The Impact of Multisystem Risks on Parent and Child Well-Being in Early Childhood - Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Multisystem disasters confer risk across socioecological levels, changing nearly every aspect of life. Research has started to document how multisystem risks impact parents and children; however, much of the research does not assess the multi-dimensional nature of these stressors, evaluate long-term outcomes, or measure multiple indices of well-being. In alignment with NICHD’s strategic plan, our team of experts in parenting, family well-being, risk and protective factors, and resilience, proposes to examine how parent and child well-being is influenced by risk and protective factors from the individual to macrosystem levels across pregnancy through early childhood. In addition, we propose to leverage and expand upon data from a prospective, longitudinal study (“Infant Growth and Development Study”, R01HD093662; R01HD110470 pending; PI: Leerkes) of 299 women and their infants, followed from pregnancy until children were 3.5 years old. We will recontact mothers when children are 4 years old and conduct a timeline follow-back interview with mothers and coparents about their risk and protective experiences to investigate how multisystem risks impact parents’ and children’s well-being over time. Our three Specific Aims will examine: (1) how risk and protective experiences (both stressors and supports) impacted parent and child well-being across multiple dimensions during early childhood; (2) sociodemographic differences in the impact of stressors across multiple dimensions of well-being and potential protective factors (i.e., social support, supportive coparenting, neighborhood quality); and (3) how timing of stressors and supports influences parent and child well-being. Parent outcomes will include social strain, positive parenting, economic strain, and physical and mental health. Child outcomes will include socioemotional adjustment, pre-academic skills, and health. Data will be assessed via parent report and interviewer observations. The proposal addresses critical knowledge gaps including: an exclusive focus on negative stressor experiences, a focus on single or narrow domains of parent and child well-being during multisystem risk experiences, and a lack of attention to heterogeneity in the impacts of risks across families. Results will have important implications for understanding which parents and children need the most support, as well as informing prevention and intervention programs aiming to promote parent and child well-being in future multisystem risks.
