The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of the Mexican American Problem Solving (MAPS) intervention, designed to enhance Mexican immigrant mother and child mental health through problem solving steps enhancing family adaptation and children's school adjustment. A report to Congress on September 8, 1998 warned that immigrant children are in a state of emergency regarding access to health care. In the US, first, second, and third generation, Mexican immigrant children have had an average poverty rate of about 50% since 1960, as compared to 13-19% of Non-Latino, White children. A major determinant of morbidity and mortality, this level of poverty indicates the need for tested culturally sensitive, family interventions that address poor immigrant children's health problems. MAPS is guided by the Mexican American Problem Solving Model, a derivation of Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior. The MAPS intervention consists of mother-child problem solving steps of STOP, THINK AND ACT, with culturally sensitive activities delivered in linked home visits to mothers and after school- based classes to children over one semester (20 weeks). The study is a two-group, randomized field experiment. The 300 participating mother- child dyads from 4th and 5th grades and recruited in 6 waves (50 dyads per wave), will be drawn from Chicago Public Schools randomly assigned to Intervention or Control groups.
The specific aims are to AIM 1. Determine the efficacy of the MAPS intervention by comparing change scores (from pre and post intervention) of family adaptation, mother's mental health, child's mental health and school adjustment between both groups;
AIM 2. Track the effects of the MAPS intervention from 20 weeks to 60 weeks post baseline on family adaptation, mother's mental health, child's mental health and school adjustment over time.
AIM 3. Determine if changes in family adaptation are associated with changes in mother's mental health, child's mental health and school adjustment for those dyads receiving the MAPS intervention compared to those dyads not receiving the MAPS intervention;
AIM 4. Identify those background variables (demographic variables: child's age and gender, mother's age, education, partner status, economic status, length of time in the USA; social influence variables: acculturation and family hardiness; and previous experience variables: family stress, and child stress) and child personal characteristic variables (child health self concept and self esteem) that impact the efficacy of the MAPS intervention on change scores of family adaptation, mother's mental health, child's mental health and school adjustment for those dyads completing the MAPS intervention. Descriptive statistics of variables of interest will be provided and planned analyses include comparisons of change scores.
| Cowell, Julia Muennich; McNaughton, Diane; Ailey, Sarah et al. (2009) Clinical Trail Outcomes of the Mexican American Problem Solving Program (MAPS). Hisp Health Care Int 7:179-189 |
| Cowell, Julia Muennich; Gross, Deborah; McNaughton, Diane et al. (2005) Depression and suicidal ideation among Mexican American school-aged children. Res Theory Nurs Pract 19:77-94 |
| McNaughton, Diane B; Cowell, Julia Muennich; Gross, Deborah et al. (2004) The relationship between maternal and child mental health in Mexican immigrant families. Res Theory Nurs Pract 18:229-42 |
