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Predicting Behavioral Health Outcomes Among Low-Income Families: Testing a Socioecological Model of Family Resilience Determinants

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Abstract

Over the past decade, the concept of family resilience among impoverished families has increased as a main focus area for family scholars. Similarly, individual, family, and community-level factors that promote family resilience and their impact on behavioral health outcomes have particularly received increased amounts of attention. To date, however, few empirical studies have simultaneously validated the socioecological determinants of family resilience within multi-dimensional conceptual frameworks. In the current study, we test such a model using a cross-sectional design among 380 women and men with an average age of 35 experiencing poverty as a chronic stressor, the majority of whom are ethnic minorities. Individual, family and community determinants of family resilience are examined for their differential effect on outcomes of physical and mental health, as well as risks for substance abuse. Results from structural equation modeling provide support for the model. Findings suggest that community-level determinants impact health through indirect pathways. In this case, community factors predict family and individual-level determinants, and individual factors then directly predict health. Similarly, the relationship between family-level determinants and health was indirect through individual-level factors. Although, a strong positive relationship was found between individual-level determinants and health, the relationship between individual-level factors and substance abuse was also found to be indirect through health. Methodological limitations and implications for family life education, clinical interventions, policy, and future research that are socioecologically-informed are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Consumer and Family Studies/Dietetics, San Francisco State University, 330 Burk Hall, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA

    Sherria D. Taylor

  2. Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA

    Brian Distelberg

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  1. Sherria D. Taylor
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  2. Brian Distelberg
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Correspondence to Sherria D. Taylor.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights

All procedures performed in this study with human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted. The Institutional Review Board of the researchers’ university reviewed and approved the study design and consent process (Cert # 5120032).

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Taylor, S.D., Distelberg, B. Predicting Behavioral Health Outcomes Among Low-Income Families: Testing a Socioecological Model of Family Resilience Determinants. J Child Fam Stud 25, 2797–2807 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0440-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0440-7

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