Family Context, Mexican-Origin Adolescent Mothers' Parenting Knowledge, and Children's Subsequent Developmental Outcomes

• Published in: Child development Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 593 - 609
• Main Authors: Jahromi, Laudan B., Guimond, Amy B., Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J., Updegraff, Kimberly A., Toomey, Russell B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, MA Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2014; Wiley for the Society for Research in Child Development; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Development; Child Development - physiology; Child, Preschool; Children; Cognition; Contextual analysis; Couple and family; Developmental psychology; Developmental Stages; Early Parenthood; Emotional Response; EMPIRICAL ARTICLES; Family Environment; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Infants; Interviews; Knowledge; Knowledge Level; Language development; Longitudinal Studies; Mexican Americans; Mexican Americans - psychology; Mexico; Mother figures; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Parent Influence; Parenting; Parenting - ethnology; Parenting - psychology; Parenting Styles; Parents; Preschool children; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social psychology; Social Support; Teenage parents; Toddlers; Human; Parental behavior; Maternal behavior; Social interaction; Family environment; Development; Mother child relation; Timing; Knowledge; Child; Adolescent mother
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12160

This study examined parenting knowledge among Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N = 191; M age = 16.26 years), family contextual factors associated with adolescents' parenting knowledge, and toddlers' (M age = 2.01 years) subsequent developmental outcomes. Data came from home interviews and direct child assessments. Adolescents both underestimated and overestimated children's developmental timing, and showed differences in their knowledge of specific developmental domains. Instrumental support from mother figures was positively linked to adolescents' knowledge accuracy, whereas emotional support was negatively related to adolescents' knowledge confidence. Furthermore, whereas mother figures' autonomy granting was positively linked to knowledge confidence, psychological control was associated with less accurate adolescent parenting knowledge. Toddlers of adolescents with more accurate knowledge showed positive developmental functioning. Intervention implications are discussed.