Application of Belsky’s Parenting Stress Model to Hispanic Mothers: A Racial and Ethnic Comparative Analysis

Maternal parenting stress is associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and marital satisfaction, poor parent-child communication and disruptive child behavior. Belsky’s process model of parenting suggests that stress is influenced by three domains: maternal, child and contextual factors. While this conceptual framework is often used to study stress, this model has not been tested with Hispanic mothers. The current study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to explore patterns in parenting stress among Hispanic mothers in comparison to non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black mothers. Findings from our study reveal that the predictors of stress among Hispanic mothers differ from those observed for non- Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black mothers. Maternal characteristics, including health and mental health, and education play a less significant role for Hispanics, which is not consistent with Belsky’s model. Albeit exploratory, this study suggests we should to take a closer look at the unique mechanisms affecting Hispanic mental health.