The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

Figures & data

FIGURE 1. Bidirectional associations of child problem behavior and family conflict.

Note. Structural equation modeling of child problem behavior and family conflict. Numeric values are standardized path regression coefficients averaged from 10 imputed data sets. The models are adjusted for parental age, ethnicity, education and religion, gestational age at birth, child sex and age, prenatal parental psychopathology, and prenatal family conflict reported by mother and father. Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.08, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.99, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.89. FAD = Family Assessment Device. *p < .01. **p < .001.

TABLE 1 Baseline Characteristics for Participants With Information on Family Conflict (FAD)

	Mother^a	Father^b
Age, M (SD)	30.9 (4.8)	33.3 (5.3)
Ethnicity
Dutch, (%)	62.6	67.9
Other Western, (%)	9.3	6.9
Non-Western, (%)	28.1	25.2
Education Level
High (%)	52.4	54.8
Middle (%)	28.9	25.7
Low (%)	18.7	19.5
Religion
Yes (%)	57.7
No (%)	42.3
Parental Psychopathology Score, M (SD)	0.26 (0.34)	0.13 (0.21)
Gestational Age at Birth, Weeks, M(SD)	39.81 (1.83)
Gender (% boy)	49.5
Family Functioning (FAD Score) Prenatal, M (SD)	1.54 (0.46)	1.51 (0.39)
Family Functioning (FAD Score) at Age 5, M (SD)	1.50 (0.41)
Family Functioning (FAD Score) at Age 9, M (SD)	1.52 (0.44)	1.49 (0.41)
Parental Separation by Age 3 Years
Yes (%)	8.2
Parental Separation Between 3–5 Years of Age
Yes (%)	8.9
Parental Separation Between 5–9 Years of Age
Yes (%)	7.9
Parental Separation by Age 9 Years
Yes (%)	23.6
Child Problem Behavior (CBCL Score) at Age 1.5, M (SD)	22.47 (14.7)
Child Problem Behavior (CBCL Score) at Age 3, M (SD)	20.33 (14.6)	22.34 (15.6)
Child Problem Behavior (CBCL Score) at Age 5, M (SD)	19.16 (16.1)
Child Problem Behavior (CBCL Score) at Age 9, M (SD)	17.18 (15.0)	17.30 (14.9)

Note: Numbers denotes children included in one or more analyses. Values are frequencies for categorical and means and standard deviations (M ± SD) for continuous measures. FAD = Family Assessment Device; CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist.

^an = 5,808.

^bn = 4,561.

TABLE 2 Correlation Coefficients between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1. Family Conflict (FAD) Prenatal—Mother Report	—
2. Family Conflict (FAD) Prenatal—Father Report	.44**	—
3. Family Conflict (FAD) at Age 5—Mother Report	.40**	.28**	—
4. Family Conflict (FAD) at Age 9—Mother Report	.38**	.25**	.53**	—
5. Family Conflict (FAD) at Age 9—Father Report	.25**	.40**	.34**	.44**	—
6. CBCL Total Problems Scores at Age 3—Mother Report	.25**	.13**	.23**	.24**	.15**	—
7. CBCL Total Problems Scores at Age 3—Father Report	.14**	.14**	.13**	.14**	.19**	.55**	—
8. CBCL Total Problems Scores at Age 5—Mother Report	.21**	.13**	.27**	.24**	.15**	.60**	.42**	—
9. CBCL Total Problems Scores at Age 9—Mother Report	.19**	.12**	.20**	.29**	.20**	.43**	.31**	.59**	—
10. CBCL Total Problems Scores at Age 9—Father Report	.11**	.12**	.13**	.17**	.31**	.29**	.41**	.41**	.61**	—

**p = .01, two-tailed.

TABLE 3 Associations between Mother and Father Reported Prenatal Family Conflict and Later Parental Separation

	Parental Separation
	By Age 3		By Age 3–5		By Age 5–9		By Age 9
	OR [95% CI]^a	p	OR [95% CI]^b	p	OR [95% CI]^c	p	OR [95% CI]^d	p
Mother Reported: Prenatal Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	2.80 [2.20, 3.56]	< .001	2.18 [1.74, 2.72]	< .001	1.32 [1.00,1.74]	.048	2.16 [1.84, 2.53]	< .001
Father Reported: Prenatal Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	3.14 [2.11, 4.66]	< .001	2.14 [1.51, 3.02]	< .001	1.15 [0.77, 1.71]	.476	2.07 [1.62, 2.64]	< .001

Note: Binary logistic regression analysis of Family Assessment Device (FAD) and separation outcome. Odds ratios (ORs) are averaged from 10 imputed data sets. The models are adjusted for age, ethnicity, education and religion, parental psychopathology, child sex, and gestational age at birth reported by mother and father. Separated mothers by age 3 (8.2%), ages 3–5 (8.9%), ages 5–9 (7.9%), and by age 9 (23.6%). CI = confidence interval.

^an = 4,174.

^an = 4,821.

^an = 3,771.

^an = 4,543.

TABLE 4 The Association of Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

	Child Problem Behavior (CBCL–Total Score, per Point)
	Age 3		Age 5		Age 9
	B [95% CI]^a	p	B [95% CI]^b	p	B [95% CI]^c	p
	n = 4,223		n = 5,063		n = 4,062
Mother Reported Family Conflict
Prenatal Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	5.01 [4.01, 6.02]	< .001	4.20 [3.17, 5.22]	< .001	5.08 [4.01, 6.16]	< .001
Age 5 Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	—		8.53 [7.49, 9.57]	< .001	6.32 [5.17, 7.48]	< .001
Age 9 Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	—		—		9.26 [8.24, 10.2]	< .001
	(n = 3,556)			(n = 3,091)
Father Reported Family Conflict
Prenatal Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	3.87 [2.27, 5.47]	< .001	—		3.45 [1.73, 5.16]	< .001
Age 9 Family Conflict (FAD), per Score	—		—		10.84 [9.61, 12.0]	< .001

Note: Linear regression analysis of Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) outcome. Betas are averaged from 10 imputed data sets. The models are adjusted for age, ethnicity, education and religion, parental psychopathology, gestational age at birth, and child sex reported by mother and father. CI = confidence interval.

TABLE 5 The Association of Parental Separation and Child Problem Behavior

	Child Problem Behavior (CBCL–Total Score, per Point)
	Age 3		Age 5		Age 9
	B [95% CI]^a	p	B [95% CI]^b	p	B [95% CI]^c	p
Mother reported
Separation by Age 3 (Yes)	n = 5,063		n = 4,223		n = 4,062
Model 1	1.90 [0.28, 3.52]	.021	1.98 [0.68, 3.89]	.042	3.01 [1.03, 4.99]	.003
Model 2	1.08 [−1.14, 3.30]	.341	1.65 [−0.97, 4.28]	.218	0.94 [−1.79, 3.68]	.499
Separation Ages 3–5 (Yes)
Model 1	—		2.58 [0.98, 4.18]	.002	2.24 [0.38, 4.10]	.018
Model 2			1.50 [−0.65, 3.66]	.172	0.84 [−1.55, 3.23]	.490
Separation Ages 5– 9 (Yes)
Model 1	—		—		3.93 [2.07, 5.80]	< .001
Model 2					1.21 [−1.06, 3.48]	.296
Separation by Age 9 (Yes)
Model 1	—		—		3.28 [2.08, 4.48]	< .001
Model 2					1.67 [0.12, 3.22]	.034
Father reported
	(n = 3,556)				(n = 3,091)
Separation by Age 3 (Yes)
Model 1	3.29 [0.46, 6.13]	.023	—		4.88 [1.64, 8.12]	.003
Model 2	1.09 [−2.31, 4.49]	.530			2.78 [−1.08, 6.64]	.159
Separation Ages 5–9 (Yes)
Model 1	—		—		3.40 [0.93, 5.87]	.007
Model 2					1.27 [−1.63, 4.18]	.391
Separation by Age 9 (Yes)
Model 1	—		—		3.05 [1.34, 4.76]	< .001
Model 2					1.13 [−0.92, 3.18]	.280

Note: Linear regression analysis of parental separation and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) outcome. Betas are averaged from 10 imputed data sets. Model 1 is adjusted for age, ethnicity, education and religion, parental psychopathology, gestational age at birth and child sex reported by mother and father. Model 2: Model 1 + prenatal family conflict reported by mother and father. CI = confidence interval.

TABLE 6 Estimates of Direct and Indirect Effects Mediated through Parental Separation of the Association between Prenatal Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

	Child Problem Behavior (CBCL–Total Score, per Point),^a Mother Reported
Mediator: Parental Separation	Controlled Direct Effect			Reference Interaction			Mediated Interaction			Pure Indirect Effect			Total Effect
	[95% CI]		p	[95% CI]		p	[95% CI]		p	[95% CI]		p	[95% CI]		p
Family Conflict (FAD) Prenatal, per Score	2.90	[1.69, 4.10]	< .001	0.19	[0.03, 0.33]	.013	0.18	[0.04, 0.31]	.008	−0.14	[−0.37, 0.08]	.206	3.12	[1.94, 4.29]	< .001

Note: The models are adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, education, religion, maternal psychopathology, gestational age at birth, child sex and prior child problem behavior when child was 1½ years reported by mother. Confidence interval (CI) obtained from delta method standard errors. Parental separation mediated through prenatal family conflict were estimated as follows: TE = (CDE + INTref + INTmed + PIE), where INTref and INTmed refer to the corresponding betas for controlled direct effect and pure indirect effect mediated through parental separation respectively. Overall proportions are not presented because the natural direct effect and indirect effect are in the opposite directions. CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist; FAD = Family Assessment Device.

^an = 3,787.