This study explored cultural socialization practices, their relationship to demographic-, child-, and adoption-related factors, and parents' perceptions of closeness and satisfaction with adoption among international and domestic transracially adopted children. Data from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents indicated that parents rely on socialization practices that require little to no integration with people of the children's race/ethnicity. Participation in post-adoption support groups, education, and online resources were related to cultural socialization practices. Two of nine practices were related to international transracial adoptive parent's perceptions of closeness with their child and satisfaction with adoption. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Background The internet has emerged as a main venue of health information delivery and health-related activities. However, few studies have examined how health literacy determines online health-related behavior. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the current level of health-related information-seeking using the internet and how health literacy, access to technology, and sociodemographic characteristics impact health-related information-seeking behavior. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study through a survey with Minnesotan adults (N=614) to examine their health literacy, access to technology, and health-related information-seeking internet use. We used multivariate regression analysis to assess the relationship between health-related information-seeking on the internet and health literacy and access to technology, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results Better health literacy (β=.35, SE 0.12) and greater access to technological devices (eg, mobile phone and computer or tablet PC; β=.06, SE 0.19) were both associated with more health-related information-seeking behavior on the internet after adjusting for all other sociodemographic characteristics. Possession of a graduate degree (β=.28, SE 0.07), female gender (β=.15, SE 0.05), poor health (β=.22, SE 0.06), participation in social groups (β=.13, SE 0.05), and having an annual health exam (β=.35, SE 0.12) were all associated with online health-related information-seeking. Conclusions Our findings indicate that access to online health-related information is not uniformly distributed throughout the population, which may exacerbate disparities in health and health care. Research, policy, and practice attention are needed to address the disparities in access to health information as well as to ensure the quality of the information and improve health literacy.

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To date, there is no clear conceptual model or framework in the literature of factors that affect parents’ decisions in socializing their transracially adopted children. Such a model is needed to assist social workers and other professionals working with international transracial adoptive families by providing information about factors that can improve parents’ cultural and racial socialization practices. Based on an extensive review of the literature, this article proposes a conceptual model of factors that influence transracial adoptive parents’ cultural and racial socialization practices. A review and definition of these factors are included. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

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