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The Psychiatric Quarterly Dec 2021The aim of the study was to investigate predictors of maternal well-being in mothers of twins. As well as being important in its own right, maternal well-being is a...
The aim of the study was to investigate predictors of maternal well-being in mothers of twins. As well as being important in its own right, maternal well-being is a crucial predictor of parenting (Belsky in Child Dev. 55(1):83, 1984). Based on previous research (Pike et al. in Int J Beh Dev. 30(1):55-66, 2006) we expected that household chaos (Confusion, Hubbub, and Order) and child behavior problems would predict maternal depression, stress and anxiety. The data for the study was taken from the Twins, Family and Behavior Study (TFaB) -- a longitudinal UK study of twins born in 2009 and 2010. One hundred and fifty-eight mothers of twins (M= 6.01 years, SD = 0.50) reported on household chaos, child disruptive behaviors and their own well-being. Higher levels of household chaos were linked to maternal depressive, anxiety and stress related symptoms. More child behavior problems were related to more depressive and stress symptoms but not anxiety. The findings show promise for future research investigating different types of maternal well-being and suggested practical implications, such as intervening on concrete aspects of household chaos to improve maternal well-being.
Topics: Child; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; Family Characteristics; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Mothers; Parenting; Problem Behavior; Twins
PubMed: 34472044
DOI: 10.1007/s11126-021-09947-2 -
BMC Public Health Apr 2022In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and...
BACKGROUND
In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements. To increase their life prospects and reduce the long-term effects of early aversive conditions, it is therefore crucial to understand the risk factors that negatively affect child development and the factors that are instead beneficial. In this study, we tested (i) the effects of different social and environmental stressors on maternal stress levels, (ii) the dynamic relationship between maternal stress and child behavior problems during development, and (iii) the potential promotive (i.e. main) or protective (i.e. buffering) effect of siblings on child behavior problems during development.
METHODS
We used longitudinal data from 373 mother-child pairs (188 daughters, 185 sons) from pregnancy until 10 years of age. We assessed maternal stress and child behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing) with validated questionnaires, and then used linear mixed models, generalized linear mixed models and longitudinal cross-lagged models to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Our results showed that higher maternal stress levels were predicted by socio-environmental stressors (i.e. the lack of sufficient social areas in the neighborhood). Moreover, prenatal maternal stress reliably predicted the occurrence of behavior problems during childhood. Finally, the presence of older siblings had a promotive function, by reducing the likelihood that children developed externalizing problems.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, our results confirm the negative effects that maternal stress during pregnancy may have on the offspring, and suggest an important main effect of older siblings in promoting a positive child development.
Topics: Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Female; Humans; Mothers; Pregnancy; Problem Behavior; Siblings
PubMed: 35488325
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13261-2 -
International Journal of Environmental... Aug 2022This study aimed to determine the association between coparenting behavior and children's externalizing and internalizing problems and possible factors that may moderate... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This study aimed to determine the association between coparenting behavior and children's externalizing and internalizing problems and possible factors that may moderate their associations. A meta-analysis of 93 studies involving 41,207 participants found that coparenting behavior was slightly and significantly related to externalizing problems, r = -0.17, 95% CI [-0.194, -0.15], and internalizing problems, r = -0.16, 95% CI [-0.18, -0.14]. In addition, coparenting integrity, cooperation, conflict, competitiveness, and triangulation were significantly related to externalizing and internalizing problems. Moderation analyses revealed the following findings: (a) data reporter moderated the association between coparenting and internalizing problems, with children-report coparenting showing a significantly stronger relation with internalizing symptom than father-report coparenting; (b) developmental stage was found to moderate the association between coparenting behavior and externalizing problems, with stronger association found in childhood than in toddlerhood; (c) female percentage, individualism-collectivism culture, research methods, and publication year were not found to moderate the association between coparenting behavior and externalizing or internalizing problems. These findings help summarize the previous studies and provide an empirical basis for the relation between coparenting and child externalizing/internalizing problems, and benefits targeted interventions towards coparenting behaviors.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Family; Female; Humans; Problem Behavior; Social Adjustment
PubMed: 36011980
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610346 -
Developmental Medicine and Child... Jul 2021Extreme weather events (EWEs) are increasing in frequency and severity as the planet continues to become warmer. Resulting disasters have the potential to wreak havoc on... (Review)
Review
Extreme weather events (EWEs) are increasing in frequency and severity as the planet continues to become warmer. Resulting disasters have the potential to wreak havoc on the economy, infrastructure, family unit, and human health. Global estimates project that children will be disproportionately impacted by the changing climate - shouldering 88% of the related burdens. Exposure to EWEs in childhood is traumatic, with ramifications for mental health specifically. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety have all been associated with childhood EWE exposure and have the potential to persist under certain circumstances. Conversely, many childhood survivors of EWE also demonstrate resilience and experience only transient symptoms. While the majority of studies are focused on the effects resulting from one specific type of disaster (hurricanes), we have synthesized the literature across the various types of EWEs. We describe psychological symptoms and behavior, the potential for long-term effects, and potential protective factors and risk factors. What this paper adds Climate change-related phenomena such as extreme weather events (EWEs) have the potential to impact mood and behavior in children. Posttraumatic stress (PTS) is the most common mental health consequence in child survivors of EWEs. PTS is often comorbid with depression and/or anxiety in this group.
Topics: Affect; Child; Child Behavior; Extreme Weather; Humans; Mental Health; Resilience, Psychological
PubMed: 33720406
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14856 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems are associated with a variety of negative child outcomes, but these conclusions have been drawn from research that...
Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems are associated with a variety of negative child outcomes, but these conclusions have been drawn from research that usually compares children in families with two biological, married parents to all other family types. We compare behavior problems across two-parent, single-mother, and single-father families, which allows us to explore competing gender theories as possible explanations for why child behavior outcomes may be different across these three categories. Results from analyses of the UK Millennium Cohort Study suggest that while children in both single-mother and single-father families initially look like they experience more behavior problems than those in two-parent families, controlling for physical and, especially, social resources explains potential differences. Similarly, when single mothers and single fathers occupy similar family environments in terms of physical and social resources, their children report similar behavior. In contrast to findings from the US, children of single mothers who occupy similar family environments as children in two-parent families in terms of resources perform slightly better in terms of externalizing behavior problems than their two-parent counterparts. We conclude that constructivist theories more accurately explain gendered parenting behavior and its consequences for child behavior problems. Environmental factors such as income, parental closeness, and participation in extracurricular activities have a significant effect on child behavior problems.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Male; Cohort Studies; Parenting; Problem Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Child Behavior; Mothers; Fathers
PubMed: 36554609
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416726 -
Scientific Reports May 2019Whereas epidemiologic studies consistently identify different rates and types of problematic behavior in boys and girls, there has been little research examining the...
Whereas epidemiologic studies consistently identify different rates and types of problematic behavior in boys and girls, there has been little research examining the ecocultural context in which these gender differences in child behavior problems develop, especially in non-Western settings. This qualitative study in rural Nepal explored how behavioral expectations differed based on gender role, gender discrimination, inequity, and treatment of children based on their gender identity. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a total of 14 parents, school workers, and community leaders from a village in rural Nepal. Interview transcripts were coded by two authors using predetermined and emergent codes to identify expectations, behavior problems, and responses to behavior problems, stratified by gender. Authors then arranged codes into categories based on emergent themes. Four major themes in the interviews were identified: (1) self-reported gender non-bias; (2) differentiated role expectations; (3) gender, "goodness", and differential thresholds for problem behaviors; and (4) boys and girls require different responses for misbehavior. Results from our study in Nepal reflect nearly universal models of gender differences in behavior. Of particular importance in South Asia, patrilocal marital practices were used to frame gender differences in expectations. To protect girls' future potential to marry, local cultural practices provide girls with lesser opportunities and less cultural space to conduct themselves in a disruptive manner than boys. Greater understanding of differential expectations and responses to disruptive behaviors by gender will be important for culturally-appropriate equitable programming in child development.
Topics: Adult; Attitude; Child; Child Behavior; Cultural Characteristics; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nepal; Problem Behavior; Rural Population; Sexism
PubMed: 31113970
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43972-3 -
Psychological Assessment Mar 2022The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) both measure emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents, and...
The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) both measure emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents, and scores on the two instruments are highly correlated. When administrative needs compel practitioners to change the instrument used or data from the two measures are combined to perform pooled analyses, it becomes necessary to compare scores on the two instruments. To enable such comparisons, we score linked three domains (Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems) of the CBCL and SDQ in three age groups spanning 2-17 years. After assessing linking assumptions, we compared item response theory (IRT) and equipercentile linking methods to identify the most statistically justifiable link, ultimately selecting equipercentile linking with loglinear smoothing due to its minimal bias and the ability to link raw SDQ scores with both T-scores and raw scores from the CBCL. We derived crosswalk conversion tables to convert scores on one measure to the metric of the other and discuss the use of these tables in research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adolescent; Checklist; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Humans; Problem Behavior; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34843282
DOI: 10.1037/pas0001083 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023A large body of literature suggests that children living with two married, biological parents on average have fewer behavior problems than those who do not. What is less...
A large body of literature suggests that children living with two married, biological parents on average have fewer behavior problems than those who do not. What is less clear is why this occurs. Competing theories suggest that resource deficiencies and parental selectivity play a part. We suggest that examining different contexts can help adjudicate among different theoretical explanations as to how family structure relates to child behavior problems. In this paper, we use data from the Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), and the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) to examine the relationship between family structure and child behavior problems. Specifically, we look at how living in several configurations of biological and social parents may relate to child behavior problems. Findings suggest both similarities and differences across the three settings, with explanations in the UK results favoring selectivity theories, US patterns suggesting that there is a unique quality to family structure that can explain outcomes, and the Australian results favoring resource theories.
Topics: Child; Humans; Child, Preschool; United States; Longitudinal Studies; Cohort Studies; Family Structure; Australia; Problem Behavior; United Kingdom; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders
PubMed: 36767146
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031780 -
Lancet (London, England) Jul 2021Physical punishment is increasingly viewed as a form of violence that harms children. This narrative review summarises the findings of 69 prospective longitudinal... (Review)
Review
Physical punishment is increasingly viewed as a form of violence that harms children. This narrative review summarises the findings of 69 prospective longitudinal studies to inform practitioners and policy makers about physical punishment's outcomes. Our review identified seven key themes. First, physical punishment consistently predicts increases in child behaviour problems over time. Second, physical punishment is not associated with positive outcomes over time. Third, physical punishment increases the risk of involvement with child protective services. Fourth, the only evidence of children eliciting physical punishment is for externalising behaviour. Fifth, physical punishment predicts worsening behaviour over time in quasi-experimental studies. Sixth, associations between physical punishment and detrimental child outcomes are robust across child and parent characteristics. Finally, there is some evidence of a dose-response relationship. The consistency of these findings indicates that physical punishment is harmful to children and that policy remedies are warranted.
Topics: Child; Child Behavior; Child Protective Services; Child Rearing; Domestic Violence; Humans; Parent-Child Relations; Punishment
PubMed: 34197808
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00582-1 -
PloS One 2021This study examines the mediation effect of parental involvement and psychological Suzhi between the relationship of parent-child attachment and good behavior habits in...
This study examines the mediation effect of parental involvement and psychological Suzhi between the relationship of parent-child attachment and good behavior habits in Chinese children. The participants comprised 563 children from four Chinese kindergartens (4.41±0.96) whose parents reported measures of parent-child attachment, parental involvement, psychological Suzhi, and good behavior habits in their children. The results indicated that (1) Parental attachment, parental involvement and psychological Suzhi were positively correlated with good behavior habits of young children; (2) Parental involvement and psychological Suzhi mediated the relationship between parent-child attachment and good behavior habits in children separately; (3) Parent-child attachment indirectly affected children's good behavior habits through the path of "parental involvement and psychological Suzhi."
Topics: Child; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; Female; Habits; Humans; Male; Parent-Child Relations; Parents
PubMed: 33406070
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241586