‘They Are Kids, Let Them Eat’: A Qualitative Investigation into the Parental Beliefs and Practices of Providing a Healthy Diet for Young Children among a Culturally Diverse and Deprived Population in the UK

In the UK, ethnic minority children are at greater risk of obesity and weight-related ill health compared to the wider national population. The factors that influence the provision of a healthy diet among these populations remain less understood. An interpretive qualitative study with a phenomenological perspective comprised of 24 single sex semi-structured focus groups was conducted with 110 parents (63 mothers and 47 fathers) of young children (aged 0–5 years). The participants were recruited from deprived and ethnically diverse wards in Luton, UK and self-identified as being white British, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, black African–Caribbean or Polish. The findings highlighted a wide range of inter-relating psychological and sociocultural factors that underpin parental beliefs and practices in providing children with a healthy diet. Parents, whilst aware of the importance of providing children with a healthy diet, faced challenges such as lack of time and balancing competing responsibilities, which were clear barriers to providing children with a healthy diet. Access to and affordability of healthy food and the overexposure of cheap, convenient, and unhealthy processed foods made it increasingly difficult for parents to provide a healthy diet for their growing families. Household food practices were also found to be situated within the wider context of sociocultural and religious norms around cooking and eating, along with cultural identity and upbringing.

The Impact of the Sociolinguistic Environment on the State Language Proficiency of Children from Ethnic Minorities in a Preschool Educational Institution

The article discusses the impact of the daily language choice of ethnic minority children on Latvian language skills in a preschool educational institution. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of the daily language choice of ethnic minority children on Latvian language skills in a preschool educational establishment, surveying the children’s parents. Within the project LAMBA (2015–2017), the researchers Olga Ureka, Dace Markus and Anna Vulane adapted a survey elaborated by Sharon Unsworth (Utrecht Bilingual Language Exposure Calculator (UBiLEC): Questionnaire and notes on Completing the Excel file) to Latvian for surveying bilingual parents. Sharon Unsworth has developed this method in Utrecht to use as a survey for parents of bilingual children. The set of questions is included in the survey which is based on the previous experience of educators and linguists in work with children. The questions included are about children’s linguistic surroundings at home, in preschool setting, in other activities and during free time. The answer options included in the tables allow to investigate parents’ opinions about children language comprehension and application quality and frequency, but in the survey tables we can obtain also quantitative data about the use of language and children’s linguistic environment. Employing UBiLEC, an internationally approbated survey adapted to Latvian for parents of bilingual children, the Latvian language skills of ethnic minority children are compared in the preschool groups where children daily use Latvian or Russian. The topicality of the issue is intensified by the requirement, in force from September 1, 2019, that in Class 1 of all ethnic minority schools 50% of learning must take place in the state language; therefore, it is important to make sure that preschool-age children are prepared for learning in Latvian. In recent years, there has been a tendency for the ethnic minority parents to enrol their children not only in the preschool groups taught in Russian, but also in Latvian. Parents’ survey data show that the ethnic minority children who attend a Latvian preschool group are linguistically ready to continue their education in Latvian or bilingually – the same as children with Latvian as their mother tongue, but if Russian is used as a language of instruction, the lack of Latvian sociolinguistic environment becomes a major obstacle for acquisition the necessary Latvian language proficiency. This research was done in National Research Programme “Latvian Language” Nr. VPP-IZM-2018/2-0002.

Roma Minority Youth Across Cultural Contexts

This book is about positive youth development (PYD) in Roma ethnic minority youth. Its main distinguishing features are (1) the focus on a large and underrepresented ethnic minority group and (2) a strength-based conception of adolescence (i.e., PYD) that sees all youth as having resources. The book stands apart from current edited books on PYD by focusing on the Roma ethnic minority (one of the most marginalized and oppressed minority groups in Europe) and on strengths and resources for optimal well-being. The international, multidisciplinary, and multisectorial expert contributors to this book address the complexities of Roma life in a variety of cultural settings and explore how key developmental processes and person–context interactions can contribute to optimal and successful adaptation. The conclusions clarify how the PYD of ethnic minority children and youth may be fostered based on the empirical findings reported in this volume. The book draws on core theoretical models of PYD and theories of normative development from the perspective of developmental science to highlight the applicability of these frameworks to Roma groups and nuanced cultural variations in how optimal developmental outcomes maybe come to pass in adolescence. A special focus is on cultural, contextual, and socioeconomic characteristics of Roma to provide a better understanding of what does and what does not contribute to the success of youth particularly in oppressed minority groups.

Mental Health in Ethnic Minority Populations in the UK: Developmental Trajectories from Early Childhood to Mid Adolescence

A large body of literature has demonstrated that there are developmental differences in mental health problems. However, less is known about the development of mental health problems in ethnic minority children, particularly at the population level. Using a detailed ethnic classification and nationally representative data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 18, 521, 49% female, 18% ethnic minority), this study examines ethnic differences in children’s mental health problems and trajectories of mental health from ages 3 to 14 years. Growth curve modeling revealed that ethnic minority children followed different developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems than white children, either in terms of the mean-level and/or rate of change across age. These differences were not explained by child sex, socioeconomic status, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal immigrant status, highlighting the need for further research exploring the factors that underpin ethnic inequalities in child mental health.

Status research Thalassemia carier among children of ethnic Tay, Dao in Tuyen Quang province

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of thalassemia carrier, genotype and hematological parameters among children bearing the thalassemia gene in Tuyen Quang. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted from January to March 2017. 505 ethnic minority children in 6 districts and Tuyen Quang City, Tuyen Quang province were registered voluntarily by the family in the study. MCV index <80fL combined with the DCIP test were used for screening thalassemia and HbE. Hemoglobin electrophoresis and DNA analysis of mutations in the globin alpha gene was performed for all cases positive with screening tests. Results: The prevalence of thalassemia common for ethnic minority children in Tuyen Quang was 28,1%. Four types of single-gene mutations in the alpha globin gene were identified, following types --SEA, -α3.7; -αCS; -α4.2. Conclusion: The general prevalence of thalassemia gene among the Tay and Dao children in Tuyen Quang is 28.1%. Six phenotypic groups carrying thalassemia gene were detected with 10 mutant genotypes. Mutation - SEA accounts for the highest proportion of single allele mutations (72.09%). Keywords: Thalassemia carrier, children, ethnic Tay, ethnic Dao, Tuyen Quang

Air pollution and trajectories of adolescent conduct problems: the roles of ethnicity and racism; evidence from the DASH longitudinal study

Purpose No known UK empirical research has investigated prospective associations between ambient air pollutants and conduct problems in adolescence. Ethnic minority children are disproportionately exposed to structural factors that could moderate any observed relationships. This prospective study examined whether exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations is associated with conduct problems in adolescence, and whether racism or ethnicity moderate such associations. Methods Longitudinal associations between annual mean estimated PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations at the residential address and trajectories of conduct problems, and the potential influence of racism and ethnicity were examined school-based sample of 4775 participants (2002–2003 to 2005–2006) in London, using growth curve models. Results Overall, in the fully adjusted model, exposure to lower concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with a decrease in conduct problems during adolescence, while exposure to higher concentrations was associated with a flattened trajectory of conduct symptoms. Racism amplified the effect of PM2.5 (β = 0.05 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.10, p < 0.01)) on adolescent trajectories of conduct problems over time. At higher concentrations of PM2.5, there was a divergence of trajectories of adolescent conduct problems between ethnic minority groups, with White British and Black Caribbean adolescents experiencing an increase in conduct problems over time. Conclusion These findings suggest that the intersections between air pollution, ethnicity, and racism are important influences on the development of conduct problems in adolescence.

Professional Capacity Building of Multicultural Teaching Assistants in Hong Kong Kindergartens with Ethnic Minority Children

A professional teaching development programme was established to equip multicultural teaching assistants (MTA) with skills and knowledge to teach non-Chinese speaking (NCS) preschoolers in Hong Kong. To evaluate if MTAs are perceived to be able to perform their intended roles (support Chinese and overall learning, provide pastoral support, bridge the communication between NCS parents and kindergartens, and promote social integration), questionnaires were collected from 18 principals and 74 teachers. To assess if the programme can equip MTAs with necessary skills for the planned roles, questionnaires were collected from 39 MTAs, and a focus group interview with 8 MTAs was also conducted. Results showed that principals and teachers were satisfied with MTAs’ performances in supporting NCS students’ learning. Moreover, the majority of MTAs agreed that the training programme helped them to perform their intended roles in preschools. Most modules taught in the training programme, apart from one exception, were well received by MTAs. The focus group interview revealed that MTAs were satisfied with the programme, though they preferred more training on Chinese writing skills and knowledge in dealing behavioral issues of children. The study shows the possibility of integrating MTAs into multicultural classrooms in Hong Kong to facilitate NCS children’s learning.