Informal support and obligation contribute to fewer child behavior problems over time

• Published date: 01 July 2022
• Author: Melissa Radey,Thomas Ledermann,Lenore McWey
• Date: 01 July 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12659

RESEARCH

Informal support and obligation contribute to fewer

child behavior problems over time

Melissa Radey

1

| Thomas Ledermann

2

| Lenore McWey

2

1

College of Social Work, Florida State

University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States

2

College of Health and Human Sciences,

Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida,

United States

Correspondence

Melissa Radey, Florida State University,

College of Social Work, 296 Champions Way,

Tallahassee, FL 32303-2570, USA.

Email: mradey@fsu.edu

Funding information

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of

Child Health and Human Development,

Grant/Award Number: 5R03HD092706-02

Abstract

Objective: This study used longitudinal data from a sample

of low-income mothers and their children to examine how

informal support and obligation, or informal networks,

contribute to children’s behavior. We also tested the

potential mediating role of maternal parenting stress.

Background: Many studies document the importance of

informal support for maternal stress and child behavior to

offset the negative impact of poverty for low-income fami-

lies. Evidence suggests the importance of also considering

the obligations that such informal support access may

impart.

Method: Using data from the Welfare, Children, Families

Study, a longitudinal study of diverse, low-income, urban

mothers in three cities (n=2142), we used a parallel pro-

cess latent growth curve model approach to examine how

informal support and obligation contributed to maternal

stress and child behavior.

Results: Models indicated that mothers with healthy safety

nets, including informal support and manageable obliga-

tions, had children with fewer behavior problems, and par-

enting stress partially accounted for the positive effects.

Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of consider-

ing reciprocity norms among low-income mothers; one-

sided support or obligation can be problematic for both

maternal stress and child behavior problems.

Implications: Results suggest the merit of empirically

supported interventions to teach relationship skills and

facilitate healthy relationships among low-income

mothers.

KEYWORDS

child behavior problems, informal obligation, informal support, latent

growth curve approach, low-income mothers, maternal stress poverty,

social networks

Received: 30 November 2020 Revised: 4 June 2021 Accepted: 17 September 2021

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12659

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

1004 Family Relations. 2022;71:1004–1017.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare