125-05: The Unseen Strengths of African-American Mothers: Understanding Kindergarten Transition Practices Using Photo Elicitation

To better understand how urban, low-income African American mothers of preschoolers prepare their child for kindergarten, this exploratory study used photo-elicitation interviewing (PEI) to highlight the hidden strengths of African American mothers' in-home transition practices. Using PEI approach and a resilience framework, we found that mothers participated in an array of school readiness activities that promoted children’s cognitive development. Further, mothers included multiple family members who assisted in getting preschoolers ready for kindergarten. These findings add to the substantive discussion of school readiness and parental involvement among low-income African American mothers and the importance of embracing visual methods. 

Objectives

- Demonstrate the importance of photo-elicitation interviewing (PEI) and how it can highlight the hidden and unspoken strengths of urban, low-income African-American families.
- Analyze PEI from a family resilience perspective. 
- Evaluate the effectiveness of PEI for understanding what low-income African American mothers and family members are doing to support children's transition to kindergarten.

Keywords: African Americans, early childhood, resilience

125-01: (PAPER CANCELLED) The Influence of Adverse Stressors on the Health and Well-Being of Highly Educated, Professional Black Women

Heart disease, diabetes, cervical cancer, infertility, maternal mortality, and depression are a few of the many health conditions that disproportionately affect Black women. However, highly-educated, professional Black women in the U.S. is an understudied group with respect to these issues. This qualitative study can guide the development of culturally-responsive interventions designed for professional Black women to address their needs in managing stressors faced while carrying out multiple obligations and responsibilities. Elucidation of modern-day stressors and strategies for Black women other than those in the working class or lower SES will provide information for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in diverse settings to better understand supports needed to enable these women to reduce adverse stressors associated with the social inequalities and inequities experienced in current society.

Objectives

- To describe the experiences, concerns, and challenges of highly educated, professional Black women.
- To evaluate the intersection of race, class, and gender and its influence on health outcomes.
- To identify coping strategies to adverse stressors employed by highly educated, professional Black women.

Keywords: intersectionality, African Americans, women

125-03: Examining Racism as a Risk Factor For Uterine Fibroids Among African American Women

Uterine fibroids are a gynecological condition that disproportionately impacts African American women. Left undiagnosed, the benign tumors can reduce fertility in a number of ways. African American women are at increased risk of infertility and pregnancy complications; although fibroids have the potential to further exacerbate adverse pregnancy outcomes, little is known about their etiology. This study aims to identify race-related risk factors for fibroid development among African American women using a mediated-moderated latent factor structural equation model. Predictors include internalized and enacted racism. We also explore religious/spiritual coping and social support as potential moderators and depression as a potential mediator of the association between racism and fibroid. Findings from this study will inform best practices to reduce fibroids and infertility among African American women.

Objectives

- Examine racism as a predictor of uterine fibroids in African American women.
- Explore the buffering effect of religious/spiritual coping and social support and the mediating effect of mental health.
- Identify implications of findings for family and public health experts and clinicians. 

Keywords: reproductive health, African Americans, discrimination

125-04: Longitudinal Analysis of How Sources of Distress Affect Physical and Mental Well-Being of Working Mothers in the U.S.

This study examines the effects of family distress, work distress, and financial distress on the physical and mental health of full-time working mothers (N=302) of child(ren) aged 4 and 9. Multi-group analyses were conducted using existing longitudinal data, and structural equation modeling enabled simultaneous fitting of measurement models and hypothesis testing. Results from multi-group analyses indicated different models for Black working mothers relative to Whites.  Among Black working mothers, family and financial distresses were significant predictors for mental health outcomes only. By contrast, family, work, and financial distresses were significant predictors of both physical and mental health for White working mothers.  Findings have implications for the development of practice and policy initiatives aimed at supporting optimal mental and physical health outcomes in mothers.

Objectives

- Describe the independent effects of family, work, and financial distress on working mothers’ physical and mental health-related quality of life.
- Characterize differences across race in the longitudinal effects of family, work, and financial distress on working mothers’ physical and mental health well-being.
- Identify pro-active coping techniques aimed at supporting the mental and physical health of working mothers.

Keywords: stress, mental health, physical health