A longitudinal analysis of parenting practices, couple satisfaction, and child behavior problems

J Marital Fam Ther. 2010 Apr;36(2):244-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00168.x.

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between couple relationship satisfaction, parenting practices, parent depression, and child problem behaviors. The study participants (n = 148) were part of a larger experimental study that examined the effectiveness of a brief family-centered intervention, the Family Check-Up model. Regression analysis results indicated that our proposed model accounted for 38% of the variance in child problem behavior at Time 2, with child problem behavior and couple relationship satisfaction at child age 2 years each accounting for a significant portion of the variance in child problem behavior at age 3. Couple relationship satisfaction directly predicted child behavior problems over time. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology*
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marriage / psychology*
  • Marriage / statistics & numerical data*
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Parenting*
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Prevalence