Material Hardship, Protective Factors, Children's Special Health Care Needs, and the Health of Mothers and Fathers

Parents of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are at risk of poorer health outcomes. Material hardships also pose significant health risks to parents. Little is known about how protective factors may mitigate these risks and if effects are similar between mothers and fathers.

This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted using the US 2018/2019 National Survey of Children's Health, including parents of children 0 to 17 with income <200% of the federal poverty level. Separately, for parents of children with and without special health care needs (N-CSHCN), weighted logistic regression measured associations between material hardship, protective factors (family resilience, neighborhood cohesion, and receipt of family-centered care), and 2 outcomes: mental and physical health of mothers and fathers. Interactions were assessed between special health care needs status, material hardship, and protective factors.

Sample consisted of parents of 16,777 children; 4440 were parents of CSHCN. Most outcomes showed similar associations for both mothers and fathers of CSHCN and N-CSHCN: material hardship was associated with poorer health outcomes, and family resilience and neighborhood cohesion associated with better parental health outcomes. Family-centered care was associated with better health of mothers but not fathers. Interaction testing showed that the protective effects of family resilience were lower among fathers of CSHCN experiencing material hardship.

Family resilience and neighborhood cohesion are associated with better health outcomes for all parents, though these effects may vary by experience of special health care needs, parent gender, and material hardship.