College of Education
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Item Trauma, Depression, Early Attachment, and Neonatal Health Outcomes among African American Mothers and their Infants(2016) Morrison, Colleen Isabel; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Young children whose mothers are depressed are vulnerable to a range of negative developmental outcomes beginning during the prenatal period and persisting throughout childhood. There is a large and growing need for evidence-informed pre-and postnatal services for pregnant women, especially in high-risk populations. More research is needed to inform practices relative to identifying pregnant women at risk for depression, providing treatment of depression and its concomitants during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and promoting positive developmental outcomes in infants who have been exposed to perinatal depression. The goal of this study was to enhance our knowledge of perinatal depression (i.e., depression that occurs during pregnancy or within the first 12 months following delivery) as well as its impact on maternal functioning in low-income, African American women and the health and developmental outcomes of their young infants. Participants were low-income African American women (N = 70), recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy, and their newborns. Data collection took place over two time periods: during the third trimester of pregnancy and at one month postpartum. Prenatal data collected include information on a range of risk and protective factors, including prenatal depression, health behaviors, and maternal-fetal attachment (i.e., mother’s feelings of attachment to her unborn child). Postnatal data collected include information on depression, neonatal outcomes (e.g., birth weight), and maternal feelings of attachment to her infant. Multiple regression, logistic regression, and measured variable path analysis were used to test the relationships between risk factors, maternal functioning, and neonatal outcomes. Although his study relied on a small convenience sample of pregnant women, and is not generalizable to a broader population, there are still several findings of note. Marital status and trauma exposure significantly contributed to prenatal depressive symptoms. Also, maternal-fetal attachment mediated the relationship between prenatal depressive symptoms and health practices, but only for participants who were not married or cohabitating. Finally, maternal-fetal attachment significantly predicted maternal-infant attachment. Implications for policy and practice are presented.Item Korean American Mothers' Perception: Investigating the Role of Cultural Capital Theory and Parent Involvement(2014) Kim, Yong-Mi; Parham, Carole S.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The strongest and most consistent predictors of parent involvement at school and at home are the specific school programs and teacher practices that encourage parent involvement at school and guide parents in how to help their children at home (Dauber & Epstein, 1995). Joyce Epstein (2004) developed a framework for defining six different types of parent involvement. This framework assists educators in developing school and family partnership programs. "Schools have a vested interest in becoming true learning communities. They are now accountable for all students' learning," she writes. "To learn at high levels, all students need the guidance and support of their teachers, families, and others in the community." School improvement no longer rests solely on the shoulders of the principal, but rather takes the collaborative effort of the entire school community to increase achievement levels of all students. A major stakeholder of that community is the parents who want what is in the best interest of their children. This mixed-methods study examined the perceptions of Korean American mothers regarding their own parent involvement practices and investigated the role of Bourdieu's Cultural Capital Theory using the conceptual framework of Epstein's Parent Involvement Framework. Data for this study were collected by way of survey responses and interview probes with focus groups of six Korean American mothers. In the quantitative phase of the study, 81 mothers from a single school district in the mid-Atlantic United States were identified. The results from the quantitative phase of the study found that English proficiency had a significant impact on whether Korean American mothers engaged in parent involvement activities. Examination of the focus group responses revealed that the Korean American mothers identified English and time as major factors in determining in what types of parent involvement activities they engaged. Parent involvement is essential for promoting successful school improvement. It plays a pivotal part in school reform. Further research is recommended with larger samples of participants in rural and urban settings. In addition, future research should examine the role of fathers in parent involvement.