Poster #27 - Sibling conflict and child recurrent pain: The moderating role of positive parent attributes

• In Event: Poster Session 11

Abstract

Objective: Both parent and sibling factors, such as parent mental health and sibling conflict, have been associated with child pain outcomes, with little focus on positive factors (Donnellya et al., 2020; Gorodzinsky et al., 2013). Although positive parental attributes, like empathy, have been connected to childhood cancer (Harper et al., 2012), less is known about such associations with child pain. Beyond parental factors, positive sibling relationships were related to better pain outcomes in youth (Schinkel et al., 2017). Grounded in the family systems theory (Kerr & Bowen, 1988) and given the potential connections between parent factors and sibling relationships with child health outcomes, this study examined positive parent attributes as a moderator of longitudinal associations between sibling conflict and recurrent pain in children.

Methods: Participants were 980 children (50.8% female; Mage=10.88 [SD=1.15]; 59.4% White; 28.2% Hispanic) and their parents from the ongoing Arizona Twin Project (Lemery-Chalfant et al., 2019). Starting at age 8, families were assessed annually. Parents completed measures on their own personality factors (age 8), the twins’ sibling relationship (age 9), and children’s pain outcomes (age 10). Positive parent attributes were assessed through the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (α=.85; Davis, 1980), Pearlin Mastery Scale (α=.81; Pearlin & Schooler, 1978), and Self-Compassion Scale (α=.95; Neff, 2003). A principal components analysis was conducted in which the first factor explained 55.85% of the variance and regression values were retained as composite scores of positive parent attributes. Sibling conflict was assessed by caregivers using the conflict subscale of the Siblings Relationship Questionnaire (α=.90; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Number of body sites children had with monthly or more pain was reported by parents.

Results: Multilevel models to account for nesting of twins in families also included child sex, child age, family socioeconomic status, and whether the 10-year assessment occurred before or during the COVID-19 pandemic as covariates. There was a significant positive association between sibling conflict and recurrent pain, such that greater sibling conflict was associated with more recurrent pain sites (est=.13, p=.01). In addition, positive parent attributes significantly moderated the association between sibling conflict and child recurrent pain. Simple slope analysis revealed that positive parent attributes enhanced the association between low sibling conflict and less body sites with recurrent pain when parents had average (b=.13, p=.01) or high levels (b=.23, p=.0004), but not low levels (b=.03, p=.64), of positive attributes.

Discussion: Positive parental attributes moderated the association between sibling conflict and child pain, in which average and high levels of positive parental attributes strengthened the relation between low levels of sibling conflict and fewer recurrent pain sites. Findings indicate less conflictual sibling relationships may be associated with better pain outcomes and positive attributes among parents may enhance these associations. This study adds to the small body of child pain literature on positive factors surrounding parents and siblings. Future research should continue to investigate factors related to siblings and parents/caregivers that positively impact child pain outcomes as ways to promote child health and better pain outcomes.

Authors

• Stephanie Madden, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  Presenting Author

• Samantha Miadich, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Mary Davis, Arizona State University

• Leah D Doane, Arizona State University

• Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant, Arizona State University