Stepparent–Child Relationships and Child Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

An inclusive conceptualization of “family” can enable family-serving systems and professionals to leverage high-quality family relationships, wherever they are found, to support the health and well-being of individuals. Stepfamilies are an especially common family form with distinct needs and experiences, and stepparent–child relationships can take on a variety of functions with implications for family stability and individual well-being. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize empirical associations between stepparent–child relationships and child outcomes. General findings from 56 studies highlighted significant associations between several dimensions of stepparent–child relationships and children’s psychological, behavioral, social, academic, and physical well-being. Meta-analytic findings from 68 effect-size estimates further substantiated significant and positive associations between stepparent–child relationship quality and child psychological well-being (mean r =.25) and academic well-being (mean r =.23), as well as significant and negative associations between stepparent–child relationship quality and child psychological problems (mean r = −.23) and behavioral problems (mean r = −.19)

Theorizing Ambiguous Gain: Opportunities for Family Scholarship

Family stressors marked by ambiguity can place significant demands on families. Family scholars have written extensively about ambiguous stressors in the context of loss or separation—situations that represent ambiguous loss. Given extant demographic trends, including those that lead to changes in family structure, there remain valuable opportunities to highlight ambiguous stressors that arise from situations of family gain or acquisition—situations that represent ambiguous gain. A proposed definition for ambiguous gain is presented, namely, a situation of systemic relational acquisition, either physical or psychological, about which the facts are unclear. Building on foundational theoretical work, ambiguous gain is explicated as a distinct theoretical concept and conceptually positioned with respect to other related concepts, such as ambiguous loss, family boundary ambiguity, and ambivalence. Bolstering the concept of ambiguous gain might promote the theoretical and practical understanding of increasingly common family situations. Suggestions are offered for foregrounding ambiguous gain in family scholarship

Patterns of Interactions Between Youth and Resident Stepmothers: A Latent Class Analysis

Stepparent–child relationships are a core pillar of stepfamily functioning and well-being. Stepparents can take on a variety of roles in the lives of their stepchildren, ranging from de facto parents to distant acquaintances. There remain important opportunities to explore specific interactional patterns between youth and stepparents, particularly resident stepmothers. Drawing from a family systems perspective, the purpose of the current study is to explore patterns of youth–stepmother interaction across recreational, personal, academic, and disciplinary domains of family life. Latent class analysis is conducted using a representative sample of 295 youth (mean age: 15.82 years, SD = 1.63; 41% female; 65% non-Hispanic White) residing in father–stepmother households who have living nonresident mothers at Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The optimal latent class solution yielded four interactional patterns, labeled versatile and involved (21%), inactive (12%), casually connected (17%), and academically oriented (50%). The latent classes are also contrasted with respect to stepfamily relationship quality, youth well-being, and socio-demographic characteristics. Foremost, the results illustrate significant variability in the patterns of interactions between youth and their resident stepmothers, which could be attributed to youths’ varying autonomy-seeking efforts and other complex family dynamics. Consistent with a family systems perspective, associations between youth–stepmother interactional patterns and family and youth outcomes highlight the importance of the relationship between youth and their resident stepmothers. Importantly, not all interactional patterns differed significantly across outcomes, suggesting that no one pattern is universally optimal in father–stepmother families with adolescent children

Correlates of Help-Seeking Intentions among Airmen in the Context of Family Maltreatment Perpetration: Practical Barriers as a Moderating Influence

Efforts are warranted to understand correlates of formal help-seeking among active-duty military members self-reporting family maltreatment perpetration. Drawing from the Integrated Model of Determinants of Behavioral Intentions, we evaluate a hypothesized model in which the intention to seek formal services is associated with a set of plausible social-psychological variables. Practical barriers to help-seeking is assessed as a moderating influence. A representative sample of 5326 Airmen (88% male) from the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment Survey who self-reported recent family maltreatment perpetration is used for structural equation modeling to estimate direct associations between social support and intention to seek services, and indirect associations via career stigma, unit-based stigma, and sense of community. Social support is negatively associated with career stigma and unit-based stigma, and positively associated with sense of community. Career stigma and sense of community are negatively associated with intention to seek services. Significant indirect effects include a positive effect between social support and intention to seek services via a reduction in career stigma, and a negative effect via increases in sense of community. Higher levels of practical barriers magnify most associations. Especially when facing practical barriers, social support can both increase help-seeking intentions by reducing career stigma, and reduce intentions, either directly or indirectly by strengthening a sense of community. Military leaders should address career stigma perceptually and systematically, and engage in public awareness efforts and trainings to position members of informal networks to guide individuals with problematic behavior toward relevant formal services

Toward More Accurate Measures of Family Structure: Accounting for Sibling Complexity

In this article, we argue that accounting for sibling complexity is a necessary step toward more accurate assessments of family structure. First, we argue that current conceptualizations of family structure are rooted in (and reinforce) Eurocentric definitions of family, and we highlight contradictions between family theory and measurements of family structure. Second, we discuss the prevalence of diverse sibling compositions in families and show the informative value of accounting for sibling complexity. Third, we explore the barriers to accounting for sibling structure by evaluating the extent to which complex sibling compositions are captured in publicly available secondary datasets recently used to study families. Finally, we consider both theoretical and methodological implications of failing to account for sibling complexity in family research and offer recommendations for future data collection efforts

A scoping review of research on well-being across diverse family structures: Rethinking approaches for understanding contemporary families

In the United States and across the globe, demographic trends have coalesced to produce an increasingly diverse set of family structures, fueling international interest in exploring diverse family structures as key developmental contexts for adults and children. Given the persistence of research focused on well-being differences across family structures, and in order to move this research into the future productively, it is critical to rigorously chart and evaluate how this research is being conducted. In this scoping review, we evaluate 283 studies that examined associations between family structure and well-being. We reflect on dominant methodological trends across four primary domains: (a) approaches to measuring family structure, (b) approaches to analyzing associations between family structure and well-being, (c) the application of theory, and (d) conceptualizations of well-being. In evaluating observable trends, we offer recommendations for rethinking where we can (and perhaps should) go next to better understand and support contemporary families

An Intervention Framework for Addressing Stigma on College Campuses: Findings From a 3-Year-Long Intervention Program

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will only exacerbate the rising mental health concerns among college students. However, stigma toward such concerns continues to hinder mental health care utilization among the students, requiring urgent evidence that can help guide college campuses in implementing effective antistigma interventions. We propose and provide evidence for an intervention based on findings from a 3-year-long antistigma intervention that was implemented on a Southeastern college campus in the United States. Unique random samples of college students, totaling N = 1727 across 3 years, were recruited as participants. Each year, participants completed a preintervention and postintervention survey comprising of questions related to demographics, stigma, and mental health care knowledge. Findings indicate that the stakeholder-led intervention decreased personal stigma and increased mental health care knowledge among students who were exposed to the intervention. Further research is needed to assess feasibility and efficacy of the proposed intervention framework on other campuses

Associations between Family Maltreatment Perpetration and Latent Profiles of Personal and Family Strengths among Active-Duty Air Force Members

Although individual and family strengths have been found to impact family maltreatment risk, optimal approaches to their assessment are lacking. To substantiate the utility of holistically assessing multiple strengths among active-duty Air Force members (i.e., Airmen) who might be at risk of perpetrating family maltreatment, the current study aimed to identify latent patterns of personal and family strengths among Airmen and assess associations with family maltreatment perpetration. A representative a sample of 30,187 Airmen from the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment Survey was used to identify patterns across latent-factor scores representing unit leader support, informal support, family functioning, individual fitness, and personal resilience. Latent profile analysis was conducted to extract an optimal number of response patterns and estimate associations with family maltreatment perpetration. A five-profile solution was optimal, representing patterns marked by low (10%), below average (26%), mixed (16%), above average (36%), and high (12%) levels of personal and family strengths. Predicted probabilities of family maltreatment among families not identifying as stepfamilies were 39%, 21%, 14%, 10%, and 8% across low, below average, mixed, above average, and high patterns, respectively. Among stepfamilies (20% of sample), predicted probabilities were 49%, 29%, 21%, 15%, and 12%, respectively. Findings encourage a holistic assessment of personal and family strengths among Airmen. The Personal and Family Strengths Inventory, which was developed to gauge these strengths, can position practitioners well to engage Airmen in conversations around strengths and growth opportunities for the purposes of service planning aimed at preventing family maltreatment

Like Parent, Like Child: Intergenerational Patterns of Cardiovascular Risk Factors at Midlife

Purpose: We aimed to assess the prevalence of four cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking) for parents and their adult children at the same approximate midlife age. We also evaluated associations of parents' cardiovascular risk factors, childhood health exposures, and social contexts (i.e., family, school, and neighborhood) during adolescence with adult children's cardiovascular health at midlife. Methods: We used data from respondents at Wave V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health who had corresponding parent (mostly mothers) data from Wave I. The final sample included 10,466 adult children with a mean age of 37.8 years. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were estimated, accounting for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health sampling design. Results: At similar ages (i.e., 35–45 years) to their parents, adult children had higher rates of excessive drinking and obesity than their parents, lower rates of diabetes, and similar rates of smoking. Adult children's health largely converged and correlated with their parents' health at similar ages. Cardiovascular risks for adult children were also significantly associated with their childhood health exposures and social contexts during adolescence. Some associations varied with respect to the health status of parents at Wave I. Conclusions: The cardiovascular risk of parents at midlife is strongly associated with the cardiovascular risk of their adult children at midlife. The status of parents' health during adolescence can also modify the significance and magnitude of associations between childhood health exposures or adolescent social contexts and adult children's cardiovascular risk factors

The Role of Family Health History in Predicting Midlife Chronic Disease Outcomes

Introduction: The generational relevance for determining disease risk for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality for U.S. adults is a source of debate. Methods: Data on 12,300 adults (Add Health Study Members) participating in Wave V (2016–2018) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (also known as Add Health) were merged with data from respondents’ parents (n=2,013) participating in the Add Health Parent Study (2015–2017). Analyses beginning in January 2020 examined the concordance in lifetime occurrence of chronic conditions across 4 generations, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, cancer, and depression and examined the associations between individual disease history and ones’ family health history for the same condition. Results: Mean ages were 37.4 years for Add Health Study Members and 62.9 years for Add Health Parent Study mothers. The histories of mothers from the Add Health Parent Study on hyperlipidemia (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.04, 2.48), obesity (AOR=1.77, 95% CI=1.27, 2.48), and depression (AOR=1.87, 95% CI=1.19, 2.95) were significantly associated with increased odds of Add Health Study Member report of these conditions. Maternal great grandparent hyperlipidemia history was significantly associated with the Add Health Study Member hyperlipidemia (AOR=2.81, 95% CI=1.51, 5.21). Histories of diabetes in maternal grandfather (AOR=2.41, 95% CI=1.24, 4.69) and maternal great grandparent (AOR=3.05, 95% CI=1.45, 6.43) were significantly associated with Add Health Study Member diabetes. Each additional point in the Add Health Parent Study mothers’ cardiometabolic risk factor index was associated with an 11% increase (incidence rate ratio=1.11, 95% CI=1.04, 1.19) in the expected count of cardiometabolic risk conditions for the Add Health Study Members. Conclusions: Multigenerational health histories have value for quantifying the probability of diabetes, obesity, depression, and hyperlipidemia in early mid-adulthood. Family health history knowledge is relevant for health promotion and disease prevention strategies