Fathers Matter: Black Fathers' Relationships with their Partners during Pregnancy and Postpartum.

Purpose: To describe the characteristics of participants in the Fathers Matter study for a better understanding of fathers of the baby who engage in pregnancy research involving primarily Black couples and their relationships with their partners.

Study Design And Methods: The Fathers Matter Study uses a prospective design, identifying father-mother dyads during pregnancy and following them until birth as part of the Biosocial Impacts on Black Births Study. Participants completed prenatal and postpartum questionnaires.

Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination, Citizenship Status, and Self-Rated Health Among Immigrant Young Adults.

Both racial/ethnic discrimination and citizenship status are manifestations of racism. Few empirical studies have examined the role of multiple stressors and how both stressors are interlinked to influence health among immigrant young adults. Informed by the theory of stress proliferation, the current study seeks to examine the interplay between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and citizenship status on health.

Sex Differences in the Association between Household Income and Children's Executive Function.

The study aimed to investigate sex differences in the boosting effects of household income on children's executive function in the US. This is a cross-sectional study using data from Wave 1 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Wave 1 ABCD included 8608 American children between ages 9 and 10 years old.

SYSTEMATICALLY SHORTCHANGED, YET CARRYING ON: Black Adolescent Girls in the Detroit Metropolitan School Reform Environment.

School reform policies, such as the closure of "low-performing" schools and the competitive introduction of school choice and charters, were presented to communities of color as the fix to educational inequities and the lifeline needed for urban Black students to have a chance at a quality education and social mobility. The ways in which reforms have under-delivered on this promise, and in some cases exacerbated negative academic outcomes, particularly for Black boys, are documented. Yet, research on the experience of Black adolescent girls is sparse.

Violence Victimization Predicts Body Mass Index One Decade Later among an Urban Sample of African American Young Adults: Sex as a Moderator and Dehydroepiandrosterone as a Mediator.

Psychological stressors such as violence victimization are known contributors to obesity. However, moderators and mediators of this association have not been studied, although they might offer pathways for intervention or prevention. Using a sample of African American young adults, this study tested: (1) the moderating effect of sex on the effect of violence victimization on trajectories of body mass index (BMI), and (2) the mediating effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on this association.

Perceived Racial Discrimination and Marijuana Use a Decade Later; Gender Differences Among Black Youth.

Researchers have reported gender differences in the association between perceived racial discrimination (PRD) and substance use including marijuana use (MU). A limited number of longitudinal studies, however, have documented the long-term effect of PRD during adolescence on subsequent MU in young adulthood. In the current longitudinal study, we tested gender differences in the association between baseline PRD during adolescence and subsequent MU during young adulthood within Black population.

Family Income at Birth and Risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at Age 15: Racial Differences.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) resources protect children and adults against the risk of medical and psychiatric conditions. According to the Minorities' Diminished Returns theory, however, such protective effects are systemically weaker for the members of racial and ethnic minority groups compared to Whites.

Aims: Using a national data set with 15 years of follow up, we compared Black and White youth for the effects of family SES at birth on the risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at age 15.

Marijuana Use and Depressive Symptoms; Gender Differences in African American Adolescents.

This study aimed to examine gender differences in the bidirectional associations between marijuana use and depressive symptoms among African American adolescents. The study also tested gender differences in the effects of socioeconomic status, maternal support, and friends' drug use on adolescents' depressive symptoms and marijuana use. This is a secondary analysis of the Flint Adolescent Study (FAS).

Teacher Discrimination Reduces School Performance of African American Youth: Role of Gender.

Unlabelled: Background Gender may alter African Americans' vulnerability to discrimination. The type of outcomes that follow exposure to discrimination may also be gender-specific. Although teacher discrimination is known to deteriorate school performance, it is yet unknown whether male and female African American youth differ in the effect of teacher discrimination on school performance.

The Effects of Multiple Dimensions of Risk and Protective Factors on Depressive Symptoms Among Nonresident African American Fathers.

Compared to other groups, African American men experience proportionately greater adverse social and economic circumstances, which have been linked to poor mental health. A growing body of literature has begun to examine depressive symptoms among African American men; however, limited literature has examined the concurrent contributions of risk and protective factors among nonresident African American fathers. This study examined the relative contribution of perceived financial strain, perceived neighborhood characteristics, and interpersonal stress on depressive symptoms among 347 nonresident African American fathers.

Catalytic Leadership in Food & Fitness Community Partnerships.

Catalytic leadership is a type of multidimensional leadership that facilitates cross-sector collaboration to enact systems and policy changes within communities. Catalytic leaders provide opportunities for stakeholders to partner and merge their efforts to create new opportunities for their work. Catalytic leaders are individuals, organizations, and collaborative partnerships that stimulate partnership alliances.

Perceived Discrimination and Substance Use among Caribbean Black Youth; Gender Differences.

Although perceived discrimination in Black youth is a risk factor for a wide range of negative mental health outcomes, recent research has suggested some gender differences in these associations. Gender differences in vulnerability to perceived discrimination among Caribbean Black youth is, however, still unknown. The current cross-sectional study investigated gender variations in the association between perceived discrimination and substance use (SU) in a national sample of Caribbean Black youth.

Interpersonal Relationships Among Black Couples and Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine associations of the mother-father relationship and social support with depressive symptoms during pregnancy among Black mothers and fathers.

Methods: Fifty Black mother-father dyads from the Midwest completed a packet of questionnaires that included conflict with partner, social support, depressive symptoms, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Twenty-four percent of mothers and 16% of fathers had Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scores ≥23, which have been correlated with a major depression diagnosis.

Family Structure and Subsequent Anxiety Symptoms; Minorities' Diminished Return.

Minorities' Diminished Return (MDR) theory suggests that socioeconomic position (SEP) may have a smaller effect on health and well-being of members of the minority than the majority groups. Built on the MDR theory, this study compared Whites and African Americans for the effects of three family SEP indicators (family type, parental education, and parental employment) during adolescence on subsequent symptoms of anxiety 18 years later during young adulthood. Flint Adolescents Study (FAS), 1994⁻2012, followed 359 youth (ages 13 to 17, 295 African American and 64 Whites) for 18 years.

Family Socioeconomic Status at Birth and Youth Impulsivity at Age 15; Blacks' Diminished Return.

Minorities’ Diminished Return theory suggests that health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) are systemically smaller for racial and ethnic minorities compared to Whites. To test the relevance of Minorities’ Diminished Return theory for youth impulsivity, we investigated Black⁻White differences in the effects of family SES at birth on subsequent youth impulsivity at age 15. Data came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), 1998⁻2016, a 15-year longitudinal study of urban families from the birth of their children to age 15.

Maternal Educational Attainment at Birth Promotes Future Self-Rated Health of White but Not Black Youth: A 15-Year Cohort of a National Sample.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is essential for maintaining health, and self-rated health (SRH) is not an exception to this rule. This study explored racial differences in the protective effects of maternal educational attainment at birth against poor SRH of the youth 15 years later.

Methods: Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), this 15-year longitudinal study followed 1934 youths from birth to age 15.

Does Discrimination Explain High Risk of Depression among High-Income African American Men?

Higher socioeconomic status is known to decrease the risk for poor mental health overall. However, African American males of higher socioeconomic status (SES) are at an increased risk for having a major depressive episode (MDE). It is not known whether perceived discrimination (PD) explains this risk.

Social Determinants of Perceived Discrimination among Black Youth: Intersection of Ethnicity and Gender.

Most of the existing sociological and epidemiological literature has focused on the protective effects of high socioeconomic status (SES) on population health through reducing exposure to risk factors and increasing human and material resources that can mitigate adversities. Recent studies, however, have documented poor mental health of high SES Blacks, particularly African American males and Caribbean Black females. The literature also shows a link between perceived discrimination and poor mental health.

Moderating Effect of Residential History on the Effects of a Fatherhood Program on Parenting Skills Satisfaction among Nonresident African American Fathers.

Nonresident African American (AA) fathers sometimes face challenges to achieving satisfaction with their parenting skills, which may inhibit their motivations for parenting. Studies have found that residential history of fathers is associated with parental involvement; however, current fatherhood programs rarely consider the influence of different residential history on fathering. In the current study, we examined whether nonresident AA fathers' residential history with their sons moderated their parenting skills satisfaction after participating in the Fathers and Sons Program.

Darker Skin Tone Increases Perceived Discrimination among Male but Not Female Caribbean Black Youth.

Background: Among most minority groups, males seem to report higher levels of exposure and vulnerability to racial discrimination. Although darker skin tone may increase exposure to racial discrimination, it is yet unknown whether skin tone similarly influences perceived discrimination among male and female Caribbean Black youth.

Objective: The current cross-sectional study tests the role of gender on the effects of skin tone on perceived discrimination among Caribbean Black youth.

Depressive Symptoms During Adolescence Predict Adulthood Obesity Among Black Females.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate gender differences in the association between baseline depressive symptoms and subsequent changes in obesity in a sample of urban Black youth in the USA.

Methods: The current study followed 681 Black youth (335 male and 346 female) for up to 18 years from 1994 to 2012. All youth were selected from an economically disadvantaged urban area in MI, USA.

Racial Discrimination during Adolescence Predicts Mental Health Deterioration in Adulthood: Gender Differences among Blacks.

Background: Despite the existing knowledge regarding the negative mental health consequences of perceived racial discrimination, very few researchers have used a longitudinal design with long-term follow-up periods to explore gender differences in this association over time.

Objective: The current longitudinal study aimed to investigate gender differences in predictive role of an increase in perceived racial discrimination during adolescence for mental health deterioration a decade later when they are transitioning to young adulthood.

Methods: Current study followed 681 Black youths for 18 years from 1994 (mean age 15) to 2012 (mean age 32).

Religious Social Support, Discrimination, and Psychiatric Disorders among Black Adolescents.

Discrimination is a common experience for Black youth that can jeopardize their mental health. However, research suggests that various dimensions of religion have positive effects on youths' mental health and well-being. Additionally, exposure to discrimination may vary by youths' socio-demographic factors, such as gender and ethnicity.

Mental Health Service Utilization among Black Youth; Psychosocial Determinants in a National Sample.

Racial disparity in mental health service utilization (MHSU) persists, and youths are not an exception to the underutilization of services. Very limited research has been conducted on the determinants of MHSU among Black youth. Using a national sample of American Black youth, the current study investigated the association between demographic factors, socioeconomic status, psychiatric disorders, and self-rated health (SRH) on MHSU.