Familismo, respeto, and caballerismo: Cultural values as buffers against links between psychological distress and U.S. Mexican-origin fathers’ positive parenting practices

Abstract

Understanding the role of cultural value endorsement in promoting positive parenting is important for studies on Mexican-origin fathers who face risks for exposure to psychological stress. Studies have yet to account for specific cultural values that are particularly pertinent to Mexican-origin fathers. Using a community sample of U.S. Mexican-origin fathers (N = 85) of 3 to 6-year-old children, this study tested the independent influences of psychological distress and three cultural values (familismo, respeto, caballerismo) on fathers’ positive parenting practices, and whether endorsement of these cultural values moderates these associations. Findings from hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated an inverse relationship between psychological distress and supportive coparenting when fathers endorsed low levels of familismo along with an inverse link between psychological distress and father accessibility and engagement when fathers reported low levels of respeto. The findings point to the implications of considering culturally-specific factors that foster positive parenting to inform interventions among Mexican-origin families.