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Aspects of the parent-child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes
Emily J Jones1, Edith Chen2,3, Cynthia S Levine2,3
1Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. ejj4@psu.edu.
Insights
Parental stress from child hassles impacts parent heart rate and cholesterol. Less positive parent-child interactions are linked to higher blood pressure in fathers, suggesting relationship aspects influence parental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Parent-child relationships significantly affect child health.
- The influence of parent-child dynamics on parental health, particularly metabolic outcomes, is less understood.
- Understanding these bidirectional effects is crucial for holistic family well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parent-child relationship aspects and parental metabolic health.
- To examine whether parent gender moderates these associations.
- To identify specific relationship factors impacting parental physiological markers.
Main Methods:
- Assessed five metabolic outcomes (blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin) in 261 parents.
- Utilized questionnaires for parents to report child hassles and daily interaction quality.
- Employed statistical analyses to determine associations and moderation effects by parent gender.
Main Results:
- Increased perception of child hassles correlated with higher parent heart rate and total cholesterol.
- Parental gender did not moderate the association between child hassles and these metabolic outcomes.
- Less positive parent-child daily interactions were linked to elevated systolic blood pressure in fathers, but not mothers.
Conclusions:
- Aspects of the parent-child relationship, such as perceived child hassles, are associated with parental metabolic health.
- The quality of daily interactions with children can differentially impact parental blood pressure based on gender.
- Findings highlight the bidirectional influence within parent-child relationships on parental physiological well-being.
Abstract:
Much is known about the effect of parent-child relationships on child health; less is known about how parent-child relationships influence parent health. To assess the association between aspects of the parent-child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes, and whether these associations are moderated by parent gender. Five metabolic outcomes (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin) were assessed among 261 parents (45.83 ± 5.50 years) of an adolescent child (14.57 ± 1.072 years). Parents completed questionnaires assessing their child's hassles and the quality of their days with their child. Parents' perceptions of their child's hassles were associated with parent heart rate (B = 2.954, SE = 1.267, p = 0.021) and cholesterol (B = 0.028, SE = 0.011, p = 0.010), such that greater perceived child hassles were associated with higher heart rate and cholesterol levels, on average. These associations were not moderated by parent gender (all ps > 0.30). Parent report of their day with their child was not associated with parent metabolic outcomes (all ps > 0.20). Parent gender moderated the association between parent report of their day with their child and parent systolic blood pressure (B = 13.861, SE = 6.200, p = 0.026), such that less positive reports were associated with higher blood pressure readings among fathers, but not mothers. This study suggests that parent metabolic health may in part be influenced by aspects of the parent-child relationship.
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