Risk and Resiliency: Compounding Effects of Flint Water Crisis and COVID-19 Distress on Parenting Self-Efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) is correlated with positive parenting and child outcomes, but may be reduced in stressful settings. Community factors affecting PSE are not well understood. The community of Flint, Michigan, endured significant stressors, including the Flint Water Crisis (FWC), and disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how these superimposed stressors affect PSE in families in Flint.

METHODS

This study was a secondary, cross-sectional analysis of 291 infants and caregivers. Baseline surveys included sociodemographics, stress, and PSE. Primary predictors were FWC and COVID-19 distress. Primary outcome was PSE. Bivariate analyses were used to examine the association between FWC and COVID-19 distress with PSE, and multiple linear regression to control for sociodemographics.

RESULTS

Both increased COVID-19 distress and FWC distress had a significant inverse association with PSE in bivariate analyses, and predicted PSE (COVID-19 distress, β -.18, P <.01, and FWC distress, β -.18, P <.05) in multiple linear regression. A significant interaction was found between FWC distress and COVID-19 distress. Simple slope analyses indicated that COVID-19 distress predicted reduced PSE only for high FWC-distress group (β -.22, P <.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Results show COVID-19 distress and FWC distress both had independent negative associations with PSE, but FWC distress moderated the effect of COVID-19 distress on PSE, indicating that families more affected by previous stressors were more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 distress, while those less affected were resilient to subsequent stressors. Future interventions should target disinvestment, prevent community stressors, and support exposed families.