Low-income single-mother families with young children constitute a rapidly growing population at high risk for adverse health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify psychosocial predictors of favorable health outcomes among low-income single-mother families.
Specific aims are: (1) To examine patterns and correlates of stability and change in maternal depressive symptoms over a 1-year period; (2) To identify psychosocial predictors of maternal depressive symptoms; (3) To investigate the effects of maternal psychosocial factors, maternal depressive symptoms, and parenting attitudes on children's behavior and developmental achievement; (4) To determine what maternal factors distinguish families with favorable health outcomes from those with unfavorable health outcomes; and (5) To propose testable nursing interventions to promote positive health outcomes for low-income single-mother families based on the study findings. The longitudinal study will include 200 low- income single-mother families with children between 1 and 4 years of age. Participants will be recruited from the clinic population of the local health department. Data will be collected from the mothers using structured interviews at entry into the study and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Measures of the mother's chronic stress, social resources, coping strategies, depressive symptoms, and parenting attitudes, as well as the mother's report of her child's behavior will be obtained. Developmental status of the index child will be obtained from health department records at baseline and again one year later. A subsample of 12 mothers will be asked to participate in additional interviews during which qualitative techniques will be used to obtain in-depth data on factors affecting the health of these families. This study will address limitations of previous research by: (a) concurrently examining the psychosocial correlates of positive health outcomes among high-risk mothers and their young children and (b) using a longitudinal design with both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The knowledge obtained from this research will be useful for health professionals providing services to these high-risk families and in developing interventions whose efficacy can be tested in future studies.
