title: Relevance of the quality of partner relationships and maternal health to early child wellness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between child health and maternal relationship quality with a spouse/partner, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and social support.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, structured interviews were completed with 595 mothers in 2002. Women were recruited from a random sample of households in low-income communities of Teresina, Piauí. Child health status was assessed with the Eisen Infant Health Rating Scale and a composite index of child fever, worms, or diarrhea in the past 2 weeks. Exposure variables included maternal relationship quality, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and social support. Analyses included multivariable linear and logistic regression modeling, controlling for sociodemographics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both a high-quality partner relationship and good/excellent maternal self-rated health were significantly associated with higher scores on the Eisen Infant Health Rating Scale (â = 0.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3-1.4 and β = 1.1; 95% CI: 0.7-1.6, respectively). Every 5-point increase in depressive symptoms was negatively associated with infant health scores (β = -0.3; 95% CI: -0.4 to -0.1) and with recent child wellness (lack of fever, diarrhea, or worms) (odds ratio = 0.9 95%; CI: 0.8-1.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal factors, such as partner relationship quality and health status, may be important to child health and should be considered for inclusion in confirmatory longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Surkan
authors.forename: Tonia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poteat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult