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Objective: The goal was to determine if time spent in specific Healthy Marriage Initiative program components (relationship education courses, supplemental activities, and family support services) was associated with future relationship satisfaction and to examine if effects differed depending on the degree of economic disadvantage. Background: Healthy Marriage Initiatives (HMI) generally have small, short‐term positive effects on relationship outcomes. It remains unclear, however, which programming components are responsible for those effects and for whom programming is most effective. Method: Using two waves of data from over 2,000 lower‐income couples in the Supporting Healthy Marriages study, we conducted path models and a multigroup model to address our research aims. Results: Time spent in family support services was the only component positively associated with future satisfaction, controlling for the influence of other program components, initial relationship satisfaction, and expectations of the program's effectiveness. Economic disadvantage did not moderate any of these associations. Conclusion: Results suggest that many HMI programs may potentially be beneficial to relationship functioning because of the provision of supplementary support services that partially aim to alleviate external stressors and provide personalized assistance to families. Implication s : Practitioners should not only consider how relationship education programming may influence intimate bonds, but also how complementary programs may also factor into program efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economically marginalized families may face enduring vulnerabilities that make adaptive relational processes leading to healthy, long-term relationships more difficult. Informed by the vulnerability-stress-adaptation framework, we utilized an actor-partner interdependence model and dyadic data from a sample of 199 low-income couples who were expecting or had recently given birth to investigate the association of two adaptive processes (couple conflict and coparenting alliance) and two personal resources (instrumental and emotional support) with their relationship quality. Results indicated significant actor effects of men's and women's coparenting alliance and men's instrumental support on their own reports of relationship quality. Additionally, results indicated three significant conjoint actor-partner effects—couple conflict and couple emotional support on women's relationship quality and couple conflict on men's relationship quality. These findings contribute to the literature on the transition to parenthood and extend the literature examining dyadic relational processes in families from low-income and economically marginalized backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in relationship quality and couple conflict in low‐income parents. Background: When welcoming a new child, couples often report increased conflict and a decline in relationship quality. However, some scholars maintain couples can transition to parenthood with few negative effects. Low‐income, unmarried, and experienced parents remain understudied. Method: Utilizing data from a broader parent education project, the study employed dyadic latent growth curve analysis to examine changes over time in relationship quality and conflict. Participants were 216 low‐income couples receiving home visitation services who reported on relationship quality and conflict at three time points. Differences between first‐time and multiparous parents and among married, cohabiting, and non‐residential opposite‐sex couples were examined. Results: Trajectories of relationship quality and conflict were stable over time. Compared to married and cohabiting couples, non‐residential couples reported lower initial relationship quality. When comparing cohabiting and non‐residential couples, couples with higher expectations of marriage had higher initial relationship quality and lower initial conflict. Conclusion: Some couples navigate the transition to parenthood without negative relationship effects, especially those with higher initial quality, lower initial conflict, and greater expectations of marriage. Implications Policy and practice supporting relationship stability in low‐income couples should incorporate a strengths‐based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research highlights the importance of early paternal engagement for children and families. Thus, there is strong support for the exploration of predictors of low-income father engagement. Informed by Belsky's process model of parenting, this study explores contextual determinants of father–infant engagement (i.e., verbal engagement, physical play, and caregiving) including the unique contributions of the child, the father, and the broader social context. We utilized survey data from a sample of 183 non-residential, cohabitating, and married low-income fathers of infants participating in a home-visiting intervention. Results demonstrated that infant age was associated with increased caregiving and verbal engagement, fathers' total work hours were negatively correlated with verbal engagement, fathers' depressive symptoms were linked to increased physical play, and the quality of the coparenting alliance was related to physical play and caregiving. Findings may inform programs designed to promote paternal engagement during infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine end-user opinions on electronic health record (EHR) modifications related to social work documentation of psychosocial acuity and provision of social care. Content analysis was used to examine end-user opinions (n = 42; 20% of a social work department employed in a large, urban, pediatric hospital) about whether or not to integrate a metric of psychosocial acuity into the EHR and required documentation practices. Most (79%) participants were in favor of EHR integration. Content analysis revealed nine themes in favor and five against integration, with most pertaining to clinical care, the organizational context, process, and purpose. Given that health care providers may find EHR changes to be disruptive to workflow and an imposition to day-to-day activities, engaging end-users in decision-making processes surrounding forthcoming EHR changes may not only increase investment in them, but also prevent provider burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]