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Potentially Violent Disagreements and Parenting Stress Among American Indian/Alaska Native Families: Analysis Across Seven States

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Abstract

Objectives We examined the prevalence and correlates of potentially violent disagreements among AI/AN families with children. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional examination of data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health, limited to seven states for which AI/AN race/ethnicity was available in public use files (Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota). Disagreements were classified based on how the family deals with conflict. If disagreements involved actual (hitting) or symbolic (throwing) violence, even rarely, the household was categorized as having “potentially violent disagreements,” with heated argument and shouting being classified as “heated disagreement.” Parenting stress and demographic characteristics were included as potential correlates. Results Potentially violent disagreements were reported by 8.4% of AI/AN and 8.4% of white families. The odds for potentially violent disagreements were markedly higher among parents reporting high parenting stress, in both AI/AN (OR 7.20; CI 3.45–15.00) and white (3.59, CI 2.71–4.75) families. High parenting stress had similar effects on the odds for heated discussion. Having a child with special health care needs was associated with parenting stress. Conclusions Questions about disagreement style may be useful as potential screens for domestic violence.

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Acknowledgements

This study supported in part by a grant from the Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services (Grant no. 1 U1CRH 03711-01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 204, Columbia, SC, 29210, USA

    Janice C. Probst & Amy B. Martin

  2. Department and Graduate Institute of Health Services Administration, China Medical University, No.91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan

    Jong-Yi Wang

  3. General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 200 Meyran Ave, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Charity G. Moore

  4. South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs, 6904 North Main Street, Suite 107, Columbia, SC, 29203, USA

    Barbara Morningstar Paul

  5. Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, A315 Kentucky Clinic, Lexington, KY, 40536-0284, USA

    Michael E. Samuels

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  1. Janice C. Probst
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  2. Jong-Yi Wang
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Correspondence to Janice C. Probst.

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Probst, J.C., Wang, JY., Martin, A.B. et al. Potentially Violent Disagreements and Parenting Stress Among American Indian/Alaska Native Families: Analysis Across Seven States. Matern Child Health J 12 (Suppl 1), 91–102 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-008-0370-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-008-0370-0

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