FACHS - Family and Community Health StudyPersonnel The Family and Community Health Study (FACHS) is a longitudinal investigation of almost 900 African-American families, half of whom live in Iowa and half of whom live in Georgia. The study is concerned with the manner in which both family process and community characteristics influence child development. The neighborhoods being studied are located in small town and rural areas where the residents range from relatively poor to quite affluent. The study focuses on issues such as whether a strong family can protect a child from the risks associated with life in a disadvantaged community; or conversely, whether living in a strong community can protect children from the negative influence of a family experiencing significant problems. Project Goals Some of the goals of this project include: • Identifying individual- and community-level protective factors that lessen the risk of distress and psychiatric disorder among African American parents. • Investigating the trajectories of marital and romantic relationships over time and their impact on mental health. • Examining protective aspects of African American family dynamics that enable children to resist opportunities to engage in high-risk behavior. • Examining the roles of parents, personality and peers on the development of high-risk behavior. • Tracking the development of risk attitudes and cognitions on decision-making regarding high-risk behavior. Preliminary Results • Children from families characterized by more harsh, inconsistent disciplinary practices and less nurturance and consistency are more likely to display conduct problems. This finding is stronger for children living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods than for those living in less disadvantaged surroundings. (Brody et al, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2003). • Older siblings’ academic performance is negatively associated with younger siblings’ conduct problems. That is, when older siblings do better in school, their younger siblings display less behavior problems. This finding is also stronger for children living in more disadvantaged surroundings (Brody et al, JCCP, 2003). • African-American mothers who experience higher levels of stress report more symptoms of depression and anxiety. As well, maternal distress is linked to the quality of mother-child relationships and intimate partnerships. These links are stronger for mothers who are experiencing higher levels of racial discrimination (Murry et al, Journal of Marriage & the Family, 2001). Timeline Approximately 422 African-American families with adolescent children living in northeast Georgia are participating in this study. Cohort One, which consists of 210 families, were interviewed in 1997, 1999 and again in 2002. Cohort Two, the remaining 212 families, were interviewed in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Data collection for these two samples will continue through 2007. Links |
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