The Feasibility of Mothers Accepting Health Advice from their Adolescent Daughters

The influence of mothers on the health behaviors of their adolescent daughters has been well established; however, little work has focused on the potential of daughters to influence the health behaviors of their mothers. To assess the feasibility of mothers accepting cancer advice from their daughters, 12 focus groups were conducted with 75 African American and Hispanic mothers from inner-city neighborhoods in a Midwestern city in the United States. By means of the focus groups, researchers investigated whether mothers would allow their adolescent daughters to give them health advice and the extent to which cultural norms would affect if, and how, mothers listen to such advice. This study illustrates the potential of daughter-initiated health advice and identifies the cultural challenges associated with it. The results suggest that health promotion programs aimed at the mother might involve adolescent daughters as influential opinion leaders within the family.