The Identification of Family Social Environment Typologies Using Latent Class Analysis: Implications for Future Family-Focused Research.
Jiwoo Lee, Martha Y Kubik, Jayne A Fulkerson and 2 others
PMID 31874588WHAT IT FOUND
Families grouped into two-parent, smaller one-parent, and larger one-parent types.
Smaller one-parent households reported the best problem-solving skills. Parents in larger one-parent households were more likely to report unemployment and public assistance.
Key findings
01Latent class analysis identified three family social environment typologies: Households with Two Parents (68%), Smaller Households with One Parent (14%), and Larger Households with One Parent (18%).
02Smaller Households with One Parent reported the highest problem-solving skills (lowest score) compared with the other two classes.
03Parents in Larger Households with One Parent were more often non-white (46%), younger (mean age 35 years), less educated (67% completed some college education or less), unemployed (50%), and received public assistance (92%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The families were enrolled in an obesity prevention intervention study, so they may not represent the general population. The sample was small for latent class analysis (N = 154). The survey did not assess all elements of family social environment, such as physical surroundings or cultural aspects. The study did not test whether these typologies predict child health or whether tailored interventions help. The family problem-solving scale may not capture situations where single parents make decisions without involving children.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The article's publication types indicate NIH extramural research support, but the text gives no funding details.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these typologies as evidence that matching family-focused interventions to them improves child health. The study only described baseline family patterns and did not test any treatment effect.