Association between parent work-family conflict and offspring inflammation. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ganguli, A.; Jones, E.J.; Feinberg, M.E.; Schreier, H.M.C.
• Is Part Of: Psychoneuroendocrinology. Volume 131(2021)Supplement
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Psychoneuroendocrinology -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Neuropsychoendocrinologie -- Périodiques; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105473
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4530

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Parents' work can impact their children's well-being. We tested whether parent work-family conflict was related to offspring inflammation and whether parent psychological health mediated the association. Methods: As part of a larger study testing a co-parenting intervention, 64 children (aged 7.9 ± 0.60 years) provided dried blood spots for the measurement of CRP, while parents reported on perceived work-family conflict, depressive and worry symptoms. Mediation models were evaluated using PROCESS in SPSS, adjusting for child age, sex, intervention group and BMI. Results: There was a direct effect of fathers' (not mothers') perceived work-family conflict on children's CRP levels when testing mediation through depressive (c1= 0.352, 95% CI: 0.015, 0.689) and worry symptoms (c1 = 0.358, 95% CI: 0.025, 0.700), such that fathers with greater work-family conflict had children with higher CRP. There was no evidence of mediation through parents' depressive or worry symptoms. Discussion: Fathers' work-family conflict was associated with greater offspring CRP but no indirect effects through parents' psychological health were found. Future research should examine possible mechanisms of this association.