The Association between Coparenting Behavior and Internalizing/Externalizing Problems of Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Fengqing Zhao, Haomeng Wu, Yixuan Li, Huifang Zhang and Jie Hou ()
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Fengqing Zhao: School of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Haomeng Wu: School of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Yixuan Li: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Huifang Zhang: School of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Jie Hou: School of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-19

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the association between coparenting behavior and children’s externalizing and internalizing problems and possible factors that may moderate their associations. A meta-analysis of 93 studies involving 41,207 participants found that coparenting behavior was slightly and significantly related to externalizing problems, r = −0.17, 95% CI [−0.194, −0.15], and internalizing problems, r = −0.16, 95% CI [−0.18, −0.14]. In addition, coparenting integrity, cooperation, conflict, competitiveness, and triangulation were significantly related to externalizing and internalizing problems. Moderation analyses revealed the following findings: (a) data reporter moderated the association between coparenting and internalizing problems, with children-report coparenting showing a significantly stronger relation with internalizing symptom than father-report coparenting; (b) developmental stage was found to moderate the association between coparenting behavior and externalizing problems, with stronger association found in childhood than in toddlerhood; (c) female percentage, individualism–collectivism culture, research methods, and publication year were not found to moderate the association between coparenting behavior and externalizing or internalizing problems. These findings help summarize the previous studies and provide an empirical basis for the relation between coparenting and child externalizing/internalizing problems, and benefits targeted interventions towards coparenting behaviors.

Keywords: coparenting; internalizing problems; externalizing problems; meta-analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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