Literature Review Sample on Parenting Style and Nutritional Strategies Among Migrants in Michigan

The relationship between parenting styles, childrens eating abilities and health outcomes on children has been a significant focus of many studies in psychology. Fundamentally, the parenting style has been proven to have a considerable influence in determining the eating behaviors, daily activities, and the cognitive functioning as well as the development of their children. Various studies have shown that the impacts of the parental style on childrens health behaviors may depend on the characteristics of the child. It means that the overweight children and girls will respond differently to a particular parenting style than the healthy children or boys. This effect is also likely to demonstrate creatively by the children from different ethnic and culturally backgrounds. Numerous studies focus have focused on the diversity and variation in family income and parental education that affect health and eating behavior among children of migrant families in Michigan. Understanding the health practices and parental response of children from diverse cultural backgrounds is essential in assisting researchers to develop culturally appropriate parenting interventions. The focus of this paper is therefore to the manner in which how the different parenting styles that mostly affects health and eating habit and which parenting style is common among Michigan migrants parents.

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Parental Style, and its effects on Eating habits and Health Outcomes

The parenting styles such as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and the neglectful, the strict significantly affects the health and eating behavior of children. However, the cultural values offer a general or initial template for guiding the parental decisions and socialization practices. Based on the fact that the attitudes of the parents towards the child bringing are affected by cultural norms and sociocultural issues, the parental methods vary across ethnic groups. The Michigan farms are mainly made up of the Mexican American, Mexican Immigrants, and Latinos among migrants from other states such as Texas and Florida.

The studies show that authoritarian parents are those that believe that children are, through nature strong-willed and self-indulgent. Ideally, this kind of parent value obedience to a higher authority. In this way, they see their primary obligation, and role is to mold a child towards that authority. Notably, they will always dictate what their children will feed on and also set certain guidelines that need to be followed by their children. In this sense, therefore, children from this type of families and parents avoid the risks of developing disorders associated with lack of food. Conceivably, the Authoritative parenting is those that are strict, consistent and loving, but have values and beliefs regarding parenting are issue-oriented and pragmatic and are not influenced by any other external factors. Regarding feeding, this kind of parents focuses on allowing their children to exercise self-control, especially regarding the food they would like to consume.

Various studies have shown that children from such families are at the most significant risk health disorders as a result of unhealthy eating behaviors. It is based on the low sensitivity since the parents do not offer emotional support and are not keen on what the children feed themselves. The permissive parenting is a type of parenting style characterized by low demands with high responsiveness. They tend to be loving and provide guidelines and rules. In this way, therefore, they will offer an appropriate direction regarding the kind of food their children should consume. The neglectful parents are those that do not bother the type of food their children consume.

In the study materials analyzed in making this report, the most common parenting style among migrants in Michigan is authoritarian. The migrants' children are mostly well-behaved and have good eating habits. The farmworkers are inclined to hard work and have inculcated the discipline into their children. They seem to have inherited the characteristics from their parents. However, the acculturation aspect has also influenced their upbringing, and most of them are beginning to raise their children the American way. The trend is picking up of parents being neglectful and highly permissive.

The government should look after the impending danger of this alarming trend. The already high numbers of immigrants in Michigan is already a challenge. The danger is of the future generation where most of the children will be having health issues such as obesity leading to heart failures and bad eating habits disorders in the American population. Such costs are high and impact the economy of America negatively.

In conclusion, a good parenting style varies from one family to another, and the focus should be towards creating a healthy and responsible adult. The best way entails exercising control whenever necessary and being there at all times to support the kids both physically and emotionally. Working towards a future healthy generation's demand that parents have to get it right from home.

References

Kafeero, Israel M., "Patterns and Challenges of Parenting School-Age Children Among Selected Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Parents in Southwest Michigan: a Multiple-Case Study" (2009). Dissertations. 479.

Arcury TA, Marin AJ. Latino/Hispanic farmworkers and farm work in the eastern United States: the context for health, safety, and justice. In: Arcury TA, Quandt SA, editors. Latino Farmworkers in the Eastern United States: Health, Safety and Justice. Springer; New York: 2009. pp. 1536.

Quandt S, Grzywacz J, Trejo G, Arcury T. Nutritional strategies of Latino farmworker families with preschool children: Identifying leverage points for obesity prevention. 2015.

Kristin S. HOEFT E. Mexican-American mothers initiation and understanding of home oral hygiene for young children. PubMed Central (PMC). 2012. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3523181/. Accessed March 20, 2017.

Arcury TA, Weir M, Chen H, Summers P, Pelletier LE, Galvan L, Quandt SA. Migrant farmworker housing regulation violations in North Carolina. Am J Ind Med. 2012; 55:191204.

Arredondo EM, Elder JP, Ayala GX, Campbell N, Baquero B, Duerksen S. Is parenting style related to children's healthy eating and physical activity in Latino families? Health Education Research.

Parenting styles and children's eating behaviours. seacoastonline.com. http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20101031/LIFE/10310311. Published October 29, 2010. Accessed March 21, 2017.