Parenting Profiles of Young, Low-Income Mothers and Associations with Child Socioemotional Behavior in Infancy: A Latent Class Analysis

Background and Purpose: Research on the connections between parenting and child/adolescent development have produced their most robust results when parenting is conceptualized, not as single dimensions of behavior, but as styles of parenting that are composites of multiple dimensions (e.g., Baumrind, 1967).  For example, the permissive parenting style is composed of parenting behavior that is both warm and lacking in control.  However, research on parenting of infants has rarely adopted the approach of examining parenting styles.  This study aims to identify whether there are empirically identifiable profiles of early parenting that are associated with infant socioemotional development.

Methods: This study recruited 312 young, low-income, and ethnically diverse pregnant women from three U.S. cities.  At 3 months, mothers were video-recorded interacting with their infants during a book-reading task, toy task, and while weighing and dressing their infants.  Coders with high reliability and blind to family information rated videos on eight parenting dimensions using modified NICHD scales.  Dimensions included sensitivity to nondistress, intrusiveness, detachment, stimulation of development, speech directed to child, positive regard, negative regard, and flatness, and were rated from low to high.  At 13 months, infant behavior was assessed using the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA).  PROCLCA in SAS was used to conduct a latent class analysis of parenting styles at 3 months and identify maternal characteristics associated with parenting styles.  SAS macro LCA_Distal was then employed to examine associations between 3-month parenting styles and infant behavior at 13 months.

Results: After considering statistical indices, parameter estimates, and conceptual/practical implications, a four-class solution was chosen and labeled Disengaged (15%), Engaged/Tough (21%), Warm/Unstimulating (37%), and Sensitive/Stimulating (27%).  Disengaged mothers were characterized as having low levels of sensitivity and stimulation, and high levels of flatness and detachment.  Engaged/Tough mothers showed moderate levels of sensitivity and stimulation, but high levels of negative regard.  Warm/Unstimulating mothers were characterized by moderate levels of sensitivity but low levels of stimulation and speech.  Sensitive/Stimulating mothers were high on sensitivity, stimulation and positive regard.  Compared to African American mothers, Latina mothers were less likely to be in the Engaged/Tough class (p<0.05).  Parenting profiles at 3 months were associated with child internalizing, externalizing, total problem behaviors, and mastery motivation at 13 months (p<0.05).  Children of Sensitive/Stimulating mothers had the lowest levels of behavior problems, and were highest on mastery motivation; Children of Disengaged mothers had the highest levels of internalizing, externalizing, and total problems, while children of Engaged/Tough mothers showed the lowest levels of mastery motivation.

Conclusions and Implications: This study provides evidence that there are qualitatively different styles of early parenting linked to different types of infant behavior outcomes in ways that single dimensions of behavior are not.  For example, low levels of parental stimulation only place infants at risk for socioemotional problems when in the context of emotional disengagement.  Social workers practicing in family support programs, home visiting programs, and Early Intervention may be more effective at promoting child development and preventing child behavior problems if they are aware of the complex interplay of parenting behaviors.