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. 2020 Oct 21;10(10):e035100.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035100.

Association of parental social network diversity with behaviour problems and resilience of offspring in a large population-based study of Japanese children

Yuna Koyama  1 , Takeo Fujiwara  2 , Aya Isumi  1   3 , Satomi Doi  1   3
Affiliations

Association of parental social network diversity with behaviour problems and resilience of offspring in a large population-based study of Japanese children

Yuna Koyama et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: The current study aimed to elucidate the impact of parental social network diversity on the behaviour problems and resilience of offspring.

Design: We used cross-sectional data from the Kochi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty study in 2016.

Setting and participants: Participants were first, fifth and eighth grade children living in Kochi prefecture, Japan (N=9653). We calculated parental social network diversity by counting the number of people with whom parents connected on a daily basis (ie, structural social network diversity) and by assessing perceived psychosocial support (ie, functional social network diversity).

Primary outcome measures: Child behaviour problems and resilience were respectively assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child's Resilient Coping Scale (CRCS), as rated by caregivers.

Results: Diversity in parental structural and functional social networks showed an inverse association with SDQ total difficulties score (B=-0.16 (95% CI -0.25 to -0.07) and -0.20 (95% CI -0.27 to -0.13), respectively), and a positive association with prosocial behaviour score (B=0.11 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.15) and 0.09 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.12), respectively) and CRCS score (B=0.75 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.05) and 1.12 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.35), respectively) in the adjusted model. Parental mental health accounted for 36% and 43% of the total effects of structural and functional social network diversity respectively on the total difficulties score. For prosocial behaviour score, parental involvement accounted for 31% of the effects of functional social network diversity.

Conclusion: The results shed light on new strategies to enhance child mental health that do not directly involve children but rather focus on parental social networking.

Keywords: child & adolescent psychiatry; mental health; social medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sampling flow chart. SDQ, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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