scholarly journals Parental Educational Attainment and Frequency of Marijuana Use in Youth: Hispanics’ Diminished Returns

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. p47
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari, MD MPH ◽  
Jonathan Schaefer, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Maternal Employment ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment ◽  
Hispanic White

Background: While socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental educational attainment show robust associations with health behaviors such as substance use, the protective effects of these indicators may differ across racial groups. This phenomenon of weaker associations between SES indicators and health outcomes for marginalized and minoritized groups relative to non-Hispanic White people has been labeled “Marginalization-related Diminished Returns” (MDRs). Here, we test both whether parental educational attainment is associated with marijuana use frequency in youth as well as whether we observe racial and ethnic variation in this association consistent with MDRs. Methods: This study used data from the cross-sectional 2019 Monitoring the Future survey (MTF 2019). Participants included 29,230 youth who were either Hispanic (24.1%), non-Hispanic Black (16.1%), or non-Hispanic White (59.9%). We used weighted logistic regression models to test for (1) associations between maternal educational attainment and youth cannabis use frequency as well as (2) moderation of this association by race/ethnicity, while adjusting for the complex sample design of the MTF 2019 data. Age, sex, father presence, and maternal employment were entered into models as covariates. Results: Overall, children born to mothers with higher educational attainment reported less frequent marijuana use than peers born to mothers with lower educational attainment. However, this association was significantly weaker in Hispanic versus non-Hispanic White youth. Conclusion: The strength of the association between parental educational attainment and youth marijuana use frequency appears to differ across ethnic groups. Specifically, we observed that whereas non-Hispanic White youth from high-SES families tend to report less marijuana use than peers from lower-SES families, Hispanic youth report roughly equal levels of use across the full SES spectrum. This finding is in line with the MDRs framework and may reflect factors such as structural racism, social stratification, and the marginalization of ethnic minority families in the US.

scholarly journals Unequal Protective Effects of Parental Educational Attainment on the Body Mass Index of Black and White Youth

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assari ◽  
Boyce ◽  
Bazargan ◽  
Mincy ◽  
Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Parental educational attainment is shown to be protective against health problems; the Minorities’ Diminished Returns theory, however, posits that these protective effects tend to be smaller for socially marginalized groups particularly blacks than whites. Aims: To explore racial differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on body mass index (BMI) in a national sample of US adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of 10,701 (8678 white and 2023 black) 12–17 years old adolescents in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013). Parental educational attainment was the predictor. Youth BMI (based on self-reported weight and height) was the dependent variable. Age, gender, ethnicity, and family structure were covariates. Race was the focal moderator. Results: Overall, higher parental educational attainment was associated with lower youth BMI. Race, however, moderated the effect of parental educational attainment on BMI, suggesting that the protective effect of parenting educational attainment on BMI is significantly smaller for black than white youth. Conclusions: In the United States, race alters the health gains that are expected to follow parental educational attainment. While white youth who are from highly educated families are fit, black youth have high BMI at all levels of parental educational attainment. This means, while the most socially privileged group, whites, gain the most health from their parental education, blacks, the least privileged group, gain the least. Economic, social, public, and health policymakers should be aware that health disparities are not all due to lower socioeconomic status (SES) of the disadvantaged group but also diminished returns of SES resources for them. Black–white health disparities exist across all high socioeconomic status (SES) levels.

scholarly journals Association Between Parental Educational Attainment and Children’s Negative Urgency: Sex Differences

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Negative Urgency ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background and aims: Negative urgency reflects a specific facet of impulsivity and correlates with a wide range of health-related risk behaviors, including, but not limited to, problematic substance use. Negative urgency is also shaped by family socioeconomic position (SEP), such as parental educational attainment (PEA). This study aimed to explore sex differences regarding protective effects of PEA on children’s negative urgency in the US. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study data. Baseline ABCD data included 10,535 American children in the age range of 9-10 years old. The independent variable was PEA, treated as a 5-level categorical variable. The primary outcome was negative urgency measured by the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Positive Urgency, Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-SS). Mixed-effects regression models were applied for data analysis. Results: In sex-stratified regression models, high PEA was predictive of lower levels of negative urgency in female but not male children. In the overall sample, sex showed a statistically significant interaction with PEA on children’s negative urgency, indicating a stronger protective effect of high PEA for female compared to male children. Conclusion: PEA was a more salient determinant of negative urgency in female children than male ones. Our results also showed that American boys tend to have high levels of negative urgency, which is a risk factor of drug use, at all parental education levels.

scholarly journals Place-Based Diminished Returns of Parental Educational Attainment on School Performance of Non-Hispanic White Youth

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Shanika Boyce ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra H. Caldwell ◽  
Marc A. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
School Performance ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment ◽  
Hispanic White

scholarly journals The relationship between socioeconomic position and health literacy among urban and rural adults in regional China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chen ◽  
Hongfu Ren ◽  
Na Wang ◽  
Yaqing Xiong ◽  
Fei Xu
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Average Income ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Rural Adults

Abstract Background To examine associations of socioeconomic position (SEP), separately indicated by education, monthly family average income (FAI) and occupation, with health literacy (HL) among adults in regional China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among urban and rural adults (aged 25–69 years) who were randomly selected, using the probability proportionate to size sampling approach, from Nanjing municipality of China during October and December of 2016. HL, the outcome variable, was assessed using the Chinese Resident Health Literacy Scale. SEP, our independent variable, was separately measured with educational attainment, monthly family average income and occupation. Logistic regression models were introduced to examine SEP-HL association with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Totally, 8698 participants completed the survey. The proportion of participants with unweighted and weighted adequate HL was 18.0% (95%CI = 17.2, 18.8%) and 19.9% (95%CI = 16.6, 23.6%), respectively, in this study. After adjustment for possible confounding factors, each SEP indicator was in significantly positive relation to both unweighted and weight HL level. Participants who obtained 13+ and 10–12 years educational attainment, respectively, had 2.41 (95%CI = 1.60, 3.64) and 1.68 (95%CI = 1.23, 2.29) times odds to record weighted adequate HL compared to their counterparts who were with 0–9 years education. Subjects within upper (OR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.24, 2.98) and middle FAI tertile (OR = 1.59, 95%CI = 1.19, 2.13), respectively, were more likely to report weighted adequate HL relative to those who were within lower FAI tertile. White collars were more likely to have weighted adequate HL (OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.09, 1.61) than blue collars. Conclusions Each of education, FAI and occupation was positively associated with health literacy among urban and rural adults in China. The findings have important implications that different SEP indicators can be used to identify vulnerable residents in population-based health literacy promotion campaigns.

scholarly journals Parental Educational Attainment and Social Environment of Urban Public Schools in the U.S.: Blacks’ Diminished Returns

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanika Boyce ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra H. Caldwell ◽  
Marc A. Zimmerman ◽  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Urban Public Schools ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment ◽  
Hispanic White ◽  
White Youths

Background: Recent research has documented marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) of socioeconomic status (SES), defined as weaker effects of SES indicators, such as parental educational attainment, on securing tangible outcomes for the members of socially marginalized (e.g., racial and ethnic minority) groups, compared to privileged social groups (e.g., non-Hispanic Whites). Aims: To explore race/ethnic differences between non-Hispanic Blacks vs. non-Hispanic Whites who attend urban public schools on the effect of parental education on lower school environmental risk among American high schoolers. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we borrowed the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS-2002) baseline data, a nationally representative study that enrolled 1706 10th grade youths who were attending urban public schools. From this number, 805 (47.2%) were non-Hispanic Black and 901 (52.8%) were non-Hispanic White youths. The dependent variable was the level of school social environmental risk measured using 18 items as self-reported, and was treated as a continuous variable. The independent variable was parental educational attainment, treated as a continuous measure. Gender, region, and parental marital status were the covariates. Race/ethnicity was the moderating variable. Linear regressions were applied to perform our data analysis. Results: Black students were found to attend schools with higher levels of social environmental risk. Youths with parents with a higher educational attainment were found to attend schools with a lower social environmental risk. We found a significant interaction between race (non-Hispanic Black vs. non-Hispanic White) and parental educational attainment on the level of school social environmental risk, suggesting that the protective effect of high parental education on reducing the school social environmental risk was smaller for non-Hispanic Black than for non-Hispanic White youths. Conclusions: Although high parental educational attainment is protective against social environmental risk for American youths, this protective effect is weaker for non-Hispanic Black than non-Hispanic White youths. The diminished returns of parental education in reducing school social environmental risk may explain why the effects of parental education on educational outcomes are smaller for non-Hispanic Black than non-Hispanic White youths (i.e., MDRs). The social environment indirectly generates racial youth educational disparities through deteriorating non-Hispanic Black youth educational outcomes across all SES levels. To prevent the confounding effects of private, suburban, rural, and Catholic schools, we limited this analysis to public urban schools. More research is needed on other settings.

scholarly journals Minorities’ Diminished Returns of Educational Attainment on Hospitalization Risk: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
National Health ◽  
National Health Interview Survey ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
The United States ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Interview Survey ◽  
Health Interview ◽  
Interview Survey

Background: As suggested by the Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) theory, educational attainment shows a weaker protective effect for racial and ethnic minority groups compared to non-Hispanic Whites. This pattern, however, is never shown for hospitalization risk. Objectives: This cross-sectional study explored racial and ethnic variations in the association between educational attainment and hospitalization in the United States. Methods: Data came from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS 2015). The total sample was 28,959 American adults. Independent variable was educational attainment. The main outcome was hospitalization during the last 12 months. Age, gender, employment, marital status, region, obesity, and number of cardiovascular conditions were covariates. Race and ethnicity were the effect modifiers. Logistic regression models were utilized to analyze the data. Results: From all participants, 16.2% were Black and 11.6% were Hispanic with a mean age of 51 years. Overall, higher education levels were associated with lower odds of hospitalization, independent of all confounders. Educational attainment showed significant interactions with race (odds ratio [OR] =1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.08) and ethnicity (OR = 1.04, 95% CI =1.01-1.07) on hospitalization, indicating smaller protective effects of educational attainment on hospitalization of Hispanics and Blacks than nonHispanic Whites. Conclusion: The protective effects of educational attainment on population health are smaller for Blacks and Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Whites. To prevent health disparities, the diminished returns of educational attainment should be minimized for racial and ethnic minorities. To do so, there is a need for innovative and bold economic, public, and social policies that do not limit themselves to equalizing socioeconomic status, but also help minorities leverage their available resources and gain tangible outcomes.

scholarly journals The relation between dietary phytochemical index and metabolic syndrome and its components in a large sample of Iranian adults: a population-based study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azam Ahmadi Vasmehjani ◽  
Zahra Darabi ◽  
Azadeh Nadjarzadeh ◽  
Masoud Mirzaei ◽  
Mahdieh Hosseinzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Second Category

Abstract Background Despite the protective effects of foods being rich in phytochemicals against chronic diseases, this issue is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Dietary Phytochemical Index (DPI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. Methods This cross-sectional study focused on adults aged between 20 and 70years. The dietary intake was assessed using a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire. DPI was calculated based on dietary energy, derived from phytochemical-rich food sources (kcal) per total daily energy intake (kcal). The odds ratio of MetS and its components were assessed across DPI quartiles by logistic regression models. Results After adjustment for all potential confounders, the risk of MetS (OR: 0.63, 95% CI = 0.41–0.96) and elevated blood pressure (OR: 0.62, 95% CI = 0.40–0.96) in the second category of DPI decreased significantly as compared to that in the first category. Subjects in the second and fourth quartiles of DPI with adjusting for age, sex and total energy intake revealed 30 and 25% lower risk of abdominal obesity, respectively. After full adjustment for confounders, the analysis stratified by sex showed women in the highest quartile of DPI had 59% lower risk of MetS (OR: 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22–0.76) as compared to those in the lowest quartile of DPI. Conclusions Greater adherence to phytochemical-rich diet could reduce odds of MetS and some components, especially in women. Further studies with intervention approaches are recommended.

scholarly journals Mathematical Performance of American Youth: Diminished Returns of Educational Attainment of Asian-American Parents

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Shanika Boyce ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra H. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Test Score ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Mathematical Performance ◽  
Asian American Youth ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment ◽  
Hispanic White

The Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDR) phenomenon refers to the weaker effects of parental educational attainment for marginalized groups, particularly ethnic minorities. This literature, however, is limited to Blacks and Hispanics; thus, it is not clear if the MDR phenomenon also applies to the educational performance of Asian Americans or not. To explore ethnic differences in the association between parental educational attainment and youth mathematical performance among 10th-grade American high schoolers, this cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Education Longitudinal Study, a national survey of 10th-grade American youth. The analytical sample included a total number of 10,142 youth composed of 1460 (14.4%) Asian-American and 8682 (85.6%) non-Hispanic youth. The dependent variable was youth math performance (standard test score). The independent variable was parental education. Gender, both parents living in the same household, and school characteristics (% students receiving free lunch, urban school, and public school) were the covariates. Ethnicity was the moderating variable. Linear regression was used for data analysis. Overall, parental educational attainment was positively associated with math ability (test score). We observed a statistically significant interaction between ethnicity (Asian American) and parental education attainment on the results of math test scores, indicating that the boosting effect of high parental educational attainment on youth math function is smaller for Asian-American youth than for Non-Hispanic White youth. While high parental educational attainment contributes to youth educational outcomes, this association is weaker for Asian-American youth than non-Hispanic White youth. Diminished returns (weaker effects of parental education in generating outcomes for ethnic minorities) that are previously shown for Hispanics and Blacks also apply to Asian Americans.

scholarly journals Parental Educational Attainment and Chronic Medical Conditions among American Youth; Minorities’ Diminished Returns

Children ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
Cleopatra Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Medical Conditions ◽  
Medical Conditions ◽  
White Youth ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Parental educational attainment is protective against chronic medical conditions (CMCs). According to the minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) theory, however, the health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators are smaller for socially marginalized groups such as racial and ethnic minorities rather than Whites. Aims: To explore racial and ethnic differences in the effect of parental educational attainment on CMCs in a nationally representative sample of American youth. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of 10,701 12–17 years old youth in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013). Parental educational attainment was the independent variable. The dependent variable was the number of CMCs in youth. Age, gender, and family structure were covariates. Race and ethnicity were the focal moderators. Linear and multinomial regression were applied to analyze the data. Results: Overall, higher parental educational attainment was associated with a lower number of CMCs. Race and ethnicity, however, showed significant interactions with parental educational attainment on a number of CMCs as well as 2+ CMCs, suggesting that the effect of parenting educational attainment on CMCs is significantly smaller for Black and Hispanic than White youth. Conclusions: In the United States, race and ethnicity alter the health gains that are expected to follow parental educational attainment. While White youth who are from highly educated families are most healthy, Black and Hispanic youth from highly educated families remain at higher risk for CMCs. That means, while the most socially privileged group, Whites, gain the most health from their parental education, Blacks and Hispanics, the least privileged groups, gain the least. The result is a disproportionately high number of CMCs in middle-class Blacks and Hispanics. Economic, social, public, and health policy makers should be aware that health disparities are not all due to lower SES of the disadvantaged group but also diminished returns of SES resources for them. Youth physical health disparities due to race and ethnicity exist across all SES levels.

scholarly journals Family Socioeconomic Status and Exposure to Childhood Trauma: Racial Differences

Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Polynomial Regression ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Parental Educational Attainment

Background: Minorities’ diminished returns (MDRs) refer to weaker effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental educational attainment and family income in generating tangible childhood outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities compared to the majority group, a pattern prevalent in the US. Our existing knowledge is minimal, however, about diminished returns of family SES on reducing exposure to childhood trauma. Aim: To determine if there was a difference between non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) in the effect of SES on exposure to childhood trauma among children ages 8–11 years old. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 4696 NHW or NHB American 8–11-year-old children who were participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The independent variables were parental educational attainment and family income. The primary outcome was exposure to 1 or 2+ childhood traumas, measured by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) semi-structured interview. Polynomial regression was used for data analysis. Results: Parental education and family income had statistically significant protective (negative) effects on childhood trauma, indicating children from high income and highly educated families were exposed to a lower level of childhood trauma. However, race/ethnicity showed statistically significant interactions with parental education and family income on exposure to childhood trauma, indicating weaker protective effects of parental education and family income on reducing exposure to trauma for NHB compared to NHW children. Race-specific models showed protective effects of parental education and family income on exposure to childhood trauma for NHW but not NHB children. Conclusion: The protective effects of parental education and family income against exposure to childhood trauma are systematically diminished for NHBs compared to NHWs. To minimize the racial/ethnic health gaps, diminished returns of parental education and family income should be addressed. There is a need for programs and interventions that equalize not only SES but also the marginal returns of SES for ethnic groups. Such efforts require addressing structural and societal barriers that hinder NHB families from translating their SES resources into tangible outcomes. There is a need for studies that can minimize MDRs for NHB families, such that SES can similarly secure tangible outcomes in the presence of SES resources.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document