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Parent-child interaction frequency: associations with age, sibling presence, and child health

Kira Twork^1,2, Juliane Ludwig³, Wieland Kiess^4,3

¹Department of Women and Child Health and Center for Pediatric Research (CPL), Leipzig University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Leipzig, Germany. kira.twork@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.

Pediatric Research

|November 15, 2024

Insights

Parent-child interactions are less frequent in older children and those with more siblings. Higher interaction frequency correlates with more child symptoms, not parental mental health.

Area of Science:

Child Development
Developmental Psychology
Pediatrics

Background:

Parent-child interaction is vital for child development.
Understanding factors influencing interaction frequency is crucial for targeted interventions.
Previous research highlights the importance of early interactions but lacks comprehensive analysis of influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate associations between parent-child interaction frequency and sociodemographic characteristics.
To explore the relationship between parent-child interaction and children's physical/psychological symptoms.
To examine the link between parent-child interaction and parental mental health.

Main Methods:

A population-based cohort study in Leipzig, Germany, involving 739 children aged 2-6.5 years.
Standardized parental questionnaires assessed frequencies of 11 parent-child interactions.
Regression analyses were used to determine associations with sociodemographic and health-related variables.

Main Results:

Shared reading was most frequent; number games were least frequent.
Fewer parent-child interactions were associated with older children, more siblings, and presence of older siblings.
No significant associations were found with child sex, SES, living situation, or parental depression.

Conclusions:

Child age and sibling characteristics significantly shape parent-child interaction frequency in preschoolers.
Parent-child interaction frequency appears related to children's health, not parental mental health.
Sex-specific differences in parent-child interactions persist, potentially linked to traditional gender roles.

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Abstract

Objectives:

Parent-child interaction plays a crucial role in child development. This study investigated associations between the frequency of parent-child-interactions and sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, socio-economic status, family structure, number and age of siblings), physical and psychological symptoms in children, and mental health of parents.

Methods:

The frequencies of 11 different parent-child interactions (shared reading, singing, moving, painting, building, puzzle, playing ball, role games, language games, number games and talking about problems) were assessed in 739 children aged 2-6.5 years-old using a standardised parental questionnaire, within a population-based cohort study in Leipzig, Germany. Physical and psychological symptoms were investigated using the HBSC Symptom-Checklist and parental depression symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire. We applied regression analyses to assess associations between variables.

Results:

Shared reading was the parent-child interaction reported most frequently, with an average occurrence of several times a week. Number games were reported least frequently, with an average occurrency of every two weeks. Fewer parent-child interactions were significantly associated with higher child age, higher number of siblings, presence of older siblings and a lower level of physical and psychological symptoms. The other variables (sex, SES, living situation, presence of younger siblings or both (younger and older), depression symptoms of parents) were not significantly associated with the frequency of parent-child interactions.

Conclusion:

The findings show that age of children and number as well as age of siblings at home may shape the frequency of parent-child interaction in preschool children. In addition, the findings suggest that parent-child interaction might be related to the health of children rather than the (mental) health of parents.

Impact:

This study assessed the associations between the frequency of different types of parent-child interactions and sociodemographic as well as health-related parameters in a large sample of children. There still exist sex-specific differences in the frequency of parent-child interactions related to traditional role models of girls and boys. A higher frequency of parent-child interactions is associated with more physical and psychological symptoms in children. Parent-child interactions are less frequent in families with more children, especially when older siblings are present.

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