Association of parental social network diversity with behaviour problems and resilience of offspring in a large population-based study of Japanese children

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to elucidate the impact of parental social network diversity on the behaviour problems and resilience of offspring. DESIGN: We used cross-sectional data from the Kochi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty study in 2016. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants were first, fifth and eighth grade children living in Kochi prefecture, Japan (N=9653). We calculated parental social network diversity by counting the number of people with whom parents connected on a daily basis (ie, structural social network diversity) and by assessing perceived psychosocial support (ie, functional social network diversity). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Child behaviour problems and resilience were respectively assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child’s Resilient Coping Scale (CRCS), as rated by caregivers. RESULTS: Diversity in parental structural and functional social networks showed an inverse association with SDQ total difficulties score (B=−0.16 (95% CI −0.25 to −0.07) and −0.20 (95% CI −0.27 to −0.13), respectively), and a positive association with prosocial behaviour score (B=0.11 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.15) and 0.09 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.12), respectively) and CRCS score (B=0.75 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.05) and 1.12 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.35), respectively) in the adjusted model. Parental mental health accounted for 36% and 43% of the total effects of structural and functional social network diversity respectively on the total difficulties score. For prosocial behaviour score, parental involvement accounted for 31% of the effects of functional social network diversity. CONCLUSION: The results shed light on new strategies to enhance child mental health that do not directly involve children but rather focus on parental social networking.