Fragile Families And Child Wellbeing Study Research Articles

Associations of neighborhood disorganization and maternal spanking with children’s aggression: A fixed-effects regression analysis

This study employed fixed effects regression that controls for selection bias, omitted variables bias, and all time-invariant aspects of parent and child characteristics to examine the simultaneous associations between neighborhood disorganization, maternal spanking, and aggressive behavior in early childhood using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Analysis was based on 2,472 children and their mothers who participated in Wave 3 (2001–2003; child age 3) and Wave 4 (2003–2006; child age 5) of the FFCWS. Results indicated that higher rates of neighborhood crime and violence predicted higher levels of child aggression. Maternal spanking in the past year, whether frequent or infrequent, was also associated with increases in aggressive behavior. This study contributes statistically rigorous evidence that exposure to violence in the neighborhood as well as the family context are predictors of child aggression. We conclude with a discussion for the need for multilevel prevention and intervention approaches that target both community and parenting factors.

Synergistic Effects of Depression and Poor Impulse Control on Physical Partner Violence; A National Study in United States.

Although major depressive disorder (MDD) also increases the risk of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) perpetration, poor mental health has been mostly conceptualized as a consequence of IPV victimization rather than a risk factor for IPV perpetration. Poor impulse control is another IPV risk factor. Building on a risk / risk framework, this study investigates additive and multiplicative effects of male partners' MDD and poor impulse control on physical IPV victimization reported by female partner. This national longitudinal study followed a random sample of 2,500 male and female cohabiting partners for two years in United States. Data came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Male partner's MDD was the independent variable. Baseline socio-demographic factors (age, relation status, education level, income, and minority status) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) were covariates. Outcome was female partner's physical IPV victimization measured at baseline and two years later. Male partner's impulse control was the moderator. Model I tested independent effects of MDD and impulse control on physical IPV. Model II used multi-group structural equation model to test the effect of MDD in those with low and poor impulse control. All participants provided written consent and SPSS and AMOS were used for data analysis. In Model 1 that tested additive effects of SES, GAD, AUD, MDD, and poor impulse control did not show main effects of MDD or impulse control on an increase in perpetration of physical IPV over two years. Model 2 showed that MDD predicts an increase in perpetration of physical IPV of men with poor impulse control, but not men with high impulse control. Based on the findings, poor impulse control and MDD have synergistic effects on IPV committed by men. Given the synergistic effects of psychological determinants of IPV, there is a need for prevention of IPV in male partners who have multiple risk factors such as MDD and poor impulse control. Self-regulation trainings of depressed men with poor impulse control may reduce IPV risk among men.

The effect of social fathers on the cognitive skills of out-of-wedlock children in the U.S

There are two competing views regarding the presence of social fathers on childrens’ cognitive ability: (1) either the social father provides more financial resources which benefit the children or (2) the mother with new partners may shift the focus away from the children. Previous research focused on older children or adolescents and ignored the self-selection problem. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), and a sample of younger children. Using propensity score matching method (nonparametric methods), we find that children with social fathers scored around three points less in a cognitive ability test than children living only with biological mothers (assuming that self-selection is based on observables). The result remains robust when using a control-function analysis (parametric method).

Adverse Housing Conditions and Early-Onset Delinquency.

Housing constitutes an important health resource for children. Research has revealed that, when housing conditions are unfavorable, they can interfere with child health, academic performance, and cognition. Little to no research, however, has considered whether adverse housing conditions and early-onset delinquency are significantly associated with one another. This study explores the associations between structural and non-structural housing conditions and delinquent involvement during childhood. Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) were employed in this study. Each adverse housing condition was significantly associated with early-onset delinquency. Even so, disarray and deterioration were only significantly linked to early delinquent involvement in the presence of health/safety hazards. The predicted probability of early-onset delinquency among children exposed to housing risks in the presence of health/safety hazards was nearly three times as large as the predicted probability of early-onset delinquency among children exposed only to disarray and/or deterioration, and nearly four times as large as the predicted probability of early-onset delinquency among children exposed to none of the adverse housing conditions. The findings suggest that minimizing housing-related health/safety hazards among at-risk subsets of the population may help to alleviate other important public health concerns-particularly early-onset delinquency. Addressing household health/safety hazards may represent a fruitful avenue for public health programs aimed at the prevention of early-onset delinquency.

Considering the role of food insecurity in low self-control and early delinquency

PurposeThe present study examines whether experiences of household food insecurity during childhood are predictive of low self-control and early involvement in delinquency. MethodsIn order to examine these associations, we employ data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) – a national study that follows a large group of children born in the U.S. between 1998 and 2000. ResultsChildren raised in food insecure households exhibit significantly lower levels of self-control during early childhood and higher levels of delinquency during late childhood than children raised in food secure households, net of covariates. Both transient and persistent food insecurity are significantly and positively associated with low self-control and early delinquency, although persistent food insecurity is associated with larger increases in the risk of low self-control and early delinquency. Ancillary analyses reveal that low self-control partly explains the association between food insecurity and early delinquency. ConclusionsThe general theory of crime may need to be expanded to account for the role of early life stressors linked to a tenuous supply of healthy household foods in the development of self-control. Future research should seek to further elucidate the process by which household food insecurity influences childhood self-control and early delinquency.

Sleep and Preteen Delinquency: Is the Association Robust to ADHD Symptomatology and ADHD Diagnosis?

Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of sleep have been linked to multiple dimensions of well-being. An emerging body of research has also revealed that poor sleep during adolescence can increase the likelihood of delinquent involvement. The contribution of early sleep difficulties to later delinquency, however, is often overlooked. Furthermore, the role that ADHD symptomatology and/or diagnosis might play in this association has not been adequately addressed, despite findings suggesting that both sleep disturbances and delinquent involvement are more common among children with ADHD symptomatology or an ADHD diagnosis. The current study examines the associations between sleep behaviors and preteen delinquency, and the extent to which ADHD symptomatology and/or diagnosis might inform these associations. Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) were employed to explore these associations and logistic regression techniques were utilized to analyze the data. The findings reveal that both sleep problems and sleep duration are associated with the odds of ADHD symptomatology, an ADHD diagnosis, and preteen delinquency. Even so, the results also suggest that persistent sleep problems are not significantly associated with the odds of preteen delinquency once ADHD symptomatology and diagnosis are taken into account. The influence of sleep duration on preteen delinquency, however, is robust to the association between ADHD measures and preteen delinquency. Poor sleep, therefore, appears to be an important modifiable risk factor for preteen delinquency. Even so, future investigations into the link between sleep and delinquency should account for developmental risks and/or disorders that commonly co-occur with sleep problems.

Postnatal College Trajectories: When and under What Circumstances Do Mothers Enroll?

Background/ContextIn light of increasingly common, non-traditional pathways to college enrollment and potential importance of post-secondary education for family wellbeing, this article examines maternal college enrollment. I employ a sociological application of rational action theory in which costs of reentry, probability of success, and utility of education influence enrollment.ObjectiveRecently available longitudinal data provide the opportunity to (a) describe maternal college enrollment during the first 9 years after giving birth and (b) consider the influence of demographic (race, nativity, age), economic (poverty level, employment status, occupation) and social (informal social support, public assistance receipt, household composition, maternal health status) covariates on maternal enrollment.Research DesignThe analysis uses secondary data, the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), to examine how college enrollment evolves over the child's first 9 years (n = 2,330 mothers, n = 7,808 observations).Data Collection and AnalysisThe FFCWS is a longitudinal survey of 4,898 children born in 1998–2000 to mostly unmarried, low-income mothers (the sample is comprised of 75% unmarried mothers and a 25% married comparison group). Through a stratified random sampling design, U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or more were selected, followed by hospitals within the cities, and, finally, beds within hospitals. Using multilevel models of change, the analysis considers social and economic factors that influence college enrollment, and examines how the influences of covariates change over time.FindingsOne-third of mothers enrolled in college at least once during their child's first 9 years and college enrollment increased as children aged. Mothers’ enrollment levels largely reflected rational action theory such that enrollment costs and probability for success influenced enrollment. Models illuminated differential rates of change. Safety net access and marital status at the child's birth became more important in differentiating students as children aged.Conclusions/RecommendationsMothers’ interest coupled with the short- and long-term benefits of college enrollment suggest that mothers should receive additional support to finance their educations. Findings indicate the need for policies, including welfare policy reform, to support the growing number of student mothers enrolling in college discontinuously and their high levels of disadvantage.

Fathering Despite Perpetual Penalties: Examining Fathers’ Involvement Amidst the Collateral Consequences of Previous Criminal Justice Involvement

Background: The role that fathers play in the lives of their families, particularly, the lives of children, is vitally important. Research has found positive associations between father involvement and factors, such as infant cognitive outcomes, children’s school-readiness where levels of mothers’ supportiveness are low, better socioemotional, and academic functioning in children. Black males, many who are fathers, are disproportionately overrepresented within the criminal justice system. High incarceration rates have significant economic and social impacts on families and communities. Objective: This article examines differences in father involvement among Black fathers with criminal records and explores relationships between fathers’ involvement, the amount of time served in jail, fathers’ employment status, and fathers’ education levels. Method: Secondary analysis of the third wave of Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing (FFCW) public-use dataset was used for this article. The FFCW study follows a panel or cohort of 4,700 children born to unwed (3,600) and married (1,100) parents. The Fragile Families study employed a stratified random sample of 75 hospitals across 20 U.S. cities with populations over 200,000. Findings: The results of the analyses found (a) that the time served in jail had no effect on fathers’ involvement, (b) no statistically significant differences in fathers’ involvement based on fathers’ education level, and (c) fathers who were working were more engaged in the lives of their children, as compared to fathers who were not working and under correctional supervision. Conclusion: This article’s exploration of differences and relationships between father involvement and socioeconomic variables among Black fathers with criminal records further demystifies the complexities of fragile family compositions and circumstances while informing future policy, practices, and research.

Unmarried Mothers' Postnatal School Enrollment: The Role and Intersection of Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics

ABSTRACTDrawing from a theoretical model of educational decisions and intersectionality theory, this study examined demographic, socioeconomic, and public assistance characteristics that influence unmarried mothers' postnatal enrollment. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), binomial and multinomial regression techniques were used to examine unmarried mothers' enrollment in their child's first 9 years. Results showed unmarried mothers' educational commitment coupled with the influence of race and class indicate that they need additional opportunities to optimize their educations and job opportunities. Targeting outreach and enrollment assistance to underrepresented groups can reduce social-origin inequalities. Important directions for future research include understanding unmarried mothers' rationale for school enrollment and considering how race and class work in combination to support or deter enrollment.

Soft drinks consumption and child behaviour problems: the role of food insecurity and sleep patterns.

To examine whether the association between soft drinks consumption and child behaviour problems differs by food security status and sleep patterns in young children. Cross-sectional observational data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), which collected information on food insecurity, soft drinks consumption, sleep patterns and child behaviour problems. Bivariate and multivariate ordinary least-squares regression analyses predicting child behaviour problems and accounting for socio-economic factors and household characteristics were performed. Twenty urban cities in the USA with a population of 200 000 or more. Parental interviews of 2829 children who were about 5 years old. Soft drinks consumption was associated with aggressive behaviours, withdrawn and attention problems for children aged 5 years. However, the association differed by food security status. The association was mostly statistically insignificant among food-secure children after accounting for socio-economic and demographic characteristics. On the other hand, soft drinks consumption was associated with behaviour problems for food-insecure children even after accounting for these factors. However, after accounting for child sleep patterns, the association between soft drinks consumption and child behaviour problems became statistically insignificant for food-insecure children. The negative association between soft drinks consumption and child behaviour problems could be explained by sleep problems for food-insecure children. Since about 21 % of households with children are food insecure, targeted efforts to reduce food insecurity would help improve dietary (reduce soft drinks consumption) and health behaviours (improve sleep) and reduce child behaviour problems.

Maternal Dysphoria, Maternal Attitudes Toward Parenting, and Childhood Externalizing Behavior as Predictors of Physical Aggression

The purpose of this study was to test for reciprocity and chaining in 4,897 children (2,568 boys, 2,329 girls) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Cross-lagged correlations between maternal dysphoria and attitude at Waves 2 and 3 of the FFCWS revealed that maternal dysphoria and negative maternal attitudes toward parenting were reciprocally related. Regarding chaining, the direct effects of Wave 2 maternal dysphoria and attitudes on Wave 5 offspring physical aggression were nonsignificant, although both variables predicted Wave 5 physical aggression via their cross-lagged correlations with each other at Wave 3 and offspring externalizing behavior at Wave 4. These results indicate that dysphoria and negative maternal attitudes toward parenting are equally important in predicting offspring physical aggression.

The mediating role of maternal warmth in the associations between harsh parental practices and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in Hispanic American, African American, and European American families.

Using data from the add-on 5-year cohort of In-Home Longitudinal Study of preschool aged Children of the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS), we examined the mediating role of maternal warmth in the associations between positive and harsh maternal practices and children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors. The sample consisted of 1,922 low-income Hispanic American, African American, and European American families. For European Americans, the links between maternal psychological aggression and hostility and children's externalizing behaviors were direct. Similarly, for Hispanic Americans, the links between maternal psychological aggression, physical assault, and hostility and externalizing behaviors were direct, as was the link between maternal physical assault and internalizing behaviors. For African Americans, maternal warmth partially mediated the links between maternal hostility and physical assault and externalizing behaviors. However, the associations between psychological aggression and externalizing and internalizing behaviors were direct. The data are discussed with respect to similarities in cultural pathways of influence between harsh maternal treatment and children's behavioral difficulties across ethnic groups.

Longitudinal Patterns of Unmarried Resident Fathers' Engagement with Young Children in the U.S.: Examining the Role of Ethnicity and Extended Family Relationship

This study examined the role of ethnicity and extended family relationship in the longitudinal patterns of unmarried resident fathers’ engagement with young children in the U.S. Using three waves of panel data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), data obtained from 292 respondents were analyzed by the Linear Mixed Effects Regression (LMER) method. Findings suggested that Black unmarried resident fathers exhibited more engagement with their infants at age one than their White counterparts did, but the initial difference reversed by age five as a result of decreasing engagement among Black fathers over time and comparatively increasing engagement among Whites. Results also suggested that Black unmarried resident fathers with a high relationship level with their extended family members exhibited less engagement with their infants than Black fathers with a low relationship level, but the initial difference reversed by age five as a result of decreasing engagement among Black fathers with a low relationship level over time and comparatively increasing engagement among Black fathers with a high relationship level.

Family structure and child food insecurity.

We examined whether food insecurity was different for children in cohabiting or repartnered families versus those in single-mother or married-parent (biological) families. We compared probabilities of child food insecurity (CFI) across different family structures in 4 national data sets: the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics-Child Development Supplement (PSID-CDS). Unadjusted probabilities of CFI in cohabiting or repartnered families were generally higher than in married-biological-parent families and often statistically indistinguishable from those of single-mother families. However, after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, most differences between family types were attenuated and most were no longer statistically significant. Although children whose biological parents are cohabiting or whose biological mothers have repartnered have risks for food insecurity comparable to those in single-mother families, the probability of CFI does not differ by family structure when household income, family size, and maternal race, ethnicity, education, and age were held at mean levels.

Pathways to early delinquency: Exploring the individual and collective contributions of difficult temperament, low maternal involvement, and externalizing behavior

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of difficult temperament and maternal involvement, measured at ages one and three years, respectively, on externalizing behavior at age five and early delinquency at age nine. MethodsMaternal- and child-reports from 4,897 members of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) were included in a path analysis of four of five waves of FFCWS data: Wave 2 (difficult temperament at age 1), Wave 3 (maternal involvement at age 3), Wave 4 (externalizing behavior at age 5), and Wave 5 (delinquency at age 9). FindingsAlthough difficult temperament at age 1 displayed a weak zero-order correlation with delinquency at age 9 and low maternal involvement at age 3 failed to correlate with delinquency at age 9, both entered into significant chained relationships with delinquency via externalizing behavior at age 5. In addition, difficult temperament at age 1 seemed to evoke low parental involvement at age 3. ConclusionsThe respective roles of a difficult temperament, maternal involvement, and externalizing behavior in a proximal chaining process may be partially responsible for the continuity that has been observed in antisocial behavior over time.

Child care subsidies and child care choices: The moderating role of household structure

Abstract A recent but growing literature has explored the implications of federally-funded child care subsidies for child well-being. While subsidies have been shown to move children into child care settings of higher observed quality, and high quality care has been associated with improved school readiness, some evidence suggests that subsidy use is associated with neutral or negative child outcomes. These findings may be explained by patterns of care choice among subsidy receiving mothers. This study investigates whether household structure moderates the association between subsidy receipt and choice of child care arrangement using samples drawn from two demographically distinct data sources: the exclusively urban Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) and the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). Results indicate that household structure alters the association between subsidy use and care arrangement, but the moderating role of household structure differs across the two samples. In the FFCWS, living with extended family increased the likelihood that mothers use subsidies for informal family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care rather than center based care; in the ECLS-B, living with extended family decreased the likelihood of mothers using subsidies for informal FFN care versus center-based care. Findings suggest that household structure is an important moderator of subsidy use, but that its impact may depend on contextual and demographic factors.

Can we trust parental reports of child care subsidy receipt?

In recent years, research examining determinants and consequences of the means-tested child care subsidy program (the Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF]) has grown dramatically. To measure subsidy utilization, existing studies typically rely on parent-reported measures of subsidy receipt drawn from large surveys. As the research literature on child care subsidies has grown, however, so have concerns about the trustworthiness of parent-reported subsidy use. One way to assess the quality of parent-reported subsidy use is to examine its overlap with another subsidy receipt measure, drawn from a different source. The current paper uses the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS), the only existing survey data source that contains an alternate measure of subsidy receipt - based on child care provider report - which permits a comparison to parent-reported measures. We find evidence that increases our confidence in the trustworthiness of parents as accurate reporters of subsidy receipt. In recognition that neither data source reflects "true" subsidy receipt, however, we conclude with a discussion of limitations and steps for future research.

The Importance of Incarceration on Food Insecurity Among Households with Children

This study seeks to determine the role that parental incarceration plays on the probability of food insecurity among families with children and very low food security of children using micro-level data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being Study (FFCWS). The data set contains the 18-question food security module which allows us to explore the link between incarceration and food insecurity and very low food security among children, families, and adults. The incidence of very low food security in our data is somewhat higher than the national average, but the incidence of other levels of food security is similar to national aggregates. Since there is likely reverse causality in the relationship between parental incarceration and food insecurity, we employ a variety of program evaluation techniques to identify the causal relationship between food insecurity and parental incarceration. We employ imputation techniques to account for non-response among the food security variables and independent variables. Our ordinary least squares results suggest that having at least one parent that has ever been incarcerated has a small positive effect (1 to 4 percentage points) on the probability of very low food security among children, adults and households with children, but the results are sensitive to specification and in most regressions, the incarceration variable is not significantly different from zero. Food insecurity for adults and households with children (a less dire level of food insecurity than very low food security) is affected by parental incarceration under most specifications with magnitudes of impact from 4 to 15 percentage points. This research provides some evidence that incarceration adversely affects children and families in terms of food insecurity. Policies to mitigate the impact could be addressed through the court system whereby children are provided with court-sanctioned support to address food needs.

The impact of physical and economic abuse on maternal mental health and parenting

Using the first four waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), this article examined the long-term impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on maternal depression and parenting. Findings from multivariate logistic regressions demonstrated that economic and psychological abuse at Year 1 had significant effects on the likelihood of mothers experiencing depression and spanking their children at Year 5. Psychological abuse experiences at Year 1 had a significant effect on the level of engagement with their children at Year 5. However, experiences of physical violence at Year 1 did not significantly impact mothers' depression or parenting. In addition, the results indicated that both the level and change of economic abuse increased the odds of mothers experiencing depression at Year 5. Similarly, both the level and change of psychological abuse decreased the odds of mothers engaging with their children at Year 5. Finally, the level of economic and psychological abuse at Year 1 increased the odds of the use of spanking in Year 5. These results suggest that there are long-term effects of economic and psychological abuse on mothers' depression and parenting and that more research is needed to understand the impact of abuse, specifically of economic abuse, among families that are victims of interpersonal violence.

Direct and Mediated Effects of Nativity and Other Indicators of Acculturation on Hispanic Mothers’ Use of Physical Aggression

This study used data from 845 foreign-born (n = 328) and native-U.S. born (n = 517) Hispanic mothers who participated in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to examine four indicators of acculturation--nativity, years lived in the United States, religious attendance, and endorsement of traditional gender norms--as predictors of maternal physical aggression directed toward young children. The authors also examined whether psychosocial risk factors associated with child maltreatment and acculturation--maternal alcohol use, depression, parenting stress, and intimate partner aggression and violence--mediate relationships between acculturation and maternal aggression. Foreign-born Hispanic mothers had significantly lower rates of physical aggression than native-born Hispanic mothers. In path modeling results, U.S. nativity, along with maternal alcohol use, parenting stress, and child aggressive behavior, emerged as the strongest risk factors for maternal physical aggression. Among the four acculturation indicators, only foreign birth was directly associated with lower maternal aggression. Study findings suggest immigrant status is a unique protective factor that contributes to lower levels of physical aggression among Hispanic mothers.