TY - JOUR
T1 - Nonstandard maternal work schedules
T2 - Implications for African American children's early language outcomes
AU - Odom, Erika C.
AU - Vernon-Feagans, Lynne
AU - Crouter, Ann C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Support for this research was provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( PO1-HD-039667 ), with co-funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse . The Family Life Project (FLP) Key Investigators include Lynne Vernon Feagans, Martha Cox, Clancy Blair, Peg Burchinal, Linda Burton, Keith Crnic, Ann Crouter, Patricia Garrett-Peters, Mark Greenberg, Stephanie Lanza, Roger Mills-Koonce, Debra Skinner, Emily Werner, and Michael Willoughby. The primary author also received funding from the Institute for Education Sciences Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship ( R305B060021 ).
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - In this study, observed maternal positive engagement and perception of work-family spillover were examined as mediators of the association between maternal nonstandard work schedules and children's expressive language outcomes in 231 African American families living in rural households. Mothers reported their work schedules when their child was 24 months of age and children's expressive language development was assessed during a picture book task at 24 months and with a standardized assessment at 36 months. After controlling for family demographics, child, and maternal characteristics, maternal employment in nonstandard schedules at the 24-month timepoint was associated with lower expressive language ability among African American children concurrently and at 36 months of age. Importantly, the negative association between nonstandard schedules and children's expressive language ability at 24 months of age was mediated by maternal positive engagement and negative work-family spillover, while at 36 months of age, the association was mediated only by negative work-family spillover. These findings suggest complex links between mothers' work environments and African American children's developmental outcomes.
AB - In this study, observed maternal positive engagement and perception of work-family spillover were examined as mediators of the association between maternal nonstandard work schedules and children's expressive language outcomes in 231 African American families living in rural households. Mothers reported their work schedules when their child was 24 months of age and children's expressive language development was assessed during a picture book task at 24 months and with a standardized assessment at 36 months. After controlling for family demographics, child, and maternal characteristics, maternal employment in nonstandard schedules at the 24-month timepoint was associated with lower expressive language ability among African American children concurrently and at 36 months of age. Importantly, the negative association between nonstandard schedules and children's expressive language ability at 24 months of age was mediated by maternal positive engagement and negative work-family spillover, while at 36 months of age, the association was mediated only by negative work-family spillover. These findings suggest complex links between mothers' work environments and African American children's developmental outcomes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873881047&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84873881047&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.10.001
DO - 10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.10.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84873881047
SN - 0885-2006
VL - 28
SP - 379
EP - 387
JO - Early Childhood Research Quarterly
JF - Early Childhood Research Quarterly
IS - 2
ER -