Ecological Influences of Parental Discipline Behaviors and Child Outcomes among Families in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately at-risk for failing to meet their developmental potential. Meeting important social, behavioral, and cognitive milestones in childhood sets the stage for healthy development across the lifespan. More research is needed to determine how to leverage the rich population heterogeneity, cultural diversity, and strengths found in LMICs, while reducing risks to child development. Parental discipline behaviors have the potential to both promote and hinder child outcomes across the world. However, relatively little research has examined how parental discipline behaviors interact with contextual factors to predict child outcomes in LMICs. Leaning on family stress and bioecological theories, this dissertation examined how contextual factors (i.e., country, child age, country-level human development, and country-level gender inequality) shaped the associations between aggressive and non-aggressive parental discipline behaviors with child aggression, distraction, and prosocial behavior. Data came from rounds four (2009-2013) and five (2012-2017) of the United Nations Children’s Fund Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. First, nationally representative prevalence estimates of 11 parental discipline behaviors were estimated across 58 LMICs. Next, Bayesian multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between 11 parental discipline behaviors with child outcomes, and whether the strength of these associations varied by country. Finally, traditional frequentist multilevel logistic regression analyses examined whether the associations between parental discipline behaviors and child outcomes varied by child age, country-level human development, and country-level gender inequality. Results suggest that physical aggression, psychological aggression, and taking away privileges were harmful to child developmental outcomes, while verbal reasoning and redirection were helpful. Refraining from physical and psychological aggression were most important in countries with lower human development and higher gender inequality, whereas verbal reasoning and redirection were most important in countries with higher human development and lower gender inequality. Results underscore the need for cross-functional and multilevel interventions in LMICs to promote child socioemotional development.PHDSocial Work & PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174433/1/kpward_1.pd