Project DEEAL - Daily Employment Experiences in African American Lives

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Objectives: Balancing the demands of work and family have become increasingly complex among families with children in recent decades. Research consistently links taxing work characteristics to poorer health outcomes. African Americans are especially susceptible to the impact of work demands, as this group tends to work longer hours and are often the racial minority in the work place. Such disparities have implications for mental health and daily family dynamics in African American households. This study seeks to understand associations among work demands, daily hassles, depressive symptoms, parent-child interactions, and young children’s behavioral outcomes among a pilot sample of African American families.

Methods: The present study employed a daily diary method over a two-week period to test associations among key study variables. Participants were recruited from two urban cities in the central North Carolina region. The sample consisted of thirty-six employed adults who identified as African American and who had at least one child between the age of 3 and 6. Each night over the 14-day period, participants answered a series of questions about the work day, daily hassles, parent-child interactions, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and child behavior. Multilevel models were used to assess associations among key variables.

Results: The study results revealed negative associations among key study variables. Depressive symptoms were associated with harsh and withdrawn parent-child interactions, internalizing behaviors (i.e. child), daily hassles, increased work demands, and lower quality sleep. Working a nonstandard work schedule was associated with increased daily hassles and alternative child care arrangements. Poorer quality sleep was associated with withdrawn parent-child interactions and more daily hassles. Workplace discrimination was associated with fewer parent-child activities, decreases in harsh and warm parent-child interactions, and decreases in externalizing behaviors (i.e. child).

Discussion: Findings unearth the importance of identifying mechanisms that protect and foster healthy development in African American families. Work demands appear to shape African American family processes in important ways.

Authors

• Nina Smith, North Carolina Central University
  Presenting Author

• Deja Young, North Carolina Central University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jasmine Howard, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joyous Wells, North Carolina Central University
  Non-Presenting Author