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Family Influences / Publications — No Comments
03
Oct 18

Aspects of the parent–child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes

Much is known about the effect of parent–child relationships on child health; less is known about how parent–child relationships influence parent health. To assess the association between aspects of the parent–child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes, and whether these associations are moderated by parent gender. Five metabolic outcomes (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin) were assessed among 261 parents (45.83 ± 5.50 years) of an adolescent child (14.57 ± 1.072 years). Parents completed questionnaires assessing their child’s hassles and the quality of their days with their child. Parents’ perceptions of their child’s hassles were associated with parent heart rate (B = 2.954, SE = 1.267, p = 0.021) and cholesterol (B = 0.028, SE = 0.011, p = 0.010), such that greater perceived child hassles were associated with higher heart rate and cholesterol levels, on average. These associations were not moderated by parent gender (all ps [ 0.30). Parent report of their day with their child was not associ- ated with parent metabolic outcomes (all ps [ 0.20). Par- ent gender moderated the association between parent report of their day with their child and parent systolic blood pressure (B = 13.861, SE = 6.200, p = 0.026), such that less positive reports were associated with higher blood pressure readings among fathers, but not mothers. This study suggests that parent metabolic health may in part be influenced by aspects of the parent–child relationship.

CITATION: Jones, E.J., Chen, E., Levine, C.S., Lam, P.H., Liu, V.Y., & Schreier, H.M.C. (2019). Aspects of the parent-child relationship and parent metabolic outcomes. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 42(2), 204-216.

Adolescents / Family Influences / Publications — No Comments
03
Oct 18

Chronic Family Stress and Adolescent Health: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess whether the association between chronic family stress and physiological measures is moderated by emotion regulation strategies in an adolescent sample.

Methods: Chronic family stress was assessed via a semistructured interview and emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and suppression) via questionnaire among 261 adolescents (14.57 (1.07) years). Several metabolic (waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) and inflammatory markers (basal and stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production in response to bacterial challenge) as well as glucocorticoid sensitivity were assessed.

Results: There were no main effects of chronic family stress, cognitive reappraisal, or suppression on physiological measures (all p’s > .10). Emotion regulation moderated the association between chronic family stress and physiological measures. As chronic family stress increased, adolescents higher in cognitive reappraisal had smaller waist-hip ratios (B = −.003, SE = .001, p = .015) and lower systolic blood pressure (B = −.303, SE = .143, p = .035), although no moderation was found with respect to inflammatory markers and glucocor- ticoid sensitivity (all p’s > .30). In addition, as chronic family stress increased, adolescents higher in suppression showed evidence of higher stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production (B = .046, SE = .020, p = .021) and lower glucocorticoid sensitivity (B = .051, SE = .021, p = .015), although basal inflammation and metabolic measures were not moderated by suppression (all p’s > .50).

Conclusions: This study suggests that the types of emotion regulation strategies used by adolescents may affect the extent to which chronic family stress affects important metabolic and immune processes.

CITATION: Jones, E. J., Lam, P.H., Hoffer, L.C., Chen, E., & Schreier, H.M.C. (2018). Chronic stress and adolescent health: the moderating role of emotion regulation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(8), 764-773.

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