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Wang Y, Chen X, Wang A, Jordan LP, Lu S. Research Review: Grandparental care and child mental health - a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:568-586. [PMID: 38171720 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of children residing in grandfamilies is growing worldwide, leading to more research attention on grandparental care over the past decades. Grandparental care can influence child well-being in various forms and the effects vary across contexts. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesize the evidence on the relation between grandparental care and children's mental health status. METHODS We identified 5,745 records from seven databases, among which 38 articles were included for review. Random effects meta-analyses were used to synthesize evidence from eligible studies. We also examined the variability across study and participant characteristics, including study design, recruitment method, child age, child gender, study region, family type, comparison group, and outcome rater. RESULTS The meta-analysis consisted of 344,860 children from the included studies, whose average age was 10.29, and of which 51.39% were female. Compared with their counterparts, children being cared for by their grandparents had worse mental health status, including more internalizing problems (d = -0.20, 95% CI [-0.31, -0.09], p = .001), externalizing problems (d = -0.11, 95% CI [-0.21, -0.01], p = .03), overall mental problems (d = -0.37, 95% CI [-0.70, -0.04], p = .03), and poorer socioemotional well-being (d = -0.26, 95% CI [-0.49, -0.03], p = .03). The effects varied by study design and child gender. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight that grandparental care is negatively associated with child mental health outcomes with trivial-to-small effect sizes. More supportive programs and interventions should be delivered to grandfamilies, especially in disadvantaged communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Wang
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Xintai Chen
- Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
| | - Anzhuo Wang
- Department of Sociology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Lucy Porter Jordan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Shuang Lu
- School of Social Work, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
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Rashid L, Bauer A, Bowes L, Creswell C, Halligan S. Maternal experienced bereavement and offspring mental health in early adulthood: the role of modifiable parental factors. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38400700 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is estimated that 78% of children experience the death of a close friend or family member by 16 years of age, yet longitudinal research examining the mental health outcomes of wider experiences of bereavement is scarce. We conducted a longitudinal investigation of the association between maternal experienced bereavement before the age of 11 years and offspring depressive and anxiety disorders at age 18 and examined moderation of this association by modifiable parental factors. METHODS We analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK-based birth cohort, including 9,088 child participants with data available on bereavement. Bereavement was measured via maternal report at eight timepoints until children were 11 years. Offspring depressive and anxiety-related disorders were self-reported at 18 years old using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R). The potential moderating roles of maternal anxiety, maternal depression, parental monitoring, positive parenting and negative parenting practices were examined. RESULTS Maternal experienced bereavement was not associated with depression or anxiety-related disorders in early adulthood among offspring. In addition, no support was found for negative parenting practices, parental monitoring or maternal anxiety and depression as moderators of the relationship between maternal experienced bereavement and offspring mental health problems at 18 years old. Findings in relation to the moderating role of positive parenting practices were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that a large number of children are exposed to maternal experienced bereavement. We found no evidence that maternal experienced bereavement during childhood increases the risk for offspring psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. Several methodological considerations prudent to bereavement research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Rashid
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas Bauer
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
- Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE), Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Lucy Bowes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cathy Creswell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Halligan
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Jalapa K, Wu Q, Tawfiq D, Han S, Lee CR, Pocchio K. Multigenerational Homes Buffered Behavioral Problems among Children of Latinx but not White non-Latinx Mothers. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1391-1405. [PMID: 37227558 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01082-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Guided by a culture-sensitive attachment framework (Keller, 2016), the purpose of the current study was to examine multigenerational homes as moderators on the associations among maternal depressive symptoms, maternal-child attachment, and child behavioral problems, between White and Latinx women. A subsample (n = 2,366) of The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) - previously known as the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study - was used with three time points (at child ages 1-, 3-, and 5-years). Mothers reported their depressive symptoms at child age 1, mother-child attachment at child age 3, and child behavioral problems at child age 5. Home structure was assessed through the mothers' responses at child ages 1 and 3. A path model was used to examine the associations among maternal depressive symptoms, mother-child attachment insecurity, and child behavioral problems, with comparisons among four groups: White non-multigenerational homes, White multigenerational homes, Latinx non-multigenerational homes, and Latinx multigenerational homes. Findings revealed that higher mother-child attachment insecurity at age 3 predicted higher internalizing behaviors at age 5, only among children in Latinx, non-multigenerational homes, but not among those in Latinx, multigenerational homes or White homes. This study revealed significant cultural and ethnical differences in household living arrangements and child wellbeing, with significant theoretical contributions to the understanding of cultural phenomena in attachment research and implications towards designing culturally sensitive intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Jalapa
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States.
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States
| | - Dania Tawfiq
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States
| | - Soojin Han
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States
| | - Cho Rong Lee
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States
| | - Kinsey Pocchio
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 225, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, United States
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Parchment TM, Saran I, Piñeros-Leaño M. An intergenerational examination of retrospective and current depression patterns among Black families. J Affect Disord 2023; 338:60-68. [PMID: 37285944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited information regarding the intergenerational transmission of mental health among three generations (i.e., grandparents, parents, and children) of Black families. Given that intergenerational and kinship ties are integral in Black families, this study explores the context that might contribute to the generational transmission of mental health among Black families. METHODS The present study examined the retrospective family history of mental health among fathers and mothers, current reports of their depression, and their children's internalizing and depressive symptoms among a sample of 2530 Black families from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study using waves 4 to 6. All analyses were conducted using STATA 15.1. RESULTS Focal children's maternal and paternal grandparents' history of mental health was associated with higher odds of depression in their mothers and fathers; in addition, child-internalizing symptoms were associated with a report of depression in maternal grandparents in waves 4 and 5. Children of mothers who were depressed had higher internalizing scores in waves 4, 5, and 6. LIMITATIONS This descriptive study did not account for how parenting might also be protective against childhood internalizing behaviors. A retrospective account may not fully encapsulate a complete understanding of mental health patterns. CONCLUSIONS In treating the mental and behavioral health of Black families, it is essential to focus on multiple generations of family health, given that family history is the strongest predictor of the youth's onset of depression. The utility of these findings in understanding psychological distress and strengths among Black families is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Indrani Saran
- School of Social Work, Boston College, United States
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Savell SM, Saini R, Ramos M, Wilson MN, Lemery‐Chalfant K, Shaw DS. Family processes and structure: Longitudinal influences on adolescent disruptive and internalizing behaviors. FAMILY RELATIONS 2023; 72:361-382. [PMID: 37056788 PMCID: PMC10084072 DOI: 10.1111/fare.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Objective The present study revisits the assumption in American culture, based in "family privilege," that children fare better in two-parent households by longitudinally examining associations between family structure, process, and adolescent behavior. Background Societal assumptions and cross-sectional research suggest that there is a difference in child adjustment across varying family structures. Relatedly, the family process literature emphasizes the importance of parent-child relationship quality in addition to family structure on child adjustment. Method We utilized a longitudinal, prospective design that assessed family structures on nine occasions covering a 12-year period beginning when the target child was 2 years of age for a large (N = 714), ethnically and racially diverse sample of low-income families. We examined the relation between self-reported, teacher-reported, and primary caregiver-reported adolescent disruptive and internalizing problem behavior across family structures and parent-child relationship quality. Results Across seven identified family structures, adolescent behavior did not differ after accounting for middle-childhood adjustment and relevant contextual factors. However, consistent with family process models of child adjustment, positive parent-child relationship quality predicted lower rates of adolescent maladaptive behavior. Conclusion These findings serve to combat stigma related to family structures that deviate from married parents raising their children and highlight the need for interventions designed to foster positive parent-child relationships. Implications Policy makers and practitioners should aim to support efforts to foster positive parent-child relationships across types of family structures and refrain from promoting or discouraging the formations of specific family structure types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ravjot Saini
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVA
| | - Mayra Ramos
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVA
| | | | | | - Daniel S. Shaw
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPA
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Fomby P, Harvey H, Musick K. Income Sources Across Childhood in Families With Nonresident Fathers. Demography 2023; 60:41-72. [PMID: 36715055 PMCID: PMC10404351 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10424403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Unpartnered mothers rely on formal and informal income sources to support their coresident minor children. Building on work focusing on selective populations and shorter time horizons, we describe the family income sources on which U.S. women and their minor children rely for up to 17 years following an unpartnered birth or union dissolution (Panel Study of Income Dynamics 2001-2017; N = 12,369 person-year records from 3,148 children). Using rich description and fixed-effect models, we treat family income as dynamic, mapping change in the share and amount of family income from multiple sources as children age and women gain employment experience; enter new unions; experience changes in eligibility for public support programs; and receive contributions from kin, friends, and other household members. A patchwork of income sources is the norm throughout childhood, with mothers' earnings nearly universal but insufficient as a sole source of family income. Maternal repartnering increases family income through new partner earnings but is accompanied by offsetting reductions in other income sources, particularly from outside the household. In the context of weak institutional support for U.S. families, families with nonresident fathers rely on a complex mix of income sources to make ends meet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Fomby
- Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Hope Harvey
- Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Kentucky
| | - Kelly Musick
- Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University
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Sheikomar OB, Ghattas H, Sahyoun NR. Relationship between Live-In Grandparents and Grandchild's Health and Well-Being in Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:370. [PMID: 36612692 PMCID: PMC9819156 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Grandparents (GP) play influential roles in grandchildren's health, behavior, and life. However, this relationship has not been examined in the Arab region. This study assesses whether the presence of GP in the household is associated with grandchildren's health and wellbeing. Health status was determined by a child experiencing chronic health conditions or an acute illness, and wellbeing was determined based on school attendance and child labor. Data were collected through surveys conducted in 2010 and 2015 of representative samples of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression showed that, even after controlling for potential confounders, including the presence of parents in the household and household food insecurity (FI), the presence of live-in GP was associated with lower odds of children experiencing acute illnesses (OR 0.74 95% CI 0.62-0.92) and higher odds of attending school (OR 2.22 95% CI 1.28-5.33), but not child labor. The presence of GP in the household may be protective to grandchildren's health status and school attendance in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olfat B. Sheikomar
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College Park, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Food and Nutrition, King Abdulaziz university, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hala Ghattas
- Center for Research on Population and Health, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Nadine R. Sahyoun
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College Park, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Zegers M, Reynolds SA. Mothers' and grandmothers' caregiving for young children in Chile: Roles and responsibilities. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2022; 36:1285-1295. [PMID: 35377685 PMCID: PMC9885970 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chile has the highest rates of grandparent caregiving of young children among Western countries. However, there is limited information on (a) how mothers and grandmothers share caregiving responsibilities, (b) if mother's care for children differs across different types of grandmother support, and (c) the perceived roles that grandmothers have as caregivers. Through a mixed-methods approach, we seek to explore the areas mentioned above. Using a nationally representative survey (N = 4,288), we compare the frequency with which mothers participate in activities with their children ages 1-5 years by the degree of grandmother participation. We find that mothers participate in activities with their children and in their functional care at similar levels across grandmother caregiving types. The main exception is mothers with coresiding grandmothers taking a secondary caregiver role: These mothers reported a higher frequency of activities with their children than mothers with other types of grandmother involvement, even those who had majority caregiving or irregular caregiving grandmothers. In-depth interviews with mothers and grandmothers reveal how they share the caregiving responsibilities, which depend on the mother's work status, with families with working mothers having more involved grandmothers. The grandmother's level of responsibilities, in turn, seems to shape their perceived role as caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Cross C, Fomby P, Letiecq BL. Interlinking Structural Racism and Heteropatriarchy: Rethinking Family Structure's Effects on Child Outcomes in a Racialized, Unequal Society. JOURNAL OF FAMILY THEORY & REVIEW 2022; 14:482-501. [PMID: 38404535 PMCID: PMC10888513 DOI: 10.1111/jftr.12458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
In the field of family science and in the broader family policy discourse, debate is ongoing about the importance of family structure for child outcomes. Missing from this debate is a full integration of how the foundational pillars of White supremacy, namely structural racism and heteropatriarchy, impact both family formation and child outcomes, especially among diversely configured Black families. From a critical intersectional lens, we argue that conceptual models used to explain racialized child outcomes based on family structure effects are problematic because they compare family structure statuses without accounting for structural racism and interlinked heteropatriarchal conditions. We present a new conceptual model that integrates structural racism and heteropatriarchy to examine the salience of family structure statuses for child outcomes and discuss approaches to research design, empirical measurement, and interpretation in order to bring this new model into practice.
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Livings M, Smith-Greenaway E, Margolis R, Verdery A. Bereavement & mental health: The generational consequences of a grandparent's death. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Abstract
We document changes in U.S. children's family household composition from 1968 to 2017 with regard to the number and types of kin that children lived with and the frequency of family members' household entrances and departures. Data are from the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 30,412). Children experienced three decades of increasing instability and diversification in household membership, arriving at a state of "stable complexity" in the most recent decade. Stable complexity is distinguished by a decline in the number of coresident parents; a higher number of stepparents, grandparents, and other relatives in children's households; and less turnover in household membership compared with prior decades, including fewer sibling departures. College-educated households with children were consistently the most stable and least diverse. On several dimensions, household composition has become increasingly similar for non-Hispanic Black and White children. Children in Hispanic households are distinct in having larger family sizes and more expected household entrances and departures by coresident kin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Fomby
- Survey Research Center and Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David S Johnson
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Ma J, Mahat P, Brøndbo PH, Handegård BH, Kvernmo S, Javo AC. Family correlates of emotional and behavioral problems in Nepali school children. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262690. [PMID: 35041701 PMCID: PMC8765638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a substantial gap in our knowledge about family correlates of child emotional and behavioral problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The present study contributes to filling this gap by examining such correlates in a larger population study in Nepal. Methods Our study is a cross-sectional, observational study among 3840 Nepali children aged 6–18 years from 64 schools and 16 districts in the three main geographical regions in the country. We used the Nepali version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/6-18 to assess children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and an additional background information questionnaire to assess possible family correlates which included parental education, family structure, migrant worker parents, parental mental and physical illness, family conflicts, and child-rearing. The associations between family variables and child internalizing and externalizing problems were analyzed using bivariate correlations and multiple regression. Results Using bivariate analysis, we found that mental and physical illness in parents, conflict in the family, parental disagreement in child-rearing, and physical punishment of child correlated positively with both Internalizing Problems and Externalizing Problems. The same associations were found by using multiple regression analysis. In addition, parental education, family structure, and migrant worker mothers were associated with Externalizing Problems. However, the effect sizes were small. Conclusion The results suggest that in Nepal, child mental problems were associated with several family risk factors. Further, the study points to the need of strengthening prevention- and intervention measures to minimize family risk factors of child mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Ma
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Per Håkan Brøndbo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bjørn H. Handegård
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Siv Kvernmo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anne Cecilie Javo
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare -North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Sami National Competence Center for Mental Health, Sami Klinihkka, Finnmark Hospital Trust, Karasjok, Norway
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Katzow MW, Messito MJ, Mendelsohn AL, Scott MA, Gross RS. Grandparent Coresidence and Risk of Early Child Overweight and Obesity in Low-Income, Hispanic Families in New York City. Acad Pediatr 2022; 22:90-97. [PMID: 34058403 PMCID: PMC8627526 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children in low-income Hispanic families are at high risk of obesity and are more likely to live with grandparents than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. We aimed to determine if grandparent coresidence (prenatal through age 2 years) was associated with: 1) obesogenic feeding practices; and 2) child weight outcomes from birth to three years. METHODS We analyzed data from 267 low-income, Hispanic mother-infant pairs in the control group of an obesity prevention trial in New York City. Linear and logistic regression tested differences in obesogenic feeding practices and weight outcomes at 2 and 3 years, dependent upon grandparent coresidence. Multilevel modeling tested associations between grandparent coresidence and WFAz over time. RESULTS Persistent grandparent coresidence (vs none) was associated with putting cereal in the bottle (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43, 8.40). Persistent grandparent coresidence (vs none) was associated with higher mean WFAz (2 years: B 0.83; 95% CI 0.41, 1.25; 3 years: B 0.79; 95% CI 0.32, 1.25) and higher odds of child overweight/obesity risk (2 years: aOR 4.38; 95% CI 1.64, 11.69; 3 years: aOR 3.15; 95% CI 1.19, 8.36). In multilevel models, more occasions of grandparent coresidence were associated with higher WFAz. CONCLUSIONS Grandparent coresidence may be associated with higher risk of child overweight/obesity in low-income, Hispanic families. Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms of these associations and to inform obesity prevention strategies in the context of multigenerational families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle W Katzow
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (MW Katzow), Hempstead, NY; The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health (MW Katzow), Manhasset, NY.
| | - Mary Jo Messito
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine (MJ Messito and RS Gross), New York, NY
| | - Alan L Mendelsohn
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine (AL Mendelsohn), New York, NY
| | - Marc A Scott
- Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities, New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (MA Scott), New York, NY
| | - Rachel S Gross
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine (MJ Messito and RS Gross), New York, NY
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Songül Yalçın S, Aydın B, Yalçınkaya F. How to Improve Language Development of Preschoolers in Home Care. Turk Arch Pediatr 2021; 56:350-355. [PMID: 35005730 PMCID: PMC8655963 DOI: 10.5152/turkarchpediatr.2021.20140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The home environment is important for early childhood neurodevelopment. The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to research the association between family characteristics and language development in healthy preschoolers under isolated home care. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 115 children aged 5-60 months in isolated home care. The preschool language scale (PLS) assessed the receptive and expressive language scores of children. The scores of PLS were graded into 3 levels: high for the top 20-30%, low for the bottom 20-30%, and moderate for the children in between. RESULTS When the covariates including parental education, age of the enrolled child, gender, number of children, and household size were adjusted, multiple logistic regression analysis (Model 1) revealed that excessive paternal screen usage (≥4 hours) had elevated odds ratios for both low receptive and low expressive PLS than counterparts, whereas early initiation (<12 months of age) of book reading significantly declined low expressive PLS compared to late initiation of book reading. Preschoolers having grandparents' social support have a lower odds ratio for low receptive PLS than those having no support. Additionally, after controlling for covariates, all the predictors, including paternal heavy screen usage, late initiation of book reading, and absence of grandparent support (Model 2), increased risks for low expressive language level. CONCLUSION Poor language scores in a child might be the outcome of late initiation of book reading in a child, absence of the grandparents' social support for the mother in child-rearing, and excessive paternal television viewing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beril Aydın
- Department of Pediatrics, Başkent University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fulya Yalçınkaya
- Department of Audiology, Biruni University Faculty of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey
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Harvey H, Dunifon R, Pilkauskas N. Under Whose Roof? Understanding the Living Arrangements of Children in Doubled-Up Households. Demography 2021; 58:821-846. [PMID: 34042988 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-9101102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature in family demography examines children's residence in doubled-up (shared) households with extended family members and nonkin. This research has largely overlooked the role of doubling up as a housing strategy, with "hosts" (householders) providing housing support for "guests" living in their home. Yet, understanding children's experiences in doubled-up households requires attention to host/guest status. Using the American Community Survey and Survey of Income and Program Participation, we identify the prevalence of children doubling up as hosts and guests in different household compositions (multigenerational, extended family, nonkin), show how this varies by demographic characteristics, and examine children's patterns of residence across these household types. We find large variation by demographic characteristics. More disadvantaged children have higher rates of doubling up as guests than hosts, whereas more advantaged children have higher rates of doubling up as hosts than guests. Additionally, compared with hosts, guests more often use doubling up as a longer-term strategy; a greater share of guests live consistently doubled up over a three-year period, but those who do transition between household types experience more transitions on average than do hosts. Our findings show the importance of attending to both housing status and household composition when studying children living in doubled-up households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Harvey
- Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Rachel Dunifon
- Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Natasha Pilkauskas
- Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Torrats-Espinosa G. Using machine learning to estimate the effect of racial segregation on COVID-19 mortality in the United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2015577118. [PMID: 33531345 PMCID: PMC7896347 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015577118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examines the role that racial residential segregation has played in shaping the spread of COVID-19 in the United States as of September 30, 2020. The analysis focuses on the effects of racial residential segregation on mortality and infection rates for the overall population and on racial and ethnic mortality gaps. To account for potential confounding, I assemble a dataset that includes 50 county-level factors that are potentially related to residential segregation and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. These factors are grouped into eight categories: demographics, density and potential for public interaction, social capital, health risk factors, capacity of the health care system, air pollution, employment in essential businesses, and political views. I use double-lasso regression, a machine learning method for model selection and inference, to select the most important controls in a statistically principled manner. Counties that are 1 SD above the racial segregation mean have experienced mortality and infection rates that are 8% and 5% higher than the mean. These differences represent an average of four additional deaths and 105 additional infections for each 100,000 residents in the county. The analysis of mortality gaps shows that, in counties that are 1 SD above the Black-White segregation mean, the Black mortality rate is 8% higher than the White mortality rate. Sensitivity analyses show that an unmeasured confounder that would overturn these findings is outside the range of plausible covariates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Torrats-Espinosa
- Department of Sociology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027;
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
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17
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Guarin A. Three-Generation Households in the U.S.: The First Exit After a Child's Birth. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2021; 121:105851. [PMID: 35110785 PMCID: PMC8803275 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increased prevalence of three-generation households in the U.S., there is still a limited understanding of the dynamics of dissolution of these households. Using event-history analysis and data drawn from the first five waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and its restricted contextual data, this study describes how long mothers and their newborns spend in three-generation households after the child's birth and whether this duration differs by race and ethnicity. Additionally, it examines the correlates of the first transition out and whether they differ by race and ethnicity. Results indicate that children and their mothers are more likely to experience the first exit between birth and age 1, and a formal test does not find significant differences by race and ethnicity. Several non-economic factors are positively associated with the exit out of three-generation households including a mother's marital status and having a new partner; factors with a negative association include the number of children in the household and whether the focal child is a mother's first kid. Finally, TANF or SNAP receipt and mothers' employment are both positively associated with the first exit out of three-generation households. There are not significant differences in correlates of first exit by race and ethnicity. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Guarin
- School of Government, Universidad de los Andes - Colombia
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18
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Gold S. Is Housing Hardship Associated with Increased Adolescent Delinquent Behaviors? CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2020; 116:105116. [PMID: 32773915 PMCID: PMC7409722 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Housing-related hardships, ranging from an inability to pay full housing costs to being evicted, are common experiences for families in the U.S. Despite the frequency of these hardships, little is known about their relationships with adolescent behaviors. The current paper uses longitudinal data on births in large U.S. cities from all six waves of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study to explore the association between childhood experiences of housing hardships and delinquent behaviors in adolescence. About 60% of the sample experiences housing hardship at one or more waves. Inabilities to meet housing costs are common among the sample: over 40% are unable to pay their full rent or mortgage payment. Results from multivariate regression and residualized change models indicate that children who experience any housing hardship are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors than children who do not experience hardship. Exposure to higher average levels of hardship and more waves of hardship are both associated with increased delinquency. Childhood poverty does not moderate the relationship between housing hardship and delinquency suggesting that housing hardship is associated with delinquent behaviors for poor and non-poor children alike. This research builds on existing literature highlighting the importance of examining hardship as a measure of family wellbeing. It also suggests that preventing common housing-related hardships can be beneficial for youth behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gold
- The Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing & The Office of Population, Research, Princeton University, Wallace Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544
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19
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Abstract
Living in a doubled-up, or shared, household is a common experience. Nearly one-half of children in the United States double up at some point during childhood, yet we know little about the cumulative effects of these households on children. This study estimates the effects on young adult health and educational attainment of childhood years spent in three doubled-up household types: (1) those formed with children's grandparent(s), (2) those formed with children's adult sibling(s), and (3) those formed with other extended family or non-kin adults. Using marginal structural models and inverse probability of treatment weighting-methods that account for the fact that household composition is both a cause and consequence of other family characteristics-I find that doubling up shapes children's life chances, but the effects vary depending on children's relationships with household members. Childhood years spent living with nongrandparent extended family or non-kin adults are associated with worse young adult outcomes, but coresidence with grandparents is not significantly associated with young adult outcomes after selection into these households is accounted for, and coresidence with adult siblings may be beneficial in some domains. By studying the effects of coresidence with adults beyond the nuclear family, this research contributes to a fuller understanding of the implications of family complexity for children.
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Abstract
As rents have risen and wages have not kept pace, housing affordability in the United States has declined over the last 15 years, impacting the housing and living arrangements of low-income families. Housing subsidies improve the housing situations of low-income families, but less than one in four eligible families receive a voucher. In this article, we analyze whether one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the United States-the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)-affects the housing (eviction, homelessness, and affordability) and living arrangements (doubling up, number of people in the household, and crowding) of low-income families. Using the Current Population Survey, the American Community Survey/decennial census, and the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we employ a parameterized difference-in-differences strategy to examine whether policy-induced expansions to the EITC affect the housing and living arrangements of single mothers. Results suggest that a $1,000 increase in the EITC improves housing by reducing housing cost burdens, but it has no effect on eviction or homelessness. Increases in the EITC also reduce doubling up (living with additional, nonnuclear family adults)-in particular, doubling up in someone else's home-and reduce three-generation/multigenerational coresidence, suggesting that mothers have a preference to live independently. We find weak evidence for a reduction in overall household size, yet the EITC does reduce household crowding. Although the EITC is not an explicit housing policy, expansions to the EITC are generally linked with improved housing outcomes for single mothers and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Pilkauskas
- Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, 735 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Katherine Michelmore
- Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
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21
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Patterson SE, Verdery AM, Daw J. Linked Lives and Childhood Experience of Family Death on Educational Attainment. SOCIUS : SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH FOR A DYNAMIC WORLD 2020; 6:10.1177/2378023120975594. [PMID: 34222657 PMCID: PMC8248584 DOI: 10.1177/2378023120975594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sociological theory and research suggest that experiencing family members' deaths during childhood and adolescence is an important event subject to significant disparities. Previous research links immediate family members' deaths to poor life outcomes, but it considers a limited set of family members and has not tested the association of family member death with educational attainment. This study estimates the rates and educational impacts of experiencing the deaths of immediate (siblings, parents) and extended family members (aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents) during childhood and adolescence for Black and White Americans. We find that family death is associated with educational attainment, but the associations differ by family member type and gender, and child's race. Experiences of family death are unequally distributed by race and demonstrate complex associations with educational attainment. This research broadens life course and family systems theory by incorporating childhood family experiences of death on adult educational attainment and stratification.
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Sadruddin AFA, Ponguta LA, Zonderman AL, Wiley KS, Grimshaw A, Panter-Brick C. How do grandparents influence child health and development? A systematic review. Soc Sci Med 2019; 239:112476. [PMID: 31539783 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Grandparents are often a key source of care provision for their grandchildren, yet they are sidelined in caregiving research and policy decisions. We conducted a global, systematic review of the literature to examine the scope and quality of studies to date (PROSPERO database CRD42019133894). We screened 12,699 abstracts across 7 databases, and identified 206 studies that examined how grandparents influence child health and development. Indicators of grandparent involvement were contact, caregiving behaviors, and financial support. Our review focused on two research questions: how do grandparents influence child health and development outcomes, and what range of child outcomes is reported globally? We examined study design, sample characteristics, key findings, and outcomes pertaining to grandchildren's physical health, socio-emotional and behavioral health, and cognitive and educational development. Our search captured studies featuring grandparent custodial care (n = 35), multigenerational care (n = 154), and both types of care (n = 17). We found substantial heterogeneity in the data provided on co-residence, caregiving roles, resources invested, outcomes, and mechanisms through which "grandparent effects" are manifested. We identified two important issues, related to operationalizing indicators of grandparent involvement and conceptualizing potential mechanisms, leading to gaps in the evidence base. Currently, our understanding of the pathways through which grandparents exert their influence is constrained by limited data on what grandparents actually do and insufficient attention given to interpersonal and structural contexts. We present a conceptual framework to explicitly measure and theorize pathways of care, with a view to inform research design and policy implementation. We underscore the need for more robust data on three indicators of caregiver involvement-contact, behavior, and support-and for careful description of structural and interpersonal contexts in caregiving research.
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23
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Amorim M. Are grandparents a blessing or a burden? Multigenerational coresidence and child-related spending. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2019; 80:132-144. [PMID: 30955551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Economic investments in children may represent a powerful mechanism to explain differences in child outcomes across family types. Unfortunately, evidence on child-related spending across family structures remains poorly understood. Using the Consumer Expenditure Survey (1996-2015), this study is the first to investigate patterns of child-related spending in an increasingly common type of extended family household: multigenerational households, in which children reside with at least one parent and grandparent. This study also contributes to a growing literature giving primacy to parents' socioeconomic disadvantage as moderating the association between multigenerational relationships and child well-being. Results indicate that, when compared to similar two-generation households, multigenerational households are associated with increased spending on education and with decreased spending on child care. Differences in child-related spending between multigenerational and two-generation households differ according to parents' income and relationship status. Overall, living with grandparents represents an adaptive strategy that helps low-income or single parents invest more money in their children's education, hobbies and activities, and to save on the costs of child care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Amorim
- Department of Policy Analysis, Cornell University, 2301 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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24
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Kang J. Do Extended Family Members Protect Children from Disadvantaged Neighborhoods? Focusing on Behavioral Problems of Children. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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25
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Pilkauskas NV, Cross C. Beyond the Nuclear Family: Trends in Children Living in Shared Households. Demography 2018; 55:2283-2297. [DOI: 10.1007/s13524-018-0719-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Using data from the 1996–2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the 2009–2016 American Community Survey, we examine trends in U.S. children living in shared households (living with adults beyond their nuclear (parent/parent’s partner/sibling) family). We find that although the share of children who lived in a shared household increased over this period, the rise was nearly entirely driven by an increase in three-generation/multigenerational households (coresident grandparent(s), parent(s), and child). In 1996, 5.7 % of children lived in a three-generation household; by 2016, 9.8 % did likewise—more than a 4 percentage point increase. More economically advantaged groups (older, more educated mothers, married households) experienced the largest percentage increase in three-generation coresidence, although correlates of coresidence remained largely stable. Decomposition analyses suggest that the rise in Social Security receipt and changes in parental relationship status (less marriage, more single parenthood) most strongly explained the increase in three-generation households. Given the dramatic rise in three-generation households, more research is needed to understand the consequences of these living arrangements for children, their parents, and their grandparents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha V. Pilkauskas
- Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, 734 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Christina Cross
- Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, 734 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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26
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Cross CJ. Extended family households among children in the United States: Differences by race/ethnicity and socio-economic status. Population Studies 2018; 72:235-251. [PMID: 29770726 DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2018.1468476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
This study uses nationally representative longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, to examine the prevalence and predictors of extended family households among children in the United States and to explore variation by race/ethnicity and socio-economic status (SES). Findings suggest that extended family households are a common living arrangement for children, with 35 per cent of youth experiencing this family structure before age 18. Racial/ethnic and SES differences are substantial: 57 per cent of Black and 35 per cent of Hispanic children ever live in an extended family, compared with 20 per cent of White children. Further, 47 per cent of children whose parents did not finish high school spend time in an extended family, relative to 17 per cent of children whose parents earned a bachelor's degree or higher. Models of predictors show that transitions into extended families are largely a response to social and economic needs.
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27
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Reynolds SA, Fernald LCH, Deardorff J, Behrman JR. Family structure and child development in Chile: A longitudinal analysis of household transitions involving fathers and grandparents. DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2018; 38:1777-1814. [PMID: 30906204 PMCID: PMC6430138 DOI: 10.4054/demres.2018.38.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adults support child development economically, socially, and emotionally. Household transitions may disrupt these support structures, impacting child development. OBJECTIVE We document the large portion of children in Chile that experience biological-father and grandparent household transitions, and test if these transitions are associated with child vocabulary and behavior and if income could be a mechanism behind our findings. METHODS We apply first-differences and lagged-dependent-variable analyses to a large, nationally representative, longitudinal survey of over 5,000 Chilean children. RESULTS We find that children whose mothers separated from their parents' homes within the two years between two survey rounds have worse age-normalized Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores than children in households without such transitions. Changes in income per capita do not explain these associations. When fathers enter households between the two survey rounds there is a gain in income per capita but no association between father entrance and child's vocabulary score. Similarly, there is no significant association between fathers separating from the household and child vocabulary, though father departure is associated with lower income per capita. We find no association between household transitions and Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) scores. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence that Chilean grandparents promote language development when coresiding with their grandchildren and that Chilean fathers are an important source of household income. CONTRIBUTION Our study examines fathers and grandparents simultaneously. We are able to take the directionality (i.e., movement in or out of the home) of biological father transitions into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Reynolds
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - Jere R Behrman
- Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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28
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Smith C, Crosnoe R, Cavanagh SE. Family Instability and Children's Health. FAMILY RELATIONS 2017; 66:601-613. [PMID: 38323140 PMCID: PMC10846885 DOI: 10.1111/fare.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Research on family instability is fertile ground for translation into policy and practice. This article describes how basic science in this area can more effectively support work in later stages of the translational research process. To begin, the scope of family instability is outlined with trends, causes, and effects. Next, a conceptual model of the effects of family instability on children's health identifies focal aspects that could be leveraged for translational research: developmental domain, developmental time, mechanisms, and points of variation. The guidelines presented are meant to be general and applicable to a variety of topics and fields in which family scholars aim to improve basic research that can contribute to and move forward a translational family science.
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29
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Death of family members as an overlooked source of racial disadvantage in the United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:915-920. [PMID: 28115712 PMCID: PMC5293066 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605599114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-standing racial differences in US life expectancy suggest that black Americans would be exposed to significantly more family member deaths than white Americans from childhood through adulthood, which, given the health risks posed by grief and bereavement, would add to the disadvantages that they face. We analyze nationally representative US data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (n = 7,617) and the Health and Retirement Study (n = 34,757) to estimate racial differences in exposure to the death of family members at different ages, beginning in childhood. Results indicate that blacks are significantly more likely than whites to have experienced the death of a mother, a father, and a sibling from childhood through midlife. From young adulthood through later life, blacks are also more likely than whites to have experienced the death of a child and of a spouse. These results reveal an underappreciated layer of racial inequality in the United States, one that could contribute to the intergenerational transmission of health disadvantage. By calling attention to this heightened vulnerability of black Americans, our findings underscore the need to address the potential impact of more frequent and earlier exposure to family member deaths in the process of cumulative disadvantage.
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30
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Li Q, Liang F, Liang W, Zhang J, Niu M, Han Y. The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China. Front Pediatr 2017; 5:243. [PMID: 29201862 PMCID: PMC5696336 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2017.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE An increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China's One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China. METHODS In total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age, weight-for-length, occipital-frontal circumference, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) results and recorded their general parental information and their primary caregivers. RESULTS The weights and lengths of 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters were significantly lower than those of infants under the care of parents or grandparents (P < 0.05). Additionally, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had the lowest DDST pass rate (75%) among the three groups (χ2 = 11.819, P = 0.012), especially for the fine motor-adaptive and language domains. Compared to 12-month-old infants under the care of parents and babysitters, infants under the care of grandparents were more likely to be overweight or obese (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The study showed that caregivers had a dominant role in the physical and cognitive development of the infants. Specifically, compared with infants raised by grandparents and parents, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had partially suppressed lengths and weights and lagged cognitively. The 12-month-old infants under the care of grandparents were more overweight than those cared for by parents and babysitters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinrui Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Furong Liang
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weilan Liang
- Department of Child Health Care, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Manman Niu
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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31
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Gottlieb A. Household Incarceration in Early Adolescence and Risk of Premarital First Birth. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 2016; 61:126-134. [PMID: 26806994 PMCID: PMC4721267 DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In the second half of the 20th century, the United States experienced a massive increase in incarceration. In response to this growth, a burgeoning scholarship has sought to explore the collateral consequences of incarceration for young children. However, this scholarship has less frequently explored the impact of incarceration on long-term outcomes, how incarceration experienced in periods other than early childhood impacts children, and whether the incarceration of family members other than parents has negative implications for children. Using data from the children of the mothers in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, I explore whether household incarceration experienced in early adolescence is associated with a child's risk of growing up to have a premarital first birth. The results suggest that, even after including a rich set of covariates, children who experience household incarceration in early adolescence are at greater risk of having a premarital first birth, particularly when the father or an external household member is incarcerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Gottlieb
- Princeton University 229 Wallace Hall, Princeton NJ, 08544,
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32
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Fomby P, James-Hawkins L, Mollborn S. Family Resources in Two Generations and School Readiness among Children of Teen Parents. POPULATION RESEARCH AND POLICY REVIEW 2015; 34:733-759. [PMID: 26806989 PMCID: PMC4717487 DOI: 10.1007/s11113-015-9363-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Overall, children born to teen parents experience disadvantaged cognitive achievement at school entry compared to children born to older parents. However, within this population there is variation, with a significant fraction of teen parents' children acquiring adequate preparation for school entry during early childhood. We ask whether the family background of teen parents explains this variation. We use data on children born to teen mothers from three waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N~700) to study the association of family background with children's standardized reading and mathematics achievement scores at kindergarten entry. When neither maternal grandparent has completed high school, children's scores on standardized assessments of math and reading achievement are one-quarter to one-third of a standard deviation lower compared to families where at least one grandparent finished high school. This association is net of teen mothers' own socioeconomic status in the year prior to children's school entry.
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33
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Krueger PM, Jutte DP, Franzini L, Elo I, Hayward MD. Family structure and multiple domains of child well-being in the United States: a cross-sectional study. Popul Health Metr 2015; 13:6. [PMID: 25729332 PMCID: PMC4343278 DOI: 10.1186/s12963-015-0038-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We examine the association between family structure and children's health care utilization, barriers to health care access, health, and schooling and cognitive outcomes and assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) accounts for those family structure differences. We advance prior research by focusing on understudied but increasingly common family structures including single father families and five different family structures that include grandparents. METHODS Our data on United States children aged birth through 17 (unweighted N = 198,864) come from the 1997-2013 waves of the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative, publicly available, household-based sample. We examine 17 outcomes across nine family structures, including married couple, cohabiting couple, single mother, and single father families, with and without grandparents, and skipped-generation families that include children and grandparents but not parents. The SES measures include family income, home ownership, and parents' or grandparents' (depending on who is in the household) employment and education. RESULTS Compared to children living with married couples, children in single mother, extended single mother, and cohabiting couple families average poorer outcomes, but children in single father families sometimes average better health outcomes. The presence of grandparents in single parent, cohabiting, or married couple families does not buffer children from adverse outcomes. SES only partially explains family structure disparities in children's well-being. CONCLUSIONS All non-married couple family structures are associated with some adverse outcomes among children, but the degree of disadvantage varies across family structures. Efforts to understand and improve child well-being might be most effective if they recognize the increasing diversity in children's living arrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Krueger
- />Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Campus Box 188, PO Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364 USA
| | - Douglas P Jutte
- />School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Luisa Franzini
- />University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland USA
| | - Irma Elo
- />Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Mark D Hayward
- />Department of Sociology, University of Texas, Texas, USA
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Pilkauskas NV. Living with a grandparent and parent in early childhood: associations with school readiness and differences by demographic characteristics. Dev Psychol 2014; 50:2587-99. [PMID: 25365124 DOI: 10.1037/a0038179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite the increasing prevalence of 3-generation family households (grandparent, parent, child), relatively little research has studied these households during early childhood. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N = ∼6,550), this study investigated the associations between 3-generation coresidence in early childhood and school readiness, and how the associations differed by maternal age, race/ethnicity, nativity, relationship status, and poverty. For the full sample of children, no associations between 3-generation coresidence and school readiness were found. Analyses by demographic characteristics found that race/ethnicity and nativity moderated the associations, whereas maternal age, relationship status, and poverty did not. The study found that 3-generation coresidence was associated with lower levels of expressive language for White, Asian, and Black children but more expressive language for Hispanic children. Coresidence was also associated with more externalizing behavior for White and American Indian/Alaskan Native children but less externalizing behavior for Hispanic and Black children. Analyses by maternal nativity found that for children of immigrant mothers, 3-generation coresidence was associated with more expressive language and less externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Interactions between race/ethnicity and nativity found that the positive associations for Hispanic children were concentrated among children of immigrant parents. No differences were found between grandmother-only and grandmother/grandfather 3-generation family households. Overall, the findings suggest there may be heterogeneity by race/ethnicity and nativity in the associations between 3-generation coresidence and school readiness.
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Wu JCL, Chiang TL. Family structure transitions and early childhood development in Taiwan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/0165025414544230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Taiwan has over the past three decades been experiencing demographic changes that may pose important concerns for children’s quality of life. This study examines the relationships and potential pathways between family structure transitions and early childhood development. Our analysis is based on 19,499 children from the 2005 birth cohort who completed three follow-up surveys (at 6, 18, and 36 months of age). Using multiple regressions, we found that children who consistently lived with single parents or who experienced their parents’ divorce/separation did poorer in both cognitive and socioemotional development than those in stable married families. Significance testing for mediation by bootstrapping revealed that the disparities could be explained by the family’s exposure to income poverty, psychosocial functioning and/or parenting quality. It is important to look more deeply into sociocultural factors in future investigations.
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Crosnoe R, Prickett KC, Smith C, Cavanagh S. Changes in young children's family structures and child care arrangements. Demography 2014; 51:459-83. [PMID: 24243268 PMCID: PMC3972341 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-013-0258-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Family structure change can disrupt the settings of children's daily lives. Most scholarship focuses on disruption in the home environment. Moving beyond the home, this study explores the association between changes in family structure and changes in several dimensions of early child care. With longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 1,298), first-difference models reveal that family structure transitions are associated with changes in the type and quantity of early care as well as the number of care arrangements used, especially during the latter part of infancy. Given prior evidence linking these child care dimensions to behavioral and cognitive outcomes, these results suggest a policy-relevant mechanism by which family change may create inequalities among children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Crosnoe
- Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd Street, G1800, Austin, TX, 78712-1699, USA,
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Dunifon R. The Influence of Grandparents on the Lives of Children and Adolescents. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mollborn S, Fomby P, Dennis JA. Extended household transitions, race/ethnicity, and early childhood cognitive outcomes. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2012; 41:1152-65. [PMID: 23017924 PMCID: PMC3461184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Beyond mothers' union status transitions, other adults' transitions into and out of the household contribute to family instability, particularly in early childhood. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (N≅8550), this study examines associations between extended household transitions and age 2 cognitive development. A substantial minority of toddlers experiences these transitions, and their consequences vary by household member type, entry versus exit, and race/ethnicity. Extended household transitions predict lower cognitive scores for white children, but the selection of low-socioeconomic status families into extended households explains these disparities. Grandparent transitions predict significantly higher cognitive scores for African American and Latino children than whites, and some "other adult" transitions predict higher scores for Latinos than African Americans and whites. Extended household transitions' consequences are independent of co-occurring residential moves and partner transitions. Findings suggest that studying extended household transitions is useful for understanding children's early development, and their consequences vary by race/ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Mollborn
- Department of Sociology, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder, United States
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