RELATIONS AMONG INTERPARENTAL RELATIONSHIP QUALITY, MATERNAL DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, PARENTING IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT, AND PRE-SCHOOL CHILD BEHAVIORIN AFRICAN AMERICAN, LOW-INCOME, SINGLE-MOTHER FAMILIES

Extensive literature links interparental relationship quality, particularly coparent conflict, with child behavior problems. Evidence suggests associations between and among interparental discord related to child-rearing disagreements, parenting difficulties, maternal depressive symptoms and child functioning. Experts assert that children function best when their biological parents have a stable marital relationship, and that interparental conflict can jeopardize the stability of the marriage, potential for marriage and the continuation of father involvement However, the preponderance of such research has investigated White, middle-class married or divorced families. Little is known about interparental relationship quality, family moderating factors and behavior problems of young children in African American, low-income, single- mother-headed families. Exploration of this problem is important because early childhood behavioral problems can persist and can contribute to children's academic underachievement and societal maladjustment. Grounded in the ecological and risk and resilience theoretical perspectives, this quantitative, cross-sectional survey design study investigated associations among interparental relations, maternal depressive symptoms, maternal parenting, and pre-school child behavior problems in African American, low-income, single-mother-headed families. With the cooperation of the Allegheny County Assistance Office, a randomly selected group of 100 mothers and their 3- or 4-year old children, participated in this study. This study used the Time 1 data from an NIMH-funded longitudinal study with Dr. Aurora Jackson as principal investigator. Hierarchical regression analyses were used. Contrary to research with White families, greater mother-reported interparental relationship problems were not associated with more child behavior problems. As hypothesized, fewer maternal depressive symptoms and more optimal maternal parenting were associated with fewer child behavior problems. Controlling for frequency of father contact did not affect relationships in the model. A post hoc finding showed that greater father contact was associated with fewer internalizing behavior problems. Neither fewer maternal depressive symptoms nor more optimal maternal parenting buffered the association between poor interparental relations and child behavior problems. These findings suggest further investigation particularly considering the extensive financial investments and programs funded by the African American Healthy Marriage Initiative. These programs intend to encourage marriage and strengthen poor families, yet have scant research about Black nonmarital, coparent relationships from which to inform these efforts