The future of marriage and hispanics

At least two important demographic changes will occur in the United States in the future: the growth of the Hispanic population and the growth of the second and third generations among Hispanics. We argue that the expansion of the Hispanic population is unlikely to slow the retreat from marriage, despite the pronuptial cultural orientations of some groups of immigrants and their native‐born coethnics. On the contrary, the second‐ and third‐generation descendents of immigrants will join in the retreat from marriage as a result of their exposure to the cultural and economic environment of the United States, as well as changes in the countries from which their immigrant parents originate. Sources of uncertainty about this scenario are noted.     

Predictors of Academic Achievement for Latino Middle Schoolers

The aim of this study was to examine specific child, home, and school factors that predict academic achievement for Latino middle school students. The sample for this study (N = 173) was drawn from seven public schools located in three school districts in the northeastern United States. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to predict academic achievement from a combination of predictor variables: gender, parent educational attainment, parent employment status, acculturation, parent involvement in school, and school identification. Findings indicate that school identification and parent involvement in school are protective factors that promote Latino middle grade students' academic achievement. These findings suggest that collaborative partnerships between school social workers, teachers, and Latino students and their parents are an important strategy that can optimize connections to school that result in academic achievement.     

Social Service Needs of Hispanic Immigrants

Abstract

Large numbers of poor Hispanic immigrants have come to the U.S. in recent years with many social service needs. This qualitative, pilot study of Hispanic immigrants in the Washington Heights community in New York City identifies their perceived needs and barriers for accessing services. Seven face-to-face interviews with community-based professionals and four focus group interviews with thirty Hispanic immigrants provide the data. Both groups of informants report many unmet service needs, especially in the areas of health care and housing. Data support the view that Hispanic immigrants often require micro-and macro-level advocacy that can best be performed by Spanish speaking social workers.     

From Transfer to Social Service

The Gold Plan, the central government's attempt to build a nationwide network of care service provision for the aged, seems partly because of its patchwork character and partly because of its stress on the low-cost strategy to be running into two problems: (1) It is adding new institutional ambiguities and functional confusion to the old fragmentation, instead of producing a well-integrated system; and (2) the response to the central policy varies much across the municipalities (its carriers) so a disparity among them in the level of service provided is emerging. A "public care service insurance" scheme, in the planning stages since April 1994, will offer a solution to the fust problem. However, it will leave the second problem unsolved and may introduce a market factor into the field of social service. As it is, the service provision itself is overwhelmingly entrusted to private organizations.     

Mental health and breast cancer screening utilization among older Hispanic women

Considerable racial and ethnic differences exist in the way the burden of cancer is experienced in the United States for older Hispanic women. This study utilized data from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to investigate the mental health factors associated with older Hispanic women’s participation in breast cancer screening services. Logistic regression models were used. Findings indicated that anxiety and positive affect were associated with a greater likelihood of participating in breast cancer screening. Despite ongoing national conversations, evidence indicates there is agreement that underserved women need to be screened, particularly the older Hispanic population.     

Stereotype threat and college academic performance: A latent variables approach

Stereotype threat theory has gained experimental and survey-based support in helping explain the academic underperformance of minority students at selective colleges and universities. Stereotype threat theory states that minority students underperform because of pressures created by negative stereotypes about their racial group. Past survey-based studies, however, are characterized by methodological inefficiencies and potential biases: key theoretical constructs have only been measured using summed indicators and predicted relationships modeled using ordinary least squares. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshman, this study overcomes previous methodological shortcomings by developing a latent construct model of stereotype threat. Theoretical constructs and equations are estimated simultaneously from multiple indicators, yielding a more reliable, valid, and parsimonious test of key propositions. Findings additionally support the view that social stigma can indeed have strong negative effects on the academic performance of pejoratively stereotyped racial-minority group members, not only in laboratory settings, but also in the real world.     

Health insurance coverage of Hispanic adults: An assessment of subgroup difference and the impact of immigration

This research explores the health insurance coverage of various Hispanic subgroups in comparison to non-Hispanic whites and blacks. The impact of immigration status is also considered as we hypothesize that nativity, duration, and naturalization tap a possible process of structural acculturation that increases access to insurance coverage for Hispanic groups. We find that the immigration variables impact the type of insurance reported. However, race/ethnic disparities continue to exist, with the various Hispanic subgroups more likely to report miscellaneous government health insurance or no health insurance coverage as compared to non-Hispanic whites.     

Acculturation,Socioeconomic Factors and Obesity Among Immigrants from El Salvador Living in the Washington,D.C. Area

Abstract

This study examined acculturation, SES and obesity in a convenience sample of 1205 Salvadoran immigrants from the Washington, D.C area. Acculturation was measured by language preference for print and electronic media and years residing in the U.S. Obesity was measured by the percent overweight based on body mass index norms. About 30% of respondents were overweight. Acculturation was positively associated with obesity and together with other variables in the model explained 45% of the variance in obesity. Preference for Spanish media was strongest in the older age group. Doctors and TV were the most frequently cited sources of health information. Social workers and health educators can use this information to develop culturally competent interventions and research in Hispanic populations.     

The Changing Impact of Marriage,Motherhood and Work on Women's Poverty

SUMMARY

This study evaluates historical changes in the relative importance of key factors influencing white, African American, and Hispanic women's poverty. Empirical results, based on reduced form logistic regressions, indicate that work has become, relative to marriage, a potentially better way to decrease women's poverty. The greater relative importance of work when compared to marriage is strongest for blacks and weakest for whites, although for all three groups of women this pattern holds. This trend is consistent with the move from women's main economic support being generated through marriage to instead being generated through work. At the same time, children continue to increase women's chances of being in poverty, though their impact has changed differently among the three groups. The findings suggest that resources directed towards alleviating poverty should ideally be allocated towards efforts to create good job opportunities combined with support to reduce the costs associated with balancing market and family responsibilities.