Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #119041

Katie Sellers, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2301, New Orleans, LA 70112, (504) 723-9204, ccrimmins@asph.org

Shared kinship caregiving is a common practice among young mothers, particularly in low-income African-American and Latino families. Interventions with these families, however, are often developed assuming a nuclear family structure. Thus the implications of shared caregiving are rarely translated into practice. For instance, parenting interventions delivered solely to the young mother may be diluted by the influence of kin caregivers, particularly when the caregiving relationships are strained by conflict. This poster describes an in-depth, qualitative study of shared caregiving among low-income African-American adolescent mothers. Methods: We moderated serial focus groups with young African-American mothers, grandmothers, and fathers in Baton Rouge (total n=58), using a loosely structured interview guide. A grounded theory analysis of the focus group data followed. Because this research was exploratory in nature, the analysis was more oriented toward hypothesis generation than hypothesis testing. Results: Despite widely varying family structure and childcare arrangements, almost all respondents shared caregiving to some extent. Most young mothers acknowledged the importance of assistance from kin network members, but many described conflict in care-sharing relationships. Specifically, some mothers felt criticized and undermined by their own parents, some disagreed with other caregivers on particular childrearing issues, and some had open hostility with care providers within the kin network members. Conclusions: Kin networks contribute to childrearing in important ways. However, conflict among family members can undermine efforts to provide an optimal environment for the child. Public health practitioners should consider kin network relationships in designing and implementing programs to improve child health in similar populations.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant should be able to recognize the importance of a better public health understanding of shared kinship caregiving, as well as be able to conceive of interventions which use this information.

Keywords: Child Care, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.