnologia , Pai/psicologia , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Americanos Mexicanos/psicologia , PobrezaRESUMO
Mothers and fathers are at elevated risk for developing depression during the first postnatal year, especially among families from marginalized communities. Although a number of studies demonstrate that exposure to maternal depressive symptoms can undermine infants' regulatory development, less is known about the extent to which paternal depressive symptoms may also contribute. The current study investigated whether maternal and paternal depressive symptoms were uniquely associated with infants' physiological regulation, and whether associations varied depending on infant sex. Participants included 90 low-income Mexican American families. Fathers and mothers self-reported their depressive symptoms when infants were 15 weeks old, and infants' resting parasympathetic activity (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) was assessed at 6 and 24 weeks. Results indicated that, after controlling for infant 6-week RSA and depressive symptoms in the other parent, paternal depressive symptoms were associated with lower 24-week RSA for both girls and boys, but maternal depressive symptoms were only associated with lower 24-week RSA for boys. Findings highlight a potential mechanism through which the consequences of parent depressive symptoms may reverberate across generations, and suggest that considerations of both infants' and parents' sex may lend insight into how best to intervene.
Assuntos
Depressão Pós-Parto , Depressão , Pai , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Americanos Mexicanos , MãesRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children's development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican-origin families. METHODS: A sample of 180 Mexican-origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican-origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. RESULTS: Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican-origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A 2-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican-origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Infantil , Relações Pai-Filho/etnologia , Pai/psicologia , Americanos Mexicanos/psicologia , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Relações Mãe-Filho/etnologia , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Estados UnidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although maternal postpartum depression (PPD) is a well-documented phenomenon that has been the focus of a large body of literature, much less is known about the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among fathers following the birth of a child. Particularly scarce is research with Mexican American men, an understudied population at high risk given limited socioeconomic resources and elevated rates of maternal PPD. METHODS: The current study used descriptive and path analyses to examine the prevalence and predictors of PPD in 92 Mexican American fathers (M age=31.3 years). RESULTS: At both 15 and 21 postpartum week assessments, 9% of fathers met criteria for PPD. Path analyses suggested that unemployment status, fewer biological children, poor marital relationship quality, and lower orientation to Anglo culture predicted higher 15 week paternal PPD symptoms, which was associated with greater paternal depressive symptoms at 21 weeks. Predictive paths from symptoms of maternal to paternal PPD were not significant. LIMITATIONS: Lack of generalizability to other ethnic groups, sampling of primarily resident fathers, and the absence of historical assessments of depression are limitations of the current study. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the importance of PPD screenings among Mexican American fathers and suggest certain demographic, familial, and cultural factors may render men particularly vulnerable for maladjustment during the early infancy period.
Assuntos
Depressão/etiologia , Pai/psicologia , Americanos Mexicanos/psicologia , Adulto , Cultura , Família/psicologia , Humanos , Masculino , Período Pós-Parto/psicologia , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Fatores de Risco , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
Prenatal expectations describe various domains a woman envisions in preparation for her role as a new mother and influence how women transition into the maternal role. Although the maternal role is strongly influenced by the prevailing familial and sociocultural context, research characterizing prenatal expectations in ethnic minority and low-income women is lacking. As part of the largest growing minority group in the USA, Latina mothers represent an important group to study. Two hundred and ten low-income Mexican American women were administered the Prenatal Experiences Scale for Mexican Americans (PESMA) that was adapted to capture specific cultural aspects of prenatal expectations. Measures of current support, prenatal depressive symptoms, and other sociodemographic characteristics were also completed to assess validity. Exploratory factor analysis identified three underlying factors of prenatal expectations: paternal support, family support, and maternal role fulfillment. Associations among these subscales and demographic and cultural variables were conducted to characterize women who reported higher and lower levels of expectations. The PESMA demonstrated good concurrent validity when compared to measures of social support, prenatal depressive symptoms, and other sociodemographic constructs. A culturally sensitive measure of prenatal expectations is an important step towards a better understanding of how Mexican American women transition to the maternal role and identify culturally specific targets for interventions to promote maternal health.