Poster #97 - Marital Intimacy Moderate the Negative Effects of Risk Factors on Maternal and Paternal Parenting Stress

• In Event: 1-169 - Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Section - Family Context & Processes

Integrative Statement

The demands of parenting a young child create significant stress (that is parenting stress) for almost all parents (Williford, Calkins, & Keane, 2007). Higher parenting stress is a risk factor for both parents and children, which has been proved to be associated with numerous undesirable outcomes, such as maternal depression, poorer parenting practice, more internal and external problem behaviors of children (e.g., Crnic, Gaze, & Hoffman, 2005; Leigh & Milgrom, 2008; Sher-Censor, Shulman, & Cohen, 2018). However, fewer empirical studies have a deep discussion about determinants of parenting stress, especially for paternal parenting stress (Chang et al., 2004). To better understand parenting stress, the present study focus on several influential factors from different categories, which are family socioeconomic status (SES), children’s problem behaviors, and marital intimacy. Both maternal and paternal parenting stress are investigated as the outcomes. 3168 children (52% are boys) aged from 3 to 5 years old and their parents in Beijing (China) attended the study. Linear regressions were conducted to examine the predictive effects of SES, children’s problem behaviors, marital intimacy to parenting stress. Results showed that: (1) SES had a negative effect on maternal parenting stress (β = -0.11, p < 0.01) and paternal parenting stress (β = -0.08, p < 0.01). (2) Children's problem behaviors had a positive effect on maternal parenting stress (β = 0.48, p < 0.01) and paternal parenting stress (β = 0.48, p < 0.01). (3) Marital intimacy had a negative effect on maternal parenting stress (β = -0.25, p < 0.01) and paternal parenting stress (β = -0.42, p < 0.01). Then, to explore the influence mechanisms of these factors and their interactions in parenting stress, analysis of moderation and mediation were conducted. Results were presented in Figure1. It revealed that SES and children's problem behaviors not only directly, but also indirectly predicted paternal parenting stress through maternal parenting stress. Marital intimacy could moderate both the direct and indirect association between SES and paternal parenting stress, moderate the association between maternal parenting stress and paternal parenting stress, but marital intimacy could not moderate the association between SES and maternal parenting stress. And these results held up with children’s problem behavior. The study suggested marital intimacy would reduce the impact of risk factors on parenting stress, and it implied that parents could strengthen the intimate relationship with their partner to reduce their parenting stress.

Authors

• Xinyu Ma, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University
  Presenting Author

• Fumei Chen, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Xiaoding Huang, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author