Scientific findings on parenting practices relevant to tobacco use in youth abounds, but much less has been researched in culturally sensitive ways that recognize and respect cultural practices unique to Hispanic families. What works for parents of one ethnic group may be less effective for others.
To address the lack of culturally relevant health promotion materials for Hispanics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the Academy for Educational Development, is developing an anti-smoking campaign that aims to decrease Hispanic teen smoking by increasing parent-teen communication.
According to existing research, parental involvement and communication with both Hispanics and non-Hispanics act as protective factors. However, Hispanic parents encounter different barriers in the parent-child communication process than non-Hispanics.
While non-Hispanic parents typically respond that lack of time is a major barrier to communicating with their children, one unique factor influencing parent-child communication among Hispanics relates to acculturation.
For example, many Hispanic parents face an acculturation gap with their children—where parents typically speak Spanish and identify with the cultural norms of their native homeland, while their children are more “Americanized”—which leads to increased family conflict.
Presenters will show (1) how CDC's primary research results reveal that parents are eager to receive information on how to initiate or increase closeness with their children; (2) CDC's research design and results, as well as the protective and risk factors; (3) hands-on strategies and materials for reaching this population, as well as recommendations for measuring effectiveness.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Keywords: Family Involvement, Tobacco
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.