Author: Priscilla Mendez

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

Consistent with the spillover hypothesis, previous research has found support for the benefits of a healthy marital relationship on the parent-child relationship. Studies on the effectiveness of marital interventions have shown increased levels of relationship satisfaction, confidence, and increased engagement in positive conflict management behaviors. However, most of the existing studies have limited ethnically diverse samples. The Latino population is an ethnic group who has a strong emphasis on the family and a deep sense of responsibility to the needs of each family member. Therefore, the current study tested the effectiveness of a marriage enrichment program that promotes overall healthy relationships among families--at improving the marital relationship and its impact on the parent-child relationship. Moreover, the gender of the parent was also tested as a moderator of the association between marital quality change and parenting quality change. The sample consisted of Latino mothers and fathers (N = 655) from low-income communities in Illinois who participated in a community-based marriage enrichment program that used the Within My Reach (WMR) curriculum. Secondary analyses were conducted on extant outcome data, and an ANOVA and multiple regression were conducted to examine our predictions. Results supported an increase in marital quality among Latino parents after partaking in a marriage enrichment intervention. Further, the current study confirmed the spillover hypothesis and showed that marital quality change is associated with change in the parenting quality for both Latino mothers and fathers. Clinical implications, strengths and limitations of the current study, and future research directions are also discussed. Keywords: marital relationship, parent-child relationship, Latino, families, marriage enrichment