Poster #153 - Parenting Self-Efficacy among Low SES Mexican and Chinese Immigrant Mothers of Preschoolers

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Parenting self-efficacy is a potential mechanism by which contextual factors shape parenting practices and children’s outcomes. However, little is known about how contextual factors such as cultural orientation and socioeconomic status influence parenting self-efficacy and parenting practices of immigrant parents, and how parenting self-efficacy and parenting practices uniquely shape children’s socioemotional development in low-income, immigrant families. In a sample of 88 Mexican American (MA) and Chinese American (CA) mothers with preschoolers in low-income, immigrant families, the present study examined the associations among contextual factors, mothers’ parenting self-efficacy and parenting practices, and children’s socioemotional adjustment. All constructs were measured by mothers’ self-reports. First, we examined how mother’s demographic characteristics (education, income, years in US), cultural orientation to heritage and American culture, and parenting stress (parental distress and parent-child dysfunctional interactions) were associated with parenting self-efficacy. Results indicated that MA mothers reported greater parenting self-efficacy compared to CA mothers. Mothers’ heritage and American cultural orientations were both associated with greater parenting self-efficacy. In contrast, dysfunctional parent-child interaction was associated with less parenting self-efficacy. Second, we examined how parenting self-efficacy was associated with parenting practices (authoritative and authoritarian parenting). Mothers’ heritage cultural orientation and parenting self-efficacy were both uniquely associated with greater authoritative parenting. While parent-child dysfunctional interactions were associated with less authoritative parenting, parental distress was associated with more authoritative parenting. Furthermore, parenting self-efficacy statistically mediated the association between a) parent-child dysfunctional interaction, mother's American cultural orientation, and mother's heritage cultural orientation, and b)authoritative parenting. Third, I examined how parenting self-efficacy and parenting practices were uniquely associated with children’s socio-emotional adjustment. Parenting self-efficacy was associated with more prosocial behaviors and less externalizing problems. Lastly, I explored potential differences between cultural groups. Results indicated that MA mothers reported higher parenting self-efficacy than CA mothers. These findings highlight the benefits of parenting self-efficacy through its direct effect on children’s prosocial behavior as well as indirectly through authoritative parenting. In addition, results indicate that contextual factors play an important role in mothers’ parenting self-efficacy. Findings have significant implications for the importance of targeting parenting self-efficacy in interventions to promote immigrant children’s positive social-emotional adjustment.

Authors

• Catherine Anicama, University of California, Berkeley
  Presenting Author

• Qing Zhou, University of California Berkeley
  Non-Presenting Author