Latent Profile Analysis of Parenting Characteristics and Infant-Toddler Home Environment Quality (IT-HOME): Examining Predictors and Profile Differences

This study explored the relationship between distinct parental characteristics and the quality of home environments for infants. Using data from the Wave 1 parent questionnaires and home observations of the Korean Early Childhood Education & Care Panel Study (Korean ECEC Panel), we assessed parental depression, parenting stress, and marital conflict (all measured for both mothers and fathers), and fathers' involvement, and the quality of the home environment when the children were infants. Latent profile analysis revealed three groups: a “maternal emotional vulnerability-high conflict-low paternal involvement” class, an “overall adaptive” class, and a “paternal emotional vulnerability-low conflict-high paternal involvement” class. Families in the maternal emotional vulnerability-high conflict-low paternal involvement class exhibited the lowest levels of everyday stimulation and overall home quality during infancy, while the other two classes maintained relatively favorable environments. Multinomial analyses indicated that lower parental education, higher maternal age, lower subjective socioeconomic status, and lower satisfaction with the residential child-rearing environment were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the more vulnerable or mixed-risk classes. These findings highlight the need for early, targeted interventions for families facing multiple risks, addressing parental mental health, marital relationships, fathers' involvement, and everyday developmental stimulation.