Chinese Younger Parents’ Quality of Life during COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Job Changes and Family Conflicts Matter?

Abstract

Background：The quality of life might have been decreased owing to the social disruptionsin daily life and basic functioning afterCoronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to examine the relationship between job changes, family conflicts, and quality of life among parents during COVID-19 in China.Methods：We recruited 1209 adultsthrough an online cross-sectional survey in China during the COVID-19 lockdown from April 21st to April 28th, 2020.Convenient and cluster sampling methods were used to recruit parents. The global health items in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) were used as a measurement forquality of life. Data were mainly analyzed by multiple linear regression with SPSS.Results：Both marital conflict (β=-0.243, P<.001) and parent-child conflict (β=-0.119, P=.001)were negatively associated with the quality of life among parents during the lockdown.While job changes moderatedthe relationship of marital conflict and quality of life(β=-0.256, P=.022). Besides, the interaction effects of job changesand family conflict on quality of life only significantly amongfathers andone child families.Conclusion：This study indicated the familyconflictwas acrucialfactorcorrelatedwithqualityoflifeamongyoungparents in the backdrop of COVID-19 lockdown. Job changes could interact with marital conflict and parent-child conflict on quality of life.