The Influence of Income, Ethnicity, and Parenting on Child Health (open access)

The Influence of Income, Ethnicity, and Parenting on Child Health

Children in low-income and ethnic minority families are more likely to be in poor health, which may impact physical and economic well-being in adulthood. This study explored how maternal depression and parenting efficacy were associated with child health outcomes in a sample of low-income African American and Latino families. Results demonstrated that children in optimal health were more likely to have mothers with high parenting efficacy and fewer depressive symptoms. Differences between African American and Latino families illustrated the importance of considering both socioeconomic and racial and ethnic disparities in child health simultaneously. Parent characteristics may be opportune targets for addressing child health disparities, and future research should focus on understanding these associations and identifying parent behaviors associated with child health.
Date: August 2010
Creator: Dier, Shannon E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of Evangelical Christian Children's God-Concepts and Logical Thinking Ability. (open access)

Comparison of Evangelical Christian Children's God-Concepts and Logical Thinking Ability.

God-concepts of 24 third to sixth grade evangelical Christian children were compared with the children‘s logical thinking abilities in a mixed-method study. Measurements included the Children‘s Interview and the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT). God-concepts among the children were Biblical, comforter, communicates, creator, empowering, protector, provider, purposeful, human characteristics, lives in heaven, male, counselor, God is Jesus, all-knowing, loving, perfect, powerful, real, and parental. The majority of concrete thinkers conceptualized God as a gracious guide. The majority of transitional thinkers viewed God also as a gracious guide as well as a distant divinity. Implications were given for religious educators to develop a model for age-appropriate instruction and curriculum and to equip parents to promote spiritual development with children at home.
Date: May 2007
Creator: Penick, Starrla
System: The UNT Digital Library
A comparison of moral reasoning and moral orientation of American and Turkish university students. (open access)

A comparison of moral reasoning and moral orientation of American and Turkish university students.

This study compares American and Turkish male and female university students in terms of moral orientation (justice and care) and Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning to examine the influence of culture and gender on moral development. A total of 324 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 46 are administered the Defining Issues Test (DIT) and the Measure of Moral Orientation (MMO). Statistical analyses indicate Turkish participants reflect more postconventional reasoning, while American participants reflect more conventional reasoning, particularly Stage 4 reasoning. Analyses also reveal Turkish participants reflect significantly more care orientation and more justice orientation compared to American participants. These findings are discussed in terms of cultural and gender influences in moral decision-making.
Date: August 2002
Creator: Kuyel, Nilay Ozkan
System: The UNT Digital Library

Condom Use Among College Students

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
With the spread of the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and sexually transmitted diseases, it is extremely important for sexually active individuals to protect themselves properly if they decide to engage in sexual intercourse. Knowledge of HIV and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been associated with safer sexual practices, but knowledge alone does not totally explain risky sexual practices. This study examined how 154 college students' knowledge of HIV/AIDS, relationship status, perceptions of condom use, and perceptions of personal risk affect condom use during sexual intercourse. The impact of trust and love justifications along with the approval of peers were also examined. Perceptions of condom use and perceptions of personal risk were compared by gender and ethnicity; how perception of personal risk is related to condom use and condom use intentions was also examined. Condom use intention was found to be a significant predictor of condom use, and a significant difference of means for condom use intentions was reported between individuals who used condoms during their last experience with sexual intercourse and those who did not use condoms during their last sexual experience
Date: August 2001
Creator: Bradshaw, Joe W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ecuadorian Children: an Investigation Into the Effects Frequenting the Street Has on the Children of Cuenca, Ecuador. (open access)

Ecuadorian Children: an Investigation Into the Effects Frequenting the Street Has on the Children of Cuenca, Ecuador.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects frequenting the street had on the social-emotional development of children in Cuenca, Ecuador. While the study sought to discover who these children were, it primarily observed the levels of trust these children felt in the various contexts of their lives, their level of safety, where they saw themselves in the future, what made a place feel like a home, their sense of self-esteem, and how they saw themselves contributing to their future. The research instrument used in this study was a modified youth questionnaire previously developed by Tyler and Tyler (1991) in a study with street children/youth in Bogóta, Colombia. The results are presented in 11 case studies of children who ranged in age between 7 and 12 years.
Date: December 2003
Creator: McBride, Rachel
System: The UNT Digital Library
Preschoolers' Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression (open access)

Preschoolers' Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression

This paper describes the development of the Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression Scale. The Beliefs About Overt and Relational Aggression Scale was designed to assess preschoolers' normative beliefs about these two types of aggression. Findings about the scale's internal reliability and test-retest reliability are presented. Findings about similarities and differences between beliefs about relational and overt aggression and gender are also discussed. Discussions about correlates of aggression, measuring aggression, and measuring beliefs are included.
Date: August 2004
Creator: Turcotte, Amy D.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Differences in Mother and Father Perceptions, Interactions and Responses to Intervention with a Special-needs Adoptive Child.

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Parents' perceptions of their child's behavior may differ for mothers and fathers. Differences in parental perception may also be apparent in cases of special needs adoptive families with high demands of their child for time, interventions and attention. This paper examines the differences in mother-child and father-child interactions, child behavior as reported by mothers, and fathers and changes in both after participation in an intervention program. Results suggest notable differences between mothers' and fathers' parent-child interaction scores and reports of child behavior. In addition, interaction scores and behavior reports showed some correlations. Finally, there seemed to be notable differences in the trends for the Child Behavior Checklist compared to the two attachment measures (Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire and Beech Brook Attachment Disorder Checklist). Several possible explanations for mother and father differences are discussed.
Date: August 2004
Creator: Meland, Angela M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Perceptions of Commitment (open access)

Perceptions of Commitment

This study investigated differences in level of commitment between married and non-married individuals, effects of demographic variables by age, gender, parenting status, and ethnicity, and determines participant's awareness of and participation in the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) were investigated. Students from a rural Oklahoma junior college completed the Perceptions of Commitment survey during spring 2004. Responses related to levels of commitment, social exchange theory, expectations, and communication were collected. T-test analysis revealed no differences in level of commitment for any of the variables investigated. Data revealed the majority of participants were unaware of OMI and had never attended a program and do not plan to in the future. Implications of this research may be useful to future investigators who are interested in the Perceptions of Commitment survey and those focusing on marriage education programs to meet the needs of targeted audiences.
Date: August 2004
Creator: Laughlin-Rickman, Sonya
System: The UNT Digital Library
Family dynamics and students' characteristics as predictors of undergraduate college student adjustment. (open access)

Family dynamics and students' characteristics as predictors of undergraduate college student adjustment.

The problem addressed is to ascertain how selected factors impacted the adjustment of undergraduate university students. Undergraduate university students (n=382) from the University of North Texas completed measures of basic student information, perceived level of family support and level of parental attachment, and perceived level of college student adjustment. Parental Attachment and Family Support were found to positively correlate to the level of adjustment to college. Analyses of these data reveal a statistically significant difference in student adjustment to college when comparing the participants by age, university classification, and living arrangement. Further analysis reveals that there is a statistically significant difference between gender, race, students' marital status, and parents' marital status when measuring the outcome of perceived family support. Perceived level of parental attachment differs significantly when comparing students by their race, marital status, and their parents' marital status.
Date: May 2006
Creator: Moore, Lindsey Kathryn
System: The UNT Digital Library

Meta-Parenting in Parents of Infants and Toddlers

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Meta-parenting, defined as parents thinking about their parenting, has been identified and is a new field of research. The purposes of this study were to add to the existing knowledge of meta-parenting and to compare the influences of gender, work status, and parenting experience on meta-parenting occurring in parents of infants and toddlers. Sixty parents participated either electronically or by completing a written survey and reported engaging from "sometimes" to "usually" in four domains of meta-parenting: anticipating, assessing, reflecting, and problem-solving. Gender, work status, and parenting experience did not significantly influence participants' meta-parenting scores. Parents were found to have a higher sense of satisfaction and overall sense of competence when they engaged in higher levels of meta-parenting.
Date: May 2005
Creator: Vlach, Jennifer L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Effect of Breastfeeding Education on Breastfeeding Initiation Rates Among Teenage Mothers

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a breastfeeding education program on breastfeeding initiation rates, breastfeeding knowledge, and attitude towards breastfeeding among teenage mothers at an urban school for pregnant and parenting teens. Breastfeeding initiation rose from 35.7% in the control group to 85.2% in the treatment group. The mean score on the Breastfeeding Knowledge Subscale was significantly higher for the treatment group but not the control group. There was not a significant increase in mean scores on the Breastfeeding Attitude Subscale. Participants who initiated breastfeeding scored also had a significant increase in scores from pretest to posttest on the Breastfeeding Knowledge Subscale, while participants who did not initiate breastfeeding did not.
Date: May 2004
Creator: Brown, Amber L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Attachment Styles in a Sample from a Correctional Drug Treatment Facility (open access)

Attachment Styles in a Sample from a Correctional Drug Treatment Facility

Substance abuse and dependence causes many problems in our society. Attachment style may be useful in the etiology of this problem. Using archival data, this study hypothesizes men in a court-ordered facility will be more likely to have an insecure attachment style. The participants were 73 males ages 18-49. The Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) was used to measure adult romantic attachment style. Through cluster analysis and conversion of the subscales of the AAS, four attachment styles were measured. Men were more likely to have an insecure attachment style especially a Fearful style. The study concludes with limitations of the results and a discussion about possible interventions based on attachment style.
Date: December 2006
Creator: Shivpuri, Michelle Yvonne
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effect of Parental Divorce on Romantic Beliefs and Relationship Characteristics (open access)

The Effect of Parental Divorce on Romantic Beliefs and Relationship Characteristics

This study investigated a proposed model hypothesizing that parental divorce would directly effect romantic beliefs and attitudes, romantic attachment and relationship characteristics. A sample of 494 young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 indicated that parental divorce does have a negative impact on romantic beliefs, attitudes toward marriage and divorce, romantic attachments, and relationship characteristics when considered in the context of marriage. Those individuals whose parents divorced reported less positive attitudes toward marriage and more openness toward divorce. Those whose parents divorced reported less idealized romantic beliefs and less of a belief that love will find a way. Those who experienced parental divorce had a more fearful romantic attachment style and reported a lower chance of marriage to their current partner.
Date: December 2006
Creator: Rowland, Audrey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conflict Resolution Strategies in Young Children: Do They Do What They Say? (open access)

Conflict Resolution Strategies in Young Children: Do They Do What They Say?

This study examined the consistency between verbal responses to hypothetical conflict scenarios and the actual conflict resolutions techniques children apply in everyday play. Twenty-one children were interviewed and observed in order to determine their conflict resolution strategies. During the interview process, each child was asked to finish 6 hypothetical conflict scenarios. During the observation portion, each child was observed in 2 conflict scenarios. Significant (p < .05) differences were found with regards to verbal responses for 3 scenarios, verbal and behavioral responses of females (females exhibited more socially acceptable conflict resolution strategies in their verbal responses, yet less socially acceptable conflict resolution strategies in their behavioral responses), and socially acceptable responses to conflict in verbal strategies. Results were discussed in light of previous research comparing gender differences and peer relationships to conflict resolution strategies.
Date: December 2007
Creator: Leventhal, Julie Erin
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationships Between Perceived Parenting Style, Academic Self-Efficacy and College Adjustment of Freshman Engineering Students (open access)

The Relationships Between Perceived Parenting Style, Academic Self-Efficacy and College Adjustment of Freshman Engineering Students

This study examined the relationships between perceived parenting styles, academic self-efficacy, and college adjustment among a sample of 31 freshman engineering students. Through the administration of self-report surveys and chi-square analyses, strong academic self-efficacy was demonstrated in students who reported authoritative maternal parenting. These findings support previous research on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and parenting styles. Implications were drawn for parents and future research.
Date: May 2008
Creator: Shaw, Nancy Elaine
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Case Study of Intervention with an At-Risk Preschool Child. (open access)

A Case Study of Intervention with an At-Risk Preschool Child.

This study evaluates archival data from a home intervention with an at-risk preschool child and her family. The intervention model studied was created by the Developmental Research Lab at Texas Christian University. Data was collected prior to and during the first 4 weeks of intervention to assess change in parent-child interaction, behavior and neurochemical profile. Measures used include coding of videotape recordings of the intervention, neurotransmitter levels taken via subject urine samples, Child Behavior Checklist, Parent Stress Index, and ACTeRS Parent Form. Results suggest positive change in parent-child interaction, behavior and neurochemical profile. However, consistent growth was not observed in several neurochemical results. Future studies should assess the entirety of the home intervention model and with a larger sample size.
Date: August 2008
Creator: Johnson, Elizabeth Proffitt
System: The UNT Digital Library
Marital conflict and marital satisfaction among Latina mothers: A comparison of participants in an early intervention program and non-participants. (open access)

Marital conflict and marital satisfaction among Latina mothers: A comparison of participants in an early intervention program and non-participants.

The purpose of the study was to better understand marital conflict and marital satisfaction among Latina mothers in the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program. Latina mothers living in a marriage or in a committed relationship (n = 91) reported levels of marital conflict and marital satisfaction. Between both groups, non-HIPPY mothers reported significantly less marital satisfaction and more conflict associated with affection than HIPPY mothers. A negative correlation (r = -.495, p <.001, n = 91) indicated that more satisfaction was related to less marital conflict. Out of ten marital conflicts, religion, leisure time, drinking, and other women (outside the relationship) best explained how satisfied mothers were in their relationship with their spouse. In this study, participants who were in the HIPPY program may have more support and higher marital quality. Social service programs such as HIPPY may help families build stronger marriages. Further research on Latino/Hispanic culture and values are important when developing culturally sensitive marriage and couples education.
Date: August 2008
Creator: Flores, Marisa J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maternal employment: Factors related to role strain. (open access)

Maternal employment: Factors related to role strain.

Past literature suggests that working mothers are at an increased risk for experiencing role strain compared to other employed adults. The current study investigated attitudes and beliefs of 783 working mothers of 15-month-old children using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Working mothers' levels of role strain was associated with perceived social support, attitudes toward maternal employment, job and parental role quality, financial stress, and depression. Negative attitudes toward maternal employment predicted maternal separation anxiety, while positive attitudes toward employment did not affect separation anxiety. These findings have implications for the importance of decreasing role strain in working mothers.
Date: August 2009
Creator: LoCascio, Stephanie
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program’s Effect on Academic Achievement of TAKS Tests (open access)

The Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program’s Effect on Academic Achievement of TAKS Tests

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program on school readiness. The HIPPY program uses home-based instruction to aid parents in teaching their children school readiness skills. The curriculum in this program includes literacy, math, and social skills. Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills assesses the academic achievement of students in different grade levels and in various subject areas. The chi square test revealed that the children in the HIPPY program were more likely to have higher passing rates on the first administration of TAKS Reading, Math and Science sections compared to non-participants. The implementation of early intervention and parental involvement programs such as HIPPY helps to facilitate students‟ success.
Date: August 2011
Creator: Moore, Olayinka Kofoworola
System: The UNT Digital Library