Same-Sex and Different-Sex Parent Households and Child Health Outcomes: Findings from the National Survey of Children’s Health

Objective: Using the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health data set, we compared spouse/partner relationships and parent-child relationships (family relationships), parenting stress, and children’s general health, emotional difficulties, coping behavior, and learning behavior (child outcomes) in households of same-sex (female) versus different-sex continuously coupled parents with biological offspring. We assessed whether associations among family relationships, parenting stress, and child outcomes were different in the 2 household types. Methods: Parental and child characteristics were matched for 95 female same-sex parent and 95 different-sex parent households with children 6 to 17 years old. One parent per household was interviewed by telephone. Multivariate analyses of variance and multiple linear regressions were conducted. Results: No differences were observed between household types on family relationships or any child outcomes. Same-sex parent households scored higher on parenting stress (95% confidence interval 5 2.03–2.30) than different-sex parent households (95% confidence interval 5 1.76– 2.03), p 5 .006. No significant interactions between household type and family relationships or household type and parenting stress were found for any child outcomes. Conclusion: Children with female same-sex parents and different-sex parents demonstrated no differences in outcomes, despite female same-sex parents reporting more parenting stress. Future studies may reveal the sources of this parenting stress.

本研究的目的是通过比较同性爱（女性）与异性爱持续配偶家庭中的家庭关系（配偶/伴侣关系和亲子关系）、养育压力及儿童的总体健康、情绪困难、应对行为和学习行为，评估这两种家庭类型中的家庭关系、养育压力与儿童结果之间的关联是否存在差异。研究使用了2011-2012年国家儿童健康调查数据集，探讨在这两种家庭类型中，家庭关系、养育压力与儿童结果之间的联系是否不同。

本研究通过匹配95个女性同性父母家庭与95个异性父母家庭中6至17岁儿童的父母和儿童特征，采用电话访谈的方式对每个家庭中的一位父母进行采访。研究采用多元方差分析和多重线性回归分析，探讨家庭关系、养育压力与儿童结果之间的关系。

本研究发现，在家庭关系或任何儿童结果方面，女性同性父母家庭与异性父母家庭之间没有显著差异。然而，女性同性父母家庭在养育压力上得分较高（95%置信区间 = 2.03-2.30），与异性父母家庭（95%置信区间 = 1.76-2.03）相比，p = .006。在家庭关系或养育压力与儿童结果之间，家庭类型与这些因素的交互作用没有显著影响。结论是，尽管女性同性父母报告的养育压力较大，但具有女性同性父母和异性父母的儿童在结果上没有差异。未来的研究可能揭示这一养育压力的来源。