Communication and Bonding Between African-American Middle School Girls and Their Maternal Figures.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the associations between bonding, communication, and maternal monitoring of daughters' behaviors among a sample of African-Americans girls and their maternal figures. The relationship between the frequency of church attendance and the mother-daughter relationship was also explored. A correlational analysis was conducted on 101 African-American adolescents and their maternalfigures recruitedfrom middle schools. Girls completed the Maternal Bonding, Mother-Adolescent Communication, and Maternal Monitoring scales while maternalfigures completed the parent versions of the Mother-Adolescent Communication and Monitoring Scales. The findings revealed that maternal monitoring, as perceived by girls and mothers, is related to increased communication between mothers and daughters. Greater church attendance was related to greater perceived maternal bonding for girls. We recommend that nurses use strategies to enhance communication between girls and their maternalfigures and to increase maternal monitoring of daughters' behavior to reduce health risk behaviors among African-American girls.