Alison Teyhan, Maria Maynard, Melissa Whitrow, Seeromanie Harding

1
Social and Public Health Sciences
Unit www.msoc-mrc.gla.ac.uk
Aspects of cultural identity and mental health
in Black African origin adolescents in the DASH
study
OR
Alison Teyhan, Maria Maynard, Melissa Whitrow,
Seeromanie Harding MRC, Social and Public Health
Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Scotland
Introduction Studies in the US and in Australia
have shown that increasing acculturation does not
necessarily promote better health. Acculturation
generally refers to the change in cultural norms
arising from the interaction of different
cultures. In Britain, very little is known about
this process and its impact on health. We are
using the MRC DASH (Determinants of Adolescent
Social well-being and Health) study to examine
the relationship between aspects of cultural
identity and mental health in adolescence. We are
also examining the role of gender, generational
status and socio-economic circumstances (SES). We
present preliminary results for Black Caribbeans
and Black Africans, groups of similar African
ancestry but of different historic experiences.
Sample Characteristics
N

Cultural identity factors prevalence of poor
mental health by ethnicity
Ethnicity
White UK
1236
18.6
Black
Nigerian /
Other
Black Caribbean
946
14.3
White UK
Caribbean
Ghanaian
African
Nigerian/Ghanaian
621
9.4




Other African
487
7.3
Proportion of friends of same
Indian
495
7.5
ethnicity
Pakistani/Bangladeshi
631
9.5
Most
23.1
27.9
26.6
16.6
Mixed
848
12.8
Quite a lot
33.7
33.8
32.5
25.3
White Others
726
11.0
Some or none
37.9
27.9
32.1
43.5
All Others
642
9.7
Speaking English with family
Proportion of friends of same ethnicity
Most or all of the time
68.9
51.9
15.2
Most
1310
19.8
Quite a lot
4.2
17.4
16.0
Quite a lot
1988
30.0
Some or none
Sometimes
5.0
11.9
33.1
2614
39.4
Speaking English with family
Rarely or never
7.8
5.2
16.2
Most of the time
3154
47.6
Visiting place of worship
Quite a lot of the time
735
11.1
gt1/week
8.6
37.7
75.0
52.0
Sometimes
1263
19.0
lt1/week
29.8
37.4
12.2
25.1
Method Just over 6,600 pupils aged 11-13 years in
51 schools in 11 London boroughs took part in
Wave 1. Information was collected on social
circumstances, health behaviours and
psychological well-being. Ethnicity was
determined by self reported ethnic origin and
consistent background of parents and
grandparents. Africans were classified as those
that have been migrating since the 1950s
(Nigerians, Ghanaians) and those with relatively
recent migration history (Ethiopians, Somalis,
Eritreans etc). Cultural identity was measured by
ethnic mix of friends, use of English with family
and friends, and active membership of a religious
congregation. The scales for these measures
reflect increasing integration. For example most
friends of the same ethnicity reflect relative
lack of integration as compared to those with
some or no friends of same ethnicity. SES was
measured by a combination of standard of living
and economic activity of father. Mental health
was measured using the strengths and difficulties
questionnaire (SDQ) giving a total difficulties
score (0-40). A score of gt17.5 was used to
identify potential mental health problems.
Little or no English
525
7.9
Never
55.2
12.7
2.4
9.2
Visiting place of worship
SDQ Score gt17.5
13.2
11.8
10.5
8.0
Once a week or more
2389
36.0
100 refers to sample size of ethnic group
Less than once a week
1906
28.7
Never
1536
23.6
Cultural Identity, Socioeconomic Status and
Mental Health Odds ratios (OR), 95 confidence
intervals from multiple regression analyses, boys
(left panel), girls (right panel).
a. Ethnicity of friends.
OR
OR
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Black Caribbean
White UK1.00
Black Caribbean
White UK1.00
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Other African
Other African
Unemployed
Unemployed
Father employed1.00
Father employed1.00
Absent father
Absent father
Other
Other
Least disadvantaged1.00
Most disadvantaged
Least disadvantaged1.00
Most disadvantaged
Born in UK 1.00
Born abroad
Born in UK1.00
Born abroad
Friends of same ethnicity. Quite a lot1.00
Most
Friends of same ethnicity. Quite a lot1.00
Most
Some or none
Some or none

• Key points
• Diversity in aspects of cultural identity
• Diverse friendships were common in all groups,
  and greatest for Other Africans, among whom
  English was least used with family members. About
  one fifth of Black Caribbeans spoke Patois with
  family members. About three quarters of Black
  Caribbeans and Nigerians/Ghanaians reported a
  Christian denomination while just under half of
  Other Africans reported that they were Muslims.
  Compared with the White UK group, weekly
  attendance at a place of worship was much higher
  for all 3 groups.
• Protective effect of directly African ethnicity
• Nigerian/Ghanaian ethnicity among boys and Other
  African ethnicity among girls appeared to be
  protective of mental health compared with their
  White UK counterparts, independent of cultural
  identity factors, SES or generational status.
• Interplay between gender and cultural patterning
  of identity
• The relationship between cultural identity and
  mental health is not straightforward and is
  gender specific. Among girls, the prevalence of
  mental health problems was greater among those
  who had either high or low proportion of friends
  of the same ethnicity, suggesting either extreme
  on this scale of acculturation is associated with
  an unfavourable effect but very frequent
  attendance at a place of worship, a tradition in
  Black African and Caribbean communities, was
  associated with a protective effect. The
  unfavourable effect of having a low proportion of
  friends of the same ethnicity was strongest for
  White UK girls and that of no church attendance
  for Caribbean girls.
• Work in progress
• Work in progress addresses issues related to
  school and area of residence effects, and
  examines further the role of social support,
  particularly within different family types.

b. Speaking English with family.
OR
OR
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Black Caribbean
White UK1.00
White UK1.00
Black Caribbean
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Other African
Other African
Father employed1.00
Unemployed
Father employed1.00
Unemployed
Absent father
Absent father
Other
Other
Least disadvantaged1.00
Most disadvantaged
Least disadvantaged1.00
Most disadvantaged
Born in UK 1.00
Born abroad
Born abroad1.00
Born in UK1.00
Speak English with family most of the time1.00
Quite a lot
Speaking English with family. Most of the
time1.00
Quite a lot
Sometimes
Sometimes
Rarely or never
Rarely or never
c. Attending place of worship.
OR
OR
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0.2
0.6
1.0
1.4
1.8
2.2
Black Caribbean
Black Caribbean
White UK1.00
White UK1.00
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Nigerian/Ghanaian
Other African
Other African
Father employed1.00
Unemployed
Unemployed
Father employed1.00
Absent father
Absent father
Other
Other
Least disadvantaged1.00
Most disadvantaged
Most disadvantaged
Least disadvantaged1.00
Born in UK1.00
Born abroad
Born abroad
Born in UK1.00
Attend place of worship gt1/week1.00
lt1/week
lt1/week
Attend place of worship gt1/week1.00
Never
Never