Justice Laura M, Singletary Britt, Jiang Hui, Schmeer Kammi K
Crane Center for Early Childhood Research & Policy, The Ohio State University, 175 E. 7th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA.
Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2025 Apr;29(4):483-493. doi: 10.1007/s10995-025-04061-2. Epub 2025 Feb 25.
This study examined profiles of family stressors, based on the five dimensions of the Family Stress Model (economic hardship, economic pressure, parental psychological distress, interparental relationship problems, and disrupted parenting) among low-income families with young children. We aimed to validate the model with a sample of low-income families and then to determine whether there were reliable profiles of families on the five dimensions.
Mothers completed questionnaires when children were between six and 15 months old to capture background information and 14 key indicators of the five Family Stress Model dimensions. Our analytical sample comprised 353 families that provided data for at least one key indicator. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to statistically validate the Family Stress Model, then explored distinct profiles using latent profile analyses (LPA), and examined how profile membership correlated with family characteristics.
CFA model fit indices indicated a good fit of the data relative to the theoretical model. LPA revealed three distinct profiles of stressor among families, consistent with low, medium, and high patterns of stressors. Families in the high-stress profile experienced larger household numbers, higher maternal loneliness, reduced social connectedness, and higher reports of unplanned pregnancy.
Findings show applicability of the Family Stress Model to low-income families with young children, and indicate that these families are diverse in terms of the stressors they experience, characterized by three distinct profiles. In this regard, low-income families should not be viewed monolithically, but rather as experiencing variability in the stressors they face.
本研究基于家庭压力模型的五个维度（经济困难、经济压力、父母心理困扰、父母间关系问题以及教养中断），对有幼儿的低收入家庭的家庭压力源概况进行了考察。我们旨在通过低收入家庭样本验证该模型，然后确定在这五个维度上是否存在可靠的家庭概况。
当孩子处于6至15个月大时，母亲们完成问卷，以获取背景信息以及家庭压力模型五个维度的14个关键指标。我们的分析样本包括353个家庭，这些家庭至少为一个关键指标提供了数据。我们进行了验证性因素分析（CFA）以从统计学上验证家庭压力模型，然后使用潜在类别分析（LPA）探索不同的概况，并考察类别归属与家庭特征之间的相关性。
CFA模型拟合指数表明数据与理论模型拟合良好。LPA揭示了家庭中压力源的三种不同概况，与低、中、高压力模式一致。处于高压力概况的家庭 household numbers更大、母亲孤独感更强、社会联系减少，且意外怀孕报告更多。
研究结果表明家庭压力模型适用于有幼儿的低收入家庭，并表明这些家庭在其所经历的压力源方面具有多样性，其特征为三种不同的概况。在这方面，不应将低收入家庭视为一个整体，而应看作是在他们所面临的压力源方面存在差异。
