the value of family routines for adolescent academic success in low-income, urban neighborhoods

The value of family routines for adolescent The value of family routines for adolescent academic success in low-income, urban academic success in low-income, urban

neighborhoodsneighborhoods

Kathleen M. RocheKathleen M. Roche

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Sharon R. GhazarianSharon R. GhazarianJohns Hopkins School of MedicineJohns Hopkins School of Medicine

Paper presentation for Paper presentation for 22ndnd Annual LEAH Health Disparities Conference Annual LEAH Health Disparities Conference, December , December 4, 20094, 2009

BackgroundBackground Longstanding concern regarding urban poverty Longstanding concern regarding urban poverty

has led to research documenting ways in which has led to research documenting ways in which low-income, urban youth and families experience low-income, urban youth and families experience risk and adversityrisk and adversity

Overshadows positive adaptation of poor, urban Overshadows positive adaptation of poor, urban youth and their familiesyouth and their families

Academic success during adolescence provides Academic success during adolescence provides critical foundation for positive youth transitions critical foundation for positive youth transitions into work, family, civic lifeinto work, family, civic life

Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; Jencks & Peterson, 1991Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000; Jencks & Peterson, 1991

Lerner, Phelphs, Forman & Bowers, 2009Lerner, Phelphs, Forman & Bowers, 2009

Crosnoe & Elder, 2004; Obradovic & Masten, 2007Crosnoe & Elder, 2004; Obradovic & Masten, 2007

BackgroundBackground

Present study consider how positive Present study consider how positive family social processes, namely family social processes, namely family routines, shape the family routines, shape the academic success of adolescents in academic success of adolescents in poor central city neighborhoodspoor central city neighborhoods

Value of Family RoutinesValue of Family Routines Regularity in rhythms of daily family life Regularity in rhythms of daily family life

benefit youth by providing structure, benefit youth by providing structure, family cohesion, and behavioral family cohesion, and behavioral regulation, and sense of family identityregulation, and sense of family identity

Permanence and stability especially Permanence and stability especially valuable for youth faced with family valuable for youth faced with family economic uncertainty, social contextual economic uncertainty, social contextual stress & developmental changestress & developmental change

Boyce, Jensen, James, & Peacock, 1983; Fiese & Kline, 1993 Boyce, Jensen, James, & Peacock, 1983; Fiese & Kline, 1993

Value of Family RoutinesValue of Family Routines Routines research mostly focuses on Routines research mostly focuses on

families with young childrenfamilies with young children

Small number of studies with Small number of studies with adolescents find that stressors adolescents find that stressors associated with fewer routines and, in associated with fewer routines and, in turn, with adverse adolescent turn, with adverse adolescent adjustmentadjustment

Hair, Moore, Garrett, Ling, & Cleveland, 2008;Hair, Moore, Garrett, Ling, & Cleveland, 2008; McLoyd, Toyokawa, & Kaplan, 2008; McLoyd, Toyokawa, & Kaplan, 2008; Prelow, Loukas, & Jordan-Green, 2007; Taylor et al. 2004Prelow, Loukas, & Jordan-Green, 2007; Taylor et al. 2004)

Brody & Flor, 1997; Evans, Gonnella, Marcynyszyn, Gentile, & Salpekar, 2005; Brody & Flor, 1997; Evans, Gonnella, Marcynyszyn, Gentile, & Salpekar, 2005; Koblinsky, Kuvalanka, & Randolph, 2006; Sytsma, Kelley, & Wymer, 2001; Koblinsky, Kuvalanka, & Randolph, 2006; Sytsma, Kelley, & Wymer, 2001; Wildenger, McIntyre, Fiese, & Eckert, 2008Wildenger, McIntyre, Fiese, & Eckert, 2008

Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Family Routines

Academic Achievement

Grades in School

Educational Aspirations

Early Early AdolescenceAdolescence

Middle Middle AdolescenceAdolescence

Late Late AdolescenceAdolescence



Family Routines

Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Family Routines


Grades in School









Family Routines

Theoretical BackgroundTheoretical Background

Elder, 1998; Elder, 1998;

ResiliencResiliencee

Life Life coursecourse Social Social

connectionsconnections

Developmental Developmental timingtiming

Positive Positive adaptation in adaptation in face of face of adversityadversity

Context of stability valuable for youth Context of stability valuable for youth faced with significant developmental faced with significant developmental changechange

Call & Mortimer 2001Call & Mortimer 2001

Luthar , Ciccheti & Becker , 2001Luthar , Ciccheti & Becker , 2001

Urban Urban povertpovert

yy

MethodsMethods“Welfare, Children and Families: A Three Welfare, Children and Families: A Three

City Study”City Study” (Boston, Chicago, San (Boston, Chicago, San Antonio)Antonio)

1,147 mother-adolescent pairs in low-1,147 mother-adolescent pairs in low-income families, urban neighborhoodsincome families, urban neighborhoods

Interviewed at Interviewed at Time 1: 1999Time 1: 1999 Time 2: 2000/1Time 2: 2000/1 (88%)(88%) Time 3: 2005/06Time 3: 2005/06 (84%)(84%)

Family Routines MeasureFamily Routines MeasureHow much are the following things a routine in How much are the following things a routine in

the family?the family?1.1.Time during day / evening when everyone Time during day / evening when everyone talks talks

or plays quietlyor plays quietly; ;

2.2.Children do Children do homeworkhomework at same time of day / at same time of day / night; night;

3.3. Children Children go to bedgo to bed at the same time at night; at the same time at night;

4.4. Family eatsFamily eats dinner dinner at the same time each night at the same time each night

5.5. At least some of the family eatsAt least some of the family eats breakfast breakfast together in the morningtogether in the morning

(4- point Likert response “(4- point Likert response “almost never” to “always”) almost never” to “always”)

αα = .68 = .68

Academic Success MeasuresAcademic Success MeasuresAcademic AchievementAcademic Achievement

Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems Scores Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems Scores

Educational AspirationsEducational Aspirations

Youth report: “How far do you expect to go Youth report: “How far do you expect to go in school?”in school?”

(1 to 7: not finish high school to professional (1 to 7: not finish high school to professional degree)degree)

Grades in SchoolGrades in School

Youth report of grades on last report card…Youth report of grades on last report card…

(1 to 8: “Mostly Failing” to “Mostly As”)(1 to 8: “Mostly Failing” to “Mostly As”)

Background VariablesBackground VariablesAge, Gender, Race/ethnicity Age, Gender, Race/ethnicity (90% African (90% African

American & Latino), American & Latino), Family Structure Family Structure (66% (66% Mother only), Mother only), Household income-to-needs Household income-to-needs ratioratio

Mother-child closenessMother-child closeness, ,

Maternal psychological distressMaternal psychological distress

Analytic PlanAnalytic Plan

1. 1. Longitudinal structural equation Longitudinal structural equation modeling (modeling (Mplus 5.21Mplus 5.21))

2. 2. Missing data imputed using FIML Missing data imputed using FIML proceduresprocedures

3. 3. Mediation tested using Mediation tested using bootstrapping methodology bootstrapping methodology (Preacher & Hayes, 2008)

.12***.12***School grades

Expectations for schooling


.09*.09*

.09**.09**

.16***.16***

School grades

.25***.25***

.11***.11***




.09**.09**

.54***.54*** Academic achievement


n.s.n.s.

SummarySummary

Family routines may set adolescents on a Family routines may set adolescents on a

course of academic success during early course of academic success during early

phases of adolescence … early success phases of adolescence … early success

benefits youth into late adolescencebenefits youth into late adolescence

Academic success

Family routines

Academic success




SummarySummary

Benefits of routines emerged across Benefits of routines emerged across

diverse indicators of academic diverse indicators of academic

successsuccess

Self-reported grades in

school


Scores

Expectations for

educational attainment

SummarySummary Routines in middle adolescence unrelated to Routines in middle adolescence unrelated to

later changes in academic successlater changes in academic success

Stability especially salient during time of rapid developmental change … “arenas of comfort”

Early adolescents primed to reap benefits of routines due to 1.salience of achievement to identity during transition into adolescence2.family influences stronger in early adolescence … “life course theory-developmental timing”

Future ResearchFuture Research Identify mechanisms…Identify mechanisms…

Family Routine

s

Self-regulation Self-regulation

Sense of safety & Sense of safety &

predictabilitypredictability

Enhanced family cohesion, Enhanced family cohesion,

identityidentity

Affiliation with prosocial peersAffiliation with prosocial peers

ConclusionsConclusions

Although Family Routines largely Although Family Routines largely

overlooked in literature on family overlooked in literature on family

processes pertaining to adolescents, in processes pertaining to adolescents, in

many ways represents ideal integration many ways represents ideal integration

of the two dominant parenting of the two dominant parenting

constructs: constructs:

SupportSupport & & Behavioral ControlBehavioral Control

the value of family routines for adolescent academic success in low-income, urban neighborhoods

Documents

family cohesion

urban youth

family eats breakfast

family economic uncertainty

night family eats dinner

fewer routines

time of day night children

positive youth transitions