Flourishing of Latinx and Asian Children and Youth across Immigrant Generations

Background:

Flourishing represents a positive state of mental health and well-being which contributes to happiness, life satisfaction, engagement, accomplishments, and fulfillment among children and ultimately reduces the risk of mental health issues. However, social work research has mainly focused on mental health problems and deficits, neglecting the context of positive psychology. The purpose of this study is firstly, to explore the state of flourishing in Latinx and Asian children across immigrant generations. The study furthers its exploration to identify key factors that may promote flourishing among Latinx and Asian children and youth by immigrant generation.

Methods:

2020-2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, a nationally representative parent-proxy survey of children in the United States was used. This study focused on Latinx and Asian children (n=10,783) aged between 6 and 17 years of age. Three items assessed distinct aspects of flourishing, including children’s interest and curiosity in learning new things; tendency to finish the tasks they start; and ability to stay calm and in control when faced with challenges. Flourishing was recoded into a dichotomous variable based on whether the child showed positive results for all three items. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with the flourishing of Latinx and Asian children. Social determinants of health such as structural factors (income, adequate health insurance, parents’ education), adverse childhood experiences, discrimination, and neighborhood factors (safety, support, built environment) were included in the model. Finally, family-level factors (sleep time, screen time, family interaction) were tested as protective factors.

Results:

Analyses showed that the first-generation Latinx and Asian children and youth have higher rates of flourishing (68.1%) than the second (65.3%) and third generations (56.8%; χ² =91.52, p<.001). In contrast, third-generation immigrant group (31.2%) had the highest prevalence of having any type of mental health problems (χ²=382.38, p<.001). There were also differences in the distribution of various social determinants by immigration generation. Generational differences were also identified in family talking to each other (χ² =19.72, p<.001), solving problems together (χ²=33.76, p<.001), and eating meals together (χ²=141.67, p<.001). Results of logistic regression analysis showed that being first-generation had higher chance of achieving flourishing compared to third-generation (OR=1.70, p<.001) and second-generation (OR=.1.52, p<.001). Particularly, children and youth who sleep recommended age-appropriate hours (OR=1.17, p<.001), spend more time talking (OR=1.17, p<.01), solve problems together (OR=1.72, p<.001), and have meals more together (OR=1.20, p<.001) were more likely to flourish.

Conclusions and Implications:

Analyses verified the difference of flourishing by immigrant generation. Children whose families had immigrated in earlier generations were less likely to achieve flourishing indicating the loss of strength that the immigrant families might have lost during the acculturation process. Meanwhile, strong family relationships and a supportive environment were essential for the children’s flourishing, providing evidence to focus on preventive and early intervention strategies that promote protective factors of family cohesion in social practice. Culturally competent to the culture, family-centered interventions focusing on building resilience, strengthening relationships, and developing coping skills will help Latinx and Asian children to navigate future challenges and adversities.