A longitudinal mediation analysis of the effect of Aboriginal Australian mothers' experience of perceived racism on children’s social and emotional well-being

Abstract

Objectives: It is known that parental experiences of perceived racism are associated with poorer mental health in children. However, little is known about the mechanism of transmission of intergenerational racism among Aboriginal Australians. This study aims to explore the causal effect of Aboriginal mothers’ experience of perceived racism on children’s social and emotional well-being mediated by parenting sense of competence. Method: Pregnant Aboriginal women (N = 159) reported their experiences of perceived racism using the Measure of Indigenous Racism Experiences instrument, and completed a five year follow-up survey, reporting their sense of parenting competence using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale and their child’s social and emotional well-being using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A single causal mediation analysis was used to examine the causal effects while accounting for confounding variables (mother’s age, education, and socioeconomic status). Results: Mothers who experienced perceived racism in at least one setting were at an increased odds of their child experiencing social and emotional difficulties (OR = 1.28, 95% CI [0.55, 2.98]). This effect was not mediated by parenting sense of competence, despite an effect between parenting competence and children’s social and emotional well-being (OR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.19, 1.06]). Conclusions: The findings suggest that maternal experiences of perceived racism has a longitudinal effect on their children’s social and emotional well-being, which is not mediated through the mothers’ parenting sense of competence. These findings highlight the importance of reducing racism as these may have far-reaching effects across generations on socio-social and emotional well-being.