About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 4. Families, Parenting, and Relationships

Abstract

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The impacts of structural racism on neighborhood conditions in urban communities have a profound effect on young children, with the resultant toxic stress leading to long-term mental and physical health problems. Although supportive parenting has been shown to buffer children from the effects of disadvantageous neighborhoods, parenting behaviors are susceptible to the harmful effects of neighborhood disadvantage. However, our understanding of the link between the neighborhood environment and parenting is limited by the lack of community voices in the research process and limited attention to the impact of the neighborhood during early childhood. The current study analyzed qualitative data from 10 focus groups (n = 30, 47% Hispanic/Latin, 63% Black, 40% non-US-born) to examine the association between the neighborhood environment and parenting. Focus groups were analyzed using a six-step reflexive thematic analysis process. Two coders organized 325 comments into seven themes: (1) Distal Neighborhood Influences, (2) Parents’ Distress about the Neighborhood, (3) Parents Shaping Development, (4) Restriction and Withdrawal, (5) Navigating Neighborhood Resources, (6) Role of the Social Environment, and (7) Developmental Considerations. (1) Parents described harmful aspects of the neighborhood environment that they try to protect their children from: “There's always gun violence over here –– because of my neighborhood, I don't let my kids run off –– I always try to keep them close to me” [Participant 21]. (2) Parents shared how their exposure to harmful neighborhoods increased their anxiety and distress: “It's like you got to worry about your kids –– if you step away for two minutes ––‘Where they end up?’, you know?’ [Participant 3]. (3) Although parents acknowledged the role of the neighborhood environment, they expressed their desire to shape their child’s development through strategies such as open communication and instilling values: “You definitely have to put your energy into molding them as small little human beings. So, when they become bigger, they'll know how to make better choices and decisions” [Participant 1]. (4) Parents reported restricting their children to the home and withdrawing from their neighborhoods: “Well, for me –– I'm a person that most[ly] stays by myself –– I go out to work, travel, and I come home.” [Participant 6]. (5) Parents discussed access to resources in their neighborhoods and strategies they partake in to overcome lack of access: “Like swim lessons or karate –– I have to take my daughter outside the neighborhood to go to these things” [Participant 1]. (6) Parents discussed the importance of emotional, instrumental, and informational support and the challenges when these supports are absent from their environment: “I like it when it's a family environment when there are other children that they can play with” [Participant 5]. (7) Finally, parents emphasized the importance of early childhood across the themes: “I think she's too young. My daughter is four, so that's a little too much [to be exposed to kids smoking at the park]” [Participant 1]. Qualitative results provided context for understanding how neighborhood conditions affect parenting. The findings highlight that parents from more disadvantaged neighborhoods may engage in adaptive parenting strategies in response to their contextual environment, and strong community ties may promote responsive parenting. Taken together, findings highlight that policies and interventions focused on improving neighborhood conditions and enhancing social cohesion may alleviate the burden that parents take on to compensate for neighborhood-level stressors. This study's strengths include using a community-based participatory approach to form an advisory board of parents and professionals to facilitate research collaboration and using qualitative approaches to center the voices of urban parents. This study highlights the importance of neighborhood and environmental equality as a critical step toward racial justice.

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