COVID-19-Related Parenting Stressors and Parenting Practices

• In Event: Parenting Stress and Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction Given the strong connection between stress and risk for child abuse, many experts have expressed concern about the potential for increased risk of child physical abuse during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Positive parenting, including constructs such as the quality of the parent-child relationship, parental positive encouragement, parental consistency, and a lack of coercive parenting techniques, may indicate a reduced risk for child abuse. This paper explores the role that parenting stress related to COVID-19 might play in use of positive parenting practices.
Hypothesis Higher levels of pandemic-related parenting stress will be associated with lower levels of positive parenting practices.
Study Population Data were drawn from a longitudinal randomized control trial (RCT) of two parenting interventions, conducted in a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinic population in the New Orleans Area. Eligible participants were adult, female, English-speaking primary caregivers of at least one child 2-7 years old. Between 2014-2018, n=823 participants were enrolled in this trial and completed baseline assessments; a majority (85%) are African-American and the average age at time of enrollment was 30.5 years. Nearly 90% (n=720) of participants completed a 3 month follow up assessment. Long term follow up assessments began in July 2019 and are on-going. In March 2020, a new panel of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related measures were added to assess the impact of the pandemic on this study sample. At the time of analysis, n=82 participants completed assessments that included the new panel.
Methods. A cross-sectional data analysis was conducted to examine the association between pandemic-related parenting stress and parenting practices reported in 2020 and potentially into 2021. Pandemic-related parenting stress (PPS) was assessed using a 5-item original scale derived from the Parent Aggravation Scale items and constructs (Lee and Ward, 2020). Parenting practices were assessed using the 18-item Positive Parenting Discipline Practices sub-scale of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale (PAFAS) (Sanders and Morawska, 2010). After establishing the psychometric properties of these scales, simple linear regression was used to test the strength and significance of the relationship between these two scales. Multiple linear regression was used to control for multiple covariates and potential confounders, assessed at various time points (as indicated) including RCT group assignment (baseline), pre-pandemic positive parenting practices (three months post-baseline); and social support, exposure to other parenting programs, and experiences of intimate partner violence (long term follow up).
Results The psychometric scales performed acceptably: Chronbach’s alpha was 0.73 for PPS and 0.68 for PAFAS, respectively. Simple linear regression showed a significant relationship between higher levels of pandemic-related parenting stress and lower reported use of positive parenting practices (β=-1.00, p=0.001). After adjusting for indicated covariates, this relationship remained significant (β=-0.57, p=0.034). These findings provide support for the association between increased parenting stress in the time of COVID-19 and reduced levels of positive parenting practices. These preliminary findings suggest that use of positive parenting practices may be reduced during the pandemic and risk for child abuse may be increased.

Authors

• Komal C. Brown, Tulane University
  Presenting Author

• Catherine A. Taylor, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julia Fleckman, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author