Patterns of parental socialization of the preventive health behavior of young Mexican origin children

Thirty-eight (38) Mexican origin preschool children and their mothers (and 44 Euro-American mothers and their preschool children) residing in the sout hwestern U.S. were participants in a study of patterns of maternal socializ ation of children's preventive health behaviors. Mothers reported their par enting practices by completing questionnaires about their health beliefs, p arenting beliefs, and parenting practices. Children's handwashing, healthy food selection, and danger avoidance were independently reported by the chi ldren's preschool teachers. Patterns of parent beliefs and parenting practi ces that contributed to children's autonomous performance of healthy and sa fe behavior, as reported independently by the children's teachers, were ide ntified. Moreover, these patterns were unique and not similarly associated with the successful maternal health socialization of the Euro-American pres choolers. In addition, the findings demonstrated some domain specificity of Mexican origin maternal socialization practices whereby specific parenting strategies were differentially related to three different healthy and safe behaviors. Theoretically, the findings of this study provide information a bout unique family processes associated with ethnicity that impact on the p arenting behavior of Mexican origin parents and that serve to socialize you ng children's health and safety. These findings can additionally inform cul turally appropriate interventions designed to improve children's health out comes.