Aims: This study assessed parent knowledge of newborn screening (NBS) and parent attitudes toward NBS for untreatable conditions, NBS for late-onset disorders and informed consent in NBS. Methods: Seventeen qualitative focus groups were held in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington with mothers of children 10 years old or younger. Results: Most participants did not recall receiving information about NBS, and all wanted this information prenatally. In addition, most felt that the current system of ‘informed dissent’ was adequate, provided they were told about NBS prior to delivery. All women supported NBS for conditions that occur in infancy without a proven treatment. However, they disagreed about NBS for disorders that manifest in late childhood or adulthood. Conclusions: The results show a general consensus among the focus group participants about issues that cause dissent among public health and health care professionals. Parent attitudes differ from those of many professional communities with regard to timing of NBS education, informed consent, NBS for disorders that lack an effective treatment, and predictive testing of children for late-onset disorders. The results highlight the need to further research parent opinions about expanded NBS using new technologies and to include parents in the development of NBS policies.

Background Tobacco industry cigarette advertising is associated with increased adolescent smoking, while counter tobacco advertising is associated with reduced smoking. As these campaigns compete for influence, there is a need to understand their inter-relationship on youth smoking. Methods This study reports data from a national population of families (n=1036) with an oldest child aged 10–13 years, identified by random digit dialling. Parent and child dyads completed baseline questionnaires in 2003. Adolescents were resurveyed in 2007–2008 (response rate 74%). Adjusted logistic regression explores associations between receptivity to cigarette and tobacco control advertising and adolescent smoking initiation. Results In 2007–2008, 57.9% of adolescents reported a favourite tobacco control advertisement and 43.3% reported being receptive to cigarette advertisements. Thirty per cent reported receptivity to cigarette and tobacco control advertisements. Among those receptive to cigarette advertising, having a favourite anti-smoking advertisement had a borderline significant association with a 30% lower smoking rate. Anti-industry tobacco control messages were three times more likely to be favourites of those who were receptive to cigarette advertising than other tobacco control advertising. Conclusions Receptivity to tobacco control advertising appeared to ameliorate the promotion of initiation from cigarette advertising. Anti-industry advertising appears to be the most effective counter for tobacco control and should be considered for wider use. A larger longitudinal study is needed to confirm these findings.

ResumenEn México la unión libre o consensual es uno de los arreglos conyugales que ha formado a las familias de procreación por generaciones, y particularmente la unión libre entre mujeres (y hombres) muy jóvenes, con baja escolaridad que viven en zonas rurales. En las últimas dos décadas, este tipo de unión ha ido en aumento; frente a este hecho el presente estudio examina las continuidades y cambios recientes de la unión libre entre las nuevas generaciones del país. Se analiza el caso de Tijuana, B.C., y se considera únicamente a la población de jóvenes adultos entre los 18 y los 29 años de edad. Grupo que forma parte de uno de los contextos sociales más prósperos y abiertos al cambio social en el país, lo cual favorece la independencia económica entre los sexos, especialmente entre los jóve-nes. Se utiliza información del Censo de Población y Vivienda 2010 y la Encuesta Sobre Salud Reproductiva de los Adolescentes de B.C., 2006. AbstractThe union libre or consensual union is one of the conjugal arrangements in the formation of families of procreation throughout generations in Mexico. This is particularly the case among women who are very young and have low education among other characteristics. An important increase of this type of union has been observed during the last two decades. This paper analyzes the continuity and most recent changes that the union libre presents among the younger generations in the country. The analysis is based on the case study of Tijuana, B.C. and its population of young adults (18-29 years old), particularly females. This is one of the most prosperous and open to social change social contexts in the country; situation that contributes to the economic independence between the sexes, especially among the youth. The study uses information from the Mexican Population Census of 2010 and the survey Encuesta Sobre Salud Reproductiva de los Adolescentes de B.C., 2006.Palabras clave: arreglos conyugales, unión libre, jóvenes, Tijuana.

Mexican immigrants to the United States have better reproductive outcomes than do U.S.-born non-Latina whites. Explanations offered for this "epidemiologic paradox" include (1) poor outcomes among Mexican women may be hidden by their return to Mexico; (2) Mexican women may have a higher fetal death rate that alters the pattern of live birth outcomes; (3) Mexican women may have socioeconomic characteristics which, if properly measured, would explain the outcome; (4) Mexican women may have personal characteristics which would explain the outcome, if properly measured; (5) there may be ameliorative or salutogenic "protective" effects of culture; and (6) migration may be selective of healthier women who are thus more prone to positive outcomes. We test these explanations, with an emphasis on the last one, using a data set that combines reproductive histories and birth outcomes for Mexico-born women delivering in San Diego, California and Mexican women delivering in Tijuana, Mexico. These data are compared with U.S.-born Latinas and U.S.-born non-Latina Whites. Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggests that when controlling for birth history (stillbirths and miscarriages), socioeconomic characteristics (education and prenatal visits), personal characteristics (age, parity, time in area, history of family problems), and health characteristics (history of smoking, alcohol use, drug use, anemia, vaginal bleeding, urinary infection), the adjusted odds of a positive birth outcome (measured as a live birth of 2500 grams or more) is highest for women delivering in Tijuana, implying that migrants may not be so selective when compared to the country of origin. The number of prenatal visits was an important explanatory variable.

Se analizan las actitudes de padres de familia sobre la igualdad de género en los roles y liderazgos familiares en los sectores urbano-populares de Tijuana, México. Se usa la Encuesta a Padres de Familia con Hijos en Escuelas Secundarias en Tijuana, B.C., 2015, con información para 2 560 padres con hijos e hijas en escuelas secundarias públicas. Se estiman cuatro índices sobre la igualdad de género en el rol materno, los roles domésticos y los liderazgos familiares, y se crean modelos de regresión logística. Los hallazgos indican la coexistencia de un gran valor asignado al rol de la maternidad en la vida de las mujeres, así como actitudes moderadamente entusiastas a favor de la igualdad de género en los roles domésticos, pero menos entusiastas respecto de compartir e intercambiar los liderazgos familiares. El nivel educativo de los padres muestra ser la única variable estadísticamente significativa en su asociación con los cuatro índices considerados.

<p>Este es un estudio acerca de la práctica y la percepción de los arreglos conyugales denominadas unión libre, consensual, de hecho o cohabitación entre las jóvenes mexicanas que viven en la ciudad de Tijuana, Baja California. Se trata de un estudio documental basado principalmente en el análisis de los hallazgos obtenidos en tres investigaciones previas. El objetivo es proporcionar un panorama acerca de las continuidades y cambios en la práctica y la percepción de este tipo de uniones conyugales desde la perspectiva femenina de las jóvenes mexicanas entrevistadas. Entre los hallazgos, destaca que a pesar del marcado aumento de este tipo de uniones entre las nuevas generaciones, el análisis de las percepciones de las jóvenes sugiere no haber claras ventajas comparativas de este tipo unión respecto del matrimonio desde la óptica femenina.</p>

This work analyzes the discourses on gender socialization among female teachers of basic education in public schools in Tijuana, México. The study is theoretically guided by the gender perspective and a qualitative-interpretive research approach. It is based on information obtained through the technique of focus groups. Overall, research findings indicate a gap between the teachers’ speeches about gender categories and their behaviors and/or attitudes toward the gender roles and identities that their students manifest. On one side, there is an acceptance speech towards gender diversity that do not corresponds to what is socially expected about gender roles associated to sex. On the other, the exercise of gender diversity is rejected both among the student population and among the teaching staff. Evidently, there is a need of creating and implementing new strategies in the professional training and development growth programs on gender aim to educators in Baja California

This is a study of the Mexico-United States Border female youth’s perceptions about “living together without being married” as an alternative in the process of family formation and as a new modality of intimate relationships of youth in their transition to adulthood. We analyze the case of working class females between 15-18 years old residing in Tijuana, Mexico, and in San Diego County, California. This comparative analysis focuses on individual, cultural, gender, institutional, and community factors shaping youth perceptions between two groups of Mexican-origin youth residing on different sides of the border but sharing the same family culture roots. The study uses information from fifteen focus groups conducted with female students from two of the largest public high schools in Tijuana and three public high schools in San Diego. Among the findings, we observe interesting differences between these two groups of young women. Latino adolescents in San Diego prefer to use the concept of cohabitation when referring to the idea of “living together without being married.” This type of relationship forms part of the process of growing up. Tijuana girls, however, prefer to use the concept of consensual union. This term mixes the traditional Mexican consensual union with some traces of the modern concept for cohabitation. The traditional meaning tends to dominate the “idea of living together without being married” among Tijuana girls.