Iowa Youth and Families Project, 1989-1992 (ICPSR 26721)

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The original purpose of the Iowa Youth and Families Project was to study variations in rural family resilience to economic stress stemming from the farm crisis of the 1980s. The study was born out of the desire to understand the mechanisms within families and the characteristics of individual family members that either increase or protect against risks for health and behavioral problems associated with economic hardship. To increase understanding of the processes involved, the study began with a sample of 451 two-parent, rural Iowa families with a 7th grade adolescent and near-age sibling in the home. All participants were assessed on multiple occasions over several years using a measurement strategy that was both extensive (i.e., covers multiple domains of personal and social characteristics) and intensive (i.e., employs a multi-informant approach that includes self-reports, other family member reports, teacher reports, ratings by trained observers, and school records). The prospective panel study included annual assessments to assess the direct impact of economic stress on the quality and stability of family relationships and on the emotional, physical, and behavioral problems of individual family members. Risk factors such as prior emotional instability, marital distress, parent-child conflict, and conduct problems of adolescents were expected to exacerbate the negative influence of economic stress and to increase the likelihood of long-term impairments for families and individuals. Characteristics such as self-esteem, personal resilience, use of specific coping strategies, family problem-solving skills, and support and social supports from outside the home were expected to minimize the negative impacts of economic loss. An important contribution of this work has been the development and evaluation of the Family Stress Model (FSM; Conger and Conger 2002; Conger and Elder 1994). The FSM proposes that economic hardship leads to economic pressure in the family. Markers of hardship include low income, high debts relative to assets, and negative financial events (e.g., increasing economic demands, recent income loss, and work instability). These hardship conditions affect family functioning and individual adjustment primarily through the economic pressures they generate. The FSM proposes that economic pressures include: (1) unmet material needs involving necessities such as adequate food and clothing, (2) the inability to pay bills or make ends meet, and (3) having to cut back on necessary expenses (e.g., health insurance and medical care). Findings have shown that when economic pressure is high, parents are at increased risk for emotional distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger, and alienation) and for behavioral problems (e.g., substance use and antisocial behavior; Conger, 1995; Conger et al., 2002). According to the model, these emotional or behavioral problems predict: (1) increased marital conflict, (2) diminished nurturing and involved parenting, and (3) greater harsh and inconsistent parenting. That is, parents distracted by their own personal problems and marital distress are expected to demonstrate less affection toward their children, to be less involved in their children's daily activities, and to be more irritable, harsh and inconsistent in their disciplinary practices. The last step in the model proposes that reduced parental nurturance and increased parental harshness will threaten the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of children.

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The initial sample consisted of 451 two-parent, rural Iowa families of European heritage with a 7th grade adolescent and near-age sibling in the home, living in one of eight adjacent counties in Iowa in an area heavily dependent on agriculture. All schools in this particular region of Iowa were contacted to gain their cooperation in reaching target families. The initial recruitment rate of eligible families was 78 percent. Once the families were selected for the study, they were contacted by a telephone interviewer to verify eligibility, explain the project thoroughly, and determine the family's willingness to participate. For more information, please refer to the documentation or see Conger, R. D., and Elder, G. H., Jr. (1994). Families in troubled times: Adapting to change in rural America. Hillsdale, NJ: Aldine.

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Two-parent, rural Iowa families of European heritage with a 7th grade adolescent (in 1989) and near-age sibling in the home.

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A wide variety of measures have been used in this project. Some of the more notable measures include: Booth's marital instability index, Cohen and Hoberman's Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), Costa and McCrae's NEO, Derogatis' SCL-90-R, Veit and Ware's positive affect scale, Reiss' scale of sexual permissiveness, Elliott, Huizinga, and Ageton's delinquency scales, and Norton's Quality Marriage Index.

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2011-11-01

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