The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood
The aim of this research is to examine how developmental progress and socio-emotional difficulties in early childhood are influenced by family complexity, and how socioeconomic status (SES) and interparental conflict influence these effects. To measure family complexity, full biological families, tw...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Societies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/8/192 |
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| author | Judit Monostori Laura Szabó Krisztina Kopcsó |
| author_facet | Judit Monostori Laura Szabó Krisztina Kopcsó |
| author_sort | Judit Monostori |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this research is to examine how developmental progress and socio-emotional difficulties in early childhood are influenced by family complexity, and how socioeconomic status (SES) and interparental conflict influence these effects. To measure family complexity, full biological families, two-biological-parent families with half- and/or step-siblings, step-parent families, and single-parent families were separated. Dependent variables include the risk of developmental delay (based on ASQ-3) and socio-emotional difficulties (based on SDQ) at age 3. The data come from four waves of the Cohort ’18 Growing Up in Hungary longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 5788). Based on the results, children in all non-intact family types have a higher risk of developmental delay than do children from full biological families, when controlled only for the basic socio-demographic characteristics of children and mothers. However, controlling for family SES or interparental conflict as well, only children raised by a step-parent have a higher risk. Considering socio-emotional difficulties, children living with their biological parents but also with half- or step-siblings, or in a single-parent family, were at higher risk, even adjusted for interparental conflict. After controlling for family SES, however, only children in single-parent families have a higher risk. Parental conflict and low family SES have significant negative effects on both child outcomes, even in intact families, and together these seem to explain the adverse effect of non-intact family types. To conclude, children’s outcomes in the early years depend not only on whether they live with both their biological parents, but also on whether they are raised with half- and/or step-siblings or by a step-parent. That said, in many cases the negative impacts are due to selection effects, i.e., the fact that children of low-status parents are more likely to live in non-intact families. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:34:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-25893d143bec4187b22fe5c7cd804102 |
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| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:34:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-25893d143bec4187b22fe5c7cd8041022023-11-19T03:00:54ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982023-08-0113819210.3390/soc13080192The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early ChildhoodJudit Monostori0Laura Szabó1Krisztina Kopcsó2Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, 1024 Budapest, HungaryHungarian Demographic Research Institute, 1024 Budapest, HungaryHungarian Demographic Research Institute, 1024 Budapest, HungaryThe aim of this research is to examine how developmental progress and socio-emotional difficulties in early childhood are influenced by family complexity, and how socioeconomic status (SES) and interparental conflict influence these effects. To measure family complexity, full biological families, two-biological-parent families with half- and/or step-siblings, step-parent families, and single-parent families were separated. Dependent variables include the risk of developmental delay (based on ASQ-3) and socio-emotional difficulties (based on SDQ) at age 3. The data come from four waves of the Cohort ’18 Growing Up in Hungary longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 5788). Based on the results, children in all non-intact family types have a higher risk of developmental delay than do children from full biological families, when controlled only for the basic socio-demographic characteristics of children and mothers. However, controlling for family SES or interparental conflict as well, only children raised by a step-parent have a higher risk. Considering socio-emotional difficulties, children living with their biological parents but also with half- or step-siblings, or in a single-parent family, were at higher risk, even adjusted for interparental conflict. After controlling for family SES, however, only children in single-parent families have a higher risk. Parental conflict and low family SES have significant negative effects on both child outcomes, even in intact families, and together these seem to explain the adverse effect of non-intact family types. To conclude, children’s outcomes in the early years depend not only on whether they live with both their biological parents, but also on whether they are raised with half- and/or step-siblings or by a step-parent. That said, in many cases the negative impacts are due to selection effects, i.e., the fact that children of low-status parents are more likely to live in non-intact families.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/8/192family structurefamily complexityearly childhood developmentsocio-emotional difficulties |
| spellingShingle | Judit Monostori Laura Szabó Krisztina Kopcsó The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood Societies family structure family complexity early childhood development socio-emotional difficulties |
| title | The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood |
| title_full | The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood |
| title_short | The Impact of Family Complexity on the Risk of Developmental Delay and Socio-Emotional Difficulties in Early Childhood |
| title_sort | impact of family complexity on the risk of developmental delay and socio emotional difficulties in early childhood |
| topic | family structure family complexity early childhood development socio-emotional difficulties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/13/8/192 |
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