Parent's PDA Might Be Good For Kids' Health: Study

Parents hoping for their child to have better health now have an addition to the collection of things they can do: show more affection to the spouse. New research, published in the Health Psychology journal, shows that when parents openly show their affection for each other while in full view of the kids, the kids are more likely to have better health and more resiliency when family problems arise.

Wayne State University researchers surveyed 80 kids aged 10 to 17 who lived with a parent who was either married or in a long-term relationship, reports Quartz. All of the kids had asthma. The researchers asked the kids to record several information for four days, including: their asthma symptoms; their moods; and what kind of interaction their parents had, writing down notes like "mom and dad kissed today" or "mom and dad fought today."

Surprising Outcomes

The researchers had surprising findings after the four observation days. First, they found that among the kids, those who had parents that were affectionate toward each other had better lung function and lesser asthma symptoms. Secondly, they were also healthier, or felt less sickly, when their parents fought. The results seem to show that parental affection, or an affectionate marriage, doesn't just promote better health, it also promotes resistance against stressful family situations.

"Parents should be aware that children respond emotionally not only to the direct interactions they have with their parents, but also to . . . interactions their parents have between each other," study co-co-author Samuele Zilioli, a post-doctoral fellow at Wayne State University, said. "In turn, these children's emotional responses can affect their health."

Stepping Stones

Although the respondents are few and the days of observation limited, the researchers note that this study "is the first to show links between youth perceptions of positive aspects of parents' romantic relationships and better asthma-related health in youth," and comes as a wonderful addition to earlier research that merely focused on the negative effects of parental conflict on kids' health. This serves as a stepping stone for further research and development that might lead to efforts promoting a better marriage.