About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 9. Family Context & Processes

Abstract

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Background and Study Aims
Parenting stress, marked by a mismatch between the demands of parenting and available resources (Abidin, 1992) is detrimental to parent and child adjustment. Unsurprisingly, parenting stress is linked with lower parent-child warmth, greater conflict, and higher probability of harsh discipline and maltreatment (Crnic & Low, 2002; Guterman et al., 2009); in turn, children of highly stressed parents are at heightened risk for emotional and behavioral problems (Stone et al., 2016; Rodriguez, 2011). Unmarried parents in low-income households (i.e., “fragile families”) may be disproportionately affected by parenting stress due to their greater parenting demands coupled with a lack of resources (Parkes et al., 2015).
In light of previous work in this area, the correlates of parenting stress are not well understood. For one, most research is limited by a cross-sectional perspective that fails to account for changes in relation to youth development, and in turn, strains of parenting. Of the few studies that explore longitudinal change in parenting stress, findings examine stability and change within periods, such early childhood (e.g., Williford et al., 2007) or adolescence (Putnick et al., 2008) and report mixed evidence regarding patterns of change. Expanding the scope of existing research to understand how these strains develop through childhood and adolescence, the first aim of this study is to examine the trajectory of parenting stress from child ages 3 – 15 years in fragile families. In addition, although family and neighborhood conditions have been identified as important contexts for parenting processes (Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000), the implications of social resources that mitigate strains – especially for at-risk parents – remain understudied. Accordingly, the second aim is to investigate family and neighborhood resources as potential sources of support for parents. Findings from this study will help to identify factors that are salient for parenting stress and elucidate avenues of support for parents in low-income unmarried households, at specific points of child development.

Method
Data came from years 3, 5, 9, and 15 of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) when children were approximately these ages, on average. Primary caregivers completed surveys and in-home interviews. Parental stress was measured with 4 items at each wave (i.e., “I feel trapped by my responsibilities as a parent”) (Abidin, 1995). Time-varying correlates included relationship status and quality, mastery, religiosity, interpersonal support, instrumental support, and neighborhood social support.

Results
Preliminary analysis tested a two-level growth curve model to examine the development of parenting stress in relation to child age. In support of aim 1, findings revealed a significant function of quadratic change in parenting stress across child age (b = .01, SE = 00, p < .01) (Figure 1). To address aim 2, further analyses will test two-level growth curve models to detect time-varying associations between personal and contextual supports and parenting stress. Interactions with child age and regions of significance testing will reveal whether significant associations between supports and parenting stress emerge at certain points in development. Discussion will center on policy and practical implications for mitigating parenting stress in this population.

Author information

Author	Role
Elizabeth Riina, Queens College, CUNY	Presenting author

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