University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications

Title

Influential Factors of Puerto Rican Mother-Child Communication About Sexual Health Topics

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences

Publication Date

2016-07-26

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Health Communication | Maternal and Child Health

Abstract

Introduction: Latina mothers play a central role in raising and socializing their children; however, few studies have examined the cultural, socio-cognitive and neighborhood-related variables influencing the level of communication between Puerto Rican mothers and their children about sexuality and sexual health. This cross-sectional study sought to examine these influences.

Methods: Puerto Rican mothers with children aged 10-19 years (n = 193) were selected randomly for an ethnographic interview as part of a community participatory action research project in a U.S. urban northeastern community.

Results: Bivariate analyses found statistically significant associations between the child's age (p = 0.002), the mother's past communication about traditional gender role norms of women (marianismo) (p < 0.001), her positive outcome expectations for communications with her child (p < 0.025), and her perceptions of the physical condition (p < 0.001) and sexual health problems (p = 0.047) in the neighborhood. In a multivariate model, all of these variables remained significant except sexual health problems, and mother's attitudes toward the obligations of children to parents (familismo) emerged as a factor associated with a decrease in the number of sexual health topics that mothers raised with their children. No significant effects were found for mother's spiritual and religious experience (religiosidad).

Discussion: Our study highlights the importance of marianismo as a framework within which Puerto Rican mothers communicate sexual health information as well as the need to improve mothers' confidence discussing sexual health issues with their children. Future public health interventions to promote communication about sexuality and sexual health among Puerto Rican mothers should consider addressing this issue as a part of comprehensive neighborhood improvement projects.

Keywords

Ethnographic survey, Marianismo, Mother–child communication, Puerto Rican, Sexual health

DOI of Published Version

10.1007/s10995-016-2041-x

Source

Matern Child Health J. 2016 Jul 26. Link to article on publisher's site

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Maternal and child health journal

PubMed ID

27461018

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