Stress and social support in low-income families with young children: Research from small and large-scale data

• In Event: 2-010 - Utilizing Multiple Data Sets

Abstract

Parents of young children face multiple types of stressors (e.g., economic, parenting), which are associated with negative parenting and may adversely impact children’s development (Briggs-Gowan et al., 2001). Social support is one way to mitigate the negative effects of stress on parenting (Cohen & Wills, 1985). However, the empirical evidence to date has generally focused on one type of stressor at a time and on either sources (e.g. partner, friend) or types (e.g. instrumental or emotional) of social support as they relate to one type of stress. This approach has not permitted the examination of the unique and interactive effects of various types of stressors on parenting or the relative buffering effect of different types and sources of social support. Part of the reason for this is that studies that address broad dimensions of stress and support are typically large-scale whereas studies that address issues related to sources of support and include fathers are generally small-scale.
We capitalize on the strengths of both types of data by using both small and large-scale datasets to examine the unique and joint effects of different types of stressors and types/sources of social support on children’s developmental outcomes. We use data from the Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (Baby FACES), a nationally representative sample of children enrolled in Early Head Start (N = 976), and from BabyBooks2, a small-scale study of low-income, two-parent families (n=100) that includes survey and observational data from both mothers and fathers. Specifically, we ask (1) Are there direct and interactive associations between different types of stressors at 12 months and child outcomes at 36 months? (Baby FACES); Does parenting mediate this association? (Baby FACES) (2) Is the association between maternal stress and children’s outcomes moderated by specific sources or types of social support? (3) Are these pathways different for mothers and fathers (BB2)?
Data collection for BB2 is ongoing. Preliminary analysis from the Baby FACES dataset shows that maternal parenting stress is negatively related to maternal sensitivity at age 2 (r = -.12, p<.000), and children’s auditory comprehension ( r=-.139, p <.001) and emotion regulation at age 3 (r = -.118, p < .000). Maternal parenting and economic stress are significantly negatively related to emotional and instrumental support. Findings from this study will demonstrate that using both large and small-scale data can help researchers identify more targeted points for intervention.

Authors

• Catherine E Kuhns, University of Maryland
  Presenting Author

• Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland