Emotional and Behavioral Changes and Related Factors of Firstborn School-Aged Compared to Same Age Only Children.

Lulu Sheng,Yuanke Zhou,Xuan Xi,Hong Wang,Qin Liu,Wenyi Wu,Mary Story,Yi Wen,Bo Yang

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.822761

Abstract

ObjectiveTo compare the emotional and behavioral characteristics of firstborn children during the pregnancy of a second child and only children of school-age in urban districts of Chongqing, China, and to explore the influencing factors of emotional and behavioral problems.MethodsWe recruited mothers of firstborn children and only children from two hospitals and one primary school using purposive sampling. Questionnaires and the Parental Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to collect basic information, family socioeconomic status, family atmosphere and emotional and behavioral characteristics of their children in the survey.ResultsThe sample consisted of 1,155 children, including 477 firstborn children and 678 only children. The average scores of internalizing (4.47), externalizing (6.05), total problems (22.04), and six emotional and behavioral of firstborn children were significantly lower than those of only children (p < 0.05). When adjusted for children's demographic, socioeconomic and family relationship covariates, the scores of firstborn children internalizing problems (β = −1.423, p = 0.000), externalizing problems (β = −0.661, p = 0.048), and total problems (β = −4.387, p = 0.000) were also significantly lower than those of only children. All children with more difficult parenting and development temperament, greater family economic pressure, poorer relationships between mother and child, less harmonious family atmosphere and father's permissive parenting style had more internalizing problems, externalizing problems and total problems (p < 0.05). Boys had more externalizing problems (β = 1.939, 95% CI = 1.380–2.497) and total problems (β = 4.908, 95% CI = 3.045–6.772) than girls.ConclusionFirstborn children had fewer emotional and behavioral problems than their counterparts who were only children. This research helps to understand the social impact of the implementation of the two-child policy in multiple dimensions.

Highlights

In order to better realize the harmonious development of population, economy, society, resources and environment, China’s family planning policy has gone through several periods: the one-child policy implemented in 1980 through 2016, the selective two-child policy which started in 2013, and the universal two-child policy which began in 2016
Simple Linear Regression Analysis The results showed that the scores of internalizing, externalizing, and total problems of firstborn children were significantly lower than those of only children (p < 0.01), and children with difficult parenting and slow development temperament, greater family financial pressure, lower parental education level, poor parental relationship, poor father-child relationship, poor mother-child relationship, not very harmonious family atmosphere, nondemocratic father’s or mother’s parenting style scored higher on internalizing, externalizing and total problems (p < 0.05)
Our findings indicate that firstborn children had fewer emotional and behavioral problems than their counterparts who were only children

Summary

Introduction

In order to better realize the harmonious development of population, economy, society, resources and environment, China’s family planning policy has gone through several periods: the one-child policy implemented in 1980 through 2016, the selective two-child policy which started in 2013, and the universal two-child policy which began in 2016. After years of a national one-child policy, the arrival of the second child has changed the family structure of many only children. With the implementation of the universal two-child policy in China, the phenomenon of emotional and behavioral adjustment difficulties of the firstborn children in second-child families is commonly held belief, which has raised widespread societal concern in the society. Family crisis models and stressful life events models suggested that the emergence of a second child is a stressful life event that can bring psychological stress to family members and lead to negative psychological and behavioral changes [4, 5]. According to ecological systems theory and the turning points theory, the birth of a second child may bring challenges to very young firstborn children, but it may promote rapid development and growth, and not all children will experience significant changes [4]. Previous research has focused on younger children or preschool age, and less on children of school age

Results

Discussion

Conclusion