Friend Support and the Parenting of Latina Adolescent Mothers: The Moderating Role of Maternal Age

Abstract

Objectives-This study examined the role of maternal age in the relation between social support from friends and parenting adjustment in a sample of young Latina mothers and their 18-monthold children (N=168).Methods-Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested friend social support types (emotional, socializing, child care) as differential predictors of maternal behavior (sensitivity, cognitive growth-fostering, detachment) displayed during mother-child play interactions. To consider maternal development, the moderating role of maternal age on these associations was tested.Results-The relations between friend emotional and child care support and parenting were moderated by maternal age. Emotional support was related to the use of more growth-fostering parenting behaviors for older (≥ 19.5 yrs.), but not for younger Latina mothers. Child care support from friends was related to the display of more detachment and less cognitive growth-fostering behaviors among the younger (≤ 18.7 yrs.) mothers only. Immigrant mothers reported significantly less overall friend support and emotional support than mothers born in the mainland U.S. Conclusions-The findings emphasize the importance of assessing the types of friend support as separate measures in an ecological context that takes into account mothers' generational and developmental level.

La parentalidad en las familias latinoamericanas tras la migración: una revisión sistemática de factores de riesgo y factores de protección de Nauzet

“…En esta línea, la situación económica y laboral ha sido relacionada por varios estudios (5) con el nivel de estrés parental, ya que a peor situación laboral y económica, mayor probabilidad de riesgo y desamparo de sus hijos/as, dificultad para mantener tradiciones de origen, peor percepción de su autoconcepto como padres/madres, de las prácticas parentales ejercidas y de la percepción de sus competencias parentales (Brabeck et al, 2015;Castellanos, 2014;Dominguez y Lubitow, 2008;Henao et al, 2016;Kiang et al, 2017). Otros estudios (2) relacionan que a menos edad de la madre mayor necesidad de apoyo social, más estrés parental y peores prácticas educativas realizadas (Henao et al, 2016;Noah y Landale, 2018;Silberman et al, 2019). Asimismo, algunas investigaciones (2) destacan que a mayor tiempo de residencia en el nuevo contexto menos estrés parental, pero aumenta la probabilidad de conductas disruptivas de hijos/as migrantes (Martinez et al, 2011), de los niveles de ansiedad y de la sensación de temor al barrio (Perreira et al, 2006).…”