Profiles of low-income maternal well-being and family climate: Relations to toddler boys' and girls' behaviors

Profiles of maternal well-being and family emotional climate were identified and examined in relation to toddler boys' and girls' social-emotional outcomes in a low-income sample (n = 136). Four distinct profiles, reflecting variations in maternal well-being and family emotional climate, were confirmed using K-Means clustering, following initial hierarchical clustering methods: Competent, Distressed, Emotionally Expressive, and Emotionally Controlled Parenting. Results suggested that multiple patterns of maternal well-being and emotional climate were related to children's positive behavioral outcomes. Significant relations were found between maternal cluster differences and toddlers' internalizing, externalizing, and dysregulatory behaviors as rated by their mothers and for toddlers' behavioral competencies as rated by their mothers and by early intervention staff. In gender-specific analyses, profile differences were related to boys' and girls' mother-reported dysregulation and competencies, to girls' mother-reported externalizing behaviors, and to girls' competencies rated by early intervention staff. Language: en