Page 70 - Petelin, Ana, et al. 2019. Eds. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of Children and Adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 70
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 68 defined as “elements that combine to create the emotional climate in which
parents communicate their attitudes about their child […] conveyed through
body language, temper, tone of voice, emotional displays, and quality of atten-
tion.” (Bornstein and Zlotnik, 2008: 497; also see Darling and Steinberg, 1993:
488). Research shows that authoritative parenting (characteristic of parents
who exhibit responsiveness/warmth and demandingness/strictness toward
the child) is most favourable for child and adolescent well-being (Baumrind,
1968; Maccoby and Martin, 1983; Steinberg, 2001; Steinberg and Morris, 2001).
For example, it is positively associated with young person’s health, self-esteem
and life-satisfaction, and lowers the likelihood of depression (Milevsky et al.,
2007; Zahra et al., 2013) and is linked to other positive developmental outcomes
(Hancock Hoskins, 2014). It is also associated with better academic outcomes
(Dornbusch et al., 1987; Majumder, 2016; Cupar, 2018) and lower rates of devi-
ant behaviour (Rhucharoenpornpanich et al., 2010), including substance use
(Becoña et al., 2012; Calafat et al., 2014).
Perceived discrimination, health and substance use
Parenting is important not only for child’s wellbeing, but it may also play an
important role in dealing child’s other experiences. One of them is perceived
discrimination, which is one’s perception of how unfairly s/he is being treated
within the social environment, usually due to his/her personal attributes, such
as gender, age, race/ethnicity, or other personal characteristics (Kessler et al.,
1999). Perceived discrimination has previously been found to be linked with
numerous negative health outcomes, including with low mental and physical
health (Kessler et al., 1999; Pascoe and Smart Richman, 2009). In a meta-anal-�
ysis of the negative impact of perceived discrimination on mental and physi-
cal health, Pascoe and Smart Richman (2009) summarize key findings of stud-
ies on discrimination, emphasizing that perceived discrimination is a social
stressor, and these increase the risk for health problems (Pearlin, 1999). One of
the mechanisms entails discrimination triggering more frequent and more re-
active physiological responses, which can have a negative effect on health (e.g.,
elevated blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels). This may, in turn, de-
crease individual’s protective resources, such as individual’s self-control, there-
by increasing the likelihood of unhealthy behaviours, which may act as cop-
ing mechanisms for dealing with discrimination (Pascoe and Richman, 2009;
Major et al., 2018). In fact, increased likelihood of drug use when experiencing
more frequent discrimination is well-established finding in the literature (Pas-
coe and Richman, 2009; Clark, 2014; Gibbons and Stock, 2018; Neuberg and
Kenrick, 2018).
The moderating role of authoritative parenting in perceived
discrimination, health and substance use links
Despite negative effects of discrimination on health, numerous studies have in-
dicated that one’s personal or group resources may attenuate discrimination’s
parents communicate their attitudes about their child […] conveyed through
body language, temper, tone of voice, emotional displays, and quality of atten-
tion.” (Bornstein and Zlotnik, 2008: 497; also see Darling and Steinberg, 1993:
488). Research shows that authoritative parenting (characteristic of parents
who exhibit responsiveness/warmth and demandingness/strictness toward
the child) is most favourable for child and adolescent well-being (Baumrind,
1968; Maccoby and Martin, 1983; Steinberg, 2001; Steinberg and Morris, 2001).
For example, it is positively associated with young person’s health, self-esteem
and life-satisfaction, and lowers the likelihood of depression (Milevsky et al.,
2007; Zahra et al., 2013) and is linked to other positive developmental outcomes
(Hancock Hoskins, 2014). It is also associated with better academic outcomes
(Dornbusch et al., 1987; Majumder, 2016; Cupar, 2018) and lower rates of devi-
ant behaviour (Rhucharoenpornpanich et al., 2010), including substance use
(Becoña et al., 2012; Calafat et al., 2014).
Perceived discrimination, health and substance use
Parenting is important not only for child’s wellbeing, but it may also play an
important role in dealing child’s other experiences. One of them is perceived
discrimination, which is one’s perception of how unfairly s/he is being treated
within the social environment, usually due to his/her personal attributes, such
as gender, age, race/ethnicity, or other personal characteristics (Kessler et al.,
1999). Perceived discrimination has previously been found to be linked with
numerous negative health outcomes, including with low mental and physical
health (Kessler et al., 1999; Pascoe and Smart Richman, 2009). In a meta-anal-�
ysis of the negative impact of perceived discrimination on mental and physi-
cal health, Pascoe and Smart Richman (2009) summarize key findings of stud-
ies on discrimination, emphasizing that perceived discrimination is a social
stressor, and these increase the risk for health problems (Pearlin, 1999). One of
the mechanisms entails discrimination triggering more frequent and more re-
active physiological responses, which can have a negative effect on health (e.g.,
elevated blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels). This may, in turn, de-
crease individual’s protective resources, such as individual’s self-control, there-
by increasing the likelihood of unhealthy behaviours, which may act as cop-
ing mechanisms for dealing with discrimination (Pascoe and Richman, 2009;
Major et al., 2018). In fact, increased likelihood of drug use when experiencing
more frequent discrimination is well-established finding in the literature (Pas-
coe and Richman, 2009; Clark, 2014; Gibbons and Stock, 2018; Neuberg and
Kenrick, 2018).
The moderating role of authoritative parenting in perceived
discrimination, health and substance use links
Despite negative effects of discrimination on health, numerous studies have in-
dicated that one’s personal or group resources may attenuate discrimination’s
