Economic pressure in African American families: A replication and extension of the family stress model.

TLDR

The study evaluates the applicability of the family stress model of economic hardship to African American families with 10‑11‑year‑old children. It examines 422 two‑caregiver African American families, each with a 10‑11‑year‑old focal child, to assess economic influences on child development. The study replicated earlier findings in European American families, showing that economic hardship increases economic pressure, which elevates caregiver distress, disrupts relationships and parenting, and predicts poorer child adjustment and higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms, thereby supporting the family stress model’s generalizability to diverse populations.

Abstract

This study of 422 two-caregiver African American families, each with a 10-11-year-old focal child (54% girls), evaluated the applicability of the family stress model of economic hardship for understanding economic influences on child development in this population. The findings generally replicated earlier research with European American families. The results showed that economic hardship positively relates to economic pressure in families. Economic pressure was related to the emotional distress of caregivers, which in turn was associated with problems in the caregiver relationship. These problems were related to disrupted parenting practices, which predicted lower positive child adjustment and higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The results provide significant support for the family stress model of economic hardship and its generalizability to diverse populations.