Romo Laura F, Lefkowitz Eva S, Sigman Marian, Au Terry K
Departments of Child and Adolescent Development and Chicano Studies, California State University, Northridge, California, USA.
J Adolesc Health. 2002 Jul;31(1):59-69. doi: 10.1016/s1054-139x(01)00402-5.
To learn more about the nature of mother-adolescent discussions about sexuality and their influence on adolescents' behaviors and attitudes in Latino families.
Fifty-five Latino mothers and their midadolescent children (35 girls, 20 boys, mean age 13 years) were observed talking about dating and sexuality. The videotaped conversations were coded for the prevalence of five maternal message types: beliefs and values, advice, cautionary messages, comments about the adolescents' everyday experiences, and maternal self-disclosure about her own dating and sexuality experiences. A structural equation model was used to examined how time spent on the various message types was related to three adolescent-related outcomes collected about 1 year later: sexual behavior, attitudes toward premarital sex, and reports of openness in the mother-child relationship.
Latino mothers focused the conversation on their personal beliefs and values about dating and sexuality. Discussions about beliefs and values were accompanied by more parental advice and cautionary messages. More maternal self-disclosure about personal dating and sexuality experiences was related to the adolescents' reporting a better functioning relationship with their mothers and having more conservative attitudes toward premarital sex. Sexuality communication was both positively and negatively related to adolescent sexual behavior, but the messages were not the same.
Maternal communication in Latino families influences adolescents' behaviors and attitudes toward sex and adolescents' perceptions of openness in the mother-child relationship. Observational methods are useful for studying the complexity of the communication process and for studying participants from ethnic minority populations who may be unfamiliar with or uncomfortable filling out questionnaires.
进一步了解拉丁裔家庭中母亲与青少年关于性取向的讨论的本质，以及这些讨论对青少年行为和态度的影响。
观察了55位拉丁裔母亲及其处于青春期中期的孩子（35名女孩，20名男孩，平均年龄13岁）关于约会和性取向的谈话。对录像对话进行编码，以统计五种母亲信息类型的出现频率：信念和价值观、建议、警示信息、对青少年日常经历的评论，以及母亲关于自己约会和性取向经历的自我披露。使用结构方程模型来研究花在各种信息类型上的时间与大约一年后收集的三个与青少年相关的结果之间的关系：性行为、对婚前性行为的态度，以及母子关系中开放性的报告。
拉丁裔母亲将谈话重点放在她们对约会和性取向的个人信念和价值观上。关于信念和价值观的讨论伴随着更多的父母建议和警示信息。母亲更多地自我披露个人约会和性取向经历，与青少年报告与母亲关系更好、对婚前性行为态度更保守有关。性取向沟通与青少年性行为呈正相关和负相关，但信息并不相同。
拉丁裔家庭中母亲的沟通会影响青少年对性的行为和态度，以及青少年对母子关系开放性的认知。观察方法有助于研究沟通过程的复杂性，以及研究可能不熟悉或不愿意填写问卷的少数民族群体参与者。
