Preadolescents with Immigrant Backgrounds: The Relationship between Emotional Problems, Parental Achievement Values, and Comparison

Authors

  • Daniele Evelin Alves Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  • Kristin Gustavson Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  • Espen Røysamb University of Oslo and Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  • Brit Oppedal Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  • Henrik Daae Zachrisson Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Keywords:

Internalizing symptoms, pressure, comparison, parental achievement, academic expectations, ethnic minority, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU)

Abstract

Background: Although strong parental achievement values have been associated with positive outcomes among children (e.g., academic success), they have also been connected to emotional problems. The latter effect may be the result of pressure related to such things as parental comparison of filial achievement, which appears to be more predominant among immigrant parents as compared with non-immigrant parents.

Objectives: Our goals were to assess the following: 1) whether higher levels of parental achievement values and comparison are found among immigrant preadolescents; and (2) whether comparison (i.e., comparing a child’s achievements with those of siblings and peers) can account for the link between strong parental achievement values and emotional problems among the children of immigrants.

Methods: The sample included 902 preadolescents between the ages of 10 and 12 years from two Norwegian cities: Oslo (79%) and Bergen (21%). Forty-seven percent of the sample had immigrant parents, and the others had non-immigrant parents. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by fifth, sixth, and seventh graders from fourteen schools during normal school hours; the questionnaires were completed after school by students from Turkey and Sri Lanka. The questionnaire included measures of emotional problems, parental achievement values, comparison, and school hassles. We used a moderated mediation model to test whether the relationship between parental achievement values and emotional problems was accounted for by comparison and to look at whether this mediation was stronger for preadolescents with immigrant backgrounds as compared with their non-immigrant peers. Background and academic factors that could confound the unique relationships among the main variables were adjusted for in the analyses.

Results: The association between parental achievement values and emotional problems was found to be mediated by comparison. Higher levels of parental achievement values were associated with more comparison, and this relationship was stronger for preadolescents with immigrant backgrounds. Comparison was only linked to emotional problems in preadolescents with immigrant backgrounds.

Conclusions: This study suggests that stronger parental achievement values among immigrants as compared with non-immigrants in Norway are found as early as preadolescence and that comparison may be part of the link between strong parental achievement values and emotional problems.

Author Biographies

Daniele Evelin Alves, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Division of Mental Health

Kristin Gustavson, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Division of Mental Health

Espen Røysamb, University of Oslo and Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Department of Psychology and Division of Mental Health

Brit Oppedal, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Division of Mental Health

Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Department of Research and Division of Mental Health

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Published

2014-09-15

How to Cite

Alves, D. E., Gustavson, K., Røysamb, E., Oppedal, B., & Zachrisson, H. D. (2014). Preadolescents with Immigrant Backgrounds: The Relationship between Emotional Problems, Parental Achievement Values, and Comparison. Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, 2(3), 124–134. Retrieved from https://tidsskrift.dk/sjcapp/article/view/16326

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