Health Limitations among Mothers and Fathers: Implications for Parenting

Despite good reasons to expect that poor health could impede parenting, relatively little research considers this possibility. This study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N=3,376) and propensity score matching to examine the relationship between maternal and paternal health limitations-health conditions that limit the amount or type of work one can do-and mother- and father-reported parenting stress, cooperation in parenting, and engagement with children. First, we find that mothers' and fathers' health limitations are associated with greater parenting stress. Second, we find evidence of spillover associations; compared to their counterparts, parents with health limitations report that their child's other parent exhibit less cooperation. Third, we find that the associations between health and parenting are not moderated by parents' co-residential status. Taken together, these findings inform the stress process perspective and its implications for family life.