Trajectories of relationship quality and conflict in low‐income parents receiving home visitation services

• Published date: 01 July 2023
• Author: Rebecca G. Renegar,Heidi E. Stolz,Megan Baumgardner,Siera J. Reimnitz,Jessica L. McCaig
• Date: 01 July 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12734

RESEARCH

Trajectories of relationship quality and conflict

in low-income parents receiving home

visitation services

Rebecca G. Renegar

1

|Heidi E. Stolz

1

|Megan Baumgardner

2

|

Siera J. Reimnitz

1

|Jessica L. McCaig

1

1

Department of Child and Family Studies, The

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2

Department of Psychology, The University of

Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Correspondence

Rebecca G. Renegar, 1215 W. Cumberland

Ave., Jesse W. Harris Building, Knoxville,

TN 37996, USA.

Email: rrenegar@vols.utk.edu

Funding information

Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN):

D89MC28281.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine

changes in relationship quality and couple conflict in

low-income parents.

Background: When welcoming a new child, couples often

report increased conflict and a decline in relationship qual-

ity. However, some scholars maintain couples can transi-

tion to parenthood with few negative effects. Low-income,

unmarried, and experienced parents remain understudied.

Method: Utilizing data from a broader parent education

project, the study employed dyadic latent growth curve

analysis to examine changes over time in relationship

quality and conflict. Participants were 216 low-income

couples receiving home visitation services who reported

on relationship quality and conflict at three time points.

Differences between first-time and multiparous parents and

among married, cohabiting, and non-residential opposite-sex

couples were examined.

Results: Trajectories of relationship quality and conflict

were stable over time. Compared to married and cohabiting

couples, non-residential couples reported lower initial

relationship quality. When comparing cohabiting and

non-residential couples, couples with higher expectations

of marriage had higher initial relationship quality and

lower initial conflict.

Conclusion: Some couples navigate the transition to parent-

hood without negative relationship effects, especially those

with higher initial quality, lower initial conflict, and greater

expectations of marriage. Implications Policy and practice

supporting relationship stability in low-income couples

should incorporate a strengths-based approach.

Received: 11 April 2021Revised: 17 February 2022Accepted: 20 May 2022

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12734

© 2022 National Council on Family Relations.

Family Relations. 2023;72:1379–1396. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare 1379

KEYWORDS

cohabiting, first-time parent, latent growth curve modeling, low-income,

relationship quality, transition to parenthood

The addition of a new family member is a common experience for adults and has a substantial

impact on the couple relationship (Belsky & Pensky, 1988). Changes in couple interaction are most

noticeable in the first year following a child’s birth (Kluwer, 2010), and are typically represented by

a decrease in relationship quality and an increase in conflict between partners (Belsky &

Pensky, 1988;Kluwer,2010). The couple relationship is, in turn, associated with individual well-

being and family stability. Individuals with higher levels of relationship quality report lower levels of

depression and greater life satisfaction (see Proulx et al., 2007, for a meta-analysis), and are more

likely to remain in their relationship (McClain & Brown, 2017). Further, both individual well-being

and relationship stability are important for child outcomes. For example, parents experiencing

depression tend to be less involved with their children (Mustillo et al., 2011). Similarly, parental rela-

tionship changes (e.g., increased conflict) are associated with children’s internalizing symptoms

(Barnett et al., 2021).

Although the transition to parenthood is a well-studied topic, the couples in these studies

are often higher income, married, first-time parents (Perry-Jenkins & Schoppe-Sullivan, 2019),

and less is known about lower-income couples, especially those who are unmarried couples or

non-residential. The adjustment to parenthood may be an especially challenging time for these

couples (Don & Mickelson, 2014; McClain & Brown, 2017) given the complexities of family

instability, racial and class-based stigma, and social or economic barriers (Randles, 2020).

Given that the additional stressors facing low-income couples may influence relationship main-

tenance behaviors such as communication and conflict resolution (Karney, 2021), it is especially

important to explore the experiences of low-income mothers and fathers, many of whom

become parents outside of marriage (McClain & Brown, 2017). More complex family forms

may also face challenges during transitions; however, very little research explores couples

welcoming their second or subsequent child (Ketner et al., 2019), especially within stepfamilies

(Ivanova & Balbo, 2019). The current study addresses these gaps by examining trajectories of

relationship quality and couple conflict in a sample of low-income parents surrounding the birth

of a new baby. Specifically, we make comparisons between first-time parents and multiparous

couples as well as between married, cohabiting, and non-residential committed couples.

Further, we include martial expectations within a dyadic context to test for differences among

unmarried parents.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study is guided by three principles of family systems theory (FST). First, families are

unique systems that are “composed of interdependent elements”(Newman & Newman, 2016,

p. 312). The most basic family system is represented by a dyad, with each member of thedyad

influencing the other. Within the family system, an individual’s behaviors, thoughts, and

stressors influence the experiences of other members of the family. Second, family systems

adapt to change through reorganization (Cox & Paley, 2003). This period of reorganization

may result in fluctuations in family functioning or in the functioning of any of the related sub-

systems. LeMasters (1957) discussed one such change: As parents welcomed their first child,

they entered a period of “crisis”or disorganization following the child’s birth from which they

needed to recover or reorganize. The addition of any new family member constitutes a change

in the system; thus, a similar period of disorganization and fluctuation in functioning can be

anticipated for the first child as well as subsequent children, although more complex family

1380 FAMILY RELATIONS